Learn how tweeter speakers and woofer speakers work

Loudspeakers are critical to anyaudio system.

Microphones convert sound into electrical impulses that can be recorded onto some form of storage media.

Once captured and stored, it can be reproduced at a later time or place.

A person deciding among several speakers in a store

Lifewire / Daniel Fishel

Hearing recorded sound requires a playback machine, an amplifier, and, most critically, a loudspeaker.

What Is a Loudspeaker?

A loudspeaker is a equipment that converts electrical signals into sound as the result of an electro-mechanical process.

Example of typical loudspeaker driver construction

The speaker must be placed inside an enclosure so that it performs well and looks aesthetically pleasing.

Most of the time, the enclosure is some punch in of wood box.

Other materials, such as plastic and aluminum, are sometimes used.

Loudspeaker driver construction diagram

Amplified Parts.com

Instead of a box, speakers can come in other shapes, such as a flat panel or sphere.

Not all speakers use a cone to reproduce sound.

Some speaker makers, such asKlipsch, use horns in addition to cone speakers.

Paradigm Cinema tweeter and mid-range woofer examples

Paradigm

Other speaker makers, most notablyMartin Logan, use electrostatic technology in speaker construction.

Still others, such asMagnepan, use ribbon technology.

There are also cases where the sound is reproduced bynon-traditional methods.

Example of a loudspeaker crossover circuit

SVS Speakers

However, if the speaker is too small, it may only reproduce higher frequencies.

Woofers with 6.5-inch to 8-inch diameters are common in floor standing speakers.

Woofers with diameters in the 4-inch and 5-inch range are common in bookshelf speakers.

Pair of 3-way loudspeakers with a port

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Tweeters

A tweeter is a specially designed speaker that is smaller than a woofer.

If the dispersion is too narrow, the listener has a limited amount of listening position options.

However, some speaker makers add a third speaker that further separates the low-range and mid-range frequencies.

SVS SB16 sealed and PB16 ported subwoofers

SVS

This is referred to as a mid-range speaker.

Enclosures that house a woofer, tweeter, and mid-range are referred to as 3-way speakers.

The 3-way speakers may not always be better.

Home theater speaker system example

N_Design / Digital Vision Vectors / Getty Images

A well-designed 2-way speaker can sound excellent, and a poorly-designed 3-way speaker can sound terrible.

It’s not only the size and number of speakers that matters.

When you have a 2-way speaker or a 3-way speaker in your cabinet, you also need a crossover.

A crossover is an electronic circuit that assigns the appropriate frequency range to different speakers.

For example, in a 2-way speaker, the crossover is set at a specific frequency point.

Any frequencies above that point are sent to the tweeter, while the remainder are sent to the woofer.

The frequency points of the crossover vary.

Passive Radiators and Ports

A passive radiator looks like a speaker.

It has a diaphragm, surround, spider, and frame, but it is missing the voice coil.

This creates a complementary effect in which the woofer provides the energy to power itself and the passive radiator.

An alternative to a passive radiator is a port.

Speakers that include a port are referred to asbass reflex speakers.

Subwoofers

Asubwooferreproduces very low frequencies and is used mostly in home theatersurround soundapplications and high-end audio.

Most subwoofers are powered.

That means that unlike traditional speakers, subwoofers have a built-in amplifier.

There are several ways to design a loudspeaker,including bookshelf and floor standing size options.

If you order speakers online, see if there is a 30-day or 60-day listening trial.

FAQ

Position the subwoofer along the front wall of the room.

Placing your subwoofer in a corner can increase its output, producing louder sound.