How Do Speakers Work ?

Speakers comes in many shape and size, but the purpose of the speaker is only to covert electric audio signal into sound waves that can be heard by the listener. Speakers are used by almost every person, but many of us don't now how do speakers works. In this article we will know how do speakers works and their different types of drivers.

In order to know about how does a speaker works, you need to know what is sound, how does sound travel and intercept by human.

When object shakes or vibrates, they produces sound. Sound can be produce in any medium like liquid, solid, or gas. Air is the best practical way for producing sound.

A speaker can produce sound by making vibration in the air. This vibration creates the disturbance in the surrounding which we hear as sound. When you play a music, you can hear it even if you stand some meters away because of the air, which is disturbed by the speaker.

Let's know how do speaker makes disturbance in their surroundings.

How do speaker's works ?

Speakers works by vibrating, pushing and pulling the surrounded air to create sound waves. Speakers are able to do so, by making the use of speaker cone (also known as diaphragm) which is attached to the voice coil (or electromagnetic coil).

Voice coil is placed in front of the permanent magnet. When the electricity (electrical signals) is passed through the coil, it turns the voice coil into the temporary magnet or electromagnet (electromagnet can control the electromagnetic field by changing the amount of electric current).

When fluctuating electric current (audio signals) passes through the voice coil, electromagnet either attract or repels by the permanent magnet. This moves the coil back and forth. When the coil moves, it push and pull the attached diaphragm (speaker cone). This vibrates the surrounded air and hence, creates sound waves. This is how we hear the sound from the speaker.

Parts of speakers

Voice coil -  it refers to the coil of wire, which is attached with the diaphragm and react with the permanent magnet when providing electrical current. This reaction is responsible for pushing and pulling the coil and diaphragm.

Diaphragm (speaker's cone) - responsible for generating the sound waves by moving up or down. It is glued on the voice coil and to the suspension at the edge.

Dust cap - protects the voice coil of the speaker from outside dust and dirt.

Magnet - it refers to the permanent magnet fixed behind the speaker's cone. It reach with the changing magnetic field and allow the coil and diaphragm to move.

Spider - spider secure that the voice coil only moves up or down and not side. It is glued with the frame as well as with the voice coil.

Surround/ suspension - it holds the diaphragm in place, while allowing it to moves up or down.

Top plate - placed on the top of the permanent magnet.

Bottom plate - placed below the permanent magnet.

Basket - frame of the speaker which contains all the components of speaker.

How speakers changes their volume?

Speakers can change their volume by increasing or decreasing the vibration of the speaker's cone. High vibration produces loud sound and lower vibration produces low sound. But why ? Just think about drum. When you bang the drum really hard louder sound will produce and vice-verse. In the same way when large electrical signals were passed to the speaker, it further moves the speaker's cone which produce more sound volume. Slow volume can also be produce by passing small electrical signals.

What makes one speaker better than another ?

Before knowing what makes one speaker better than the another we need to know what is best speaker ?  The best speaker is the one which produce the sound accurately with adding or removing any information i.e if the speaker produces accurate frequency without making much variation, it is probably the best speaker.

If the frequency graph of the speaker is a flat line instead of having peaks and valley line, it will definitely produce great sound. Sound of the speaker is not just affected by frequency. Others factors like material of the speaker also affects the quality of sound.

Material used by the speaker.

You might have noticed the most speaker's are made up of wood or plastic. It is not just for making it look good, but also for producing good sound. Material of the speakers can make drastic change in the quality of the sound.

Sound quality can also be affected by the material used in speaker's cone found in each driver. Cone can be made up of paper, aluminium or things like glass fiber polymer, but why? The job of each cone is to move up or down, but at certain frequency cone starts flexing which makes distortion in speaker's sound. Designer used rigid material for keeping flexing to the minimum.

Speaker's drives

Speaker drivers are the main part of speaker that many people call a speaker (but not) and are of round shape containing the parts like cone, magnet, voice coil, spider, etc. It is an individual speaker transducer that covers the electrical signal into sound waves. For high quality sound production multiple drivers are used in the same enclosure.

Different types of speaker drivers

Tweeter

Tweeter Speakers are small units designed for handling high frequency treble range (above 2000Hz).


Mid-range drivers

Mid-range drivers are designed for Handling midrange frequency, mainly range between 200 Hz to 2000 Hz


Woofer

Woofer refers to the drivers that are used for producing low frequency (less than 200Hz).

Conclusion

Their are variety of speakers available in the market like bluetooth speaker, waterproof speaker, woofers, ect. Bit their purpose is same i.e for making disturbance in the air.

I hope you like this article and now you know how does the speaker's works, different speakers driver.