What Makes Speakers Work?

A speaker is a device that converts an electrical signal into sound. It is an integral part of music systems, televisions, computers, and radios. Every day we listen to music or watch television but never really give much thought to how a speaker actually works.

Speakers work on basic principle of electromagnetism. Electric current is made to pass through a coil of wire which creates a magnetic effect, charging the metal inside. This metal after charging up excites the diaphragm which vibrates and thus results into sound waves. This is the most basic working of a speaker, reversing the flow of electricity to give sound vibrations.

Going into more depth, a speaker has a basic design that consists of drivers, cabinet, bass reflex port, spring clip, and crossover circuit. The drivers convert electrical signal to audible sound. It has a coil of wire that is attached to the amplifier. They are categorized into 4 types based on their overall audio spectrum. Various combinations of drivers decide the design of a speaker. Low-frequency drivers have the ability to provide extra bass. Mid-frequency drivers are responsible for the vocal part of the music. High-frequency drivers are also known as tweeters and are responsible for the delivery of sharp pitch sound. Full-range drivers are the combination of high and mid-frequency drivers work in for balanced audio reproduction.

The electrical signal converted by drivers into audible audio signals is enhanced by the bass reflex port which enhances the low frequency part of the music. It helps in reducing the ‘huffing’ type effect and is either installed in the front or the rear of the cabinet. Another component, the spring clip also known as binding post provides dedicated amplification to each speaker driver. It is capable of binding bare wires, plugs and spade terminated cables. The last component, The Crossover circuit takes care of channeling various bands to the appropriate drivers. Like high frequency to tweeter and low frequency to bass unit.