the-BA : Woofers, tweeters and bass bins

Woofers, tweeters, bass bins: what’s all that about? Why are there so many different types and designs of speaker? Why are speakers different sizes? Your average speaker works on a simple principle. A current is passed through a coil of wire, making a magnetic field that interacts with another magnet causing it to move (while attached to a paper cone). As the paper cone moves in and out in time with the signal, sound waves are generated.

Have you ever wondered how a speaker works?

You might like to …

• find out about the different designs and types of speaker; carry out some simple tests to demonstrate how loudspeakers work (try drawing a damp cloth along a string taped to the inside of a plastic cup; find out what happens when you increase the size of the cup)
• test various speakers to see if they produce the same range of sound as their technical specifications say they do (make sure you keep all other variables constant – a fair test)
• carry out tests to see which size of speaker gives the greatest range; investigate what difference changing the position of the speakers makes; test to see what sort of casing helps produce the best sound
• Based on your research, build your own working speakers (you could build them for a specific purpose, or to fit into a specific space).

Further links:
http://www.speakerlab.com/

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