If you are new to the speaker repair industry, or if you just have a passing interest in speakers, then you might be confused by some of the terms that are thrown around. We specialize in speaker repair in the Twin Cities, so we thought we would take the time to define some of the main parts of a speaker.
Cabinet
This is the part of the speaker that houses the driver, tweeter and crossover components.
Cone (or Driver)
This speaker part is made from a variety of different materials, including polypropolene, carbon fiber, magnesium, ceramic, granite and more. This is the diaphragm of the speaker and it is what pumps the sound out of the speaker and into the air.
Crossover Network
This is what divides the audio signal between the drivers.
Drivers
This is what converts the electrical audio signal into sound waves. There are many different kinds of drivers on the market these days, but they all serve the same function. The most common type of driver is the moving coil electrodynamic piston driver. The cone (diaphragm) is connected to this.
Drivers tend to come in a variety of sizes because it is pretty much impossible to create a piston driver that can reproduce sound waves over the entire frequency range of human hearing (20 Hz to 20 kHz).
Dust Cap
This covers the hole in the center of the cone. It helps reduce the amount of dirt and dust that can get into the gap of the magnet. It also reduces the leakage losses through the driver. Plus it can add strength to the cone and help it to maintain its shape, and it can also add mass to the cone to help lower the driver’s resonance. Some dust caps will come with a screen or vent to help let air flow through and to help with cooling the voice coil.
Subwoofer
This is the opposite of the tweeter. It is what produces the bass. It is usually mounted in its own cabinet and they usually have their own amplification too.
Surrounds
This is a part of a home theater system that is responsible for directional sound effects.
Tweeter
A small driver that produces the higher pitched frequencies, also known as the treble.
Do you want more information on speaker repair in the Twin Cities? Call Midwest Speaker Repair at 651-645-7385, visit our store on Oakcrest Avenue in Roseville, or you can Contact Us or Shop Our Site.
