Acoustic Speaker Designs
Whether setting up an audio system for stage, car or home, a variety of speaker designs are typically used. Sometimes multiple speaker designs are contained within one speaker enclosure, while other times they are kept separate. Here is an overview of the four main speaker designs prevalent in most systems, with information on their structures and purposes.
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Dynamic Speaker Design
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The dynamic speaker, also called a woofer, is the standard acoustic speaker design. The sound is created when alternating positive and negative impulses of electrical current cause the front and back of the speaker to vibrate. In the absence of other speaker designs, it will do a good job of picking up almost all the acoustic sound frequencies. Still, to get a nice rich sound with all the highs and lows represented, you'll need some other speaker components.
Horn Speaker Design
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Horn speakers are like dynamic speakers in that they use alternating positive and negative current to vibrate a speaker membrane, but they are different in their design in that the membrane is smaller and placed at the back of a cone-like structure. The cone is used to direct the acoustic sound in a specific direction. In multi-speaker designs, the horn is used to fill in the sound gaps left by the primary dynamic speaker set. Horns speaker designs are also sometimes produced in a rectangular shape, resulting in directed but wider-angle sound production.
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Tweeter Speaker Design
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Tweeters use separate speaker electrical current drivers than do standard dynamic speakers. The electrical current in this acoustic speaker design is at a specific level to reproduce only the highest sound frequencies. Tweeters are much smaller than midrange woofer speakers and often have a central membrane made of metal rather than paper, Kevlar or another material. They are typically 2 to 3 inches in diameter.
Subwoofer Speaker Design
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Subwoofers are only there to do one thing: produce deep bass. Like tweeters, they use a separate electrical impulse than do the main dynamic speakers. Subwoofers are traditionally sized from 15 to 18 inches for stage application and from 12 inches and up for application in car acoustic speaker systems. Subwoofers eat so much power they often require a separate amplifier to power them when using them on stage, which is then connected to the primary amplifier used for dynamic and horns through a crossover cable setup.
Multi-Speaker Enclosures
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Many PA systems, as well as home audio systems, have more than one type of speaker in a single enclosure. The most common types of multi-speaker enclosures are the smaller desk speaker systems with dynamic and tweeters in a single frame, or larger home theater speakers with both dynamic and horns. PA speaker systems, and more expensive home and desk systems, nearly always have a subwoofer with its own amplification source.
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