How Does a Computer Speaker Work?

Sound

To understand how a computer speaker works, you must first learn how sound works. It is a vibration that can travel through air, liquid or a gas. Contrary to science fiction, sound can not be heard in space because it is a vacuum, where there is no air. The sound vibrates through the air and hits your eardrum, which your brain turns into noise.

Parts of a Computer Speaker

Most speakers contain the same components. A computer speaker is not much different. A detached speaker contains a diaphragm, dust cap, voice coil, magnet, spider, basket, connecting wires and suspension (surround). Attached speakers have less components.

Frames

Most speakers in your house have a housing frame around them that contains all the parts. Some computers, especially laptops, are used as the frame. However, the quality of the sound for those isn't as good as detached speakers. They are small and do not produce a large variety of sound frequencies.

Voice Coil

The voice coil is an electromagnet, usually copper. It receives an electronic signal from the audio in your computer. Your computer sends an electronic signal through connecting wires, which move the coil up and down. The coil is able to this because it is in an electromagnetic field made by the nearby permanent magnet. When positive signals are sent to the coil it moves away from the magnet and back again. This movement causes the diaphragm to vibrate.

The Diaphragm

The diaphragm is usually cone or domed shaped. It can be made out of plastic, paper or metal. Although, a composite of these materials is usually used. The diaphragm is attached to the suspension (surround). This allows the diaphragm to move to produce sound waves. The other end is attached to the voice coil, which is what actually moves the diaphragm.

The Basket

The basket is what holds everything in the speaker together. Sometimes baskets are not used in small attached computer speakers. Inside a laptop computer, the space is very crammed. The suspension can be attached directly to the frame of the computer.

Types of Computer Speakers

Different types of speakers are made for different types of sounds. The three basic types are woofers, midrange and tweeters. Woofers specialize in low sounds, midrange are for the middle sound spectrum, and tweeters are for the highest frequency of sound. Some computers contain huge amounts of audio data. Their owners might use these computers for their main source of music entertainment. To make it easier to accomplish this, manufacturers have made plenty of products for an extensive computer stereo system.

Resources

• The Computer Speaker - Wikipedia