Loudspeaker

A Loudspeaker is a device which converts an electrical signal into an acoustic audio wave. Its traditional design is that of a fibrous semi-rigid cone. Attached to the apex of the cone is a copper coil. The copper coil is axially oriented with a permanent magnet where one pole is outside the coil, whilst the other is within the axis of the coil. An electrial signal applied to the coil causes the whole semi-rigid cone (diaphragm) to oscillate and reproduce sound at the frequency of the applied electrical signal.

Where a multi-frequency signal is applied, the complex vibration results in reproduction of the applied signal as an audio signal. Because of this and various inertial effects a single loaudspeaker is not usually used to cover a wide audio spectrum and specialised units are employed.

See Subwoofer, Woofer, Mid-range, Tweeter. Generally through the use of filters only appropriate siganls are applied to the various units.

Other technologies can be used to convert the electrical signal into an audio signal. These include piezoelectric, electrostatic.