Parts of a Speaker – Basics
Notes: Magnets – The “Magnet” size will determine the speaker’s efficiency (the larger the magnet, the higher the wattage that can be generated). Cones – The shape of the cone affects the frequency response of a speaker. The cone is used to “push” the air that makes the sound. Dust Cap – The dust cap is nothing more than a “cover,” it’s there just to keep the dust out of the voice coil. The speaker will still work if the dust cap falls off, but if dust gets into the voice coils gap area, it can cause a “scratchy” sound. Voice Coil – The “Voice Coil” has wire windings around a cylinder and can handle large amounts of power for their size. The voice coil fits perfectly into the voice coil gap and is wired to the terminals on the speaker. The voice coil must be able to move “in and out” without touching the side walls of the gap opening. Voice coils can “burn up” if too much power is delivered to them and can sound scratchy or distorted if dust gets in between the gap and the voice coil.
Wattage – Does size Really matter? The answer to this question is “Yes!” The size of the speaker’s magnet does matter. The larger the magnet, the stronger the magnetic field, and more heat can be dissipated (which means removal of heat from the voice coil) – this helps to increase a speaker’s efficiency.
The examples (pictured above) are displaying speakers with different size magnets, and the wattages of each. You will notice that the larger the magnet (the stronger the magnetic field becomes), the higher the Wattage!
