Tech Questions? Get the Answers: 4/26/2023

Q: What is a subwoofer and why do I want one?

The short answer is that a subwoofer generates low-frequency sound in music or movies. But what does that mean? All sounds can be measured by their frequency. The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch. Sounds like high hats, cymbals, and the spoken letters T or S are high frequency. Because the sound waves happen so fast they are close together. This means that the speaker that makes those sounds is usually small. These small speakers are called Tweeters, not to be confused with Twitter. But you can see how the small format social media platform may have gotten its name. As we go down in frequency into the human vocal range, and instruments like the violin or saxophone, the sound waves are longer, and the speaker size also gets larger. These are known as mid-range drivers. Continuing down the audio spectrum, we get into larger instruments like the cello, tuba, and timpani drums, the frequency gets lower, the wavelength gets longer, and the speaker size gets larger. These speakers are called Woofers and are usually as big as dinner plates.

Now we get to the lowest sounds, like the bottom end of a bass guitar or upright bass, kick drum, or movie explosions. These are the sounds you can often feel rather than hear. At the lowest end of the sound spectrum, the wavelength is the longest, requiring the most air movement, so a larger speaker is required. These are designed to be "long throws" meaning they move in and out further than other speakers. This allows them to create long-wavelength sounds.

An audio system does not require a subwoofer, however by having one you are allowing the hardware to create the lower frequency sounds that the smaller speakers can not. Being able to hear and feel the lower-frequency sounds in your music or movies can improve your listening pleasure.

If you are interested in upgrading your audio system to include a subwoofer contact your local audio technology specialist and feel what your ears have been missing.

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