Woofer - Definition and Overview

Woofer is the term for a loudspeaker driver that is designed to produce low frequency sounds. Typically from around 40 Hertz up to a few hundred Hertz. Nowadays one can find woofers which can pick up souds as low as 20 Hz (20Hz can only be felt unless you are gifted enough to hear them, as the human ear has a range of 20Hz to 20,000 Hz). Some woofers produce frequencies up to around 1000-2000 Hertz and are usually called Mid-woofers.

Nearly all woofers dynamic cone speakers and typically have a nominal diameter of 5 to 18 inches.

A low resonance frequency, obtained by loose suspension (more compliance) and heavy cone, makes the speaker capable of producing low frequency sounds.

The term woofer can also refer to a speaker driver and cabinet combination that produces low frequencies.

See also:

• Loudspeaker
• Tweeter
• Mid-range speaker
• Subwoofer