As you set up your new home cinema surround sound system, you may notice that your subwoofer has to be replaced shortly. Or, maybe, you can make do with what you’ve got in the short or long term—a woofer, perhaps? And then you wonder what distinguishes them between? Let’s read more to learn about woofer vs subwoofer:
Many woofers are referred to as subwoofers, despite the fact that they are not confined to low-frequency sounds. You may utilize a woofer as a subwoofer by making sure the audio channels are connected properly. However, if not correctly set up, you may lose out on the low-frequency impact.
It helps to know the distinctions between a woofer and a subwoofer, as well as a little about the history of these pieces of sound equipment, to better grasp this.
There are several resources available to assist you in making the proper connections when utilizing your woofer as a subwoofer. Let’s look at it more closely.
What is the difference between a woofer and a subwoofer?
To be brief, a woofer is a speaker that produces low sound waves. The subwoofer, meanwhile, is used to produce louder bass sounds.
Before you can begin to grasp the idea of employing a woofer as a subwoofer, you must first grasp the major distinctions between the two devices.
While some naïve audiophiles may claim discrepancies in one manner or another, other expert audiophiles will be able to fill you in on the real technical components that comprise these outstanding gadgets.
While some argue that the distinction is the number of coils since a sub always has a dual voice coil, two voice coils may also be found in woofers. Instead, the distinction between these two devices is the frequency they are meant to emit: subwoofers have a lower frequency than woofers.
Importantly, the difference between these two extremely similar pieces of sound equipment can be seen not only in their design but also in the frequency they transmit. Because the fundamental difference between the spelling of these two pieces of equipment contains “sub” in relation to a lower level, it’s crucial to understand that the distinction between a woofer and a subwoofer is the low-frequency audio emission.
When you consider that a woofer can emit audio frequencies between 20Hz and 2KHz, whilst a subwoofer can only emit audio frequencies between 20Hz and 200Hz, you can understand how these ranges might affect the sound experience that these two pieces of equipment provide to listeners.
It’s a bit more difficult to utilize a subwoofer as a woofer since it has a considerably narrower sonic spectrum and is low-frequency. A woofer, on the other hand, encompasses the whole range that a subwoofer can produce. As a result, even though a woofer was not created expressly for this purpose, it is not difficult to understand how it may be utilized to cover the low-frequency spectrum.
To create the low-frequency audio signals that it will become meant to receive, the woofer will just need to be enclosed and linked to the relevant audio channels as well as an amp (and play).
What is a woofer’s role?
You may have heard a woofer referred to as a subwoofer or vice versa. This is not commonplace, despite the fact that when you look at the functions of a woofer and a subwoofer more closely, this is not strictly correct.
As a result, if you’ve been using a subwoofer in the past, you’ll want to be sure your woofer can handle the low-frequency audio frequencies that your sub can.
A woofer may span a frequency range of 20Hz to 200KHz, with most woofers covering 20Hz to 5,000Hz. Low-frequency speakers cover a broad variety of sounds and are frequently installed with other speaker channels, including higher-frequency speakers.
It’s worth noting that a woofer may output the same low-frequency frequencies as a subwoofer. However, because of the difference in construction between a woofer and a subwoofer, the woofer will not play low-frequency audio frequencies as clearly or efficiently.
However, if you need to swap one out for the other, it’s quicker to swap a woofer for a subwoofer rather than the other way around.
This is due to the fact that a subwoofer excels at focusing on the audio signal’s lowest frequency bass tones. Because the woofer has a greater frequency range, it can cover both these low and higher frequencies.
Furthermore, a woofer is a very common driver used in home theatre (or other types of) sound systems. To cover the vast range of frequencies conveyed across the integrated sound system, it works with the left, right, center, and other audio streams.
When you start looking at this sort of equipment with more than the typical left, right, and center channels, even most Soundbars contain a woofer. A woofer is an important part of any speaker system.
What are the functions of a subwoofer?
Now that you’ve learned what a woofer can accomplish and the vast spectrum of audio signals it can play, it’s time to learn about the features of a subwoofer.
After all, most people consider these two pieces of audio gear to be interchangeable, but is this really the case?
A subwoofer is a component of a surround-sound audio system that reproduces low-frequency audio frequencies between 20Hz and 200Hz. In comparison to other audio sources, this piece of sound equipment produces the lowest, clearest bass. A subwoofer is required if you want the booming thud of low-frequency sounds.
Knowing that a subwoofer can concentrate on a much smaller spectrum of audio signals will help you understand the distinction between a subwoofer and a woofer.
A subwoofer is a refined, more particular form of a woofer in that it concentrates more accurately on a small range of audio impulses rather than trying to handle a larger range of audio signals.
You can see how “doing one thing well” may benefit this particular piece of audio equipment in this scenario. The subwoofer, unlike its counterpart (the woofer), is intended to convey low-frequency sounds efficiently using the proper configuration, connections, and equipment.
Is a subwoofer with a woofer really necessary?
Now that you know that a woofer can cover the same low-frequency audio frequencies that a subwoofer can’t, you’re probably asking how to get the most bang for your buck in this case.
After all, the woofer can play the whole range of frequencies that a subwoofer can, so what more is required to provide the best sound experience possible in your vehicle or at home?
While a woofer can cover low-frequency audio frequencies, a subwoofer has a superior physical architecture and overall ability to play the lowest audio signals in the spectrum. You’ll need a sub if you wish to emphasize the 20Hz-200Hz frequency range.
It’s crucial to consider the design of these two pieces of audio gear in order to completely comprehend the value of having and employing a subwoofer whenever feasible.
Of course, a woofer can cover the low-frequency audio frequencies that a subwoofer is normally employed for, but knowing how to do so is vital since a subwoofer was expressly intended for this.
The subwoofer employs a larger air route to convey low-frequency audio impulses, allowing the purity of these deep tones to come through.
The woofer, on the other hand, lacks this capability and is constrained in its overall structure by how it absorbs (or rejects) airflow and reverberation.
While the woofer is theoretically capable of receiving low-frequency audio impulses in the same region that a subwoofer focuses on more precisely, it lacks the ability and vigor to achieve these low-frequency sounds.
As a result, you’ll probably notice that a woofer lacks the punchy bass that you’d expect from a subwoofer. Because it is meant to somewhat achieve both, a woofer is unlikely to be able to play the highest frequency audio signals well in its range (but not accomplish either end of the range to its peak potential).
As a result, if you want to get the maximum amount of low-frequency sounds that your sound system is capable of creating, a subwoofer will almost certainly be required.
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