Alphabetically listed glossary Clipping Damping Drivers Dual Voice Coil Frequency Range/Response Harmonic Distortion Impedance Midrange Power Rating Sound Distortion Speaker Sensitivity Surround Sound Transient Response Tweeter Wattage Woofer   Clipping : Clipping occurs when the speaker cone reaches its maximum extension range. When this happens, the speaker is not able to accurately reproduce the sound. Damage may result if the speaker is left clipping for an extended amount of time. Clipping occurs mostly in woofers and subwoofers, since their cone must move a great distance to produce low frequencies. (back to top) Damping : Unlike the construction of an orchestral piece, enclosures need to be void of resonance when in use to avoid creating unwanted frequencies to be produced. The speakers are only used to produce recorded sound, it should not ring out anymore than it is programmed to. If an enclosure, or if the driver cone itself, produces unwanted frequencies, dampening materials are used to lessen its effects. (back to top) Drivers : Individual tweeters(high frequency), midranges(medium frequency), woofers(low frequency) or subwoofers(deep bass frequency) that are put inside an enclosure making a single speaker unit. (back to top) Dual Voice Coil (DVCs) : Speaker Drivers with two sets of coils instead of just one, allowing them to handle twice the power of a single coil. (back to top) Frequency Range/Response : Measured in Hertz (Hz). Humans can typically hear between 20Hz-20kHz but a speaker with 30kHz capabilities has an advantage to a speaker with 20kHz max in that they will produce better quality sound and volume. (back to top) Harmonic Distortion : This type of distortion happens when unwanted frequencies are produced by either the speakers or the resonance of the speaker enclosure. (back to top) Impedance : This is the measurement of electrical resistance to ac signals, and is measured in Ohms(the Omega sign). Most high fidelity speakers are rated at 4 or 8 Ohms. (back to top) Midrange : Midrange speakers produce the broader spectrum of the entire tonal range, specifically from 1000Hz to 10kHz. Their most efficient ranges are between 1kHz to 5kHz. The midrange produces most of the dialogue in movies, lyrics in songs and other normal sounds that you would hear. (See also Tweeters and Woofers) (back to top) Power Rating : Read the amplifier section for a full information on power ratings. (back to top) Sound Distortion : Any sound that comes out of a speaker that was not prerecorded is considered a distortion. Distortions are created from various factors, enclosures, electronic circuitry, amplifier, receiver, and the speakers themselves. The four types of distortion are Clipping, harmonic distortion, noise and transient response. (back to top) Speaker Sensitivity : Measured in decibels (dB). Measures efficiency of speakers. Basically, the higher the decibels, the better a speaker's efficiency of converting wattage to sound. (back to top) Surround Sound : Technology that forces individual speakers to produce sounds certain to that region. For example, if a motorcycle were to pass the TV screen from the right to the left, the right speakers would fire first, then the motorcycle sound moves on the the central, then finally the left speakers. (back to top) Transient Response : This is the time delay as the speaker cone begins from rest to respond to a sudden, sharp, electric pulse. A stiff cone and suspension act to slow the response time of the speaker driver. (back to top) Tweeter : The tweeter reproduces the high or treble sounds in the range of 4kHz to beyond 20kHz. Tweeters are not able to disperse sound very efficiently, therefore driver designs have been enhanced to maximize efficiency. Our GBX technology is based on reproducing higher quality high frequency response from its speakers. (back to top) Wattage : Measured in Watts(W). Measures how much power the speakers can receive from an amplifier. Some speakers. Particularly subwoofers, have built in amps that amplify the wattage given by the receiver. The more power a speaker can handle the better. This usually applies to speakers who demand extensive amounts of power, like subwoofers. Dual Voice Coil Speakers generally handle twice the power capabilities of normal speakers. (See amplifiers for more information) (back to top) Woofer : Woofers reproduce ranges of 20-1000Hz, the bottom 1/4 of that range are dubbed Subwoofers because they go so low. (back to top)