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2-Way vs 3-Way Car Speakers: How They Function
Perhaps the most common types of speaker systems are two way and three-way car speakers. With the varying degrees of sound waves, speaker systems accommodate the differences and specialize in producing a multitude of sound waves. Low-pitched sounds produce longer wavelengths while high-pitched sounds produce shorter wavelengths.
Two-way car speakers, or coaxial speakers, are quite standard; they usually consist of a woofer and a tweeter. The woofer is the component that reproduces lower audio frequency sounds (3 KHz to 20 KHz), such sounds are typical of the notes from a bass guitar or a tuba. The tweeter is the driver that reproduces the higher audio frequencies (under 30 hertz to 160 hertz) like those coming from a cymbal, a tambourine, or a flute.
Three-way car speakers also referred to as tri-axial speakers, usually consist of the woofer, the tweeter, and an extra component called the mid-range. It is designed for the mid-range audio frequency sounds (160 hertz to 5.2 KHz), like a human voice or musical instruments such as trumpets or saxophones. The mid-range speaker balances the frequency slope by outputting the frequencies most natural to the human ear, thus aural intake. In this sense, three-way car speakers sound better than two-way car speakers.
However, there are exceptions to the composition of some two-way and three-way car speakers. For instance, some three-way car speakers use a super tweeter in place of a mid-range to extend a high-frequency response or add greater detail to the sound.
Although two-way and three-way car speakers are modifiable component-wise, such modifications do not influence the modality of the speaker system. For instance, a three-way car speaker consisting of two woofers, one mid-range, and a tweeter is still a three-way because the two woofers are serving the same function.
Two-way and three-way car speakers can also have their components separated as distinct speakers, each designed to transmit a certain frequency of sound. These are referred to as component speaker systems. A two-way component speaker system comprises two speakers: the tweeter and the woofer. A three-way component speaker system has three speakers: the tweeter, the woofer, and the mid-range speaker. As opposed to having the sound coming from the same place, component speaker systems separate the range of sounds through specialized speakers.
It is important to determine the frequency response range with choosing a two and three way-speaker systems. Speakers with a larger range produce the highs and lows of the sound, which results in a much fuller, more accurate sound. On the other hand, speakers with smaller ranges leave out lower and higher frequencies, thus producing a comparatively flat, less dynamic sound. The broader the frequency-slope is, the better the overall sound.
