The Difference Between Woofer And Subwoofer
As regards producing bass, there is no substitute for woofers and subwoofers. Though, shoppers are always puzzled about whether to purchase woofers or subwoofers.
There are people who believe that both woofers or subwoofers refer to the same thing. Some are curious to know the dissimilarity between both the appliances and then choose which one is excellent for them. Overall, both of them produce a low-frequency sound which in turn produces the bass.
However, there are different from each other on nearly all the different audio parameters. In this post, we’ll make a thorough comparison of subwoofer vs woofer.
Woofer
A woofer is essentially a loudspeaker. The name speaker is used to explain an electro-acoustic transducer. Briefly, a woofer is a specialized speaker; and a subwoofer is a specialized woofer that covers a more limited frequency range.
You can tell subwoofer variation by the efficiency, price, and size along with their distortion and power handling abilities.
The form of a subwoofer is usually a plastic or wooden enclosure that has one or more woofers fitted into it. The emphasis on the lower frequency ranges makes the subwoofers often be designed bigger than woofers.
The bigger size enables the driver to move a lot of air while maintaining the necessary low frequency. How you place your subwoofer makes room for the emergence of several subwoofer variants.
Subwoofer
A subwoofer is actually a woofer, or a loudspeaker that reproduces low-pitched sounds, usually referred to as bass. They’re used primarily for home theater systems because they allow you to hear deep lows in music and movies without having to turn up the volume. Subs work best with high-quality speakers like those found in surround sound setups.
How Do Woofer And Subwoofer Work?
The purpose of a woofer is to transform electrical signals into sound using the concept that changes in electrical signals drive the movement of the device, creating sound waves through water or air. Any difference in sound or distortion is due to the speakers.
In a home audio system, the woofer is part of the main speaker system. Useful for tweeters in the midrange. The woofer typically has a range of about 20-2 kHz and can reproduce low to mid frequencies. Woofers have a wide sound spectrum, making them ideal for home theater use.
The difference in the frequency range is therefore the crucial difference between subwoofers and woofers.
The subwoofer is used to produce a wide and deep sound with excellent bass. However, this is not the case with woofers. They produce high frequencies as well as mids and highs. The frequency response of the woofer is perfectly suitable for most applications, but if you want the best sound you need a subwoofer.
If you are planning a sound system with more than two loudspeakers, we recommend using a woofer. How good you want your system to sound depends on whether you buy a subwoofer or a woofer. The subwoofer provides a more realistic and immersive sound, making it ideal for home theater systems and clubs. Woofers are more suitable for portable systems like car sound systems.
Woofer vs Subwoofer
Here are the differences between a woofer and a subwoofer:
Frequency Range
Woofer frequency ranges vary depending on what type of speaker you are looking at. Generally speaking, woofers can produce sound frequencies ranging from around 50 Hz to 1000 Hz. This is known as the woofer’s frequency response. Some speakers can even extend beyond that range. For example, some woofers can produce frequencies of 40 Hz to 2,500 Hz.
A subwoofer, on the other hand, can only produce frequencies ranging from 20 Hz to 120 Hz – it does not produce anything else.
It means woofers are specifically appropriate for individuals that want a much wider frequency range however subs are for people who want a narrower frequency range on the very low end. This is why woofers are specifically utilized in portable structures like car sound systems.
Most buyers frequently discover the frequency range that woofers cover to be good enough for their needs. Though, in case you are a passionate music lover who wants greater sensible and heart-thumping bass effects, you may consider a subwoofer.
Size
The subwoofer structure is larger than the woofer structure. This is due to the various components of the subwoofer. First, there’s usually a black case that not only protects the system but also tunes performance. There are also passive coolers that have the ability to relieve excess pressure build-up within the system.
Instead of coolers, there could be port vents to accomplish the same task. The most important components are the main body amplifier and woofer. A woofer creates sound waves and an amplifier amplifies the sound level. The larger the area, the deeper the bass.
Number of Drivers
A woofer usually has multiple drivers. You will encounter woofers that mention 2-way or 3-way driver systems. A 2-way woofer includes two drives, a woofer, and a tweeter. A 3-way woofer includes a woofer, a tweeter, and an additional midrange driver. A 4-way subwoofer with an added super tweeter is also available.
In contrast, subwoofers typically contain only one driver. However, some are available with a custom-built subwoofer with a multi-driver. In addition, multiple subwoofers can be housed in one enclosure to accommodate multiple drivers.
Passive And Active Bass Drivers
Woofers and subs are both types of speaker systems used to play low frequencies, such as those found in rock music. However, they do it differently. A woofer is a passive driver; it simply moves air around inside a cabinet. In contrast, a subwoofer is an active driver; it uses magnets to move air around inside a box.
Active vs Passive Subwoofers
Passive subwoofers don’t require amplification because they’re powered directly by the audio signal coming out of the main system. If you connect a passive sub to an amplifier, you’ll hear distortion caused by the amp trying to push too much current into the sub.
In contrast, active subwoofers require amplification because they draw less current than a typical loudspeaker. An active subwoofer requires a separate amplifier to provide the necessary current.
Power Usage
A woofer consumes less power than a subwoofer. This is because the subwoofer needs to reach the lowest frequency range and the subwoofer’s amplifier needs to draw more power.
If your car audio system has a subwoofer, the car lights will dim when the battery is low and the subwoofer produces deep bass. This is due to the need to withdraw excess energy.
In contrast, woofers don’t need to hit such low frequencies, so they require less power. However, power consumption can be slightly higher if special woofer drivers are present.
However, it never exceeds the power consumption of the subwoofer. Typically, woofers consume 10-100W and subwoofers consume 200-1000W.
FAQs
Which is better woofer or the subwoofer?
It depends on your needs. If you require very low frequencies as low as 20 Hz or within the range of 20 to 205 Hz, then consider a subwoofer. But, if you need a much wider frequency range of 40 to 2,500 Hz, then go with a woofer.
Can the woofer be used as a subwoofer?
Yes. However, woofers cannot reproduce low frequencies as efficiently as subwoofers.
What makes the speaker a subwoofer?
Note that a subwoofer is actually a speaker capable of producing sound in the low-frequency range of approximately 20-250 Hz. Most normal speakers don’t go that low in the frequency spectrum unless you’re talking about full-range speakers. Many full-range speakers don’t go down to 20Hz.
What is best for your car?
Woofers are cheaper than subwoofers and produce a louder sound. However, subwoofers can deliver more bass in a smaller space, making them ideal for smaller venues and arenas. The woofer is suitable for cars with a lot of bass with large engines. Subwoofers are good for cars that don’t have a lot of basses, such as cars that don’t have big engines.
Difference between speaker and woofer
A speaker is a device used to produce sound waves. This includes both audio speakers and video speakers. Speakers are usually found in televisions, stereo equipment, computers, smartphones, tablets, and many other devices. They are responsible for producing the actual sound you hear.
The woofer is one type of speaker. It is a component of a speaker system. It produces bass frequencies. In fact, it is the most important part of the speaker system. Woofers are designed to reproduce lower-frequency sounds.
How important is the subwoofer?
A subwoofer is completely essential if you want to hear the bass in music and movies. If you don’t mind that much, a pair of woofers with tweeters will do the trick.
What size subwoofer should you get?
Subwoofer size is better determined by available space and what you want to hear. Smaller models are inexpensive but don’t have as much power or depth as larger models.
Final Word
A woofer uses less power than a subwoofer. This is because the subwoofer needs to reach the lowest frequency range and the subwoofer’s amplifier needs to draw more power. These two speaker systems are used to reproduce low-frequency sound notes. However, the main difference between them is that subwoofers reproduce frequencies below 30 Hz, while woofers reproduce sounds in the frequency range of 20-2,500 Hz.
