What Makes a Speaker ‘Premium’? The Materials Behind the Sound

Speaker prices range from cheap to a relatively tiny fortune. Why? Well, it's all about the quality of materials used. As with most things, speaker materials influence their performance or sound quality. Making a quality speaker requires a delicate balance of scientific principles and artistic finesse to deliver the most accurate sound reproduction possible. How do they do it? What makes a speaker ‘premium?’ These are the materials behind the sound.

A Delicate Balance

If you love listening to music, you probably have your favorite headphones and speakers on which you have spent a lot of money. The secret to their beautiful sound is in the materials they are made from. When it comes to the speakers, multiple components and systems need to work in harmony (pun intended) to deliver an accurate sound reproduction. This means maintaining clarity across all frequencies while minimizing distortions and coloration, so you can listen to the sound (music) as intended. And the materials of these components affect how well they deliver.

 

What Makes A Premium Speaker

The Enclosure

As said earlier, speakers have multiple components and systems that need to work together to deliver sound. Aside from the cabinet that encloses everything, the only visible parts are the speaker cone with a dust cap in the middle and the surround that encloses the cone. 

The cabinet isn’t just the box that holds everything together. The material and construction of the box also play a crucial role in the quality of the sound it delivers. 

Common Enclosure Materials

Wood

Speaker enclosures, or cabinets, are usually made of medium-density fiberboard (MDF). You will find this in affordable speakers, which are cheaper and easier to use. This engineered wood is more dense, stiff, and stable. It’s good at keeping vibrations away, so the sound appears clearer with minimal distortion. MDF is also flexible, allowing manufacturers to shape it into different forms and spread the sound better.

Wood is another common material for cabinets, especially for high-end speakers. Wood offers a warm and rich tone, and the type of wood also affects the sound. Thanks to their superior acoustic properties, Birch and walnut are the most common choices. Birch is favored for its strength, as it is denser yet relatively lighter than standard plywood.

Another cheap option is particleboard, which is often used for mass-produced speakers. While it is easier to work with, it doesn't offer good sound quality. 

For the more premium speakers, they use solid oak or maple. These materials are loved not just for their sound quality but also for their aesthetic appeal. The most expensive speakers use speciality woods like Japanese white oak, which tends to be more stable than other solid woods.

Fiberglass

Another increasingly popular material for speaker cabinets is fiberglass. This material offers unique acoustic properties and design flexibility. Its rigid and lightweight structure allows manufacturers to customize its shape to their acoustic needs. Fiberglass also has excellent insulation properties that minimizes interference from outside noise and improves sound quality by isolating the speaker. 

The rigid material of fiberglass allows it to minimize resonance and vibrations, making a clean sound output. 

The Drivers

The drivers are said to be the heart of the speaker. This is where electrical signals are converted into sound; thus, the quality of their materials plays a crucial role in delivering the sound. 

Bass or Woofers

This component is designed to deliver low-pitched audio frequencies, also called bass. Premium woofers are usually made of fiberglass or carbon fiber. The former provides an excellent strength-to-weight ratio for cleaner bass reproduction, while the latter is lighter and stiffer, producing excellent sound quality with low distortions.

For Mid-range speakers, you can find aluminum and Kevlar (Aramid fiber) for their woofers. Aluminum has durability and incredible transient response but will sound metallic if not designed well. On the other hand, Kevlar is incredibly stiff and strong, offering accurate sound reproduction with minimal distortions. 

Cheaper speakers come with paper and polypropylene materials for their woofers. While paper provides good sound quality with natural warmth, they are highly susceptible to moisture and can get damaged quickly. Polypropylene, however, is durable and moisture-resistant, making it a better choice for harsh environments, but it isn't stiff enough, which affects sound quality. 

The Tweeters

The tweeters handle the high-frequency parts of the sound. The more expensive and premium speakers use rigid titanium, which provides accurate high-frequency reproduction. Mid-range speakers use aluminum and silk, while the cheaper ones come with mylar (polyester). 

The Midrange Drivers

This component covers the middle frequency of the sound. This is where the vocals and instruments are heard. The expensive and premium ones use ceramic and Kevlar for this part, which provides accurate quality with minimal distortion. The more affordable speakers come with paper, composites, or polypropylene.

The Crossover Networks

This part is considered the brain of the speaker, as it is where different sound frequency ranges are delivered to their appropriate drivers. 

For the inductors and capacitors, premium speakers use copper and polypropylene for minimal distortions and signal loss. 

The Connectors and Wiring

Even the internal wires and connectors affect the sound quality of the speakers. Premium speakers use oxygen-free wiring and high-grade connectors for the best signal transfer. 

The Binding Posts

The binding posts are where the speaker wires and connectors are attached. Premium and more expensive speakers usually have gold-plated binding posts, which are highly conductive and corrosion-resistant, ensuring a clean signal path.

The Internal Bracing and Damping

These parts reduce unwanted vibrations that may make the sound muddy. Premium speakers reinforce the enclosure with internal bracing to reduce the vibrations in the cabinet, making a cleaner and more stable sound. 

For dampening, speakers come with rubber or other specialized damping compounds to absorb vibrations inside the speaker cabinet. This is important for accuracy and clarity of sound. 

 

Special Features

Premium speakers also come with additional features to improve the listening experience. Waveguides, for example, disperse sound, making a wider and more even soundstage. Bi-wiring and Bi-amping techniques separate wires at different frequencies to reduce interference and improve clarity. 

 

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of things that go on inside a premium speaker. By combining high-quality materials with precision engineering, premium speakers deliver superior quality that justifies their price tags. 

Thus, if you want an immersive experience, you cannot go wrong with investing in premium speakers.