How it works
A speaker turns an electrical signal into sound. In the driver, the signal runs through the voice coil in a magnet's field, pushing the coil and the cone it is fixed to back and forth, and the cone pushes the air.
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The moving parts
The cone, capped by the dust cap, is held at its rim by the surround and lower down by the spider. Both let it move in and out while keeping it centred, so the voice coil never rubs in its narrow gap.
The motor
The magnet sits between the front plate and the back plate, and the pole piece rises up the middle. Together they focus a strong field across the gap where the voice coil hangs.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between a woofer and a tweeter?
The woofer is the large driver for low notes; the tweeter is the small one for high notes. The crossover inside the cabinet sends each one its own range.
What are the parts of a subwoofer?
The same as any driver: cone, dust cap, surround, spider, voice coil, magnet and basket, only larger and built to move further, in its own enclosure, often with a port.
What does the port on a speaker do?
It lets air move in and out of the cabinet. Tuned to the box, it strengthens the lowest notes the woofer plays.