First, What material is the speaker diaphragm?
At present, the popular speaker diaphragm materials on the market include paper cone, plastic, metal And four kinds of synthetic fibers.
1. Paper cone diaphragm
The paper cone diaphragm appeared the earliest and is the most common speaker diaphragm material. technical level. The production process is roughly as follows. The pulp is poured into the designed mold, dried and then subjected to a series of subsequent processing. The specific material composition, proportion and processing method are different for each brand and belong to their trade secrets.
The sound characteristics of this type of diaphragm are smooth and natural, with few distinctive stimulation parts, which is in line with most people’s tastes. Due to the interweaving of the internal fibers, the paper cone diaphragm can quickly absorb the sound energy during the transmission process, so the damping characteristics are ideal. In addition, the paper cone also has the advantages of light weight and high energy conversion efficiency. The disadvantage is that the paper cone is more sensitive to temperature and humidity, and is obviously affected by the environment. After several extreme environmental changes, it may produce irreversible deformation. However, with the advancement of technology, the waterproof performance of paper cones will get better and better.
2. Plastic diaphragm
Also known as PP cone, generally made of polypropylene material, which is also a common diaphragm material, its moisture-proof The waterproof effect is much better than the cone diaphragm, but it will also be slightly affected. The PP sound cone also has excellent damping characteristics, and the hearing is soft and natural, but the rigidity is relatively general, and the high frequency performance is prone to distortion.
Because it is a chorus material, the PP cone is convenient for later improvement. For example, on the existing basis, it can be achieved by adding other materials to overcome certain deficiencies to achieve a relatively ideal state.
3. Metal diaphragm
The metal diaphragm is generally made of aluminum or its alloy material. The force is outstanding, and distortion is well controlled. It’s just that the damping characteristics of the metal diaphragm are relatively weak, and it is easy to produce “metallic sound” at high frequencies (that is, the phenomenon of basin splitting generated at the high frequency end), but it can be improved by applying special paint on the surface of the diaphragm.
In addition, the metal diaphragm has more design requirements on the circuit, which will increase the cost virtually.
4. Synthetic fiber diaphragm
The material of the synthetic fiber diaphragm is transplanted from aviation and military materials. Rigidity, which has the characteristics of various other material diaphragms, is that the manufacturing cost is high, which is generally found in high-end speakers.
The damping characteristics of the synthetic fiber diaphragm still need to be strengthened, which can be achieved by the current methods such as sandwich or coating.
In addition to the above four types of diaphragms, there are also horn diaphragms made of graphite fiber, glass fiber, carbon fiber, bakelite, etc., but they are not widely used and rarely seen in the market.
In fact, the sound characteristics of different speakers have different requirements for the diaphragm material, and the diaphragm materials of the tweeter and woofer are different.
Second, tweeter diaphragm material
The tweeter is usually classified into three categories according to the material of the diaphragm: hard dome, soft dome and Composite membrane dome.
1. The hard dome is made of aluminum alloy, titanium alloy and other light metals, formed with ultra-thin alloy platinum, and the surface is chemically treated. Its tone is bright and clear, and it has high resolution.
2. The soft dome is made of silk soft film, the sound is delicate and soft, and the expressiveness is strong.
3. The composite membrane dome is made of vibrating membranes of several materials. For example, some vibrating membranes use the composite membrane of “silk + aluminum membrane”. This tweeter not only has the bright sound quality and resolution of the hard dome, but also has the natural, smooth and layered sense of hearing of the Sijuan soft dome.
At present, the common materials of tweeter mainly include titanium film, silk film, pv film, etc. In multimedia speakers, pv film and silk film dome tweeter are mostly used, and it is generally believed that the latter is the tweeter. better than the former.
Three, woofer diaphragm material
The woofer is currently commonly used in manufacturing The materials of the woofer mainly include paper cones, ceramic basins, bulletproof cloth, wool basins, polypropylene and so on.
1. Paper cone: It has the advantages of combining rigidity and flexibility, high internal damping, easy to mix with other materials, etc. The sound performance is natural and thick, and the bass is full. The disadvantage is that the moisture resistance is poor, and the consistency is difficult to control during manufacture. Due to the low cost of paper cones, it is widely used in multimedia speakers below 300 yuan.
2. Ceramic basin: The performance of vocals and classical music is very delicate, the mid-bass is very transient, plump and powerful, the dynamic performance is good, the bass is excellent, and the positioning is accurate. It is suitable for expressing the appeal and shock of the surging movie sound source.
3. Bulletproof cloth basin (woven basin): It has a wider frequency response and lower distortion, can withstand greater power, and can produce warm, natural mid-frequency and deep, sharp low-frequency, The transient is good, and the effect of playing large dynamic music is excellent. It is the first choice for those who love strong bass. If you are a super game fan, it is quite a good choice to choose bulletproof cloth speakers to play games with explosion scenes and fierce gladiatorials. The disadvantage is that the manufacturing process is complicated, the cost is high, and the performance is not good when playing light music.
4. Wool fiber basin: The horn paper basin is infiltrated with wool fiber in the pulp, the texture is slightly soft, the performance of soft music is also very good, and the human voice is pure and natural. The disadvantage is that the bass is not good, and the expressiveness of rock and march is not satisfactory. If you are someone who likes to listen to melodious music and does not pay much attention to the bass effect, the wool basin is the most suitable for you. Listening to the symphony with it will definitely make you feel like you are in the scene.
5. PP basin: good consistency, low distortion, excellent performance in all aspects, wide application range, but high price, mainly used for high-end speakers.
