How do the materials that a speakers drivers are made from affect its sound quality?
Tweeters made from hard materials like metals and ceramic have a very crisp, clear, and accurate sound, but some people find them too “bright” and a bit harsh. Soft dome tweeters, such as those made from silk, sacrifice some accuracy, but deliver sound that’s smoother and warmer. Woofers made from paper tend to be very light and can provide the kind of fast response necessary for accurate sound. However, paper doesn’t age or wear very well. That’s why most higher-end speakers use woofers made from some combination of harder materials like metals and ceramics, and light materials like paper and textiles. These “poly” blends give a woofer the strength it needs to hold up to room-filling guitar riffs, as well as the lightness it needs to keep up with a racing piano solo.
