audio: Loudspeaker

Evidence: 100 • authority: 72

A loudspeaker (commonly referred to as a speaker or, more fully, a speaker system) is a combination of one or more speaker drivers, an enclosure, and electrical connections (possibly including a crossover network). The speaker driver is an electroacoustic transducer that converts an electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound. The driver is a linear motor connected to a diaphragm, which transmits the motor's movement to produce sound by moving air. An audio signal, typically originating from a microphone, recording, or radio broadcast, is electronically amplified to a power level sufficient to drive the motor, reproducing the sound corresponding to the original unamplified signal. Th…

Evidence: 44 • authority: 72

The Leslie speaker is a combined amplifier and loudspeaker that modifies the sound of an electric musical instrument by rotating a baffle chamber (drum) in front of the loudspeaker. A similar effect is provided by a rotating system of horns in front of the treble driver. It is most commonly associated with the electric Hammond organ, though it was later used for the electric guitar and other instruments. A typical Leslie speaker contains an amplifier, a treble horn and a bass speaker—though specific components depend upon the model. Some models have two speed settings, known as chorale and tremolo. The speaker is named after its inventor, Donald Leslie, who began working in the late 1930s t…