do high frequency sounds draw more current or low freq sounds?

Question

do high frequency sounds draw more current or low freq sounds?

Answer 1

Well. It is kind of a trick question unless you add "at the same volume." You CAN produce both high frequencies and low frequencies with the same current draw but the lows will be quieter. In order to produce low frequencies you need to have a much larger cone for several reasons. Highs, being more directional, keep the energy in a more confined area while the bass frequencies escape easier but more importantly because the cone moves more slowly the cone needs greater excursion (distance of the stroke) requiring more power.

This of course assumes that everything else is the same like speaker sensitivity. So low frequencies require more power at the same volume than high frequencies.

I have had a chance to play the Monster Amps that have the digital wattage readout on the front. It was very clear that music passages that were primarily high notes required much less power than those that had primarily bass. Anyone with Macintosh amps will probably notice the same thing.

Answer 2

firing from the hip here. Yeah low frequency sounds, which can be considered the sound that a subwoofer in car stereo gives you will draw more current. having a stock stereo and blaring it full blast into your ears could easily deafen you at the same rate of your stereo plus a new subwoofer. but adding the subwoofer is a considerable power drain

I cannot for the life of me see an angle of this question where the answer that highs draw more current than lows makes any sense....this is fascinating to think about tho...I re read the other answers and the one bit about amplitude REALLY got me thinking ...if two frequencies are at the same amplitude. like indentical stereos just playing 2 different frequencies at the same volume, one will sound way quieter than the other. but maybe they draw the same amount of current if the volume knobs are set exactly the same. I really cannot say yes or no for sure here......

Answer 3

The problem with your question as you've asked it is that an audio recorder will do just that; record the range of human hearing. The audio circuits are not designed to process sounds at higher frequencies; although the basic limitations are (1) the microphone being used, and (2) the frequency recording characteristics of the record\playback of the device doing the recording. There are devices in the scientific community that can record ultrasonic sounds and play them back so that the human ear can hear them. The process they use is to record the sound at a particular tape speed (say 15 inches per second) and play them back at a slower speed (for example, 7.5 or 3.75 inches per second. This would effectively halve or quarter the frequency, lowering the frequency of the recording to the range of human hearing. The faster the initial tape speed, and the slower the playback speed, determines the final playback frequency. The trick here is to have both a microphone and recorder capable of capturing those ultrasonic vibrations. Think in terms of $$$ rather than $$.

Answer 4

It will vary based on the characteristic impedance of the driver. The idea that a sub uses more power (not current) is a sound one since the electromotive force required to move a big driver back and forth is much higher than say a mid range speaker. However that same driver trying to reproduce a higher frequency sound at the same SPL potentially could be much harder for that same driver.



The converse is true for the mid range speaker trying to reproduce the lower frequency, all physical characteristics aside.

Answer 5

Low frequency sound of the same apparent volume will require much more current and power than high frequency sounds. Almost all the power demand from amplifiers is for the low frequencies (below 100 Hz).

Answer 6

Low frequency draw more current than the high frequency. It takes more energy to produce the bass in a subwoofer. Subwoofers are the most demanding when it comes to power than a tweeter or midrange speakers.

Answer 7

Low frequency draws more current. It takes a lot more power to move the cone on a big woofer with it's large magnet than it does to vibrate a delicate little tweeter.

Answer 8

Frequency has nothing to do with energy.



Two sinusoids, with the same amplitude and different frequencies will have exactly the same power.

Answer 9

Hello i am kishan ,firstly i want to say about your question that high frequency sound draw more current due to direction .Because high-frequency sound waves are very directional.And low-frequency sound waves aren't very directional.