Word for the Day Archive

Surround

The flexible material that connects the out edge of a loudspeaker cone with the speaker's frame or superstructure (normally referred to as a "basket"). Surrounds are usually made out of a flexible material such as corrugated cloth, paper, or some type of foam rubber compound that enables the speaker to move in and out efficiently while still being sturdy enough to help keep the voice coil centered in the magnetic gap. Surrounds come in a variety of styles and appearances for different applications. For example, "Roll" surrounds are characterized by one, larger rounded corrugation and are generally preferred in more delicate applications due to their increased flexibility and linear behavior when flexed.