Glossary
Dynamic driver
The most common headphone/earbud driver type. A voice coil in a magnetic gap moves a diaphragm to produce sound. Inexpensive, robust, and good at bass.
A dynamic driver is essentially a tiny moving-coil speaker. AC signal flows through the voice coil, which sits in a permanent magnet's field; the resulting force pushes the diaphragm.
Strengths
- Bass. The large excursion needed for low frequencies is dynamic drivers' home turf.
- Cost. Cheapest driver technology by a wide margin.
- Robustness. Survives drops and humidity better than electrostatic or planar.
Weaknesses
- Mass. The voice coil adds inertia; transient response trails planar magnetic and electrostatic.
- Distortion at high SPL. Excursion-limited; pushed hard, dynamics distort before planars.
Driver size
Larger driver = more air moved = easier deep bass, but slower transients. 40–50 mm is typical for over-ear; 6–14 mm for IEMs.
Where this matters
Categories that use dynamic driver
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