In the wonderful world of headphones, there is a crucial part, and that is the sound driver, which is like the beating "heart" of the headphones, constantly delivering beautiful sound to us. When we pick up a common pair of headphones, we will find that the left side is generally a moving coil unit, which is often affectionately called a "speaker" in the industry; On the right side is a relatively special moving iron unit, which is essentially a member of the speaker family, and its working principle is based on the magical phenomenon of electromagnetic induction.
The English name of the moving coil unit is "dynamic driver", and the English name of the moving iron unit is "balanced armature". What are the different mysteries behind these two names? Next, let's carefully disassemble the two units like skilled craftsmen, delving into their inner workings and analyzing their characteristics, strengths and weaknesses.
The structure of the moving coil driver is relatively easy to understand in the headphone sound driver, which is mainly composed of a few key parts: the diaphragm, the voice coil and the magnet.
Let's talk about the diaphragm first, it is the core "hero" of sound. When an audio signal is passed into the headphones, causing the voice coil to change accordingly, the diaphragm will start to vibrate under the drive of the voice coil, which in turn will push the surrounding air to form the sound we hear. It can be said that the performance of the diaphragm largely determines the quality of the sound. Diaphragms of different materials and designs will bring completely different sound styles. For example, some diaphragms made of lightweight, high-rigidity materials can quickly respond to audio signals, making the sound clearer and more flexible; Diaphragms of other materials may be more powerful in low-end performance.
The voice coil is also not to be overlooked, as it is made from extremely thin wires that are precisely wound around each other. How thin is this wire? It's almost close to the limit of resolution that cursor calipers can measure. The voice coil acts like a "power engine", when an electric current passes through the voice coil, a magnetic field is generated, and this magnetic field interacts with the magnetic field of the magnet, which drives the diaphragm to vibrate according to the laws of the audio signal. Imagine that the electric current is like a smart elf, shuttling through this thin wire, directing the diaphragm to dance and play a beautiful music.
Magnets also play a pivotal role in the moving coil unit. Its design has a decisive influence on the sound quality of the dynamic speaker. The design of the magnetic circuit is very ingenious, and the different structure of the magnetic circuit affects the distribution and strength of the magnetic field, which in turn affects the way the voice coil moves and the vibration effect of the diaphragm. In addition, the materials and properties of magnets are also different, and high-quality magnets can provide a stronger, more stable magnetic field, so that the movement of the voice coil and diaphragm is more precise and powerful, thereby improving the overall performance of the sound.
With the continuous advancement of science and technology, in order to better protect the diaphragm, many dynamic units have added a mesh cover to the design. In the production and assembly process of headphones, there will inevitably be some bumps, and the mesh cover is like the "armor" of the diaphragm, which can effectively prevent the diaphragm from being accidentally damaged and ensure that it is always in the best working condition.
Compared to the moving coil unit, the structure of the moving iron unit is much more complex, and it is usually made up of several elements cleverly combined. Why is that? Originally, different units were responsible for processing the sound in different frequency bands, and through this division of labor and cooperation, the sound was adjusted more precisely.
In terms of low-frequency performance, the moving iron unit tends to be slightly inferior to the moving coil unit. This is because the working principle and structural characteristics of the moving iron unit make it relatively difficult to produce the kind of deep and deep low-frequency effect when processing low-frequency signals. However, the moving iron unit has an impressive advantage in terms of resolution power in the middle and high frequencies. It's like a delicate artist, able to keenly capture the subtle changes and rich details in the sound. This is due to the fast sound velocity of the armature unit, which responds quickly to changes in the audio signal, and presents every note clearly and accurately.
There are many reasons why moving iron units are relatively expensive to produce. First of all, its complex structure and delicate manufacturing process determine that its cost will not be low. Each small moving iron unit needs to be processed and assembled with high precision, which requires very high production equipment and technicians. Secondly, in order to achieve excellent sound performance, the moving iron unit is also very particular in the selection of materials, and the materials are all high-quality.
In order to get the best out of your live iron headphones, fine tuning is essential. Tuners need to spend a lot of time and effort fine-tuning the frequency response articulation and phase matching between the different units. Only when the units work together seamlessly can the moving iron headphones output high-quality and harmonious sound. It's like a wonderful symphony performance, where each musician has to be under the precise scheduling of the conductor in order to play a beautiful movement together.
Through the detailed disassembly and analysis of the moving coil unit and the moving iron unit, we can clearly summarize their respective characteristics. The dynamic unit is like a rock singer who is good at "subwoofer", and it is better at low frequency, which can create a strong sense of atmosphere and shock, allowing us to feel the surging power when enjoying pop music, movie soundtracks and other content rich in low frequency elements. The moving iron unit is like an elegant classical musician, superior in high-frequency resolution, and can clearly show every detail in the sound, allowing us to appreciate the delicate beauty of music when listening to classical music, light music and other detail-oriented tracks.
Due to the obvious differences between the two units in terms of construction, working principle and sound performance, they also have a big difference in the price of headphones. Generally speaking, due to its complex structure, high production cost and high requirements for tuning technology, the price of headphones equipped with moving iron units is generally high. The dynamic unit has a relatively low production cost and a relatively low technical threshold, so the price range of the dynamic headset is wider, from more accessible entry-level products to higher-end models.
In short, the moving coil unit and the moving iron unit have their own merits, and both have their own unique charm and applicable scenarios. The dynamic unit is suitable for those who are looking for a strong low-frequency shock and like a variety of music styles; The moving iron unit is more favored by users who have high requirements for sound details and are keen to enjoy classical, light music and other music that focuses on resolution.