A high quality DJ speaker system is the key defining element in every great DJ sound system or any sound system for that matter. Regardless of how hi-tech the recording equipment used to make to the track is or how nice of an amplifier is driving them, the speakers will make or break the sound. The job of the speaker system is to convert the raw signal recorded on media such as tapes, DVDs, and CDs into audible waves that our ears can receive and our brains can enjoy.
Let’s take a really close look at how this process works.  Speakers have become so commonplace in modern culture that we often take them for granted.  Considering the complicated function that they serve, speakers are actually quite simplistic in their design.

In order to comprehend how a speaker function we must examine further how we ourselves process sound. Our ears contain what is called tympanic membranes, more commonly known as the eardrums. Sounds are vibrations in the air which in turn cause our eardrums to vibrate. Our brains then convert these vibrations into audible sound. Sound happens when air particles air in motion due to vibrations. These vibrations can travel not only through the air but through solid objects and liquids as well. Whenever and wherever there is a source of vibration, air molecules are forced to move with it.

This process of moving particles creates ripples and waves in the air driven outward from the vibrational source. This is much like ripples of water on a pond whenever the surface is disturbed. A ringing bell is a good example of this process in action. As the bell rings, the vibrating motion of the bell’s metallic structure pushes the neighboring air molecules outward. This creates a wave-like motion in the air in a cascade of colliding air molecules that ripples outward. Conversely, as the metal in the bell contracts, air molecules are puled inward thus causing a drop in pressure. This pressure drop creates a reverse ripple effect from the inward pulling motion of the air molecules.

This process of pressure reduction is known as rarefaction. It is this outward pulse and inward motion that creates the wave pattern that our ears interpret as the ringing sound. The more the are pressure fluctuates, the more high pitch the sound resonates. The less the are pressure fluctuates the lower the pitch of the sound frequency. The level of the air pressure is what determines the amplitudes of the sound wave. This is also known as the volume of the sound.

The higher the amplitude of the sound, the more rapidly the tympanic membranes in our ears move and the louder the sound is to us. Microphones work on a similar principle to the ear drums in your ears. Inside of the microphone is a thin membrane called a diaphragm that reacts to sound much like your ear does. The microphone converts the vibrations into an electrical signal that is encoded by the audio recording equipment and played back as sound. As the signal is played back through the system it gets converted back into audible vibrations. High quality DJ speaker systems have a much greater accuracy in term of how the electrical signal is converted back into sound. The better the speakers, the more likely they are to accurately reproduce the original sound that was received by the microphone.