Creepy woofers

In the world of loudspeaker design, there are many unique and descriptive terms used to describe various components and their functions. One such term is a bit creepy: "spider," which refers to the rear of a woofer's suspension system. The spider is a flexible, disc-shaped material that is attached to the inner circumference of the speaker frame and connected to the rear of the woofer cone. Its purpose is to act as a suspension mechanism, allowing the cone to move back and forth while keeping the voice coil centered in the magnetic gap. The name "spider" likely came from the component's radial web shape, which features "legs" that connect the outer edge of the spider to the inner speaker frame. The spider-like appearance of the component is what sets it apart from other suspension components and gives it its unique name. Here's a picture of a typical spider and then below it, how it is used in a woofer. It kind of does look like a spider's web. As we've discussed before, the spider along with the surround play major roles in how a woofer performs. How's that for creepy!