Welcome to this tutorial on loudspeaker and headphone level signals.

The signals sent to loudspeakers and headphones must move their transducers so that mechanical energy can be converted into the changes in air pressure which we perceive as sound. In order to move a loudspeaker driver transducer, the signal must be much more powerful than it is when it is being recorded, processed and mixed.

Caption - Loudspeaker level signals

Speaker level signals are suitable for driving loudspeakers and care should be taken not to send them to any other type of device. They are produced by power amplifiers whose sole job is to amplify a line level signal to a level capable of moving a driver.

Headphones aside, speaker signals are the last in the audio signal chain before sound reaches our ears.

Caption - Headphone level signals

Headphone level signals are similar to line level and can often be treated as such. With care, it is perfectly possible to connect the headphone output of your mobile phone to a line level device.

Demonstration Mobile phone, plugged into a mixer channel with a suitable mini jack to TRS adaptor lead.

Caption - Thanks for watching

The script for this video, with accompanying images, can be found at projectstudiohandbook.com 

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