Squaker?

[Svante]

Just curious...
Years ago I read the word "Squaker" for midranges. Has this word died completely?

[sreten]

The terms were Woofer, Squawker, Tweeter, american I believe.

I believe Sqawker fell into non-use because its simply not
as good a name for the relevant unit as the other two.

Though it is pretty apt for the "midrange" in many a cheap
speaker, which in reality are usually overgrown tweeters.

Considering this perhaps its also because it has derogatory
connotations that advertising copywriters stopped using it.

sreten.

[Timn8ter]

It could also be related to another tele-comm term "squawk box" referring to early telephones, intercoms, primarily voice transmission and descriptive of the distortion that was common with such devices.

[HDTVman]

I aggree with Timn8ter as to the use of that term. I never heard it used in reference to speakers used for music. I'm not a spring chicken so this goes back awhile. Harry Truman was the Prez. when I was born.

Later BZ

[catapult]

Squawker was indeed an old word for a midrange driver but it was never all that common and I seldom see it any more. Some old-timers still use it though.

http://www.alkeng.com/klipsch.html

"Crossover rates are 6 dB / Octave on the woofer. 12 dB / Octave on the squawker and 18 dB / octave on the tweeter."

[sreten]

Another american term fallen by the wayside is referring
to the treble part of a twin cone as a "whizzer".

the animal origins of the other terms are obvious,
this one for its origin has me stumped.
(All I can think of is the paper rolled up tube childrens toy)


And to disagree with HDTVman the term "squawker" which
seemed to be used only in american product descriptions
was a source of some amusement to us Brits.
I assure you it was fairly common in american loudspeaker
descriptions lifted into the "UK hifi yearbook" of days gone old.

sreten.

[Timn8ter]

a source of some amusement to us Brits

Yep, I remember how much fun y'all had when the movie "Free Willy" was released.

[Cal Weldon]

I am so glad to hear squawker again.

I am in favour of the three animal system. Can't really be sure why it fell out of favour. When I was but a wee lad it was woofer, squawker, tweeter. In fact midrange sounded kind of weird back then but soon became popular. And now?... no squawker

But alas, the evolution of a language.

Cal

Hey sreten, I guess I better catch up. What is a whizzer called now?

[sreten]

a "whizzer".

Another possible derivation is fireworks.

Nowadays twin-cone, bi-cone, dual-cone
and passive tweeter (less so) are common.

sreten.

[markp]

'Squawker' was also used by Phillips many years ago for their midranges. Now a days the word squawk has a really rough sounding connotation to it. 'He squawked like a chicken' come to mind. Would you want to listen to something that squawked?