Soundbar Driver Types: Full-Range and Tweeters

What a driver is in a soundbar

A driver is the individual speaker unit inside a soundbar that turns an electrical signal into sound. A soundbar cabinet holds several drivers, each sized and placed for a part of the frequency range: some handle the low range, some the middle, some the highs, and in Dolby Atmos bars, some are angled upward for height channels.

A listing rarely names each driver. The title carries the channel count (2.0, 3.1, 5.1.2), the subwoofer arrangement, and the format names. The driver count and the driver types belong to the maker's page and the product sheet. The channel numbers article explains how the count in a title works.

Three driver names appear most often on soundbar pages, with two more on Atmos and wider bars:

Full-range: one driver meant to cover a wide span of the audible range.

Tweeter: a driver for high frequencies.

Woofer: a driver for low frequencies.

Height driver: a driver angled upward or placed to fire toward the ceiling for Atmos.

Side-firing driver: a driver angled left or right along the bar.

Full-range drivers as a listing word

"Full-range" appears as a word in some maker listings. Denon, for example, names a "Full-range Dolby Atmos Sound Bar" on its site. The word names a driver designed to cover a wide span of the audible range from one unit, which lets a bar keep its drivers in one slim row.

In a 2.0 bar, the two channel signals are often handled by full-range drivers. In bars with a subwoofer channel, the low range moves to a woofer inside the bar or to a separate subwoofer cabinet. If you want a simple two-channel bar, the best 2.0 soundbar guide compares bars on those stated details, and the 2.0 versus 2.1 article explains the difference in listing terms.

The listing word "full-range" does not state driver size or driver count. Those figures are on the maker's page.

Tweeters and woofers

Two driver names appear on soundbar pages as plain words: tweeter and woofer. A tweeter is a driver dedicated to high frequencies; a woofer is a driver dedicated to low frequencies. When a listing names a tweeter, it tells you high frequencies have their own driver. When it names a woofer or a bass driver, it tells you the bar contains a low-frequency driver.

The low range can also be in a separate cabinet, and that is the subwoofer. A listing that names a separate or wireless subwoofer is naming a woofer in its own enclosure; a built-in subwoofer names a woofer inside the bar. The wired versus wireless subwoofer article and the built-in versus separate subwoofer article read those listing words in detail.

The catalogue does not list tweeter or woofer sizes. Read the size on the maker's page.

Height and side drivers

Dolby Atmos bars add a third number to the channel notation: 3.1.2, 5.1.2, and higher. The third number counts height channels, served by drivers angled upward from the top of the bar or placed to fire toward the ceiling. "Up-firing" is a listing word; the maker's page shows which driver serves the height channel. The height channel speakers article and the up-firing versus virtual Atmos article explain the terms.

Side-firing drivers are angled left and right along the bar, and some listings name them. The firing direction is a detail you read on the maker's page. The side-firing speakers article and the front-firing versus side-firing article compare the listing words.

How drivers relate to the channel number

The channel number is a signal path, not a driver count. A 3.1 bar has three channel signals and one subwoofer channel; the cabinet may hold more than three drivers, or fewer if one driver covers more than one role. A 2.0 bar can hold two full-range drivers, or a row of small drivers split between tweeters and woofers.

When you compare two bars on stated details, compare the words the listing names: channels, subwoofer, formats, rear speakers. Driver count and driver type are separate facts on the maker's page. The 3.1 versus 5.1 article reads those counts in listing terms.

What to read on the listing and the maker's page

On a listing, read the words that name a driver: full-range, tweeter, woofer, subwoofer, height driver, side-firing. On the maker's page, read the driver count, the driver type per channel, the driver size, and the subwoofer arrangement.

The guides on this site compare bars on stated details only. Wattage, frequency response, and driver size are not in the catalogue; read them on the maker's page. The best soundbar guide is a good starting point for the full comparison.

A Dolby Atmos bar with height drivers needs an HDMI eARC connection to receive the full Atmos signal from your TV. The HDMI 2.2 specification describes eARC as supporting the most advanced audio formats and the highest audio quality. The ARC and eARC bandwidth article reads those connection words.

What the catalogue cannot say about drivers

The catalogue has no wattage, frequency range, driver size, or driver count data. This means the guides cannot rank bars by driver count or by driver type. They compare bars on the stated channel layout, subwoofer, rear speakers, and connection terms.

The site also cannot say how a driver type sounds. "Tweeter" names a driver dedicated to high frequencies; it is not a claim about a measured effect. What you hear in a room depends on the room, the placement, and the source, which the catalogue does not measure. The room size guide explains the questions to answer yourself.

What to pick for your situation

Questions

Does a 2.0 soundbar have two drivers?

No. The 2.0 names two signal channels. The cabinet can hold two full-range drivers, or a row of small drivers split between tweeters and woofers. The driver count is on the maker's page.

What does full-range mean on a listing?

It names a driver designed to cover a wide span of the audible range from one unit. The listing word does not state driver size; the maker's page does.

What is a tweeter in a soundbar?

A tweeter is a driver dedicated to high frequencies. When a listing names tweeters, it tells you high frequencies have their own driver.

What is a woofer in a soundbar?

A woofer is a driver dedicated to low frequencies. A separate subwoofer is a woofer in its own cabinet; a built-in subwoofer is a woofer inside the bar.

What are height drivers?

Height drivers serve the third number in the channel notation, such as in 5.1.2. They are angled upward or placed to fire toward the ceiling for Dolby Atmos. The maker's page shows the driver arrangement.

Why does the listing not name each driver?

Most listings state the channel layout, the subwoofer, and the formats. Driver count and driver type are details for the maker's page or the product sheet.