Ohmic Audio

The Frequency Spectrum in Context

This page answers the simple question: what lives where? It is the map that helps all the other charts make more sense.

Tiny Version

Sub-bass is felt. Midrange carries most voices and instruments. The top end carries bite, sparkle, and air. Different speakers are responsible for different slices of the map.

Sub-bass Bass Upper bass Midrange Upper mids Presence Air 20-60 Hz 60-160 Hz 160-300 Hz 300-2500 Hz 2.5-5 kHz 5-10 kHz 10-20 kHz Subwoofer Midbass Midrange Tweeter 20 80 250 1k 4k 8k 20k Hz
RangeFrequenciesWhat you hearTypical driver
Sub-bass20-60 HzPressure, weight, deep impactSubwoofer
Bass60-160 HzKick, bass guitar, slamSubwoofer + midbass overlap
Upper bass160-300 HzBody, warmth, male fundamentalsMidbass
Midrange300-2500 HzMost voice and instrument identityMidrange
Upper mids2.5-5 kHzAttack, bite, edgeTweeter lower range / upper mid
Presence5-10 kHzDetail, clarity, brightnessTweeter
Air10-20 kHzShimmer, space, top-end airTweeter if capable
Where To Go Next

Use this map with Crossover Frequency Quick Reference, Frequency Response Graphs, and Reading DSP Levels, Q, and Headroom when you start moving from "where does this live?" to "how do I tune it?".