Simple Explanation

A specific design of sealed speakers that uses a woofer with a very low resonance frequency and high mechanical flexibility.

Concise Technical Definition

A type of speaker enclosure that uses a sealed box to provide tight, accurate bass. It sacrifices efficiency for improved control and precision compared to ported (bass reflex) designs, often requiring more amplifier power.

Layman-Friendly Analogy

Like a car with stiff suspension—less bounce, more control. The sealed box pushes back against the speaker cone, helping it stop and start precisely for tighter bass.

Industry Usage Summary

A sealed or closed-box speaker enclosure that traps air inside to act as a spring, giving back pressure to the woofer. Often misidentified as an infinite baffle. Common in bookshelf speakers and compact subwoofers. See also: Sealed Enclosure.

Engineering Shortcut

Acoustic Suspension = sealed box + air spring; tight bass, low efficiency.

Full Technical Explanation

Acoustic suspension refers to a speaker design where the driver is mounted in a sealed (airtight) enclosure. The air trapped inside the cabinet provides a restoring force—like a spring—that helps control the motion of the woofer cone. This results in highly accurate and well-damped low-frequency reproduction. While less efficient than ported designs and requiring more amplifier power to reach the same volume, acoustic suspension speakers typically offer superior transient response and tighter bass. The design is favored in critical listening environments and compact speaker systems.