Simple Explanation

The middle part of the sound spectrum—where most vocals and instruments live.

Concise Technical Definition

The central frequency band of the audible range, typically spanning 400 Hz to 2 kHz, often extended from 500 Hz to 1.5 kHz in audio product evaluation.

Layman-Friendly Analogy

Like the voice in a conversation—it’s not too deep, not too sharp, but right in the middle and most noticeable.

Industry Usage Summary

Midrange is crucial in audio reproduction because it contains most of the musical detail, including vocals, guitars, pianos, and dialogue. It’s often a focus in speaker reviews and is reproduced by dedicated midrange drivers in multiway speaker designs.

Engineering Shortcut

400 Hz–2 kHz core range; critical for clarity and intelligibility.

Full Technical Explanation

The midrange refers to the central portion of the audible frequency spectrum, typically from 400 Hz to 2,000 Hz. This range is where the majority of musical content and human speech is found, including instruments like guitars, pianos, horns, and nearly all vocal information. In speaker systems, midrange drivers are specifically designed to reproduce this frequency band with clarity and accuracy. In audio design and evaluation, the midrange is considered highly important for perceived detail, naturalness, and intelligibility. It's also subdivided into lower mids, true mids, and upper mids (e.g., up to ~2.5 kHz) to allow more nuanced tonal analysis. Poorly reproduced midrange can lead to boxy, nasal, or hollow sound characteristics.