📖 Audio Glossary

Diffraction

The bending and spreading of sound waves around objects or through openings — why you hear sound from around corners.

Diffraction explains why speaker cabinet edges cause distortion — sound waves bend around the cabinet edge, creating secondary sources that interfere with the direct sound. This is called 'baffle diffraction' and is why many high-end speakers have rounded cabinet edges or waveguide-loaded tweeters.

Diffraction also affects room acoustics: sound bends around furniture, people, and architectural features. Low frequencies diffract more than high frequencies (their longer wavelengths wrap around objects), which is why bass is omnidirectional while treble is directional.

Related Terms

ReflectionA sound wave bouncing off a surface — the timing and strength of reflections define a room's acoustic character.Comb FilteringAn interference effect creating a series of peaks and dips in frequency response — caused when direct sound combines with a delayed copy.Room AcousticsThe way sound behaves in a physical space — including reflections, standing waves, and reverberation — which significantly affects how recordings and mixes sound.
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