Speaker brands and models supported
The planner carries verified specifications for 559 professional speaker models across 51 brands. Every record cites the manufacturer datasheet URL with a retrieval date.
- Adamson: IS7, VGd, E15, S10, S118, CS10, CS7p, IS10p, IS7c, IS5c, IS119, IS213
- Alcons Audio: QR24
- Alto Professional: TS412
- AtlasIED: FAP63T, FAP33T-W, FAP43T-W, FAP63T-W, FAP63TC-W, FAP62T, FC-4T, FC-8T, ALA10T, AS-6T, AS-10ST, PM8CX, PM8SUB, IP-PM8GD-B, AP-15T, APF-15T, SD72
- Behringer: B112D
- Biamp: Desono C-IC6, R.5-94Z, R.15COAX, R.35COAX, R.35-3896-EN, ENT206, ENT212, C4, R2-52Z-EN, V2-1596, D8, R.25-94Z, R2-94Z
- Bose Professional: DesignMax DM3C, DesignMax DM5C, DesignMax DM6C, DesignMax DM8C, FreeSpace FS2C, FreeSpace FS4CE, ArenaMatch AM10, MA12EX, MB210-WR, ArenaMatch Utility AMU108, ArenaMatch Utility AMU208, ArenaMatch AM20/100, ShowMatch SM10, DesignMax DM3SE, DesignMax DM5SE, DesignMax DM6SE, DesignMax DM8SE, F1 Model 812, F1 Subwoofer, L1 Pro8
- Bowers & Wilkins: CCM7.5 S2
- CODA Audio: AiRAY, ViRAY, TiRAY, N-RAY, CiRAY, HOPS7-Pro, HOPS12T-Pro, HOPS10T-Pro, APS-Pro-D, APS-Pro-S, D12
- Danley: SH96HO
- EAW: RSX212L, KF210, MKC60, MKC80, MKC120, QX326, QX364, QX396, QX544i, QX594i, LA121, LA153, LS432i
- Ecler: IC6, eMOTUS5OD
- Electro-Voice: ZLX-12P-G2, EKX-15P, ETX-15P, ETX-18SP, ELX200-15P, EVERSE 12, EVF-1152S/96, EVID-C6.2-G2, EVA-2082S/1220
- Episode: Signature 7 In-Ceiling
- FBT: VERTUS CLA 406A, Ventis 206A, Ventis 110A, Ventis 115A, X-Lite 112A, X-Lite 115A, X-Sub 115SA, Muse 210LA, Horizon VHA 406A, Vertus CLA 406.2A, Vertus CLA 208SA, CSL 630 TIC
- Focal: 100 ICW6
- Fonestar: ASPC-650T, AS-180T
- Fulcrum Acoustic: CX1265
- Funktion-One: F81.2
- HK Audio: POLAR 12
- JBL Professional: VRX932LA, Control 65 P/T, Control 25-1, Control 28-1, AC15, AC18/26, CBT 50LA-1, CBT 70J-1, Control 26CT, Control 29AV-1, Control 31, ASB6118, CBT 100LA-1, VRX932LA-1, VRX932LAP, SRX906LA, PRX915, Control 14C/T, Control 16C/T, Control 19CS, Control 25AV, Control 50S/T, SRX815P, SRX818SP, SRX828SP, PRX918XLF, VTX A8, VTX A12, IRX108BT, AC195, AC299, AC599, CWT128, Control 67 P/T, SRX835P, SRX818S, ASB6128, CSS8004, CSS8008, CSS8018, 8124, 8128, 8138, LCT 81C/T, PRX412M, PRX415M, PRX425, PRX418S, EON710, EON712, EON715, EON718S, Control 1 Pro, PRX825, AC16, AC18/95, AC25, AC26, AM5212/00, AM7212/00, AM7215/64, AWC129, AWC159, AWC62, AWC82, CBT 1000, Control 30, Control 40CS/T, Control 60PS/T, Control 62P, Control 67HC/T, Control 85M, IRX112BT, PRX ONE, PRX908, PRX915XLF, PRX925, PRX935, SRX910LA, SRX918S
- K-array: Lyzard KZ1 I, Lyzard KZ14 I, Vyper KV25 II, Vyper KV52 II, Vyper KV102 II, Kobra KK52 I, Kobra KK102 I, Python KP52 I, Python KP102 I, Kayman KY52, Kayman KY102, Anakonda KAN200, Anakonda KAN200+, Anakonda KAN200+8, Tornado KT2, Tornado KT2C, Domino KF26, Domino KFC26, Domino KF210, Domino KF212, Turtle KRM33, Turtle KRM33P, Truffle KTR24, Truffle KTR25, Truffle KTR26, Rumble KU44-2, Mugello KH5, Mugello KH5P, Firenze KH7, Firenze KH8, Firenze KS7, Firenze KS8, Mastiff KM112P, Mastiff KM312P, Rumble KU26, Dragon KX12, Dragon KX2, Rumble KU210
- KEF: Ci160QR
- KGEAR: GH4, GH4A, GH12, GH412, GF22, GF22A, GF42, GF42T, GF42A, GF82, GF82T, GF82A, GF162, GF162T, GS6, GS6A, GS12, GS12A, GS18, GS18A, GS218, GS218A, GC8, GC8T, GC3, GC6, GC8S, GH8, GT12, GT8
- KV2 Audio: ESD12, ES1.0, ESD6, ESD10, ESD15, ESD5, ESD25, ESD8, SL412, EX10, EX12
- Klipsch: PRO-180RPC
- L-Acoustics: K2, A15 Focus, X15 HiQ, A15 Wide, A10 Focus, X12, X8, X8i, X4i, 5XT, KIVA II
- LD Systems: MAUI 28 G3
- Mackie: Thump215XT, Thump212, Thump215, Thump212XT, Thump210, Thump GO, Thump12BST, Thump15BST, SRM210 V-Class, SRM212 V-Class, SRM215 V-Class, DRM212, DRM215, DRM315, SRM-Flex
- Martin Audio: TORUS T1215, WPC, WPS, WPL, WPM, CDD5, CDD12, CDD15, X12, X15, V.15, CDD-LIVE 12, A55
- Meyer Sound: ULTRA-X40, UPQ-1P, UPJunior, UPJ-1XP, UP-4XP, MM-4XP, 900-LFC, LEOPARD, LINA
- Monitor Audio: Creator C2M
- NEXO: GEO M10, P8, P10, P12, P15, PS15-R2, GEO M620, ID14-I, ID24-I, ID24-T, ID84-I, ePS12, RS18
- Origin Acoustics: Director D89
- Outline: Mantas 28
- Peavey: PVXp 12
- Polk Audio: 265-RT, Atrium 4, Atrium 5, Atrium 6, MC60, MC80, V60, V80
- Q Acoustics: QI65C
- QSC: AcousticDesign AD-C42T, AcousticDesign AD-C6T, AcousticDesign AD-C81T, AcousticDesign AD-S52, AcousticDesign AD-S82, K12.2, K10.2, K8.2, KS118, KLA12, E110, AD-S6T, AD-S32T, KW152, CP12, KLA181, AP-5102, AcousticDesign AD-C.SUB, AcousticDesign AD-C1200, AcousticDesign AD-C4T-LP, AcousticDesign AD-C6T-LP, AcousticDesign AD-C820, AcousticDesign AD-P4T, AcousticDesign AD-P6T, AcousticDesign AD-S.SUB, AcousticDesign AD-S12, AcousticDesign AD-S4T, AcousticDesign AD-S8T, CP8, E112, E115, E118sw, KS112, KS212C, KW122, KW153, KW181, LA108, LA112
- RCF: HDL 6-A, ART 715-A MK5, ART 315-A MK4, ART 912-A, HDL 20-A, TTL55-A, TTL33-A II, NXL 24-A MK2, EVOX J11, PL 6X, P 3115T
- Renkus-Heinz: IC Live X, PN61, PN81, PN82, PN151, PNX121, PN121M, PN112-SUB, IC16-RN, IC8-RN, CFX121
- Sonance: Visual Performance VP65R, Visual Performance VP85R, Visual Performance VP62, LS6.1 Landscape, LS Landscape SUB8, Cinema LCR-1, IS6, IS8, Mariner 6.5SST, Cinema LCR2, LS12T, LS15T, LS4T, LS6T, Mariner 54, Mariner 56, Mariner 64, Mariner 66, PS-C43RT, PS-C63RT, PS-C83RT, PS-P43T, PS-P63T, PS-P83T, PS-P83WT, PS-S43T, PS-S53T, PS-S63T, PS-S83T, PS-S83WT, Cinema SUR1, Cinema SUR2, Visual Performance VP42, Visual Performance VP46, Visual Performance VP48, Visual Performance VP60R, Visual Performance VP62R, Visual Performance VP64R, Visual Performance VP66R, Visual Performance VP68R, Visual Performance VP80R, Visual Performance VP82R, Visual Performance VP86R, Visual Performance VP88R, Visual Performance VPXT6, Visual Performance VPXT6R, Visual Performance VPXT6R SST, Visual Performance VPXT8R
- SpeakerCraft: Profile AIM8 Three
- TOA: F-2352C, HA-1030EN
- Triad: InWall Bronze LCR
- Turbosound: iQ15, iX15, iX12, iQ12, iQ8, iQ15B, NuQ82, MV212, TCS152/64, TCS-081C, Milan M15, TFS-550H
- Void Acoustics: Air Vantage, Cyclone 4, Cyclone 208, Arclite, Airten V3
- Wharfedale Pro: Titan AX12, TITAN-8, TITAN-X12, TITAN-X15, TITAN-12Z, TITAN-15Z, TITAN-8A MKII, EVP-X12 MKII, EVP-X15 MKII, Delta-X12, Delta-X15, WLA-312X, WLA-28A, PROGRAMME-105T, PROGRAMME-108T
- Yamaha Professional: VXC4, VXC6, VXC8, VXS5, VXS8, CZR10, CZR12, DZR12, DXS15, VXL1B-16, DZR315, DZR10-D, DZR12-D, DZR15-D, DZR315-D, DXS15XLF, DXS18XLF, DXS15XLF-D, DXS18XLF-D, CZR15, CXS15XLF, CXS18XLF, CBR10, CBR12, CBR15, DBR10, DBR12, DBR15, DZR15, DZR10
- d&b audiotechnik: V8, Y8, Y7P, V12, T10, 44S, 24S, 42S, U5, U5N, 24C, 16C
- dBTechnologies: VIO X205, VIO L210, VIO L212, VIO L1610, VIO C12, VIO X10, VIO X12, VIO X15, VIO X206, VIO X310, VIO S218, VIO S318, VIO S218F, ES 1203, IS8S-WP
Applications supported
- Live amplified music (105 dB target) — touring, festival, premium event.
- House of worship (90 dB) — sermon clarity priority.
- Conference / auditorium (85 dB) — speech-priority install with controlled reverb.
- Lecture hall (80 dB) — classroom and academic speech reinforcement.
- Restaurant / retail BGM (70-75 dB) — distributed background audio, conversation-friendly.
Speaker Coverage Planner — Engineering-grade SPL prediction
— Planner · speaker coverage
SPL, coverage radius and quantity, estimated.
Pick a brand, model and application. An indicative free-field SPL at the listener, coverage radius on the -6 dB axis and a planning-level box count for the room — a starting point for design, not a final specification. K-array, KGEAR, JBL Pro, d&b, L-Acoustics, Fonestar, Ecler.
Max SPL at listener
116
dB · target 85 dB · headroom +31 dB
Coverage radius
17.9
metres · -6 dB axis
Quantity
1
boxes for 240.0 m²
A planning link — not a quote.
- model
- L-Acoustics A15 Focus
- max spl
- 140 dB @1m
- spl at listener
- 113 dB · max 116 dB
- dispersion
- H 100° · V 10°
- sensitivity
- 105 dB @1W/1m
- power
- 350 W applied · 700 W RMS
- bandwidth
- 50-20000 Hz
- impedance
- 8 ohm
- coverage
- r ≈ 17.88 m · area 1003.9 m²
A-Series install-friendly line array. Panflex elements adapt dispersion per cabinet. Default L-Acoustics specification for premium worship and corporate auditoria.
What changes this estimate
- Room drawings & obstructions
- Confirmed ceiling height
- Finishes & absorption in the space
- Final loudspeaker model & dispersion
Feasibility
116 dB max at the listener carries 31 dB over the 85 dB target — comfortable headroom; a smaller cabinet may be more cost-effective.
A planning link — not a quote.
Quick answer
Speaker coverage planning estimates how many loudspeakers a room needs and roughly where they sit so sound pressure stays even across the seating area — derived from the speaker's coverage angle, mounting height and listener distance. This planner returns an indicative layout and SPL estimate for datasheet-cited models. It is a planning reference, not an acoustic design.
When to use
Early scoping of a PA, conference or auditorium audio system to gauge speaker count and spacing before an acoustic design.
When not to use
For reverberation and room-treatment questions, use the Acoustic RT60 Calculator. Final tuning depends on measurement, DSP and commissioning on site.
· Starting configurations
Typology presets — pick a scenario, see the calculator.
Each preset opens a curated configuration page with the engineering reasoning behind the numbers. Then the calculator loads with the same inputs — change them and the URL stays shareable.
Speaker Coverage · Hospitality
Hotel lobby — background music, 20 × 12 m
A premium hotel lobby needs even, conversation-friendly background audio at 70–75 dB without ceiling speakers that visibly puncture the architecture.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Auditorium
300-seat conference auditorium — speech-priority line array
A 300-seat corporate auditorium needs 85 dB of intelligible speech at the rear row with even SPL across the seating bowl and minimal visual impact.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · House of Worship
500-capacity house of worship — touring-grade headroom
A 500-capacity worship space needs 90 dB of headroom for music programme plus speech, even coverage across pews and a system that won't be the visual subject.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Touring line array
L-Acoustics K2 touring line array — SPL & coverage
A 40 x 25 m live event space needs confirmed SPL at the furthest listener position, not just a box count, before the touring line-array design is locked. The decision that matters here is whether the rated output of a single K2 element, once distance and drive level are accounted for, actually clears the target at the back of the room.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Install line array
L-Acoustics A15 Focus — SPL & coverage in a 30 × 18 m hall
A 30 × 18 m conference auditorium needs confirmed SPL at the furthest listener before committing to a passive install line-array cabinet, and needs to know how far its horizontal pattern actually reaches before spacing hangs across the room.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Touring line array
d&b audiotechnik V8 — SPL & coverage for live events
A 40 × 25 m live-event space needs confirmed SPL at a 20 m listener position plus a defensible horizontal coverage figure before a touring line-array cabinet is committed to the rig plan.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Install line array
d&b audiotechnik Y8 SPL & coverage
A 30 x 18 m conference auditorium needs enough level at the back rows without over-driving the front seats or spraying sound onto side walls. The d&b audiotechnik Y8, an install line array cabinet with a narrow 80 x 10 degree dispersion, is a common candidate for this kind of long, level-critical throw.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Install line array
JBL Professional VRX932LA-1 SPL & Coverage
A 30 x 18 m conference auditorium needs enough clean SPL at the rearmost listener without the horizontal pattern spilling wastefully past the seated area. The JBL Professional VRX932LA-1 is a passive install line-array cabinet, so the coverage decision has to weigh its rated output headroom against room depth and driven level together.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Install line array
JBL Professional SRX906LA — SPL & coverage, conference hall
A 30 × 18 m conference auditorium needs dependable SPL at a 15 m listener position without over-driving the cabinet or lighting up the side walls with excess horizontal spill.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Point source
JBL Professional Control 25-1: SPL & coverage
A 20 x 12 m restaurant relying on background music needs a cabinet that stays intelligible at a 6 m listening distance without overpowering nearby tables. The real decision is whether the Control 25-1's rated output and dispersion give adequate SPL at that distance once drive level is set for comfortable background listening rather than full output.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Steerable column
JBL Professional CBT 70J-1 — SPL & coverage
A 20 × 12 m house-of-worship hall needs even, intelligible coverage out to a 12 m listener without a visible line-array or a forest of ceiling speakers. The design question is whether a single steerable column can hold usable SPL at the back of the room while keeping its vertical pattern off the ceiling and walls.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Ceiling 100V
JBL Professional Control 26CT: SPL & coverage
A 15 x 10 m restaurant relying on background music needs to know whether a single ceiling cabinet keeps speech-and-music levels comfortable at typical table distances, not just how many boxes fit the floor plan on paper. The Control 26CT's rated output and dispersion answer both the SPL-adequacy question and the physical coverage-radius question for this specific cabinet before layout is finalised.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Install line array
K-array Python KP102 I: SPL & Coverage
A conference auditorium roughly 30 x 18 m needs predictable speech and programme coverage to the back rows without over-driving the front seats. For a passive install line array cabinet such as the Python KP102 I, the real design question is whether its rated output and dispersion can hold usable SPL out to the furthest listener while the horizontal pattern still matches the room width.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Point source
K-array Domino KF212: SPL & Coverage Preset
In a 25 x 18 m live event space, the practical question is not just how many Domino KF212 boxes to hang but whether the SPL reaching a listener at 12 m still lands in a usable range once drive is pulled back from full output. The 90 deg x 60 deg dispersion also has to be checked against the room's width before assuming a single hang covers the floor edge to edge.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Point source
K-array Lyzard KZ1 I — SPL & coverage
A 20 x 12 m restaurant dining room needs even background-music coverage without the cabinet becoming a visual or acoustic distraction at the table. The real decision is whether a compact point-source cabinet like the K-array Lyzard KZ1 I can hold a comfortable listening level out to the far tables at a sensible drive setting.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Touring line array
K-array Firenze KH8 SPL & coverage
A touring line-array cabinet has to hold intelligible level across a large live-event floor without over-driving the box or leaving the back rows short. For a 40 x 25 m room, the real question is not just ”will it get loud enough” but whether the rated output and the 120 x 30 degree pattern still deliver usable SPL and width at the listener position that matters most.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Install line array
K-array Kobra KK102 I — SPL & coverage in a 30 × 18 m hall
A 30 × 18 m conference auditorium needs confirmed SPL at the rear listener and a defensible horizontal coverage radius before the K-array Kobra KK102 I is specified as the install line-array of choice.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Point source
K-array Tornado KT2: SPL & coverage at 6 m
A 20 x 12 m restaurant relying on background music needs the loudspeaker's rated output to translate into usable, even level at the listener's seat, not just at the cabinet face. For the Tornado KT2, a compact passive point-source box rated 100 dB SPL at 1 m, the real question is what level and coverage radius it actually delivers once distance and drive level are factored in.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Touring line array
K-array Mugello KH5: SPL & Coverage for Touring Rigs
A touring line array cabinet like the Mugello KH5 has to hold usable SPL across a large live-event floor while its horizontal and vertical dispersion decide how many listener positions actually stay inside the pattern. In a 40 x 25 m room, the real question is not just ”is it loud enough at the mix position” but whether the -6 dB coverage angle actually reaches the back and sides of the floor without over-driving the box.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Install line array
K-array Vyper KV102 II — SPL & coverage
A 30 x 18 m conference auditorium needs speech-priority coverage that reaches the back rows without spraying sound onto the ceiling or side walls. The Vyper KV102 II is an install-grade passive line array cabinet, so the real design question is whether its rated output and dispersion can hold usable SPL out to a 15 m listener while its narrow vertical pattern keeps the throw controlled.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Point source
K-array Mastiff KM312P: SPL & coverage at 12 m
A single K-array Mastiff KM312P point-source cabinet is being considered to cover a 25 x 18 m live event space from one flown or stacked position. The real question is whether its rated output and dispersion still deliver an adequate level at a listener 12 m out, not just at the mix position.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Fitness & wellness
Gym / fitness floor — high-energy music, 30 x 18 m
A large fitness floor needs energetic, even music across the whole training area, with enough headroom to carry over treadmills, plate noise and a crowd, while staying intelligible for a live instructor mic. Ceiling height and a hard, reflective room make coverage uniformity the real challenge, not raw loudness at one point.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Education & lecture
Lecture auditorium — speech-priority column, 24 x 14 m
A reverberant lecture theatre needs intelligible speech to the back row without exciting the ceiling and side walls that make the room ring. The design driver is controlled vertical coverage aimed at heads, not maximum level at the front.
Open presetSpeaker Coverage · Hospitality
Rooftop lounge / bar — discreet background music, 14 x 9 m
A compact rooftop lounge wants warm, even background music that sets a mood without dominating conversation, from cabinets that read as architectural trim rather than obvious loudspeakers. The target is presence at a low level with wide, gap-free coverage across a small footprint.
Open presetVerified catalogue growth
Speaker Coverage Planner currently lists 559 verified speaker models across 51 brands.
The editorial target is 30 verified models per brand. We only publish selectable calculator rows when the load-bearing specs are source-cited, so missing models are collected as a verification backlog instead of being guessed.
Verified models
559
Complete brands
6/51
Target progress
12%
Missing model?
Send the speaker model name with max SPL, dispersion, power / active-passive status, frequency range and official datasheet link. We add it in a verified batch once the source checks pass.
Submit a model for verificationHighest-priority brand gaps
- Alcons Audio needs 29 more
- Alto Professional needs 29 more
- Behringer needs 29 more
- Bowers & Wilkins needs 29 more
- Danley needs 29 more
- Episode needs 29 more
- Focal needs 29 more
- Fulcrum Acoustic needs 29 more
Plan with confidence
From an SPL estimate to a system that sounds right everywhere
The planner gives an indicative SPL, coverage radius and box count — a starting point for design, not a final specification. These notes turn that into a brief: what stays fixed, what to confirm in the room and what to send us for a coverage review.
Planning notes
- SPL at the listener is the free-field floor — real rooms add reverberant energy, so a lively room runs louder than the prediction and a treated room runs close to it.
- Dispersion versus room geometry decides coverage uniformity — the right pattern is what separates 'good everywhere' from 'good only at the engineer's seat'.
- The box count is a first-order estimate against rectangular coverage; the manufacturer's prediction software (Soundvision, ArrayCalc) is the deliverable on the real project.
- Most install cabinets roll off above 60–75 Hz — a subwoofer pair is part of the brief, not an afterthought, for music programme.
Before final design, confirm
- Room drawings, ceiling height, finishes and absorption (RT60 behaviour).
- The SPL target for the application and the seating layout.
- The final loudspeaker model, dispersion and the amplifier / processor architecture.
- Sub-pairing, delays and the rigging / structural assessment where applicable.
What to share with us for review
- The floor plate, the seating layout and the SPL target.
- The brand preference, if any — or just paste the planner's share link.
- Whether the room is speech-priority or full-band music programme.
Share your drawings, BOQ, site details or the tool result with TechnoGuru for a written estimate after drawings, a BOQ or a site review.
Where this connects — services
· Engineering advisory · Speaker Coverage
SPL is the headline. Dispersion and room behaviour are the conversation.
The calculator answers 'how loud and how many'. The engineering underneath — dispersion pattern vs room geometry, direct field vs reverberant field, processor configuration, amplifier matching, cabling discipline — is what separates a system that sounds correct everywhere from one that sounds correct only at the engineer's seat.
Deployment observations
- SPL prediction by inverse-square law is the floor of a coverage conversation, not the ceiling. The calculator gives you SPL at the listener distance assuming free-field propagation; real rooms have reflections that add reverberant energy, often 3-10 dB at the listening position depending on RT60 and absorption. For lively rooms (RT60 > 1.2s) the actual perceived SPL exceeds the calculator's free-field prediction; for treated rooms the calculator's prediction is conservative-accurate.
- Dispersion pattern determines coverage uniformity. A 100° × 10° line-array element covers a wide horizontal seating block from elevation with controlled vertical energy — sermons, auditoria, live events. A 110° × 110° pendant ceiling speaker covers a circle of floor area — restaurants, retail. Specifying the wrong dispersion for the room is the most common cause of 'great seats and bad seats' in installs.
- Sub-pairing changes the brief. Most line-array and install cabinets roll off above 60-75 Hz. For live amplified music (kick drum, bass guitar, electronic music) a subwoofer pair extending to 35-45 Hz is mandatory. The calculator's frequency-range row tells you whether the cabinet stands alone or needs sub support.
Operational notes
- Amplifier sizing convention: provision the amplifier at 2-4× the speaker's RMS rating for clean headroom and to avoid clipping (which damages speakers more than peak power does). A 700 W RMS cabinet is typically driven by a 1400-2800 W amplifier per channel. The calculator's applied-power slider lets you sanity-check the SPL prediction against a realistic amplifier configuration.
- 100V line vs low-impedance is an architectural decision. 100V line tolerates very long cable runs (100m+) at minimal loss — default for distributed BGM in restaurants, retail and large public spaces. Low-impedance (8 ohm typical) delivers higher peak SPL and lower distortion — default for live events, premium worship and serious AV.
Lifecycle implications
- Driver lifecycle: quality install cabinets (K-array, d&b, L-Acoustics, JBL Pro) hold their performance for 15-25 years in climate-controlled rooms. Touring cabinets typically refresh on 8-12 year cycles driven by transport wear. Ceiling 100V systems run 20+ years if the room humidity is controlled.
- Processor and amplifier refresh: 8-12 years for system processors (BSS Soundweb, Symetrix, Q-SYS); 10-15 years for amplifiers. Plan amplification as a refreshable layer; the speakers and the structural cabling outlast the electronics by 2-3x.
· Why it matters
A speaker coverage calculator that quotes 'how many cabinets' without telling you the SPL at the listener is missing the question. One that doesn't carry dispersion data is missing the answer. This one runs the inverse-square law SPL math against manufacturer sensitivity, surfaces the coverage radius at the -6 dB dispersion axis, and recommends quantity against rectangular coverage area. 50 brands · 217 verified public models · sources cited per model · last verified 2026.
· Frequently asked
Speaker coverage —
what people ask first.
Why does SPL drop so much with distance?
Inverse-square law. Every doubling of distance drops SPL by 6 dB in free-field. A 100 dB SPL at 1m becomes 94 dB at 2m, 88 dB at 4m, 82 dB at 8m. In real rooms the reverberant field adds back some energy (typically 3-10 dB at the listening position) so the perceived drop is less dramatic, but the calculator's free-field prediction is the conservative engineering floor.
Why are line-array dispersions so narrow vertically (5-15°)?
Because line-array geometry is designed to control vertical coverage so that distant rows hear the same level as front rows. Each cabinet narrowly aims a slice of the audience; assembling 6-12 cabinets in an array creates a continuous vertical coverage from front-row to back-row with controlled level taper. Horizontally line arrays are typically wide (80-110°) because the seating block is wide.
What's the role of Soundvision / ArrayCalc / K-array prediction software?
Manufacturer prediction software models the actual room geometry (audience block, ceiling, side walls) against the actual speaker positions, splays and processor settings. The calculator gives you a first-order SPL estimate; manufacturer software gives you per-seat SPL prediction with reflections and array taper modelled. Use the calculator for early-stage scoping; specify Soundvision / ArrayCalc as a deliverable on the actual project.
What about Kasper Sound and other brands not in the database?
The public catalogue now carries 217 verified public models across 50 professional, commercial and architectural audio brands. Kasper Sound and other domestic / international brands are added only when we have usable datasheets. Send us the brand and model spec via /contact; we add verified profiles in editorial batches rather than publishing half-verified data.
How accurate is the quantity recommendation?
The quantity figure assumes uniform circular coverage at the -6 dB dispersion axis on the listener plane. It is a first-order estimate and tends to be conservative (recommends slightly more boxes than a manufacturer's prediction software would, because real coverage circles overlap and audio sums coherently). For final design always run the manufacturer's prediction software against actual room geometry.
· Begin
Designing an audio system
for a venue?
Send the floor plate, the seating layout, the SPL target and the brand preference. We respond within two working days with a coverage prediction, a processor architecture and an amplifier specification matched to the room.