How to choose the right loudspeakers for your PAVA installation?

What are the installation parameters?

Several parameters should be considered to define the right loudspeakers for integration into your installation:

• The type of system: Public Address (PA) or Voice Alarm (VA) system? Voice evacuation systems (VA) must incorporate loudspeakers certified to the EN54-24 standard. There are no regulations governing loudspeakers for PA systems.
• The environment: for indoor or outdoor installation, the required degree of resistance won't be the same. For example, a loudspeaker installed outdoors, in a saline environment, will require a much higher degree of protection than a loudspeaker placed inside a building.
• The speaker mounting will be different, according to the space configuration: ceiling, wall-mounted or suspended.
• Speech or music broadcasting? Reproducing quality background music required speakers with a greater bandwidth and sound pressure than for speech broadcasting. 
• The ambient noise level: a sufficient acoustic pressure must be provided in order to obtain a sound level 10 dB higher than ambient noise, providing good intelligibility or audibility.

Which loudspeaker model?

The speaker model must be defined according to the installation parameters described above.

We propose a wide range of 100 Volt loudspeakers which meet these criteria. Most of them exist in Public Address and Voice Alarm version (EN54-24 certified):

Wall-mounted loudspeakers are specifically designed to make installation quick and easy. Their varied shapes: round, rectangular or square, make them ideal for a large number of indoors applications such as shops, schools, restaurants, hotels, offices, administrations.

Ceiling speakers, designed for suspended ceilings are intended for indoor installations only. Some models have a high degree of protection allowing their installation in wet rooms. Several sizes and shapes are available to best adapt to your installation. These built-in loudspeakers are perfect for music and messages playing.

The music loudspeakers are specially developed for excellent background music in shops, clubs, bars, theme centers, ...

Column loudspeakers combine a modern and elegant look, a robust design and high efficiency. These speakers are ideal for use in rooms that are difficult to be sonicated such as airports, churches, factories, sport complexe, conference rooms, etc. 

Spherical suspended loudspeakers are particularly suitable for spaces with high ceilings, such as supermarkets, halls, factories, etc. These speakers are characterized by excellent speech intelligibility and good quality music.

Sound projectors are suitable for both indoors and outdoors applications. They provide clear speech diffusion and good music reproduction. Their robust design makes them ideal for shopping centers, train stations, car parks, prisons, etc.

Horn speakers have a high protection rating providing a strong resistance to bad weather and rugged environments. These loudspeakers offer clarity of speech and high sound pressure; high bandwidth models also provide good quality music streaming. Horn speakers are particularly suitable for message broadcasting and signal warning applications such as car parks, streets, industrial sites, stadiums, etc.

IP loudspeakers are used for Public Address Systems. They utilize the LAN/WAN network for audio transport. Their installation is simplified, and the integration cost is reduced thanks to the use of a single connection cable.

Which speaker power?

Before talking about the speaker power, it is important to know the ambient noise level, and therefore, the required audio level. The crucial factor in the choice of a loudspeaker is its efficiency (ration between electric power and acoustic pressure).

On that basis, we can select a loudspeaker with a low acoustic pressure for a high electrical power need (Watts); or a loudspeaker with a high acoustic pressure (SPL) for a much lower electrical power requirement (Watts).

For example, with a CAD20T/EN set to 20 Watts power, we will obtain a maximum SPL of 105 dB. While, we will have the same SPL (105 dB) with an APH10T/EN horn speaker set to only 1 Watt.

A sufficient quantity of loudspeakers should be provided to get a good intelligibility and an homogeneous broadcasting over the entire zone.

Filed experience and/or acoustic simulation software such as EASE, will enable to validate the speaker model, power, quantity and positioning.

A posteriori, the installation quality can be verified through acoustic level measurements (sound level meter) and intelligibility measurements (RASTI / STI).

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