Audio Tools

About These Audio Tools

The Audio Tools page provides two main calculators:

  • Coverage Calculator: This tool helps estimate speaker spacing for ceiling-mounted speakers to achieve even sound coverage in a room. You input ceiling height, ear height, desired overlap style (edge-to-edge, minimum, or maximum), and speaker coverage angle. It then calculates the optimal spacing and can estimate the number of speakers for a given room size. It can also suggest a speaker tap wattage based on sensitivity and target SPL.
  • SPL / Power Calculator: This tool allows you to solve for Sound Pressure Level (SPL) at a listener, required amplifier power, or maximum listening distance. It considers speaker sensitivity, amplifier power (or target SPL), distance, number of speakers, and desired headroom.

These calculations are based on standard audio formulas. The coverage tool uses trigonometry for spacing, and the SPL tool uses inverse square law for distance-related SPL changes and logarithmic math for power and SPL relationships.

Reference: Typical Target SPLs & Background Levels

The following table, based on AVIXA best practices and general audio design principles, provides typical target Sound Pressure Levels (SPL) and ambient noise levels for various environments. These are guidelines; actual requirements may vary.

Environment Recommended SPL at Listener (dB SPL) Typical Ambient Noise (dB SPL)
Quiet office / Meeting room 72–78 40–50
Classroom / Lecture hall 75–82 45–55
Retail / Grocery 80–85 55–65
Lobby / Airport / Transit 85–90 60–70
Gym / Fitness Center 85–95 65–75

Note: Target SPL should generally be 15-25 dB above the ambient noise level for good intelligibility. Headroom (typically 6-10 dB) should be added to the target SPL when determining amplifier power requirements.