TOA bs-1030 User Guide

Page of 60
TOA Electronics Speaker Guide
 
Amplifier Selection
31
5. Use the top half of the chart for level change with power input (see Figure 5-2 on page 
22) to locate the point corresponding to the required level increase, or dBW. Next, read 
the power level from the bottom half of the chart. Then, using the speaker’s specifications, 
select the speaker’s smallest wattage tap that is greater than the power level indicated 
on the chart. This is the minimum power you need for each speaker.
6. After determining the power needed for each speaker, add them up to get the total 
speaker Wattage. 
To allow for variations in transformer characteristics, it is a good practice to select an amplifier 
whose rated output is at least 120% of the speaker Wattage total. If the speakers are connected 
directly (in a 4 or 8 
Ω
 system), the amplifier size should be at least equal to the speaker Wattage 
total.
Subwoofer Power Requirements
To get full value from subwoofers, we recommend supplying them with as much power as they 
can safely handle. The maximum continuous pink noise power rating is a good indicator of the 
minimum power to provide for a subwoofer. This amount can be doubled if the added power 
falls within budget. The subwoofer’s maximum program (sometimes called peak) rating typically 
indicates the maximum power you should provide. Due to the nature of low frequency program 
material, there is much room for error in any general guidelines for subwoofers. The best method 
to insure the amplifier and subwoofer are matched is to listen to them together, using the same 
speaker location and program material that will be used in the final job.
Examples
High-Quality Paging System
A workspace needs reliable and intelligible paging in all areas, for both standing and seated 
listeners. The room is 30 x 40 ft with a 10 ft ceiling. TOA model F-121CM speakers are selected 
for their wide dispersion.
From the F-121CM’s coverage and spacing table (page 37), we first refer to the row corre-
sponding to the ceiling height for standing listeners (4 ft above listener height; h - l = 4). The 
spacing recommendations for this height range from 7–14 ft, depending on the desired unifor-
mity of coverage. Using a square pattern with minimum overlap, the spacing between speakers 
is 10 ft, which works out to three rows of four speakers (12 speakers total).
Since the workspace will have a minimal noise level, the target operating level is set slightly 
above the base level (75 dB) for paging, at 78 dB, with 10 dB of headroom, for a L
req
 of 88 dB.
The F-121CM has a rated sensitivity of 90 dB, 1 W @ 1 m. The typical seated listener will be 
about 7–8 feet away from the nearest speaker. Using the attenuation with distance chart (see 
Figure 5-1 on page 22), this provides 82 dB with 1 W at the listener.