How Much Power Do I Need? - Erin's Audio Corner

In this tutorial, Erin shows how to calculate the maximum sound pressure level (SPL) of your music system. He mentions Benchmark's calculators in the video. We have posted two calculators here so that you can enter the values for your speakers and amplifier while Erin provides the instructions.

Planning to Buy an Amplifier or Speakers?

This calculator will show you how much power you need to achieve a target SPL.

105 dB Peak SPL is a Good Target

In most cases, you should select enough power to achieve a 105 dB peak SPL at your listening position. With most music, your SPL meter will read 12 to 18 dB lower than the peak music level. This is true even when setting your meter to the fast setting. SPL meters measure the short-term average. This means that your meter may read 87 dB to 93 dB while you are hitting 105 dB peaks.

Why 105 dB?

Dolby-approved professional mix rooms must be capable of delivering 105 dB SPL peaks in order to achieve an 85 dB SPL calibrated listening level. These professional environments are designed to have 20 dB of headroom above the desired listening level. In a home environment, a 100 dB peak output may be sufficient, but 105 dB is a safer target. Within reason, there is no harm in having some headroom above 105 dB.

Experiment with the Calculator

Change the speaker sensitivity, amplifier power, listening distance, number of speakers and room configuration to gain an understanding of how these things work together.