Algo IP speakers provide a comprehensive audio solution for voice paging, emergency alerting, and loud ringing. This guide provides details on function and audio performance for the following Algo speakers:

Horn Speakers

Ceiling Speakers

Wall Speakers

Display Speakers

Disclaimer: The information contained is intended to be a guideline. Measurements on speaker performance are based on standard theory and are not always representative of final performance when other unique variables that could impact audio quality are present.
Actual coverage may vary depending on the acoustic characteristics of the physical environment. For more accurate coverage and placement of speakers, please consult a professional acoustician or contact sales@algosolutions.com.

How to Use this Guide

Algo IP speakers provide high-quality audio solutions for paging and notification in various environments. While the speakers individually are high performing , the method of deployment can impact overall audio quality throughout an environment.

This guide should be used as a reference to understand the performance of Algo IP speakers in a controlled setting. All values and measurements of speaker coverage are based on theoretical calculations.

To finalize any speaker deployment, it is highly recommended to perform site acoustics modeling with a tool such as EASE and to have the site visited by a qualified audio technician.

Units of Measurement

dB: A general measure of sound intensity, not frequency-adjusted.

dBA: A-weighted decibels, adjusted for human hearing sensitivity.

dBA SPL: A-weighted sound pressure level, measuring the sound intensity in dBA, adjusted for human hearing, often used in environmental noise measurements.

Considerations for Speaker Coverage

Application

Different applications have different priorities such as volume, distribution, and intelligibility. Speaker placement and coverage may vary based on these needs. For example, voice paging requires high speech intelligibility while alerting requires high audibility.

Indoor vs Outdoor

Indoor and outdoor placement of speakers require different considerations due to variations in mounting surfaces, environmental differences, and extent of coverage. If an area is not highly reverberant, hard floors can help reflect sound back to the listener. Speakers should be placed strategically only where needed.

Room Dimensions

Ceiling, wall, or a combination of ceiling and wall speakers can be used to reach audio requirements. While ceiling speakers are ideal for even coverage, wall speakers can be more cost-efficient. Room dimensions and speaker placement may also impact the effectiveness of ambient noise detection in dynamic settings.

Coverage Overlap

Speaker placement and spacing will impact the consistency and quality of audio coverage. Choosing the best audio coverage pattern (square, hexagonal, edge-to-edge, center-to-center, etc.) can help meet coverage requirements. However, while overlapping coverage can remove dead zones, it can also add reverberation and distortion which can impact audio quality. This is most challenging with high-volume audio from horn speakers, especially when horn speakers are pointed at each other. This placement should be avoided.

Ceiling Speaker Coverage Overlap

Square		Hexagonal
Edge-to-Edge	Center-to-Center	Edge-to-Edge	Center-to-Center

Horn Speaker Coverage Overlap

Avoid	Square	Hexagonal

Satellite Speaker Technology

If many speakers are required, Algo IP speakers equipped with Algo-patented satellite speaker technology can be used. Satellite speaker deployments have one IP speaker that can supervise and manage up to three non-IP speakers with the same form-factor and audio capabilities. These deployments reduce network ports, cable drops, and the need for additional licenses which can reduce deployment costs by up to 75%.

Satellite speaker deployments can have 50 ft between each speaker (base and satellites) for a total maximum distance of 150 ft between the first and fourth speaker in a daisy chain.

Ambient Noise

High ambient noise levels, like in factories or crowded spaces, can mask important announcements, making it difficult for people to understand voice paging or emergency alerts. Proper speaker placement and volume level ensure messages are clear and intelligible over background sounds.

Sound Pressure Level Reference Chart

Typical Ambient Noise Level			Typical Environments
Extremely Loud	85-95 dB	Almost impossible to hear someone speaking	Airport apron Construction site Loud manufacturing
Loud	75-85 dB	Difficult to hear someone speaking	Warehouse (shipping) Busy restaurant Mall
Noisy	65-75 dB	Can hear someone speaking if they raise their voice	Active classroom Public areas Supermarket
Quiet	55-65 dB	Can easily hear someone speaking	Office Hotel lobby

Summary of Algo IP Speakers

SKU	Type	Location	Max SPL	Installation Type	Additional Notes
8188	Ceiling Speaker	Indoor	97	Drop Ceiling Mount
8198	Ceiling Speaker	Indoor	100	Drop Ceiling Mount	Equipped with satellite technology for use with 1198 speakers.
8186	Horn Speaker	Indoor or Outdoor	116	High Wall Mount
8196	Horn Speaker	Indoor or Outdoor	119	High Wall Mount	Equipped with satellite technology for use with 1196 speakers.
8180	Surface Mount Speaker	Indoor	106	Wall Mount
8189	Surface Mount Speaker	Indoor	97	Hard Deck Ceiling or Wall Mount
8190	Surface Mount Speaker	Indoor	98	Wall Mount
8190S	Surface Mount Speaker	Indoor	98	Wall Mount
8410	Display Speaker	Indoor	106	Wall Mount	Single-sided display.
8420	Display Speaker	Indoor	106	Wall Mount	Double-sided display

Algo Ceiling Speakers

	8188 IP Ceiling Speaker	8189 IP Surface Mount Speaker	8198 IP PoE+ Ceiling Speaker

Power Source	PoE (IEEE 802.3af Class 0) 48 V, 15.4 W	PoE (IEEE 802.3af Class 0) 48V, 15.4 W	PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at Type 2 Class 0) 48 V, 30 W
Max Audio Power	8 W	8 W	16 W (shared equally between 8198 and up to 3 x 1198)
SPL	97 dBA (1 kHz, 8 W, 1 m)	97 dBA (1 kHz, 8 W, 1 m)	100 dBA (1 kHz, 16 W, 1 m)

Ceiling speakers discreetly integrate paging and emergency alerting in large areas such as schools, hospitals, and offices. Ceiling speakers help ensure consistent audio coverage for clear, intelligible announcements and alerts. The rule of thumb for ceiling speaker spacing is that speakers should be twice as far apart as the ceiling height. Final speaker spacing will be dependent on audio needs and the variables of an environment.

When selecting ceiling speakers, it is important to consider power, sound attenuation, and ambient noise levels.

Note:

8188 and 8189 ceiling speaker measurements are based on flush-mounted speakers. Additional calculations are required to estimate coverage in areas where 8188 and 8189 speakers are installed as pendant speakers from high ceilings.

For more details on ceiling speaker spacing and coverage, please contact support@algosolutions.com.

8188 & 8189 Ceiling Speaker Spacing (ft) Based on Environment

The measurements below are with the assumption that:

The listening plane is 5 ft above the ground.
The speaker is in the same room as the listener (there are no walls, racks, or doors to add additional attenuation).

	Carpet or High Occupancy Ceiling Speaker Spacing (ft)		Hard Floor or Low Occupancy Ceiling Speaker Spacing (ft)
Ceiling Height (ft)	9db Attenuation to Listening Plane (Good)	6dB Attenuation to Listening Plane (Better)	9db Attenuation to Listening Plane (Good)	6dB Attenuation to Listening Plane (Better)
7	8	8	12	8
8	12	8	16	12
9	16	12	20	16
10	20	16	24	20
12	28	20	32	24
14	36	24	40	32
16	44	28	48	40
20	56	40	68	52
24	72	48	84	64
28	88	60	100	80

Algo Horn Speakers

	8186 IP Horn Speaker	8196 IP PoE+ Horn Speaker

Power Source	PoE (IEEE 802.3af Class 0) 48 V, 15.4 W	PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at Type 2 Class 0) 48 V, 30 W
Max Audio Power	8 W	16 W (shared equally between 8196 and up to 3 x 1196)
SPL	116 dBA (1 kHz, 8 W, 1 m)	119 dBA (1 kHz, 16 W, 1 m)

Horn speakers are designed to focus and direct sound in a specific direction to cover large areas such as parking lots, factories, or construction sites. The horn shape amplifies sound making these speakers effective in environments with high ambient noise.

When choosing horn speakers for paging and alerting, it's essential to consider factors like durability, directional coverage, and power handling. Horn speakers are weather-resistant if used outdoors.

Horn speakers should be mounted as high as possible with the long-axis vertical pointed roughly midway down (45 degrees) for even coverage and to avoid ear damage. Positioning and mounting may vary, especially in areas such as warehouses with opaque racks. Common mounting options include standalone mounting, back-to-back mounting, and clover leaf mounting (4 horn speakers around a pole).

Standalone (side view)	Back-to-Back (top view)	Clover Leaf (top view)

Horn speakers in large, densely packed areas must consider attenuation caused by obstructions. For example, horns should be placed in each aisle or every other aisle in a warehouse with tall shelving due to the shadowing effect of audio caused by stored opaque material. Intelligibility will be impacted in this scenario.

8186 Maximum Speaker to Listener Distance (ft)

Note: Wind and air absorption ignored

	Tone Alerting Coverage (ft)		Voice Paging Coverage (ft)
Ambient Noise Level (dBa)	Marginal	Good	Marginal	Good
60	4129	2070	520	328
65	2322	1164	232	184
70	1306	654	164	104
75	734	368	92	58
80	413	207	52	33
85	232	116	29	18
90	131	65	16	10
95	73	37	9	6
100	41	21	5	3
105	23	12	3	2
110	13	7	2	1

8186 Audio Level (dBA) vs Distance and Volume Setting

(the measurements below are per speaker, each leveraging PoE power)

	3.2’ / 1 m	6.5’ / 2 m	13’ / 4 m	26.5’ / 8 m	52.5’ / 16 m	150’ / 32 m	210’ / 64 m
Vol 10	116	110	104	98	92	86	80
Vol 9	113	107	101	95	89	83	77
Vol 8	110	104	98	92	86	80	74
Vol 7	107	101	95	89	83	77	71
Vol 6	104	98	92	86	80	74	68
Vol 5	101	95	89	83	77	71	65

8196 PoE+ Audio Level (dBA) vs Distance and Volume Setting

(the measurements below are per speaker)

	3.2’ / 1 m	6.5’ / 2 m	13’ / 4 m	26.5’ / 8 m	52.5’ / 16 m	150’ / 32 m	210’ / 64 m
Vol 10	119	113	107	101	95	89	83
Vol 9	116	110	104	98	92	86	80
Vol 8	113	107	101	95	89	83	77
Vol 7	110	104	98	92	86	80	74
Vol 6	107	101	95	89	83	77	71
Vol 5	104	98	92	86	80	74	68

8196 PoE+ and 1x 1196 Audio Level (dBA) vs Distance and Volume Setting

(the measurements below are per speaker)

	3.2’ / 1 m	6.5’ / 2 m	13’ / 4 m	26.5’ / 8 m	52.5’ / 16 m	150’ / 32 m	210’ / 64 m
Vol 10	116	110	104	98	92	86	80
Vol 9	113	107	101	95	89	83	77
Vol 8	110	104	98	92	86	80	74
Vol 7	107	101	95	89	83	77	71
Vol 6	104	98	92	86	80	74	68
Vol 5	101	95	89	83	77	71	65

8196 PoE+ and 2x 1196 Audio Level (dBA) vs Distance and Volume Setting

(the measurements below are per speaker)

	3.2’ / 1 m	6.5’ / 2 m	13’ / 4 m	26.5’ / 8 m	52.5’ / 16 m	150’ / 32 m	210’ / 64 m
Vol 10	114	108	102	96	90	84	78
Vol 9	111	105	99	93	87	81	75
Vol 8	108	102	96	90	84	78	72
Vol 7	105	99	93	87	81	75	69
Vol 6	102	96	90	84	78	72	66
Vol 5	99	93	87	81	75	69	63

8196 PoE+ and 3x 1196 Audio Level (dBA) vs Distance and Volume Setting

(the measurements below are per speaker)

	3.2’ / 1 m	6.5’ / 2 m	13’ / 4 m	26.5’ / 8 m	52.5’ / 16 m	150’ / 32 m	210’ / 64 m
Vol 10	113	107	101	95	89	83	77
Vol 9	110	104	98	92	86	80	74
Vol 8	107	101	95	89	83	77	71
Vol 7	104	98	92	86	80	74	68
Vol 6	101	95	89	83	77	71	65
Vol 5	98	92	86	80	74	68	62

Algo Wall Mount Speakers

	8180 IP Audio Alerter	8190 IP Speaker - Clock	8190S IP Speaker - Clock & Visual Alerter

Power Source	PoE (IEEE 802.3af Class 0) 48 V, 15.4 W	PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at Type 2 Class 0) 48 V, 30 W	PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at Type 2 Class 0) 48 V, 30 W
Max Audio Power	8 W	8 W	8 W
SPL	106 dBA (1 kHz, 8 W, 1 m)	98 dBA (1 kHz, 8 W, 1 m)	98 dBA (1 kHz, 8 W, 1 m)

Wall-mount speakers are ideal for spaces where ceiling installation is impractical or where more focused sound distribution is needed. Algo wall-mount speakers have additional features such as clocks and strobe lights to aid with spatial awareness and visual communication.

8180 Maximum Speaker to Listener Distance (ft)

Note: Wind and air absorption ignored

	Tone Alerting Coverage (ft)		Voice Paging Coverage (ft)
Ambient Noise Level (dBa)	Marginal	Good	Marginal	Good
50	3680	1844	463	292
55	2070	1037	261	164
60	1164	583	147	92
65	654	328	82	52
70	328	184	46	29
75	207	104	26	16
80	116	58	15	9
85	65	33	8	5
90	37	18	5	3
95	21	10	3	2
100	12	6	1	1
105	7	3	1	1
110	4	2	-	-

8190 IP Speaker-Clock Audio Level (dBA) vs Distance and Volume Setting

(the measurements below are per speaker, each leveraging PoE+ power)

	3.2’ / 1 m	6.5’ / 2 m	13’ / 4 m	26.5’ / 8 m	52.5’ / 16 m	150’ / 32 m	210’ / 64 m
Vol 10	98	92	86	80	74	68	62
Vol 9	95	89	83	77	71	65	59
Vol 8	92	86	80	74	68	62	56
Vol 7	89	83	77	71	65	59	53
Vol 6	86	80	74	68	62	56	50
Vol 5	83	77	71	65	59	53	47

8190S IP Speaker-Clock & Visual Alerter Audio Level (dBA) vs Distance and Volume Setting

(the measurements below are per speaker, each leveraging PoE+ power)

	3.2’ / 1 m	6.5’ / 2 m	13’ / 4 m	26.5’ / 8 m	52.5’ / 16 m	150’ / 32 m	210’ / 64 m
Vol 10	98	92	86	80	74	68	62
Vol 9	95	89	83	77	71	65	59
Vol 8	92	86	80	74	68	62	56
Vol 7	89	83	77	71	65	59	53
Vol 6	86	80	74	68	62	56	50
Vol 5	83	77	71	65	59	53	47

Algo Display Speakers

		8410 IP Display Speaker	8420 IP Dual-Sided Display Speaker

	Power Source	PoE ++ Type 3 60 W (Optional) PoE+ 30 W	PoE++ Type 4, 90 W or Type 3, 60 W
Display	Resolution	1920 x 1080
	Screen Size	13.5" x 7.6"
	Viewing Angle	88 degrees (wide angle)
Audio	Max SPL	106 dB	106 dB (each side)
Audio	Coverage	40 ft	80 ft (40 ft on each side)
Strobes	Type	LED Bar, 1" x 3.15"
Strobes	Color Range	Red, Green, Blue, Amber
Size	Dimensions	19" x 9.5" x 1.75"	19" x 9.5" x 3"
Size	Weight	5.85 lbs	9.85 lbs

Algo display speakers are ideal in environments where both auditory and visual signals are required. Addressing both audio and visual needs ensures essential messages are accessible by everyone in places such as hospitals, airports, and schools. The display screen can be customized to show important messages, alerts, or emergency information, making these devices more flexible and accessible. The combination of audio and visual cues helps improve response times and ensures that critical information reaches a wider audience.

Speaker Layout Examples

School

8410 IP Display Speaker in each classroom
8198 IP PoE+ Ceiling Speaker used in hallways
1198 Satellite Ceiling Speaker placed strategically to meet sound requirements while saving on costs
ADMP (cloud product) for remote supervision and management

In buildings with closed offices, like schools, it’s essential that each room has its own speaker. Hallway speakers are not adequate to rely on in a room when a door is closed due to additional audio attenuation.

Small Industrial Area

8410 IP Display Speaker in breakroom for general announcements
8420 IP Dual-Sided Display Speaker in the hallway for situational awareness
8196 IP PoE+ Horn Speaker in manufacturing area at full volume
2x 8196 and 2x 1196 Speaker around pole in open area for maximal coverage
8180 IP Audio Alerter in prime and bond room
8300 IP Controller in server room or ADMP if a cloud product is desired

Large open areas, such as in a small industrial building, can mount horn speakers in a “clover” pattern around a central pole at a high point for adequate coverage.

Hospital

8410 IP Display Speaker nurses station
8420 IP Dual-Sided Display Speaker hallways
8198 IP PoE+ Ceiling Speaker in hallways and large rooms
1198 Satellite Ceiling Speaker in hallways and large rooms
ADMP (cloud product) for remote supervision and management