July 11, 2018 Tom James

IP Rated Speakers - what is an IP rating & which one do you need in your background music system?

IP ratings are found almost anywhere when searching for an electrical appliance, but what do they actually mean in relation to a background music speaker?

IP ratings also know as Ingress Protection are regulated under international standard EN 60529 (British BS EN 60529:1992, European IEC 60509:1989). They are used to define levels of protection against intrusion from foreign bodies such as moisture, liquids, dirt and dust etc.

Each number that follows 'IP' has a specific meaning informing you of its level of protection.

FIRST DIGIT EXPLAINED: Indicates the degree of protection from moving parts, as well as the protection of enclosed equipment from foreign bodies.

SECOND DIGIT EXPLAINED: Defines the protection level that the encloser has from various forms of moisture (rain, drips, sprays, submersion etc).

Understanding IP rating for background music speakers

Here at Audio Volt, we sell a wide range of IP rated ceiling speakers, wall speakers, horns, and pendant speakers for outdoor commercial environments. Waterproof loudspeakers are perfect for both foreground and background music playback as well as PA and tannoy sound systems.

Our most popular IP rated speakers are...

Adastra BP5V IP54 100V Line Outdoor Wall Speaker @ £32.95 inc. VAT

Key features:

IP54 Rated - Protected from water spray and dust ingress
145° Dispersion angle for excellent sound coverage
Perfect for background music and speech
Wall mount bracket supplied
Available in Black or White
100V Line and 8 ohm operation

Inter-M WS15T IP54 100V Line Compact Outdoor Wall Speaker @ £41.00 inc. VAT

Key features:

IP54 Rated - Protected from water spray and dust ingress
Stylish and compact fitting in with all exterior designs
Angled tweeter to ensure the best possible sound dispersion
Full range 100V Line and low impedance speaker
Perfect for background music and voice
Quick and easy to install (wall mount bracket supplied)
Available in Black or White

Monacor IT-30 IP66 100V Line Weatherproof Horn Speaker @ £54.00 inc. VAT

Key features:

IP66 Rated - Completely dust-tight and protected from powerful water jets
Perfect for background music and public address systems
Robust aluminium housing for use all year round
Supplied with wall mount bracket (made from stainless steel)
Multiple 100V Line tappings - 20/15/10/5W
Comes with a 3-year manufacturers warranty

Apart CMAR5 IP65 Salt Water & Chlorine proof Ceiling Speaker @ £51.00 inc. VAT

Key features:

IP65 Rated - Completely dust-tight and protected from water spray
Saltwater and chlorine proof perfect for swimming pools, saunas and marine environments
Two-way speaker designed great for background music and voice
Can be used in temperatures up to 95'C
Low impedance transformer (8 ohms) rated at 50W RMS
Slick design with a modern look
Stainless steel grille