About ChurchSoundCalc

ChurchSoundCalc exists because church AV advice is almost entirely written by people selling systems. That is not a conspiracy, it is just who has the expertise, but it means the answer to "what do we need" arrives attached to a quote. This site is the neutral tool: put your own room's numbers in, get a specification you can take to a meeting, and decide for yourself.

Where the numbers come from

Every calculator on this site is built on standard audio and video engineering formulas, and every page shows the formula it used so you can check the working. Amplifier power comes from the target level, the loudspeaker's published sensitivity, the throw distance and peak headroom. Ceiling speaker spacing comes from the coverage cone geometry measured to ear height, not to the floor. Projector brightness comes from screen area and a foot-lambert target. Delay times come from the speed of sound at 68 degrees plus a Haas offset. Assistive listening counts come from the 2010 ADA Standards table. None of it is invented and none of it is a rule of thumb.

All of that arithmetic lives in one module, which the calculators, the static tables, the specification pages and the prose all call. That is deliberate: it means a figure quoted in a paragraph cannot drift away from the figure the calculator prints.

How we research products

We do not test equipment in person and we never claim to. Every product on this site is researched from the manufacturer's published specification sheets and operator manuals, from FCC rules where spectrum is involved, from published standards, from warranty terms, and from the recurring themes in verified owner reviews. Where a specification is not published by the manufacturer, it is left out rather than estimated.

Every product is a real current listing whose identifier was verified live through the Amazon Creators API, and whose returned title was read against the product the page claims it is. Auto-matched product identifiers have inserted the wrong item on other sites often enough that the check is not optional here.

What we will tell you not to buy

A ceiling speaker system is the wrong answer for a worship band, whatever the budget says. A feedback eliminator buys a few decibels of headroom and does not fix a microphone pointed at a loudspeaker. Most churches do not need a 4K camera. A 1,000 seat room needs a loudspeaker system designed with prediction software, not chosen from a list, which is why our largest build deliberately leaves the main speakers off. Saying these things costs us sales, and it is the only reason to trust anything else here.

How this site makes money

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases made through the product links, at no extra cost to you. That is why every product link points at a specific verified listing rather than a generic search, and it is also why we recommend buying less as often as we recommend buying more: a system that does not fit the room gets replaced, and that costs us your trust, which is worth more than one commission. Read the full affiliate disclosure.

What this site is not

It is not a substitute for a professional. Sound system design is a profession, and so are structural engineering and electrical work. For a permanent installation, engage a qualified integrator. Have any loudspeaker that goes overhead, and every attachment point it uses, signed off by a structural engineer or a certified rigger. Have all electrical work done by a licensed electrician to your local code. Where our guidance and a professional who has stood in your room disagree, believe the professional.

Corrections

If a specification here is wrong, a calculator gives an answer that does not match your room, or a link points at the wrong product, we want to know. Corrections are checked against the manufacturer's published figures and fixed. Send us a note.