100 Volt Speakers

If you want to build a sound system that's able to pump background music or announcements into multiple rooms, then you'll need a 100 Volt system made up of purpose-designed 100 Volt speakers.

Passive 100 Volt Sound & PA Speakers

100 Volt speakers are specifically designed for 100 Volt amplifiers. You can only hook up standard PA speakers to a 100 Volt amplifier if (for example) it has a dedicated 8 Ohm output port, and it's very rare that you're able to connect 100 Volt speakers up to a normal PA amplifier. What makes a 100 Volt speaker so special is that you can adjust and set the power consumption via 'tappings', and set the speaker to 5 Watts, 10 Watts or 25 Watts.

Budgeting the Output of a 100 Volt Amplifier

Say you're setting up a 100 Volt amplifier that has a peak power of 100 Watts. Unlike PA amplifiers, there's no need to make any weird calculations to figure out the resistance and final power demand so that the load capacity is taken into account. All you have to think about is 'budgeting' the output of your 100 Volt amplifier. Essentially, you have 90 Watts to play with, because you always want to keep at least 10% in reserve to compensate for the power loss that can happen when using longer cables. Even more importantly: thanks to that 10% of wiggle room, your amplifier won't have to continuously work at full capacity, and will last a lot longer.

How Many 100 Volt Speakers Can You Hook Up to a 100 Volt System?

If we carry on with our example above and say we're setting up a 100 Watt amplifier and speakers with 5 Watt, 10 Watt and 25 Watt tappings, then how many speakers can you add to the system? Holding back that 10% of power to compensate for any power loss along the way, our total budget comes to 90 Watts. From there, it's actually really simple. If you set your speakers to 10 Watts, then you can connect up a total of nine. If you set your speakers to 25 Watts, you can connect up three. And if you set your speakers to 5 Watts, then you can connect a total of eighteen speakers to build a big installation. You can also mix and match: so have some 5 Watt, 10 Watt and 25 Watt speakers connected to one amplifier. Basically, it doesn't matter if you're hooking up a couple of 30 Watt outdoor horns and some covered 5 Watt speakers, as long as you've got enough Watts in your budget, you can do it.

What Kind of 100 Volt Speakers Are There?

There Are Roughly 5 Different Kinds of 100 Volt Speaker:

100 Volt Installation Speakers

A 100 Volt installation speaker is really easy to install simply because they usually come including a mounting bracket, so they can be screwed to a wall. These kinds of a speakers are ideal for sound systems in shops, warehouses and schools. They also tend to be directional, meaning that the sound is projected in a specific direction, so to prevent echoes in certain spaces, you can use surface-mounted speakers instead.

100 Volt Installation/Ceiling Speakers

100 Volt installation/ceiling speakers are great for amplifying music or speech while keeping the setup more discreet than having a bunch of chunky speakers mounted on walls or in corners. They're also less directional, so the sound is equally dispersed throughout the room rather than pointed at one spot. In a restaurant, for example, you'd be better off installing a set of twenty ceiling speakers than two massive PA speakers. This way, you don't take up any of the space you need for tables, and you can keep the music at a low but consistent level rather than having to turn up the volume to reach the back of the room. If you're looking for standard speakers that can be mounted or installed, see our more general range of installation speakers.

100 Volt Horn Speakers

100 Volt horn speakers are a variation of installation speakers and are really good at projecting music and announcements over long distances. Because of their unique shape, horn speakers are often set up in big public spaces or outdoors at sports events.

100 Volt Column Speakers

100 Volt column speakers are another variation of installation speakers. Instead of just one woofer or mid-range driver, these speakers are built out of multiple smaller drivers which are usually mounted vertically - in a column. The result is really clear speech and a really balanced audio image. In more echoey spaces like churches, column speakers can work really well, because they're are less prone to causing echoes and reverb. You can also direct column speakers at an audience and get as much audio coverage as possible while reducing echoes.

100 Volt Outdoor Speakers

There are plenty of 100 Volt speakers that are splash or weather resistant so they can be installed outdoors, making them perfect for pub gardens and terraces or theme parks. If you're looking for speakers you can install outdoors, always make sure to check the IP certification because while you can install some speakers outside, they might need to be positioned under a roof so they're never in danger of being exposed to continuous rain and wet conditions. Also, it's worth noting that not every outdoor speaker has been designed for every environment. For beach bars and indoor swimming pools, for example, you need to install specially designed waterproofed speakers.

Frequently Asked Questions About 100 Volt Speakers

How does a 100 Volt system work?

Via the transformer of the 100 Volt speakers connected to your system, you select the amount of power (in Watts) the speaker will take from the amplifier. By deducting the power of each speaker from the total output of your amplifier, you can figure out how many speakers you can connect up. From there, you can connect your first speaker then chain the rest.

Why use 100 Volt speakers?

When you need to set up a sound system that's linked to multiple rooms in the most efficient way possible, then a 100 Volt sound system is usually the easiest solution. For larger projects, you can contact our business department for more help and advice about the best system for your situation.