How loud should a school hall sound system be?
Quick answer
A school hall sound system should deliver 90-95 dB SPL at the listening area with at least 10 dB of headroom, using a distributed or point-source system that ensures even coverage and speech intelligibility.
For a typical school hall (seating 200–500), target an average sound pressure level of 90–95 dB at the farthest listener with 10 dB of headroom for peaks. This ensures clear speech reinforcement without distortion. The system must prioritize speech intelligibility (STI > 0.5) over raw volume.
SSOUNDS recommends a compact line array or high-quality point-source system with 90° x 60° coverage. For halls under 30m depth, two to four enclosures per side (e.g., SSOUNDS compact arrays) suffice. Subwoofers are optional unless music playback is frequent. Amplification should provide at least 1.5x the loudspeaker's continuous power rating.
Place loudspeakers at least 2m above the stage and angle them to cover the entire audience without hitting walls. Use DSP for EQ and limiting. For smaller halls (under 200 seats), a single stereo pair of 12" two-way speakers on stands may be adequate, but distributed ceiling speakers can improve uniformity.
Key things to consider
- Target 90-95 dB SPL at listening area with 10 dB headroom.
- Prioritize speech intelligibility (STI > 0.5) over maximum volume.
- Use compact line arrays or point-source with 90° x 60° coverage.
- Amplifier power: 1.5x continuous rating of loudspeakers.
- Consider distributed ceiling speakers for even coverage in wide halls.
Need the right system specced for your venue?
SSOUNDS designs, supplies, installs and tunes professional AVL across Nigeria & Africa.