About SoundSystemCalc
SoundSystemCalc helps you get the main decisions in a sound setup right the first time: which microphone to buy, how much amplifier power you need, and whether your speakers and amp will work together safely.
What we do
We build focused calculators, each answering one question, and the guides that explain the thinking behind them.
- Microphone Finder: Which mic should you buy. Tell it what you record, where you record it and what you can spend. It matches you to the right mic type, connection, polar pattern and accessories, then points you to specific models.
- Amplifier Calculator: What size amp do you need. Enter your speakers' impedance, power rating and sensitivity plus how loud you want to play. It works out the amplifier power you need, checks impedance matching and estimates SPL.
- Speaker Impedance Calculator: Is your speaker wiring safe. Work out the total load for speakers wired in series, parallel or series-parallel, and every wiring option for single and dual voice coil subwoofers, checked against your amplifier's minimum impedance.
- SPL Calculator: How loud will your speakers be. Find the level your speakers reach at your listening distance, or the power needed to hit a target level. Includes distance loss, multiple speakers, headroom and a hearing-safety check.
- Amplifier Power & Heat Calculator: How much power does your amp use. Estimate how much power an amplifier draws, how much heat it makes and how much current it needs from the mains or a car battery, at idle, typical music and full power.
- Mic Gain Calculator: How much preamp gain do you need. Enter your microphone's sensitivity and how you will use it. It works out the preamp gain that puts your peaks at a healthy level, and whether your interface has enough clean gain.
- 20 in-depth guides on microphones, amplifiers, speaker wiring and loudness, each linked to the tool that checks your numbers.
Why it exists
Audio advice online is often either a sales page or a wall of jargon. Many people end up buying an underpowered amplifier, a condenser microphone for a noisy room, or wiring speakers into a load their amp cannot drive. These are avoidable mistakes, and a few well-chosen calculations prevent most of them.
How we approach accuracy
- Standard relationships. The amplifier calculator is built on the established links between sensitivity, distance, room gain, headroom and impedance, and its core formulas are covered by automated tests.
- Honest limits. Real rooms and real equipment vary, so results are a solid starting point and not a guarantee. The guides say where an estimate is rough, and our terms spell out the limits.
- Warnings that matter. The tools flag impedance mismatches and underpowered setups, because those are the mistakes that damage equipment.
Free to use, no sign-up
Everything is free and works without an account. The calculators run in your browser, so what you enter stays on your device. See the Privacy Policy for details.
Get in touch
Found a mistake, or want a calculator we do not have yet? We would like to hear it. Visit the contact page.