How We Pick Church AV Gear

This page explains how a product or a number ends up on ChurchSoundCalc, so you can judge how much weight to give it. In short: we work from manufacturer specification sheets, operator manuals, FCC rules, published standards and recurring themes in verified owner reviews, and we do not claim to have tested equipment in person.

What we compare

• Whether the specification fits the room. Amplifier power, loudspeaker sensitivity, coverage angle, channel count and wireless band are checked against the calculators on this site, which show their working.
• Legal use. Wireless microphones are checked against the frequency bands the FCC currently allows, because the wrong purchase can be illegal rather than merely disappointing.
• Who will operate it. A system run by a rotating volunteer team has different needs from one run by a paid engineer, and picks say which they suit.
• Serviceability and warranty. Published warranty terms, spare parts and whether the product can be repaired.
• Recurring owner reports. Problems that appear repeatedly in verified reviews after months of use count for more than a single first-day review.

Where the information comes from

Manufacturer data sheets and manuals, the Amazon listing, FCC rules, the 2010 ADA Standards and standard audio and video engineering formulas. Where a specification is not published by the manufacturer, it is left out rather than estimated.

What we have and have not done

We do not test equipment in person and we do not claim to. The site is run by one person, not by a team of installers. For a permanent installation, hire a qualified integrator, and have overhead loudspeakers and electrical work signed off by a structural engineer or rigger and a licensed electrician.

Affiliate links and the word "sponsored"

Most buy buttons are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Those links are marked rel="sponsored", which is the standard label for affiliate links and does not mean a brand paid to be featured. We do not sell ranking positions. If a brand ever pays for a post, the page will say so. See the affiliate disclosure.

Prices, stock and updates

Pro audio pricing moves often, so pages show a budget band and the button shows the live price. Each product link is verified against the live Amazon catalog, and a pick is replaced if its listing disappears. Each page shows a last-updated date under the title.

Corrections

If a specification is wrong, a calculator does not match your room, or a link points at the wrong product, send us a note and we will check it against the manufacturer's figures and fix the page.

More about who runs the site is on the About page.