PikiP · Energy efficiency
The PikiP energy label
A unique A+ → G scale that ranks pro speakers by the watts they need to deliver 102 dBA. Lower is better.
Why a label
Bringing transparency to pro audio energy use
Pro PA systems are some of the most power-hungry equipment on an event site. Yet, unlike home appliances, no standard tells you whether a 102 dBA-capable speaker draws 50 W or 3000 W from the grid.
PikiP built an open, comparable scale — modeled after the EU appliance label — so promoters, integrators and venues can finally compare systems on what matters in 2026: sound delivered per watt consumed.
An A+ rating means a speaker reaches a sustained 102 dBA equivalent with 50 W or less from the wall — the level a full-solar event setup actually needs.
Understand the unit
Electrical watts ≠ acoustic watts
Speaker spec sheets mix two very different quantities under the same word. Knowing the difference is the whole point of an energy label.
Electrical watt (Wₑ)
What the amplifier draws from the wall, the battery or the solar array. This is what your meter charges you for, and what a 102 dBA spec ultimately costs in real life.
Acoustic watt (Wₐ)
The fraction of that energy actually radiated as sound. A typical professional loudspeaker converts only 0.1% to 2% of its electrical input into acoustic power — the rest becomes heat in the voice coil and magnet.
Efficiency η = Wₐ / Wₑ
Two speakers rated for the same SPL can differ by a factor of 10 in wall consumption. Doubling electrical power only adds +3 dB, while +3 dB of sensitivity halves the watts needed for the same loudness — this is why PikiP engineers sensitivity first, and amplification second.
Lp (dB SPL @ 1 m) = Sensitivity + 10·log₁₀(Pₑ)
Scientific sources
- AES — Audio Engineering Society, sensitivity & efficiency definitions
- IEC 60268-5 — Sound system equipment: Loudspeakers (measurement standard)
- HyperPhysics (Georgia State University) — Decibel & power relationship
- Beranek & Mellow, Acoustics: Sound Fields and Transducers — loudspeaker efficiency 0.1–2%
How to read it
The A+ → G scale
Each class corresponds to a power range a speaker consumes to reproduce a 102 dBA equivalent signal. The lower the wattage, the higher the class — and the more compatible the system is with battery and solar operation.
- ≤ 50 Wto reach 102 dBA equivalentA+
- 50 – 100 Wto reach 102 dBA equivalentA
- 100 – 200 Wto reach 102 dBA equivalentB
- 200 – 400 Wto reach 102 dBA equivalentC
- 400 – 800 Wto reach 102 dBA equivalentD
- 800 – 1600 Wto reach 102 dBA equivalentE
- 1600 – 3200 Wto reach 102 dBA equivalentF
- > 3200 Wto reach 102 dBA equivalentG
Acoustic efficiency by design
Where the watts are saved
Lowering consumption without losing punch is an architecture choice, not a marketing claim. PikiP combines four engineering levers across every series.
High-sensitivity transducers
Custom drivers selected for their high SPL/W ratio — every dB gained at the cone is one less watt drawn upstream.
Horn loading & directivity
Controlled-dispersion horns concentrate acoustic energy where the audience is, not towards walls or the sky.
Class-D amplification + DSP
High-efficiency amplifiers paired with tuned DSP minimise headroom waste and thermal losses at typical event SPLs.
Built for battery & solar
The whole signal chain is sized for 12–48 V DC operation, so PikiP systems run directly off SE stations and FlyPV solar arrays — no inverter losses.
Measurement
How the rating is measured
PikiP measures wall-plug power consumption while the speaker reproduces a programme material signal calibrated to a sustained 102 dBA equivalent at one metre — a reference level chosen because it matches the SPL most events actually deliver to the audience.
The result is a single wattage number, mapped onto the A+ → G scale. The label is printed on every PikiP datasheet and shown in the top-right of each product on this site.
Specify low-consumption sound for your next project
We help integrators, festivals and venues build systems that pass acoustic specs without an oversized power supply.