ANSWERS : Technology

How many watts of amplifier/speaker do I need to listen to talk radio and postcasts from my Ipod in the shower?

Since I never listen to music I'm only planning on one channel. I know this is a hard question to answer definitively due to things like speaker efficiency but I'm just looking for a general idea. I'm only going to raise the volume just enough to hear it but I want it to be able to definitely hear it. In other words I don't want the circuit and speaker to be maxed out in order for me to hear it. It needs to be battery powered if it matters. Sound quality isn't of particular importance although I'd like to be able to understand what they're saying.

sort by: active | newest | oldest

jeff-o says: Sep 27, 2010. 7:25 PM

I'd say between 1 and 2 watts should work fine, and will be audible of the noise of running water.

NachoMahma in reply to jeff-oSep 28, 2010. 7:28 AM

. +1. Maybe as much as 10W (10W is only twice as loud as 1W). Even though the water will be making a lot of noise, a shower is a small volume to fill with sound, so a large amp is not required.
. Because of the "room" acoustics, the high end will be emphasized, so you may want to boost the bass (or attenuate the treble) a little.

nolte919 (author) in reply to jeff-oSep 28, 2010. 7:18 PM

I think 2 watts sounds good. Fortunately all the parts are pretty inexpensive so if it doesn't work I'll just try again. Thanks.

Re-design says: Sep 26, 2010. 6:59 PM

Google "little gem amp" and take a look at those. They are maybe 1/2 watt and with a simi-good speaker you'll have plenty of sound. They can be powered by a 9 volt battery.