The 5 Best Speakers for Church Sanctuary

If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best speaker for church sanctuary is, then I’d recommend the Bose F1 812 Model Flexible Array Loudspeaker as the best one.

A church needs to magnify the worship experience of its members.

One way of doing this is by upgrading their sound system.

Now, God has entrusted you with the resources and the decision to make.

So here is an article that will help you choose the best speakers for your church sanctuary.

Remember, the best speaker is the one that is built specifically for your church sanctuary. 

Here are the Best Speakers for Church Sanctuary we will be reviewing:

• Bose F1 812 Model Flexible Array Loudspeaker

• Peavey SP 4 3-Way Dual 15″ Speaker

• JBL Professional JRX215 Portable 2-Way Loudspeaker

• Mackie DRM315-P 3-Way Passive Speaker

• Electro-Voice EKX15P 15″ 2 Way Full Range 1500W Powered Loudspeaker

Importance of Having the Best Speakers for Church Sanctuary

Speakers are crucial in a church’s sound system because they create the sound that everyone hears.

It needs to work correctly and sound well all the time, for it allows the Word and music to be heard by the whole congregation.

Types of Speakers for Church Sanctuary

Floor standing speakers

Floor-standing speakers, sometimes called tower speakers, are designed to produce a solid, composed, and extensive array of sound enough to fill a large area.

Their advantage is a more profound bass, meaning that they create a more enhanced bass response.

This speaker’s size and capacity create an immersive full-range sound that is pleasant to the ear even without a subwoofer.

Floor-standing speakers have enough bass, midrange driver, treble, and the like, so they tend to be more affordable in the long run.

Bookshelf speakers

These speakers are smaller in size.

They can be on a bookshelf or in smaller spaces, so they are more flexible and better for smaller rooms.

However, because of their small form factor, they often produce limited low-end bass. 

Bookshelf speakers are not always full-range, so they don’t always have the best bass response.

If you want to amplify their performance, you may want to add a subwoofer or two.

But the good thing is that the bass doesn’t always sound good.

You don’t always have to have a good bass performance.

So, this type of speaker enables you to place them where they sound best.

Also, bookshelf speakers are not tall enough to sit on the floor.

Of course, you want them to rest quite close to your ear level when you are seated or standing up.

So, if you’re going to put them on stands, you may want to add extra costs to your budget.

Choosing the Best Speakers for Church Sanctuary

You don’t just buy the best speaker you think your church needs because it fits your budget or liking.

Yes, we all know that a church is more than a building.

However, finding a speaker matching your church sanctuary’s size and geometry is also essential.

Size of the Church Sanctuary

Small Churches

A church is small if its physical size can accommodate up to 150 people.

So, a small church means a small sanctuary, which may be approximately 80 sqm in dimension.

Medium to Large Churches

Medium—to large churches can accommodate at least 300 people in one service.

These churches tend to have a bigger sanctuary and elevated central stage, so people seated at the back can still have a good worship experience.

Appropriate Speaker Setup

How many speakers does your church sanctuary need?

A small church needs at least four 100-watt full-range speakers to create a quality sound for the whole congregation.

You might need to add more if you have a medium—to large-sized church.

Where should a speaker be placed in your church sanctuary?

It is also essential to seek professional advice about this matter.

Speaker placement is different for every church, depending on its construction.

Other churches have floors, walls, and ceilings that are different from yours, so it is necessary to consider your church’s structure first.

How do I aim my speakers in our church sanctuary?

Aim for your speakers to be in your church sanctuary where the congregation can see them.

If people cannot see the speaker, they won’t hear the sound clearly.

Place the speakers where there will be no obstructions to the sound they produce.

They should also be away from walls and ceilings.

How do you set up the speakers in your church sanctuary?

I recommend asking for professional help on this.

First, consult with sound system designers or engineers.

They are responsible for all your speakers’ technical work and know what best fits your church sanctuary.

How to Choose Speakers for a Church Sanctuary

Consider asking for professional help first when choosing the best speakers.

This will help you save time, money, and stress along the way.

In the meantime, here are some points to ponder: 

Location and set-up of the speakers (Positioning guide)

Should your speaker setup be temporary or permanent?

What is your church’s style of worship and culture?

What is the shape of your church?

How are your church ceilings and walls structured?

What is your ceiling and wall distance?

These are some of the questions you need to consider as well. 

It would also be best to point the speakers to where people are seated.

Others choose to position their speakers just below standing height for the best all-around coverage.

Also, if your central stage has a flat floor, you may need to direct your speakers down. 

Room coverage

The number of speakers you need depends mainly on the construction of your church.

The larger your church sanctuary is, the larger your sound system will be.

Thus making it more complex and difficult to maintain and handle.

You will also have untrained volunteers along the way who will run sounds for your church.

Of course, you don’t expect them to know everything about speakers very well.

So, it is also important to assign people who will be in charge of different tasks around the room.

The people’s skill level operating it should match the designed setup.

Mounting your speakers

When mounting your speakers, study your church’s wall structure first.

You don’t want them to break because of how you mounted or positioned them.

This also depends on your church’s style of worship or how you deliver sermons.

You will need people who go up ladders or assemble mounts and stands.

Cables or Wirings

Church sanctuaries should always be visually pleasing.

That is why cable and wiring management plays a significant role in your church’s sound system.

Also, secured cables and wires can help prevent accidents.

They should be kept away from people’s walkways to help prevent accidents such as people stumbling across them or electrical shorts.

They must be properly secured, organized, and stored in places where they are easily accessed if something goes wrong.

Budget

Investing in speakers you know will meet your church sanctuary’s needs in the future is wiser.

These speakers may or may not be affordable at this time.

Still, you should also consider the amount of money you can save in the long run if you choose something that is audibly and aesthetically perfect for your church sanctuary now. 

Also, allocate a budget specifically for professional help only.

Spend at least some of the funding on sound system designers or engineers because they know exactly what will work best for your church sanctuary.

Here are the best speakers for the church sanctuary that we recommend. 

Bose F1 812 Model Flexible Array Loudspeaker

This 1000-watt, full-range floor-standing speaker has nine speakers supported by a lower crossover point than conventional loudspeakers.

Even at high volumes, it delivers more explicit, more natural vocals and gives full voice midrange clarity.

It also features a 30-cm woofer placed behind an 8-high output array driver that creates quality low bass extension, adding to the clear and powerful sound it produces.

The standalone sound of this Bose F1 812 Model highlights its controllable vertical coverage pattern.

It is also designed with two audio inputs, each with independent volume controls and a line-level/mic switch on channel 1.

Pros:

• It perfectly works with a Bose F1 Subwoofer if you need a more powerful bass.

• It weighs 44.5 pounds, which makes it lightweight

• Very easy to set up

• It is highly flexible, so you can play around with different configurations to know what will work best.

• It makes a clear and decisive but well-balanced sound at any level 

Cons:

• A flatter sound may be produced when in the full forward configuration

• It has top and back handles but does not have side handles to make the handling easier

Peavey SP 4 3-Way Dual 15″ Speaker

The Peavey SP 4 speaker’s ingenious design improves low-end performance and produces clearer sound in the high-frequency range.

This quasi-three-way enclosure has 2 – 15″ Peavey Black Widow speakers capable of handling up to 4000W peak power and field-replaceable baskets for quick, easy repair.

It has a much more efficient crossover that directs low frequencies to both woofers while limiting midrange frequencies to only the top woofer.

An RX22 titanium ferrofluid driver cooled for maximum tweeter performance and longevity handles upper mids and high frequencies.

Peavey’s exclusive Quadratic Throat Waveguide technology reduces horn distortion and aims sound directly at the audience, not over their heads.

The aspen hardwood plywood enclosure uses extensive internal bracing, producing a tighter bass response.

It’s finished in the durable Hammertex and has heavy-duty handles and kick-back wheels for easy transportation.

Pros:

• Patented Radialinear Planar Phase Correction System

• Full-range inputs include a Neutrik Speakon 4-pin jack and 2 – 1/4″ phone jacks

• Biamp capability via internal wiring jumper

• Aspen hardwood plywood enclosure

• Durable Hammertex finish

Cons:

• It is not portable

JBL Professional JRX215 Portable 2-Way Loudspeaker

The JBL JRX215 produces a quality sound specifically designed for music in live shows, playbacks, and speech reinforcement.

Its extended lows and great top-end create smooth and natural-sounding music that does a great job projecting live vocals and speeches.

Moreover, it features the JBL 2414H-C 1″ polymer diaphragm compression driver that improves system reliability and high-frequency performance.

The JBL 1″ low-frequency driver provides excellent efficiency and power handling with a 2.5-inch diameter edge-wound ribbon voice coil, which is also one of the speaker’s main highlights. 

Pros:

• SonicGuard protects the high-frequency driver from excess power without interrupting the performance.

• Non-resonant, all-steel handles are used.

• An attractive 18-gauge perforated steel grille protects components from damage.

• The dual-angle pole-mount socket allows the speakers to tilt 10 for more uniform audience coverage

• Progressive Transition high-frequency waveguide

Cons:

• You need an amplifier first to produce sound from them

• Final sound quality will depend on other pieces of equipment you will use

Mackie DRM315-P 3-Way Passive Speaker

This 3-way passive speaker produces world-class performance with steadfast reliability.

It is specifically designed for live performances in large venues.

This speaker has a roadworthy, texture-coated 18mm plywood cabinet and a powder-coated heavy-gauge steel grille.

This Mackie DRM315-P speaker guarantees maximum transparency because of its 1.4″ titanium diaphragm compression driver.

Its 6.5″ midrange custom high-sensitivity transducer also gives it an enhanced punch. 

Pros:

• Its angled design can be used as a stage monitor

• It has M10 fly points that you can use for vertical orientation

• Its 15″ high-excursion woofer delivers excellent bass response, sensitivity, and reliability

Cons:

• No aux or reverb is available

Electro-Voice EKX15P 15″ 2 Way Full Range 1500W Powered Loudspeaker

The 15″ woofer and 1.5″ high-frequency titanium compression driver speaker are designed for House of Worship, Pro Music, and other applications, making it #20 in Powered Speaker Cabinets.

With enough sound reinforcement, this speaker can perform beyond your expectations.

Electro-Voice is known for its speakers’ clarity.

So, a small speaker like EKX15P does its job of creating great sounds even at high volumes.

It also features components optimized for use with its integrated high efficiency.

Its versatile input and output options make it surprisingly easy to connect and control.

Pros:

• Lightweight and easy to carry

• It works well with a subwoofer or two 

• A single elevated speaker can produce quality sound for a 20×60-foot walled yard with enough sound reinforcement

Cons:

• Lacks in bass

• It can cost you additional expense if you prefer to use it with subwoofers

• Its thin grill on the front can cause a slight dent 

• Fresh out-of-the-box speakers may not have a pleasing smell

Conclusion

Let’s admit it: a church’s sound system is vital in providing a great worship service for church members and even first-timers.

Thus, speakers magnify people’s worship experience.

The best speakers for your church sanctuary should be worth every cent people give tithes for.

After all, God provides if one abides.

He knows exactly what your church needs, so I suggest you pray about it first.

I would recommend the Bose F1 812 Model Flexible Array Loudspeaker for your church sanctuary.

Not only does it provide the best sound coverage, but it is also highly flexible and can surely cater to your needs as a church member.

This Bose speaker would undoubtedly elevate your worship experience and will surely be future-proof.