MED compliant marine loudspeakers are purpose designed to deliver clear, reliable audio in demanding maritime environments while meeting the strict safety, performance, and environmental requirements of the Marine Equipment Directive 2014/90/EU (MED.
Built to withstand harsh conditions such as salt spray, humidity, vibration and extreme temperatures, these speakers provide dependable performance where safety, durability and intelligibility are essential.
Commonly installed on commercial vessels, passenger ships and offshore platforms, MED approved marine loudspeakers play a vital role in public address and general alarm systems for 'Safety of Life at Sea' (SOLAS) applications.
Typical applications include engine rooms, accommodation areas, car decks, muster stations and open deck spaces, where clear announcements and emergency messages must be heard even in high noise conditions. Their robust construction makes them equally suitable for indoor and outdoor marine use.
In addition to safety critical voice alarm duties, MED marine speakers are often used for routine announcements and background audio, helping crew and passengers stay informed throughout day to day operations.
Corrosion resistant enclosures, marine grade components and secure mounting options ensure long service life and compliance with international maritime standards.
Choosing MED certified marine loudspeakers gives shipbuilders, system designers and operators confidence that their audio systems meet regulatory requirements and perform reliably at sea. Whether for new vessel builds or retrofit projects, MED compliant loudspeakers provide a trusted solution for marine PA, voice alarm and emergency communication systems across a wide range of marine and offshore applications.
They are ship and offshore loudspeakers approved under the Marine Equipment Directive 2014/90/EU (MED) for public address and general alarm use. They are built to resist salt spray, humidity, vibration and temperature extremes and provide speech clarity when it matters.
On many commercial and passenger vessels the PA / general-alarm system is safety equipment under SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea). MED approval shows the loudspeaker meets the required marine safety, performance and environmental tests. A standard commercial ceiling speaker — even if it looks “marine” — is not automatically acceptable on a SOLAS system.
Accommodation and cabins, corridors, muster stations, car decks, engine rooms and open decks on commercial vessels, passenger ships and offshore platforms. Indoor types cover living and public spaces; weatherproof horns and projectors cover noisy or exposed decks.
Ceiling speakers and compact cabinets for cabins and interiors, bi-directional corridor speakers, sound projectors, paging and music horns, weatherproof curved cabinets and explosion-protected horns for hazardous machinery spaces. Choose by location first, then confirm MED (and any Ex) marking on the product page.
Yes. Typical ratings in this range are about 6 W to 50 W on 70/100V line so many speakers can share a monitored ship PA circuit. Set taps for the space — cabins low, decks and engine rooms higher — and size the amplifier and battery backup to the ship specification.
Open-deck and car-deck models usually have a high IP rating (often up to IP66/IP67) with corrosion-resistant housings and marine fixings. Cabin ceilings may only be splash-rated (around IP32–IP55). Match the IP rating to salt spray and hose-down, not just to “it’s on a ship.”
When the speaker sits in a hazardous zone such as certain engine rooms or process areas (for example Zone 1 / 21). Those models combine Ex certification with MED. A weatherproof deck horn without Ex marking is not correct for a classified hazardous space.
Yes. The same certified circuit is often used for routine paging and information as well as general alarm / emergency messages. Music horns give a fuller sound for mixed use; small paging horns are speech-first. Emergency intelligibility still comes before entertainment quality.
No. They are specified on new vessels and on retrofit or replacement jobs when a ship must keep MED-compliant PA/GA (Public Address & General Alarm) coverage. Like-for-like replacements should match wattage, tap, IP and certificate, not just physical size.
Commercial Audio Solutions supplies DNH MED-compliant ceiling, cabinet, projector and horn loudspeakers for ship and offshore PA. Call 01663 767888 or email sales@commercialaudiosolutions.com with details of the space (cabin, deck, engine room), indoor or exposed, and whether Ex or only MED is required.
