The IP rating of a product will give you an idea of how suitable it might be for use in places where high levels of dust, water vapour or water 

You may have seen IP ratings on some product descriptions. This rating, in accordance with IEC standard EN60529, classifies and rates the degree of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects (like tools, dust or fingers) and water ingress in respect of electrical equipment enclosures. 

Whether you need a weatherproof outdoor speaker or a loudspeaker for a food processing plant which will withstand regular high pressure hosing, the IP rating wil tell you how weatherproof or water resistant the enclosure is and therefore whether it will be suitable.

The rating usually consists of a two digit number where the first number represents the solid particle ingress protection level and the second digit represents moisture ingress protection level. Whilst some product descriptions such as ‘waterproof’, ‘weather resistant’, ‘splashproof’ etc can be subjective, the IP rating gives a clear indication of resistance to particles and moisture. If either of the digits are unavailable, it is replaced by an ‘x’.

For example, a loudspeaker to be used outdoors in an exposed location would need to be at least IP64. One in a clean room which needs to be hosed down should be at least IP66. See our separate category for water resistant loudspeakers to make it easier to find the right one for your commercial audio system.

There is sometimes a 3rd digit included in the IP rating - this relates to protection against impact and is rarely used. Values range from 1 (resists impact of weights up to 150g falling from 15cm) to 9 (resists impact of weights up to 5kg falling from 40cm).