Documented specifications
Algo · Algo retained the 8196 in its live product portfolio and speaker documentation at review on October 9, 2026. Exact regional stock, hardware revision, approved firmware, platform interoperability and remaining support period were not established.
| Specification | Documented value |
|---|---|
| Power and audio budget | PoE or PoE+ input with up to 16 W published audio power on PoE+; that total is shared equally by the 8196 and up to three connected 1196 satellites Source ↗ |
| Published maximum output | 119 dB SPL at 1 metre for 1 kHz at 16 W when used alone; this is a manufacturer test condition, not an installed intelligibility or exposure result Source ↗ |
| Coverage | Published dispersion of 80 degrees horizontal by 50 degrees vertical at 2 kHz and -6 dB; actual aiming, obstruction and reverberation remain site-specific Source ↗ |
| SIP and multicast | Documented SIP paging and ringing plus RTP multicast send or receive; receiver zones require matching address, port, codec and priority configuration Source ↗ |
| Codecs | G.711 mu-law, G.711 A-law, G.722 and Opus are listed; path negotiation and receiver support remain separate evidence Source ↗ |
| Microphone | Integrated microphone supports talkback and idle-period ambient-noise measurement; multicast-receiver microphones are not a general talkback mesh Source ↗ |
| Environment | IP66 and -40 to +50 degrees C are published when properly installed; the user guide limits outdoor use to the building perimeter and requires lightning protection for wiring beyond it Source ↗ |
| Provisioning and monitoring | Web or central provisioning plus documented ADMP, 8300, SNMP and RTCP supervision paths; configured enrollment and alert handling remain separate acceptance Source ↗ |
Unlisted fields remain unverified. Platform compatibility and remaining support life require confirmation for the exact ordered model.
Treat 16 watts as one shared system budget
The 8196 can use its published 16-watt audio budget alone or share it equally with up to three 1196 satellites. One satellite gives each speaker half of the available total; three satellites divide the total across four speakers. The satellites do not add network identities, SIP accounts or independent power budgets.
Record the PoE class actually delivered, speaker count, cable type and length, detected satellites and configured level. Do not use the standalone maximum-output figure for a populated satellite chain.
Preserve directional coverage and exposure limits
The published 119 dB SPL value is tied to a 1 kHz, 16-watt, one-metre condition. It is not a field measurement, speech-intelligibility score or safe listener exposure. Preserve the published dispersion, mounting orientation and Algo's guidance to aim the horn into the listener area rather than at an opposing horn or reflective surface.
Use an acoustic model and qualified site survey, then commission representative points under normal and worst credible background noise. Keep audibility, intelligibility, message recognition and exposure as separate acceptance results.
Separate direct SIP, multicast and talkback
A direct SIP page can terminate at the 8196 and optionally be retransmitted to configured multicast receivers. A multicast receiver instead depends on matching zone address, port, codec and priority and may not have its own SIP registration. Talkback remains tied to the SIP-registered speaker; receiver microphones are disabled for talkback even when used for ambient-noise monitoring.
Record which endpoint owns registration, which one transmits, every receiver zone and the actual media direction. Registration success is not proof of multicast forwarding, receiver playback or two-way speech.
Bound ambient-noise compensation
Algo documents ambient-noise measurement while the speaker is idle and automatic volume adjustment before a call. Preserve microphone enablement, minimum level, maximum compensation, measurement location and changing machinery state. The function does not prove that a page remains intelligible everywhere or that the resulting exposure is safe.
Commission with the feature off and on under controlled conditions. A microphone obstruction, unusual steady noise or changed mounting environment can alter the result, so keep periodic acoustic verification outside the provisioning-only workflow.
Respect the outdoor and supervision boundary
The 8196 publishes IP66 protection when installed correctly, but its guide describes outdoor use at the building perimeter and warns that network wiring leaving the perimeter needs lightning protection. Preserve mounting-plate orientation, drainage, gaskets, cable entry, surge protection, structural attachment and maintenance access.
Supervise the primary speaker and connected satellites where configured, but keep device reachability separate from the last controlled audible test. No 8196, satellite chain, protected session, acoustic result, availability or compatibility was tested for this reference.
Sources & applicability
Primary references for the technical details above. Operational examples and planning checklists are VoIP.info editorial guidance.
- Algo 8196 product page ↗
- Algo 8196 user guide updated October 1, 2026 ↗
- Algo 8196 product sheet ↗
- Algo speaker coverage and placement guide ↗
- Algo multicast guide ↗
- Algo central provisioning guide ↗
- Algo speaker provisioning parameters ↗
- Algo Device Management Platform guide ↗
Examples require adaptation to your topology. No live PBX or hardware testing is claimed.