Professional Audio

Professional audio, also 'pro audio', can be used a term to refer to both a type of audio equipment as well as a type of audio engineering application.

Professional audio equipment can be used to describe any audio equipment used or marketed for use as a sound application by or for a professional or professional purpose. This includes, but is not limited to, loudspeakers, microphones, Mixing consoles, amplifiers, recording and playback devices such as dat or turntables, and in some cases telephony devices. Pro Audio equipment typically carries an implied elevation of manufacturing quality and features compared to regular or consumer level audio equipment (as is common with other types of professional equipment.)

Professional audio application is commonly used to refer to professional audio engineering and operations, which can include but is not limited to broadcasting radio, audio mastering, sound reinforcement such as a concert, DJ performances, Audio Sampling , public address, surround sound movie theatres, and in some cases piped music application.

Both terms imply involvement of audio engineering at an industrial(occupational) level as opposed to a personal level. For example, a regular personal use microphone such as one in a mobile phone would have a very limited dynamic range focused on speech, whereas a pro audio microphone would have a much wider dynamic range to capture quiet whispers or loud musical instruments. A regular loudspeaker for home use may handle 100 watts rms at a given signal-to-noise ratio, whereas a pro audio loudspeaker such as one used for concert venues may handle 1000 watts rms or more, or a studio use speaker may operate at a significantly more efficient signal-to-noise rating at the same 100 watts as the home speaker.

Specifications alone do not inherently include or exclude equipment for consideration as professional audio level, but are used by most publications and documentation as a starting point of reference.