WHAT IS "IPX6 or 7", EXACTLY?
That's actually super simple - the "IP Code" as it is known (International Protection Code) is basically a standard way of classifying how much protection a housing (or casing, or some other enclosure) has from things like water, dust, or accidental contact.
The code was designed to help the people that "make things" tell the people that "use those things" just how good something is at, say, keeping water out, because just saying "oh yeah, it's waterproof" really doesn't cut it. Most of us want to know a little more precisely how waterproof or dustproof (or whatever) the item we're looking at really is, and how it compares to other items made by that company or its competitors.
ALL ABOUT THE RATINGS
So, if the IP Code is all about ratings, let's look at the basics of what they actually mean. The code breaks down into 3 sections:
- the IP part
- the X part
- the 7 (or 6) part
The "IP" just stands for the International Protection Code, as mentioned. After the "IP" come 2 digits, as in the IPX7 example below:
The first digit can be a number or an "X", and it tells us how much protection the housing has from "solid objects". So, stuff like being able to poke our hands, fingers. or other solid objects inside. The rating "X" means no data exists for this type of measurement. In the case of waterproof speakers, this is generally not measured. This is why Foniq speaker ratings begin with "IPX".
The second digit can also be a number or an "X", and tells us how much liquid protection the housing has. The higher the number, the better the protection, with 9 being the highest.
IPX7 vs. IPX6
So, as you've probably guessed it, IPX7 is better than IPX6. Here is exactly how much better:
- A rating of "7" means the housing (i.e. the speaker body itself) is able to withstand being dunked into water down to 1 meter (3ft 3in) for a minimum of 30 minutes
- A rating of "6" means the housing is able to withstand powerful jets of water for at least 3 minutes, without causing any harm to the device
This means that any of our speakers rated IPX7 can be submerged in water down to 1 meter whereas our IPX6 speakers can't be thrown under water, but can withstand high pressure water spray. Still, either one is a pretty solid rating for most outdoor activities the majority of us will need our speakers for.
BELOW IPX6
We figured you'd ask, so to save you looking around for the answer, here is a short summary:
- a rating of "5" means you're protected from light water jets
- "4" means you're protected from water splashes
- "3" means you're protected from water spray
- "2" means you're protected from dripping water on an angle
- "1" means you're protected from water drips from directly above
- and "0" means no water protection at all
So, as you can see, IPX6 and IPX7 have you covered for your camping, hiking, mountain biking, the beach, and more without missing out on your favourite tunes.