Viking PA-250 250W 70V SIP Paging Amplifier 1U Rack

Viking Electronics PA-250 250-Watt 70V Telecom Paging Amplifier

The Viking Electronics PA-250 is a 250-watt, 70V rack-mount paging amplifier built for large-venue telecom paging systems where you need serious speaker coverage without a dedicated amplifier room. Fitting in a single 1U rack slot (19" x 1.75" x 6"), the PA-250 drives up to 250 individual 70V speakers or 150 25V speakers from a single unit — the kind of capacity that covers a school campus, hospital wing, or a multi-zone warehouse distribution floor without stacking multiple amps. It accepts SIP 2.0 and multicast audio natively, making it a straightforward fit into VoIP infrastructure already running on a UC or telecom platform. Explore the full Viking Electronics paging and intercom line if you're building out a broader system.

Key Features

• 250W at 70V — 250 Speaker Capacity: At full 70V output, the PA-250 can terminate up to 250 speakers on a single amplifier. That translates to end-to-end paging coverage across a large open floor plan or multi-wing building without a secondary amp or distribution transformer. Drop to the 25V tap and you still get 150 speakers — useful when existing 25V speaker wiring is already in place.
• SIP 2.0 (RFC 3261) Network Paging: Native SIP 2.0 support means the PA-250 registers as a SIP endpoint on your telecom platform. Paging triggers from any extension, auto-attendant, or access control event that can place a SIP call — no proprietary controller box, no relay wiring. If your facility already runs a SIP-based PBX or UCaaS platform, this amplifier drops directly into that architecture.
• Multicast Audio (G.711u, G.722): For synchronized multi-zone paging, multicast support lets you push audio to multiple PA-250 units simultaneously without hairpinning through a call server. G.722 wideband codec support (50–18,000 Hz frequency response within ±10 dB) means paging audio is noticeably cleaner than standard narrowband — audible difference on speech intelligibility in reverberant spaces like warehouses or corridors.
• 1U Rack Form Factor, No PoE Required: The 19-inch 1U chassis fits any standard equipment rack or telecom cabinet. Power comes from 100V–240V AC at 50–60 Hz via two IEC C8 inlets — no PoE budget to plan against, no midspan injector needed. The dual AC inlets allow for a redundant power feed configuration if your rack already has dual PDUs.
• 11 Removable Cage-Clamp Speaker Terminals: Eleven removable cage-clamp screw terminals handle speaker wiring directly on the rear panel. Removable blocks mean you can pre-wire and terminate the speaker run off the shelf before the amp arrives, then seat the terminal block at installation — cuts commissioning time on dense speaker wiring significantly.
• 3.5mm Auxiliary Input: A dedicated 3.5mm aux input accepts local audio sources — background music playback, emergency tone generators, or a local paging microphone — without consuming a SIP license or network port. Useful for facilities that need both network-triggered paging and a local override source on the same amplifier.
• 600 Ohm Paging Output Impedance: The 600-ohm balanced paging output is standard telecom impedance, compatible with commercial paging controllers and telephone interface equipment. If you're integrating with a legacy POTS or analog paging system alongside the SIP path, this output matches without a transformer.
• Wide Input Voltage Range (100V–240V AC): Universal AC input handles North American and international voltage standards without a separate step-down transformer. Relevant for deployments in facilities with mixed electrical infrastructure or international operations.
• IEEE 802.3af Network Compliance: The RJ45 10/100Base-T network interface is 802.3af compliant for network connectivity (not power — the PA-250 uses AC mains). This confirms the unit's network port will negotiate correctly with standard managed switches in your paging VLAN.
• FCC Part 15, CE, Canada ICES-003 Class A: Regulatory approvals for the US, EU, and Canada are in place, so you're not managing import compliance issues on a domestic deployment or facing rejection at a Canadian customs inspection.

Integration and Compatibility

The PA-250 connects to your network via a standard RJ45 10/100Base-T port and registers as a SIP endpoint using SIP 2.0 (RFC 3261). It supports G.711u, G.722, and G.711a audio codecs for SIP sessions, and G.711u and G.722 for multicast — meaning codec negotiation with most enterprise SIP platforms (Cisco CUCM, FreePBX, 3CX, Avaya, and similar) is handled without transcoding. For commercial paging system deployments, the aux 3.5mm input allows a local analog paging source to coexist alongside SIP-triggered paging zones. The 600-ohm balanced paging output is compatible with standard telecom paging controllers and legacy analog infrastructure. For larger deployments, pair with 70V paging horns and speakers rated for 250V system wiring. Operating environment is rated 32°F to 90°F (0°C to 32°C) at 5% to 95% non-condensing humidity — standard conditioned equipment room and telecom closet conditions, though not rated for unconditioned outdoor or industrial environments. See our VoIP paging systems buying guide for architecture planning guidance on SIP-based paging deployments. If you're building out a full telecom paging stack, review compatible VoIP PBX systems that support SIP endpoint registration for paging amplifiers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many speakers can the Viking PA-250 drive?

A: The PA-250 drives up to 250 speakers on a 70V system or up to 150 speakers on a 25V system. Speaker count depends on the individual speaker wattage ratings and how they sum against the 250W output capacity.

Q: Does the PA-250 require PoE power from the network switch?

A: No. The PA-250 is powered by 100V to 240V AC (50–60 Hz) via two IEC C8 AC inlets. It does not draw PoE power, so it places no load on your switch's PoE budget.

Q: What SIP codecs does the PA-250 support?

A: For SIP audio sessions, the PA-250 supports G.711u, G.722, and G.711a. For multicast paging, it supports G.711u and G.722.

Q: Can the PA-250 be used for multicast paging to multiple zones simultaneously?

A: Yes. The PA-250 supports IP multicast paging using G.711u and G.722 codecs, allowing synchronized audio delivery to multiple PA-250 units across paging zones without call-server hairpinning.

Q: What is the PA-250's frequency response?

A: The PA-250 has a frequency response of 55 Hz to 18,000 Hz (±10 dB), providing wideband audio coverage suited to speech intelligibility in commercial paging environments.

Q: Does the PA-250 fit in a standard equipment rack?

A: Yes. The PA-250 is a 1U rack-mount unit with a 19-inch width (19" x 1.75" x 6"), fitting any standard 19-inch EIA equipment rack or telecom cabinet.

Eden Phillips

The PA-250 (often searched as PA 250) is the amplifier I reach for when a project calls for single-rack-unit simplicity and the speaker count is genuinely large — 250 x 70V speakers from one 1U device is a serious coverage number that most facilities won't outgrow. The 250W output at 70V with 600-ohm balanced paging output and native SIP 2.0 registration makes this a clean fit for enterprise telecom environments where paging should behave like any other SIP endpoint on the call manager.

Technical Highlights:

• Dual AC Inlets (2x IEC C8): Two IEC C8 power inlets allow connection to two independent AC sources or a dual-feed PDU — straightforward redundancy in rack environments that already have A/B power distribution, without adding an external transfer switch.
• G.722 Wideband Codec: G.722 support across both SIP and multicast paths delivers noticeably better speech clarity than G.711 narrowband alone. In high-ambient-noise environments like manufacturing floors or loading docks, that 7kHz wideband ceiling translates to fewer missed pages and less reliance on repeat announcements.
• 11 Removable Cage-Clamp Terminals: Pre-terminating the speaker wiring blocks off-shelf before mounting the amp is a real time saver on large speaker counts. With 250-speaker capacity and 11 terminal blocks, phased wiring across installation days is practical without leaving the amp in an unterminated state during commissioning.

Deployment Considerations:

• The PA-250 is rated for 32°F to 90°F (0°C to 32°C) operating temperature — standard conditioned telecom room range. Do not install in unconditioned mechanical rooms, loading dock enclosures, or outdoor cabinets without active HVAC. Ambient temp above 90°F will push the unit outside its rated operating envelope.
• The 25V speaker path supports 150 speakers — not 250. If your existing infrastructure is wired for 25V and you're planning for full 250-speaker capacity, you'll need to rewire to 70V or deploy a second unit to reach that speaker count on 25V wiring.

For a large hospital, university campus, or multi-building corporate campus where the paging system registers as SIP endpoints on a managed call platform, the PA-250 consolidates speaker termination and SIP registration into a single 1U slot per zone — a clean architecture that keeps the telecom closet manageable as speaker counts scale.