Best thing I ever bought was a decibel meter...

[coonmanx]

Haven't contributed in a while so here goes.

Best thing I ever bought was a dB meter. Because it gives me information and lots of it. How loud am I listening? What does that compare to (loud conversation for example). How does one system in my house compare to another system in my house. How loud is the neighbor's screaming (when she yells at her kid to "eat the donut, the whole donut"... I got a good recording of her yelling today and then played it back in the hallway so she could hear it. LOL...

Just measured my near field computer speakers where some Pink Floyd is jamming right now. 55 dB. Earlier I was cranking the bedroom system just a bit because I was trying to drown out the neighbor downstairs. So on went Synchronicity and I was jamming around 75 to 80 dB. Pretty loud for the apartment. Didn't want to do it for too long but did want to send a message as well. The thing was that I was measuring while talking to my son a few feet away and the conversation was not being drowned out by the music. Mark of a good sounding system.

Anyway, have at it. A simple device that can give you some very quick info. I had my amp peaking at about 0.1 watts and where I measured the sound was 75 to 80 dB. So one watt should put me at 85 to 90 dB. Just what I figured about these speakers. I was probably about a meter away.

 

[coonmanx]

Just after 11 PM and I hear said neighbor again. So on goes the Synchronicity again. This time after blasting a track or two at 75 to 80 dB I am now listening at 65 to 70 dB. So apparently that is enough to drown out the noise from said neighbor. I would usually just listen to the computer speakers but the bedroom system does sound a lot better anyway. Just don't want to piss off the next door neighbors. Yeah it's an apartment building...

Turned it down even more. Not hearing downstairs as much right now.

 

[dfgoiuj]

I'm considering buying one so I know what sort of levels I listen at. Which do you have? Do you know if it is accurate?

 

[Astoneroad]

I'm considering buying one so I know what sort of levels I listen at. Which do you have? Do you know if it is accurate?

I use an Android app called "Sound Meter". How less accurate is an app from a dedicated device? I find it informative to know how loud my listening sessions are.

 

[Katji]

How loud is the neighbor's screaming (when she yells at her kid to "eat the donut, the whole donut"... I got a good recording of her yelling today and then played it back in the hallway so she could hear it. LOL...

Like

My background noise - from the street is terrible. 24h. Especially the drunk psychotic hoe at night. ...The building itself is very quiet, but sometimes some neighbour plays some music that makes bass boom that buzzes my kitchen windows.

 

[BDWoody]

Especially the drunk psychotic hoe at night.

I've been in relationships like that too...

 

[NTK]

I'm considering buying one so I know what sort of levels I listen at. Which do you have? Do you know if it is accurate?

If you have an iPhone, there's the free NIOSH sound level meter app. The mics in iPhones are reasonably well calibrated, and readings are accurate to +/-2 dBA.

Sound Level Meter App | NIOSH | CDC

The NIOSH Sound Level Meter app combines the best features of professional sound levels meters and noise dosimeters into a simple, easy-to-use package

www.cdc.gov

 

[Katji]

I've been in relationships like that too...

This one is in the street, 10 floors down, but like my mother used to say, "sound travels up." It is louder in this part of the world. Notably. Then sometimes the characteristic screams when being hit or whatever - sounds like murder. Aside from that noise, it's no problem to me.

 

[JSmith]

"eat the donut, the whole donut"

JSmith

 

[REK2575]

I use an Android app called "Sound Meter". How less accurate is an app from a dedicated device? I find it informative to know how loud my listening sessions are.

I use Sound Meter as well. My supposition has been that it's 'ballpark figure' accurate, which is good enough for my purposes. However, if it's really just garbage, I'd like to know!

 

[dfgoiuj]

If you have an iPhone, there's the free NIOSH sound level meter app. The mics in iPhones are reasonably well calibrated, and readings are accurate to +/-2 dBA.

Sound Level Meter App | NIOSH | CDC

The NIOSH Sound Level Meter app combines the best features of professional sound levels meters and noise dosimeters into a simple, easy-to-use package

www.cdc.gov

Unfortunately, I've got an android, so who knows which of the many mics out there it uses! I suppose it could still be useful for relative measurements, but it would be nice to know absolute figures.

 

[Propheticus]

Unfortunately, I've got an android, so who knows which of the many mics out there it uses! I suppose it could still be useful for relative measurements, but it would be nice to know absolute figures.

Some apps have a list of (popular) models they've got calibration data on. Still there can be sample to sample variation.
Some also offer manual calibration (offset), which is of course only useful when you borrow and reference to a 'real' db-meter.

 

[Chrispy]

I've compared a few apps vs my measurement mic at reasonable volume levels with reasonable content....not a lot of difference, good enough for the kinds of purposes mentioned.

 

[MattHooper]

I have a SCOSCHE spl1000 Decibel meter for measuring sound, especially from my system.

But most of the time I've used various (well rated) iphone apps - dB Pro, NIOSH SLM), which are accurate enough for my purposes. I have sensitive ears, tinnitus and sometimes hyperacusis so I've monitored levels as need be in all sorts of places over the years - restaurants, movie theaters, etc. Helps give me perspective and know when I may be pushing things in to a danger zone.

 

[sarumbear]

I use Sound Meter as well. My supposition has been that it's 'ballpark figure' accurate, which is good enough for my purposes. However, if it's really just garbage, I'd like to know!

iPhone apps are more accurate than the Radio Shack SPL meters most everyone, who is not a pro, used to rely.

 

[Fenix84]

I've compared a few apps vs my measurement mic at reasonable volume levels with reasonable content....not a lot of difference, good enough for the kinds of purposes mentioned.

Awesome, was gonna pick up a mic but now I know I'm probably relative close with my app. Was one of those apps you downloaded "Sound Meter"?

 

[coonmanx]

I'm considering buying one so I know what sort of levels I listen at. Which do you have? Do you know if it is accurate?

I bought a Tenma off of Ebay. It is very easy to use and seems to be accurate enough for what I do with it.

 

[coonmanx]

Like

My background noise - from the street is terrible. 24h. Especially the drunk psychotic hoe at night. ...The building itself is very quiet, but sometimes some neighbour plays some music that makes bass boom that buzzes my kitchen windows.

Wow. The only thing missing in our building is a drunk pyschotic hoe. LOL.

 

[coonmanx]

The Tenma does have a calibration feature that I did when I first got it...

The numbers I get seem to be spot on. I measured my third system today and got about 60 to 70 dB as I was not listening at that loud of a level.

 

[coonmanx]

I have a SCOSCHE spl1000 Decibel meter for measuring sound, especially from my system.

But most of the time I've used various (well rated) iphone apps - dB Pro, NIOSH SLM), which are accurate enough for my purposes. I have sensitive ears, tinnitus and sometimes hyperacusis so I've monitored levels as need be in all sorts of places over the years - restaurants, movie theaters, etc. Helps give me perspective and know when I may be pushing things in to a danger zone.

I remember going to a movie with my son one time where the sound was so damn loud I was sure it was giving people hearing damage. I probably should have told someone from the theater but I sat through it with my fingers in my ears for the entire movie. Wish I had a meter with me then. I could have told management, "Hey, this is too damn loud"...