Headphone volume meter

[Mulder]

On my iPhone there is a feature that can be added (in control center in settings). This function indicates the decibel level at which you listen in headphones. I'm not sure how this one works, but in a recent video from OLLO-Audio I saw a similar feature that apparently existed for PC (or possibly MAC) Does anyone here know of this type of software? Where can this be found?

I am unsure if my question belongs in this particular forum. If not, maybe the admin can move it to itś proper place.

 

[staticV3]

I believe Apple's headphone SPL meter only works in conjunction with their own Earpods and Airpods, since Apple knows their exact sensitivity and output voltage at each volume step.

With a generic headphone, DAC, and Amp on Windows, a comparable dynamic SPL meter would be quite difficult to create.

What you can do though is use a 60Hz 0dBFS test tone and multimeter to estimate your AVG and Peak SPL based on the headphone's sensitivity, the Amp's output voltage, and a track's crest factor and peak dBFS.

This is a snapshot though, so you measure and calculate this info once.
It's not a good way of monitoring SPL over time.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

On the same vein: Does it exist a simple attachment/fitting that could allow one to use an UMik-1 for that purpose? I know miniDSP has the "EARS" headphone measuring product, but it is $300 ...

Peace.

 

[staticV3]

On the same vein: Does it exist a simple attachment/fitting that could allow one to use an UMik-1 for that purpose?

An often proposed solution is just a piece of cardboard with a hole in the middle, that you press against the ear cup with the mic stuck through the hole.

However, I'd expect that to underestimate the actual SPL, since there's no pinna to focus sound onto the membrane (=eardrum).

I think the multimeter method is a good middle ground between convenience, investment, and accuracy.

 

[Mulder]

I believe Apple's headphone SPL meter only works in conjunction with their own Earpods and Airpods, since Apple knows their exact sensitivity and output voltage at each volume step.

I am not sure, I will take a closer look later, but I think it shows different levels with different headphones - everything else the same. I have only used it with Apples own headphone dongle, so maybe it needs the Apple dongle to work.

 

[staticV3]

I am not sure, I will take a closer look later, but I think it shows different levels with different headphones - everything else the same. I have only used it with Apples own headphone dongle, so maybe it needs the Apple dongle to work.

Both the output voltage and headphone sensitivity must be known.

If you use a dongle not made by Apple, or a headphone not made by Apple, then it doesn't work anymore.

 

[somebodyelse]

For an OS that provides a suitable interface to the audio system it would be possible to have a plugin monitor the output level and volume setting of the output device. If supplied with the sensitivities it could then give you the calculated volume. This wouldn't be far from how some of the VU meter plugins work. Perhaps someone has done it already, but I haven't seen it.

Some noise cancelling headphones and IEMs have a mic on the ear side of the headphone, so may have a direct measurement of SPL that they could report.

 

[Roland68]

On my iPhone there is a feature that can be added (in control center in settings). This function indicates the decibel level at which you listen in headphones. I'm not sure how this one works, but in a recent video from OLLO-Audio I saw a similar feature that apparently existed for PC (or possibly MAC) Does anyone here know of this type of software? Where can this be found?

I am unsure if my question belongs in this particular forum. If not, maybe the admin can move it to itś proper place.

How should a device detect or measure the volume of headphones/IEM if these headphones are not in its database or communicate this information?
Of course, Apple assumes that you only use officially approved headphones that have a direct connection (Lightning, USB-C including integrated chip) or Bluetooth.

Just tried it again with the iPhone. No volume is recorded on headphones with a 3.5mm 3-pin jack.

A very, very rough estimate of the volume is possible if the impedance is measured. But many headphones/IEMs would deviate extremely from this, so this method would be absolutely pointless.
6 dB is a doubling of the volume, but most people only experience a doubled volume above 10 dB

 

[Dunring]

This is the decibel meter I use in Windows and works great with a stereo mic into the line in. I check headphones for channel balance this way instead of trusting my ears.

Audio Level Meter

A variety of peak-reading audio level meters including BBC PPM style including one with audio description for the visually impaired.

www.darkwooddesigns.co.uk