Analog or Digital SPL meter?

HookedOnSound

HookedOnSound

Full Audioholic
After reading several threads over the last couple of months, I would like to purchase an SPL meter and calibrate the sound in my living room and I am willing to buy one but I have 2 questions:

a) would you recommend analog or digital? I remember someone saying to get an analog model but I can't remember why.

b) where would you recommend buying one (preferrably under $100 please)

Thanks in advance.

Kim L.
 
G

guess88

Junior Audioholic
analog's easy to read with the needle, and they're cheaply available at your local radio shack. About $30
 
Rob Babcock

Rob Babcock

Moderator
The popular opinion is that the analog model is more accurate. I'm not sure if that's true or just audio urban legend. I actually have both, so I guess if I wasn't so lazy I could pop in a disc of test tones & compare them, but I'd have to run buy a 9 volt battery first.

The analog is a little more user friendly, and I'd recommend (having used both) that if you don't have one right now, you might as well buy the analog one. It also happens to be $30 cheaper if I'm remembering right.
 
M

MDS

Audioholic Spartan
There should be no difference in accuracy between the analog and digital meter but I haven't seen any proof either way.

Alot of people seem to agree that the analog meter is easier to read because you can eyeball the position of the needle and the scale is in .5 dB increments, whereas the digital meter only shows 1 dB increments.

I personally think the digital meter is easier to read becasue it's much easier for me to read a 2 inch high LED number than eyeball the position of a tiny little needle. The digital meter does have some features that the analog meter lacks, like being able to store and recall Min and Max readings and taking average readings over some time period. It's about $10 more than the analog meter.

In the end, its really just personal preference.
 
HookedOnSound

HookedOnSound

Full Audioholic
I am going to Radioshack soon to see if they have both versions first then make my decision.

Either way it sounds like both types (analog and digital) have served well so I if the price difference is negligeable I will probably go for the digital... i would like the feature to store values temporarily.

Thanks for your responses.

Kim L.
 
L

lynn2c

Audioholic Intern
I have the digital and it seems to work just fine. I did go to my local radioshack with the analog in mind, but they told me that it isn't offered anymore.....this was about 9 months ago
 
S

sjdgpt

Senior Audioholic
HookedOnSound said:
After reading several threads over the last couple of months, I would like to purchase an SPL meter and calibrate the sound in my living room and I am willing to buy one but I have 2 questions:

a) would you recommend analog or digital? I remember someone saying to get an analog model but I can't remember why.

b) where would you recommend buying one (preferrably under $100 please)

Thanks in advance.

Kim L.
There is NO difference in the sensitivity or accuracy of the units, as it is the sensor that determines the accuracy of units (and most entry level equipment uses a common sensor). The difference is in method the DISPLAY operates.

Personally, I like digital. BUT, digital meters often have a dampener in the display to reduce jitters in the display (ie 70... no 71.... no 70.... no 71 every 1/10 of a second), which may also be the reason the digital unit displays whole numbers.
 
RGCriss

RGCriss

Enthusiast
Hmmm. I just purchased the analog meter at my local radio shack for 19 bucks. so they are still available. the digital meter was 49 bucks.
 
nibhaz

nibhaz

Audioholic Chief
Go digital!

Forget trying to watch a needle bounce or the numbers constantly changing. When it comes to easy of use I personally have to go with the Digital. Just put the meter on a standard tripod at the listening position and set it to take a 30 sec sample. Start your test tone, start the meter, 30 seconds later you have a nice average (which is what you are try to guess by watching the needle or numbers bounce around) reading of the spl at the listening position. Of course this is just my to cents.
 
C

Chronos70

Audiophyte
:confused: I have a question that goes along with this thread. I followed the test here and while I was testing the higher range frequencies I noticed that while standing behind the SPL meter and when I moved alittle, the db reading on my meter jumped i.e. standing a certain way the reading was say 79, moving caused the reading to jump to 84. If I moved back to the orginal position the reading went back to 79. Question is; is this normal? The room I'm testing is in the basement it's 11' X 18' it's made up of a bare painted concrete wall on one 18' side, and back, and 1/8" thick wood paneling on the other side of the 18'. The ceiling is made up of fiberglass drop panel 2' x 4' tiles. I guess I have a lot of sound reflection off the walls with this setup huh? Would that be why my readings jump?

TIA
 
S

slopoke

Audioholic Intern
Chronos70 said:
I guess I have a lot of sound reflection off the walls with this setup huh? Would that be why my readings jump?

TIA
Yup, that's it :eek:

Here's another that no one ever talks about: When setting speaker levels for a 6.1/7.1 system just try finding a spot where you can see the meter at your listening position and aren't positioned between at least one of the speakers and the meter. Causes the same issue you talked about.
 
nibhaz

nibhaz

Audioholic Chief
slopoke said:
Yup, that's it :eek:

Here's another that no one ever talks about: When setting speaker levels for a 6.1/7.1 system just try finding a spot where you can see the meter at your listening position and aren't positioned between at least one of the speakers and the meter. Causes the same issue you talked about.
That's why I say go digital!

It allows you to put the meter on a tripod in the listening position, set it to take an avg. sample over a given time frame and walk away. You will only be causing a slight interruption in the signal path as you leave the room. Of course the longer the sample the more accurate the avg reading will be.
 
E

edjamesx

Audiophyte
Is SP meter compulsary ?

Hi all , I am new to this forum. And I have ONKYO a/v receiver , I have 5.1 Home theater system . And I manually did installations and setup myself as per instructions in the user manual. But I couldn't hear the sound clearly , even dialogs , and from my surround speakers (even it's set to 12db). I never hear sound from Sub-woofer (it's too low).

I tried setting up different SP distance settings myself measuring distance from my listening position using the tape. It didnt help .

Is the SP meter compulsary or ..Can i measure the distance in some other way without meter ? .
I thought of calling professional to resolve my issue.
Or would it be buying SP meter itself solve my issue?
 
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M

MDS

Audioholic Spartan
An SPL meter is used to balance the levels of each channel so they all play about the same level. You can do it by ear but it won't be very accurate.
 
AVRat

AVRat

Audioholic Ninja
I suggest you start a new thread so that we can help with your specific situation.
 
patnshan

patnshan

Senior Audioholic
I have the digital. It does jump from 74 to 75 to 74 as one poster said. How I remedy that is to turn up the db a bit until it stops jumping. Usually it will be one more click up, at least for me.
As for getting "out of it's way" I put the tripod on my couch, face the meters screen towards the back of it, then squat down behind the couch to where I am out the way and can still see the meter.

Pat
 

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