SPL meter

[mouettus]

Radio shack has been bough by The Source by CC here. They don't cary SPL meters anymore. Tried everywhere I could think of and nobody carries that. So I decided to use my friend eBay. Found this and wanted to know what you guys think. Digital reading is pretty neat instead of a needle. Are these gadgets all the same anyway?

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Boom-Stick-SPL1000-Digital-SPL-Stereo-Sound-Level-Meter_W0QQitemZ260214250906QQihZ016QQcategoryZ14932QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Cozmo]

Radio shack has been bough by The Source by CC here. They don't cary SPL meters anymore. Tried everywhere I could think of and nobody carries that. So I decided to use my friend eBay. Found this and wanted to know what you guys think. Digital reading is pretty neat instead of a needle. Are these gadgets all the same anyway?

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Boom-Stick-SPL1000-Digital-SPL-Stereo-Sound-Level-Meter_W0QQitemZ260214250906QQihZ016QQcategoryZ14932QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Try this link for a similar analog meter to the older RS one....

http://www.aperionaudio.com/product/Aperion-Sound-Level-Meter,43,48,146.aspx

 

[mouettus]

Can someone point me out shere I can get this exact product in Canada? Shipped or in a store.

I don't like the analog ones... not precise enough. Harder to read too.

Edit: but now I see that this one is off by +/- 2dB. Kinda big. Could you recommend a precise one? I'll only use it to calibrate the system and checking some movie/music passes.

 

[Guiria]

I have and use the exact same model digital RS SPL meter and I am perfectly happy with it. If the variance in accuracy is +/- 2 db's that hasn't been enough to make me think that it doesn't work. Besides, I've never calibrated a system that didn't sound a lot better after calibrating than before.

The paper specs may say one thing but think about the use the meter will get in the real world. Does the +/- 2db's variance really matter? How will you gauge whether or not the device is measuring at -2 db's or + 2 db's? What you don't know won't hurt, atleast in this regard.

Doesn't it take 3 db's for the human ear to detect a change in SPL anyways?

For the price I'd say go for it.

FYI...it caps out at 126 db's (bro-in-law car stereo with TONS of distortion)

 

[MDS]

Edit: but now I see that this one is off by +/- 2dB. Kinda big. Could you recommend a precise one?

The RS meters are off 2-3 dB at certain low frequencies but are otherwise fairly liner. If you'd like to spend hundreds of dollars you could get a professional SPL meter that is more accurate...but it doesn't matter for calibrating your channel levels.

The test tones for calibration are wide band pink noise and all you need to care about is that each channel is the same.

 

[Adam]

Found the RS digital one in Canada on a classifieds page. Perhaps you could have it shipped, if that's the model that you really want.

 

[MDS]

Is it possible for those that live in Canada to just order from the US Radio Shack site? I bought my digital meter a few years ago and they had it in stock but no longer stock the analog version, so it should be a simple matter of ordering it straight from the Radio Shack website.

I prefer the digital meter and we've had the digital vs analog meter discussion many times so I won't rehash it here but if you really want the analog meter, SVS sells it (although I'm not sure if you can buy that alone or if you can only buy it in combination with a sub purchase).

 

[mike c]

it's actually easier to balance channels with the analog meter ... put it on slow ... make sure the needle hits the same point on all the channels.

 

[mouettus]

Thanks for the link on Kijiji. I've mailed the guy for shipping fees. I'm probably gonna order that one if some of you guys use it.

Digital seems way easyer to read than analog. How can you tell if the needle hits 92 or 93dB....

Good thing I found that. I didn't know what to buy for my birthday. I've revamped my 3 sound systems and I don't have any other equipment to buy for now.

 

[croseiv]

I have both. I like the digital meter MUCH better.