B

bruin62

Full Audioholic
I was thinking of buying a SPL meter on Amazon but everyone I looked at seem to have a lot of bad reviews? Can anyone recommend a good inexpensive one I can pickup?
 
T

TankTop5

Audioholic Field Marshall
I was thinking of buying a SPL meter on Amazon but everyone I looked at seem to have a lot of bad reviews? Can anyone recommend a good inexpensive one I can pickup?
What is your definition of inexpensive, that means different things to different people
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Cheapest would be an spl meter app on your phone. Another thought is to get a usb measurement mic and use REW's spl meter function.
 
William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
Ime many “bad” reviews are from people who don’t know what they are doing. The apps are ok, but every phone mic has a different roll off so I don’t trust them totally. Many are free though...
Umik/rew is the best, but more expensive. The ol trusty radio shack meter is ok. Not sure about newer ones, as I use rew or my RS meter, but I’m sure for the twenty or thirty bucks, it will do what you need.
 
Speedskater

Speedskater

Audioholic General
Note that there are differences between 'SPL' meters and 'cal mics'.
The old Radio Shack analog 'SPL' meters were accurate.
 
William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
Note that there are differences between 'SPL' meters and 'cal mics'.
The old Radio Shack analog 'SPL' meters were accurate.
Mine is a digital version but in the old days, there were links on HTS to calculate the sensitivity roll off the RS meter. They were accurate, but below a certain point(bass esp) they were a little off. Nice that someone took the time!
 
T

TechToys2

Audioholic
Note that there are differences between 'SPL' meters and 'cal mics'.
The old Radio Shack analog 'SPL' meters were accurate.
Nice to know! Showing my age, but I have and use one of those old Radio Shack analog meters.
 
William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
How do you find the bass off? I've noted inconsistency between my SPL measurement and Audyssey.
I can’t remember where it starts rolling off. But basically let’s say from 30hz on down, you have to add 5db for every 6hz. So at 24hz the meter would show 70db instead of 75. These are arbitrary numbers as I just don’t remember anymore but that’s the idea. If you google a little, or search on home theater shack something should pop up. Maybe I can find a link before I run out the door.
 
T

TechToys2

Audioholic
I can’t remember where it starts rolling off. But basically let’s say from 30hz on down, you have to add 5db for every 6hz. So at 24hz the meter would show 70db instead of 75. These are arbitrary numbers as I just don’t remember anymore but that’s the idea. If you google a little, or search on home theater shack something should pop up. Maybe I can find a link before I run out the door.
That's helpful to know, because I mentioned in another thread that after running Audyssey I checked the levels with an SPL meter and they all seemed right except the sub, which read several db lower than the 75db.
 
William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
That's helpful to know, because I mentioned in another thread that after running Audyssey I checked the levels with an SPL meter and they all seemed right except the sub, which read several db lower than the 75db.
I didn’t see that. We’re you using the RS meter?
 
William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
FWIW quick search for radio shack spl meter correction table found this. And about 4000 others lol.

Should be something on there. Good start anyway.
 
V

VMPS-TIII

Audioholic General
There are SPL meters rated for lower frequency use. That design tends to be more expensive than the RISEPRO which offers a frequency range from 31.5 to 4Khz.
 
Speedskater

Speedskater

Audioholic General
Again:
SPL meters are designed to measure Sound Pressure Level (loudness).
'cal meters' are designed to measure frequency response.
these tasks are not always interchangeable.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Again:
SPL meters are designed to measure Sound Pressure Level (loudness).
'cal meters' are designed to measure frequency response.
these tasks are not always interchangeable.
It depends on the software whether a measurement mic can be used for reading spl. Or are you saying the mic in the meter is more capable of spl tasking somehow, is it a more durable capsule mic or something?
 
Speedskater

Speedskater

Audioholic General
'SPL' meters typically have large diameter mic elements. They also have 'A' & 'C' weighting and Slow/Fast response settings. And are stand alone calibrated measurement meters.
Cal mics typically have small diameter mic elements. The amplification and frequency response correction is done farther down the line.
I have not used cell-phone mics. But I see problems with polar patterns, with ability to exactly reposition the mic and to operate without people in the room.
 

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