We put 2 Android decibel apps to the test. Which one did best?

We're on a search for the ideal Android decibel meter. And since many of you use an Android, you're probably looking for a reliable decibel meter, too. Today we look at the features of three Android noise meter apps for accuracy, features, and affordability. Then we tested the two most-affordable ones with some noise recordings. At the time of this video, we hadn't found the perfect app yet, but we'll show you what we found.

[lFRNCIS]

I don't think your test is good if you don't put the microphone of the 3 devices in the same place

[anderslykkebo-valle]

I agree with @IFR4NCIS.

The decision to put the tablet in two different positions for the two app tests seems to hinder any comparison between the actual readouts from the apps.

Also, the positioning, and potentially the angle, of the microphone is definitely different between devices, making comparison between these hard to interpret as well, as we cannot assume that they're even measuring the same signal (same argument for the between app comparison).

Finally, the fact that, as noted by the creator, the microphone itself might be of a bad quality in the android device, which further makes interpretations difficult.

The video, as is, is still kind of good for introducing the differences in interface and functionality, but the overall intention, at least for me when clicking the video, was to get a better idea of the actual measurement capabilities. I don't think I learned much about this, unfortunately.

It would be cool to see a more controlled experiment using at least three different devices of each type, at least for the phones. My wish would be a test including three generations of iphones vs three different popular flagship android devices, then comparing these to at least one, but preferably three, quality DB-meter(s), while controlling for the mentioned variables.

Maybe, adding an explanation for the technical details of types of microphones included in each device would be cool to include, in terms of setting the scene for the expected differences between each device.

I do understand, though, that improving testing quickly adds time and resources to making a video. Still, a few improvements in controlling positions and angles between tests, and in including more devices (maybe borrowing a few phones over coffee for a low cost approach) would go a long way.

[RooskiRooski]

Did you find one that let's you choose between A and C?

[Anshuman_M]

Yo ! An Android Developer here. We're working on a similar app, would you like to review it?

[a-]

Decibel x you can exit out of the try for free and it will let you use it

[ladyhawke]

So you only tested 2 apps. Please change your title!