SPL Meter VS IPhone SPL Meter, The Decibel Meter Challenge!

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Paul Smith

[roberthuntley]

One added bonus of some apps (I use Decibel X) is that you can get one of the graphs to show volume against audio frequency. Using this a white noise test signal should show the same volume at all frequencies, so you can tweak the equaliser settings to get as close to this as your setup permits.

[jamestaylor]

Actually C-Weighting is for measuring peaks especially for situations where transmission of lower frequencies is an issue due to it's relativwly flat curve response, A-Weighting is the most accurate weighting for the human ear curve as it cuts the lower and higher frequencies that our ears can't hear and matches the response curve of the human ear the most accuratley out of the weightings. The C weighting will give the most accurate response of the frequencies being generated especially with lower frequencies that could cause physcial issues with the pressure of the waves or resonance and phasing issues that would arrise with extreme bass frequencies wheras the A weighting with its dramtically redecued bass response curve matches what we hear as humans with our ears, so in essence what we interpret the level of sound as. A for human perception, C for peaks.

[tt]

2 reasons I can think of for the SPL meter are

1. iPhone mics may degrade overtime and accuracy may change. Hard to be confident on results without comparing to the SPL meter overtime.

2. The SPL meter is dedicated so you can leave in place to check levels in a studio setting.

[oyajixiami]

Thank you, this video can help people save unnecessary expense.For those who doens't use SPL meter for professional purpose(This is my situaiton.I'm considering to choose a SPL meter recently and have done some research, so far as I know, professional meter are centification required and cost a lot of money way beyond I have imagined), mobile app is adequate.I went to a park this moring, there is an outdoor dashborad which display noise level around, I took out my mobile phone and check the SPL meter app, the figure they show is almost the same.The only thing you should do is to find a good enough free app(support manual calibration is better, if you're going to a buy a professional SPL meter sooner or later).

[lenimbery]

I win....my Radio Shack meter is older.(analog VU meter)...at least 40 years and still works fine because I take care of it and always remove the battery while storing

[riddempestcontrol]

Thank you!!! I was hoping someone had done this.

[MasterArmedforces]

Is it accurate at all to just buy a calibrated sound monitor and measure my speakers db in my home? Ive seen a few of them on Amazon in the $30 to $80 range. I have a set of JBL L50's which had a replacement woofer put in by a previous owner, and Id just like to know if its higher or lower than the original woofer specs from the factory in 1979. Thanks.

[infrenis]

Nice video! I have one question: Is it possible to hear or visualize the sounds that animals hear? For example, I know dogs can hear a whistle that humans cannot. What can I use to see the sound of this whistle?

[PercentOS]

I'm so happy I found your video. I have a much better understanding about my decibel meter when reading it. I have a Radio Shack meter just like yours. 👍👍

[tlb]

If an actual metering device engineered and manufactured for the sole purpose of measuring spl level requires frequent calibration to be accurate, why would anyone in the field of live sound production stake his or her reputation on a free app that has no calibration method and utilizes the microscopic cell phone mic to sample the sound?

[Buxtonphil]

why wouldn't you use pink or white noise to see accuracy?

[israelc]

I like the iPhone SPL meter but I want to measure the SPL on videos played in my iPhone.

[wadebradley]

A SPL. Meter is totally different from a db meter. You can have high SPL and low db meter. So how do you calibrate the apps.

[khanscombe]

Trying to compare loudness levels between kitchen appliances inside big tiled kitchen vs loud TV in larger but ?dampened sitting room. Do electric motor sounds of same dB feel louder then TV bass & dialog?

[NersesAstvatsatryan]

Is C weighting selected on both devices?

[iyonagranturismogtgtspo]

The free version uses Z-Weighting ....how does that affect the reading?

[georgep]

Should I watch the average while measuring for home theater?

[Nobody-Here-ToSee]

The iPhone jumps around a lot doesn’t mean it’s bad… you played a song, which sounded in wider range. The iPhone is more sensitive and responded faster. That’s a good thing ! In fact the SPL meter is 10-20 years old technology… nobody should be surprised. In fact, Radio shack is mostly out of business…

[cbgaming]

The app is still going strong up to date 🔥😇

[gereral_jackofalltrades]

I use radio shack for theater speaker levels with test tones