The SPL helped me a lot. My ear were definitely off.
Another cheap method since your a computer enthusiast like me is get a laptop or a desktop with a mic into the same room as your listening area. Download any shareware music editor with music level meter (lots of tucows.com such as Cooledit2000) and play your pink noise and watch the level of the digital sound meter. That "could" possibly give you the same results as the SPL.

http://www.quadloft.com/hometheater- new HT