Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions SPL METER

Hey guys, i was wondering if anyone could recommend me a good SPL meter for a decent price. I hear the Radioshack one is quite good.

Radio Shack is fine.

Here you go ... Radio Shack SPL Meter

I'm wondering if Radio Shack still sells the analog meter? All I'm finding is the digital meter and that's all my local Radio Shack had to offer whenever I purchased mine.

All the RS stores in my area still carry the Analog verson. I think at one point they made some changes to it, but it is still available so far.

Now as a special bonus question, which SPL meters are available for us Canadians? The death of Radio Shack Canada was a sad day.

Actually, someone should set up a SPL-Meter-For-Hire service at $5 a day, since it'll lkely sit in my audio component drawer for years once I get my HT calibrated.

John

I think you can order one thru SVS........

Hey everyone, look! It's Lyle the Crocodile.

WhatFurrer

Can you order online at radioshack.com?

If you want the digital model you can order on line at radio shack.

Looks to be still available online at RS Dot Com

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103668&cp=&kw=analog+meter&parentPage=search

Did RS Canada actually die or did it just get a new name because of a pi**ing contest between InterTan and Circuit City ?

Interesting question though... I figured they would still be selling the same products but maybe that's not the case. If so, I guess I'll be going back to my very early days (age 8-ish)when my parents used to do trips down to NY and NJ to buy electronic parts from Lafayette and Radio Shack 'cause you couldn't get things like that in Canada !!

Wow, I was all ready to post a new message about me getting screwed over about RS not beeing there, but everyone beat me to it. I went everywhere yesterday at the eatons center, SONY,CICUIT CITY,COMPU SOURCE, some other audio stores. So far iam screwed. I was told Rs is now the source circuit city, and they carry the same products but when i asked about the meter they said SAWG meter we dont carry those, and i reapeated sound pressure meter, but they still informed me they dont carry sawg meters(whatever the hell that is). Anyone in the GTA CAN YOU HELP ME?

It seems that RS search is rather dumb, if you search for SPL meter, it returns the digital version. If you search analog meter, it returns the analog one.

The store in my area only knew it as a db meter. All they carry is the digital. I am still looking for the analog but I am thinking the digital might be best for me because it might be easier for me to read(limited vision).

I don't know how much the stock has changed when RS Canada transitioned to CC, but I was informed by a guy at one of the local stores that they don't carry the SPL meter anymore. He did know what I was talking about, maybe he has been there for a long time. Anyhow, the good news is that he told me they were planning on getting them back into their inventory fairly soon. Not sure what "fairly soon" means, but with luck it means it will arrive before my VP100 factory second...

I was considering ordering from RS.com, but the customs folks here *always* charge me duties on anything valued over $20CDN. This makes the pricing a lot less attractive, particularly when shipping is factored in as well.

Like bridgman, I could always just wait til I go to the States and pick one up from a retail store there I suppose.

Incidentally, does SVS ship their items from Canada? I noticed on their site that they have vendors in Toronto. This would save the tariffs at any rate. I'll call them to ask if nobody here knows the answer directly.

Is the analog one better then the digital? It seems everyone favours the analog, is this cause everyone likes it old school or iam i mistaken and it is worth purchasing an analog spl meter?

I've never tried the digital version, but I think it has been mentioned that the analog unit is easier to read for making level adjustments due to it's meter needle; you can watch it sweep in slow response mode, rather than trying to follow a digital readout where you see numbers running up and down.
Plus, it's cheaper!

I prefer the digital, for me it is easier to read and seems to allow me to get all speakers right to the same level easily.

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I prefer the digital

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ME TOO! I used the analog version for more than 20 years before getting the digital model, and though either model will do the job just fine, I much prefer the digital model. Just went to the Radio Shack web site, and couldn't find the analog model. HMMM?

Yeah, Jack, but the analog is "warmer".

>>Incidentally, does SVS ship their items from Canada? I noticed on their site that they have vendors in Toronto. This would save the tariffs at any rate. I'll call them to ask if nobody here knows the answer directly.

As far as I know they ship direct from the US. Didn't know they had any vendors in Toronto; this must be recent.

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Yeah, Jack, but the analog is "warmer".

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You're a baaaaaaaaad boy.

It's a personal preference I guess.

So, are you an "Analog Kid" or "Digital Man"? ;-)

Hi all,

It's whatever you get used to. I grew up with a preference for analog meters, so I used to recommend the analog version of the RS meter. But we have an expensive digital SPL meter in the listening room at the Axiom plant and I found I got used to it pretty quickly.

If you measure SPLs in concert halls during live performances or in movie theaters, as I do on occasion, I think the analog version is easier to read in dim lighting. I wish it had a backlight button.

Regards,

I'm a 21st Century Digital Boy.
I don't know how to live, but I've got a lot of toys.

Did anyone ever tell you how bad religion is, Ken?

Today's tidbit of useless information ...

During Wilma I stepped out and onto the covered front entry way to our house with my trusty Radio Shack digital version SPL meter and got a peak reading of 92 db's. That was primarily the wind and rain blowing through the trees, I thought that was wild.

Now back to the regularly scheduled program.

Maybe it all depends on whether you use or prefer an analog watch (you know, with the hour and minute hands) or a digital watch. I like the analog time piece.

Regards,

Good point Alan. I have used both at home for calibrating and either works well for leveling the channels. But when I did frequency sweeps (manually) and had to read and record the values, I found the digital was much easier for that.

Alan, I'm the exception to the rule. I prefer the digital SPL, but here is my watch.

Nice watch Jack, here's mine....



...the very same 'watch' I'd love to throw in the canal more often than not!

Here's my watch, more often than not.

Tough to read when you're in the car.

jack, no harder than your calendar!

ouch.

Gee, Jack, do you actually wind that one up? Or does it have a battery? Maybe it's one of the self-winding ones? I have a windup model with a see-through face, so you can watch the little escapement (when you're bored) and count the jewels. I don't wear it very often. You have to wind it every day.

Alan

I remember that my first watch had to be wound. A lovely Kermit the Frog model with a green strap. Eventually broke off the stem...

Anyway, I currently use an analog pocket watch.

No Alan, that one is neither manually wound, nor self-winding (though I do have a self-winding Seiko that I bought in Viet Nam in 1970). It has a battery. Very accurate. It's a modern version of a the Hamilton Boulton which was made back in the 30s and 40s.

This one, however, must be wound.



It's my father's, circa 1955, Hamilton Stafford, which though not as accurate as my battery powered Boulton, runs beautifully, and keeps pretty good time for an old watch. It gives me great pleasure to wear it. Every 3 or 4 years I send it to a fellow in California who lovingly services it. The band is the one that was on the watch when Dad died in 1969. Speidel still makes that model band, and I can get extra links for it when I need them. I wish I had the original band, though.

And I was expecting to see a hand crank on it......

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Every 3 or 4 years I send it to a fellow in California who lovingly services it.

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I'm lovingly serviced in California occasionally, myself.

LOL! Didn't even see that one coming! Peter, I never tire of your sense of humour.

Ok, I don't have a meter or the Avia disc, but I've always wondered - do you face the meter to EACH speaker for measurement, or leave it facing forward for the entire test?

i thought you were supposed to hold vertically, in the space your head would occupy when your behind is in the preferred listening position. but then again i might be all sorts of confused!

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Ok, I don't have a meter or the Avia disc, but I've always wondered - do you face the meter to EACH speaker for measurement, or leave it facing forward for the entire test?

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Shawn, here is yet another Audioholics Article describing speaker and SPL meter placement during setup and calibration. Step 7 is the SPL meter placement.

Has anybody ever noticed that while searching around the internet for advice on system setup, calibration and description Axiom's own Mr. Alan Lofft and the Audioholics folks seem to pop up quite frequently? Neato!

Hi,

At about a 45-degree angle towards the ceiling out in front and sort of even with your head. Some people put it on a tripod (it has a tripod socket) but I can't be bothered. Too anal.

Regards,

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Too anal

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Why, I'm offended!




Well, no. Not really.

I do use a tripod when taking measurements though, because I've found that in my particular room, I can get some pretty wide swings of readings by simply moving the meter 6". Keep in mind, this is using a metering position that's essentially centered midway along the wall opposite the speakers in a square room.

Not to mention that you probably (like myself) have three or four laying around. Tripods that is.

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I can get some pretty wide swings of readings by simply moving the meter 6".

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With an avatar like that, I can see why you'd have a hard time keeping the meter still. Maybe cut back on some of that hard stuff eh? hehe

Richey, if you want to compare avatars, then..... oh wait. Never mind. You win!

Actually, my meter is left attached to a real cheap tripod that I got free for some reason. Literally, probably a $10 tripod that I have no other use for whatsoever. It weighs about 8 ounces! I figure it's easier than hauling my oak camera stand upstairs from the studio!

Nice looking Tripod, Mark. Now that's something you don't take on a backwoods hike! I use my bogen 3021 tripod to attach my spl meter onto. Works great.

Is that camera a Mamiya by chance? Or a 35mm? Can't tell cause pic is small.

I thought I saw a duckie and a horsie.

A what now? An oak camera stand? How do you get people to look at the camera with a sensuous hunk of wood like that in the room?

Wow... now THAT is a serious tripod... or bipod... or monopod... or whatever the heck it is. Very nice anyways.

Studio Stand.

Yes, a Mamiya RZ..... long gone...old photo! I had it made by a guy in Florida to clear the doorway in the middle of the studio by a half inch (the studio is is actually comprised of two rooms separated by French-Doors). I used to joke with clients and tell them that I lopped off the top of the camera stand by running it at full-clip under the door frame. Amazingly, some seemed to believe me!

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