Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions SPL Question

I am trying to find out how many db my iPod is putting out through my non-ear bud type of headphones. Will placing the headphones against a radio shack SPL meter give me an accurate reading?

I want to make sure I am not listening too loud when at the gym and some people claim these types of devices can hit 120db. I find that hard to believe but now I want to know for sure.

Greg

That's pretty much what I did to check my heaphone levels. I don't know if that is the right way or not but it did give me an idea of the levels at which I am listening..................I think.

Well FWIW, I did some testing with my HT speaker setup and my iPod with non-ear bud type of head phones.

While listening to what I would call fairly loud rock and roll music, my Radio Shack Analog SPL meter hovered right around 90 db with ocassional peaks to 95. This was as loud as I am comfortable listening to music. I guess I am not really into music as loud as I thought I was. Probably a good thing.

So then I grab my iPod and play a song back at what I think is typical gym level. Pressing the meter right up against the headphone pegs the meter at around 100 db. This is on average about 10db higher than my HT setup. The problem is, if I move the meter 1/4" from the head phone it drops by about 10db. I like to think the latter reading is more accurate, one for my ears sake, and second because when the headphones rest against my ears some sound escapes. This opposed to me holding the SPL meter firmly against the earphone giving the 100db reading.

Anyway, I am pleasantly surprised to learn that for the last 20 years, I haven't been listening to as loud of music as I thought I had been and likely haven't damaged my hearing much at all. That concludes this episode. I found charts that say 90db's of listening should be limited to no more than a few hour a day. I am well below that.

http://www.abelard.org/hear/hear.htm

Greg

This may be a dumb question, but why is an analog SPL meter better than a digital one? Also, why does everyone seem to prefer the Radio Shack brand, shouldn't they all give the same results? (Must be price, I guess).

Thanks.

In reply to:

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This may be a dumb question, but why is an analog SPL meter better than a digital one? Also, why does everyone seem to prefer the Radio Shack brand, shouldn't they all give the same results? (Must be price, I guess).

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I find an analog needle easier to read, same reason I bought a digital benchtop multimeter and then traded it to my dad for his analog one.

The RadShack meters are best bang for the buck... $70CDN or so versus $250 for a pro model. I've used both in a professional capacity, there's really not a whole lot of difference between the two.

Bren R.