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Post by Darksky on Sept 11, 2011 13:15:43 GMT -5
I need to purchase an SPL meter
In my quest to ascertain why I am killing tweeters and to better understand the dynamics of my room. I need to buy one. Where can I find a reasonably priced "good" spl meter?
I see that Radio Shack makes one, but I don't have any idea about it's quality.
Which one do you have? Why do you like it? Where did you get it? How much did it cost?
As always thank you for your opinion, Bradley
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geebo
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Post by geebo on Sept 11, 2011 13:30:15 GMT -5
I have both the Radio Shack and the Galaxy CM-140. I much prefer the Galaxy. It also has a more extended high frequency response. You can get a custom calibrated unit with its very own .cal file if you wish to use it with a program such as REW. www.cross-spectrum.com/measurement/calibrated_cm140.html
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Post by Darksky on Sept 11, 2011 17:25:54 GMT -5
Anyone else?
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Post by Darksky on Sept 11, 2011 17:30:27 GMT -5
A buddy of mine just suggested a smartphone app. Anyone tried this? I would imagine they are more toys than tools, but I don't know.
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Post by RichGuy on Sept 11, 2011 18:14:58 GMT -5
I have the Radio Shack analog SPL meter, it works well, is pretty well made and does a very nice job making my settings The Radio Shack analog SPL meter is very popular and seems to be widely used from what I have seen. However Radio Shack has discontinued their analog SPL and will only be offering a digital version which is not supposed to be quite as good. I have seen a recent thread that many Radio Shacks have a few of the analog meters and are selling them at a closeout price of around $14.99. If you go to a local Radio Shack you might be able to get this deal and I have seen that many people are getting this deal if their local store has any left. The analog meters are no longer available online. Also there is a guy on the Klipsch forum who has a couple he picked up he's selling. I am not sure if these are analog or digital or how much he wants but here is a link to his ad. forums.klipsch.com/forums/t/153092.aspx
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Post by Darksky on Sept 11, 2011 18:49:39 GMT -5
Right on. I just called the local rat shack and they put one up for me. For 15 bucks, you can't go wrong. The digital ones are probably cooler as you can most likely set it to record the highest level achieved and such, but for just a couple of uses at the house, I think the cheaper one will be fine. Thank you Rich Guy.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2011 19:16:56 GMT -5
Right on. I just called the local rat shack and they put one up for me. For 15 bucks, you can't go wrong. The digital ones are probably cooler as you can most likely set it to record the highest level achieved and such, but for just a couple of uses at the house, I think the cheaper one will be fine. Thank you Rich Guy. You picked up a classic at a steel of a price. I have had the RS analog models for many years and many folks prefer it to the digital as more precise for reading down to 0.5dB's or slightly less. Old farts like me find VU type meters/needles much easier and faster to read than a digital readout. If you use it for any frequency response tests be sure to use the correction tables. forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?htech&983682086www.globalrph.com/multimedia.htm
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Post by RichGuy on Sept 11, 2011 19:24:04 GMT -5
Right on. I just called the local rat shack and they put one up for me. For 15 bucks, you can't go wrong. The digital ones are probably cooler as you can most likely set it to record the highest level achieved and such, but for just a couple of uses at the house, I think the cheaper one will be fine. Thank you Rich Guy. Glad you got the deal, like I said the analog ones are the better of the two. I think the analog are more accurate and easier to see changes as they happen compared to the digital reading which is probably also slower just to be readable. The analog meters were the same price as the digital meters, they just are discontinued now so Radio Shack is blowing out the ones still in stock for a great deal.
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NorthStar
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Post by NorthStar on Sept 11, 2011 19:27:05 GMT -5
Good show Chuckie (the Correction Table, or Compensation Chart for the Rat Shack SPL analog meter).
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selkec
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SCREW YOU GUYS, IM GOING HOME!!!
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Post by selkec on Sept 11, 2011 19:58:00 GMT -5
Right on. I just called the local rat shack and they put one up for me. For 15 bucks, you can't go wrong. The digital ones are probably cooler as you can most likely set it to record the highest level achieved and such, but for just a couple of uses at the house, I think the cheaper one will be fine. Thank you Rich Guy. You picked up a classic at a steel of a price. I have had the RS analog models for many years and many folks prefer it to the digital as more precise for reading down to 0.5dB's or slightly less. Old farts like me find VU type meters/needles much easier and faster to read than a digital readout. If you use it for any frequency response tests be sure to use the correction tables. forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?htech&983682086www.globalrph.com/multimedia.htmJust curious how you old farts can read an analog meter faster than a digital? that makes no sense. or do you mean the analog meter reads faster? Maybe Im misreading it. Could you please explain in analog to me Just messing with ya
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klinemj
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Post by klinemj on Sept 11, 2011 20:10:49 GMT -5
On the smartphone apps, those appear to be more toys than devices. I used the one in mine and friend used the one in his, and we each got unreal readings. For example, his read that a local high school band was hitting 117 dB at a large distance from the source. "I don't think so..." Mine gave similarly false readings. The mic's in cell phones are only spec'd for a narrow range of dB and freq's, and I think that outside those limits they appear to give really whacky readings.
On any meter...any given meter can give readings way off, esp. at the frequency extremes. I have a Behringer I use w/my REW. I use the standard calibration curve for it, but if you look into variation (mic-to-mic) at the extremes - it can be HUGE. So, if you are looking to diagnose why tweeters blow via a dB meter, my vote is that you really need a calibrated mic - for which you know the calibration curve of "the mic" that is actually in your hand.
And, as far as your question, I'd look to getting REW set up and taking some readings via it (using a calibrated mic). You can get a Behringer ECM8000 mic for not too much AND you can get a calibration curve specific to your actual mic (if you send it in and wait for it to return w/the dataset w/it) for also not too much. With that, you can be pretty sure that what data you are looking at is as "good as you will get at home" for a reasonable price.
That reminds me...I need to re-do my REW readings and see how things are after my latest room adjustments!
Mark
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Post by Darksky on Sept 11, 2011 20:39:47 GMT -5
Thanks Chuckie. No matter how much I resist, you make me smarter...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2011 22:05:29 GMT -5
Thanks Chuckie. No matter how much I resist, you make me smarter... If you keep reading my posts you'll end up being a smart ass! ;D (or a nut)
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NorthStar
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Post by NorthStar on Sept 11, 2011 23:23:19 GMT -5
Don't trust him; everything he knows he learned from his Japanese wife.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2011 0:17:54 GMT -5
はい。
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NorthStar
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Post by NorthStar on Sept 12, 2011 1:29:05 GMT -5
Probably means: "Buzz off!" ;D
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2011 3:25:04 GMT -5
No, it is hai, which means yes.
This is buzz off -------- 消えうせる
Here is dimwit Frenchman --------- 薄馬鹿フランス人
;D ;D ;D
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Post by dcg44s on Sept 12, 2011 22:41:46 GMT -5
Dang,I'm going to have to bust off to the local Radio Shack tomorrow to see if I can score a $15 analog SPL meter for myself. Since they are discontinuing the analog meters at Radio Shack here is another source for a very similar meter in case anyone is interested and misses out of the el cheapo Rat Shack deal. www.aperionaudio.com/product/Aperion-Audio-Sound-Level-Meter,43,40,146.aspx
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2011 0:44:45 GMT -5
Hey, who you callin an old fart, you young whippersnapper!
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Post by dcg44s on Sept 13, 2011 14:28:32 GMT -5
I found one at my local Radio Shack store today for $14.97 so thanks to RichGuy for the tip.
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