SPL Meters

A Sound Pressure Level meter is a small handheld device you can buy at Radio Shack for around $20. This device will take the guesswork out of the volume of each speaker in your system.

The analog SPL meter, the choice of audiophiles.

(what's this?)

Advertiser Links for SPL Meters

Spl Meter at Amazon.com Save on Spl Meter! Free 2-Day Shipping w/Amazon Prime.Amazon.com

Digital Sound Level Meter Easy to use meter measures sound levels in industrial environments.www.exair.com

Sound Pressure Level Meter Quickly Find Sound Level Meter Providers For Your Business.www.Business.com

It's critical to get the volume from each channel right from the prime listening spot and the human ear isn't always capable of deciding if two sounds are at the same volume especially when different speakers have their own timbre. There are some simple rules to help when you're using the SPL meter to calibrate your system.

Check Battery. It might have been months since the last test, use the meter's own batter check to ensure it tests "good" before you proceed.
Switch to 70db range. You don't have to listen to movies that loud, but 73 - 75db is widely considered optimal for home theater. The 70db setting will give the needle a 60 to 76db range.
Response. Set response to fast to read changes in sound pressure.
Weight. Set weight to C for full range sounds such as music and some test tones.
Holding Meter. Hold the meter at about head level in your Home Theater area's sweet spot keeping the microphone pointed diagonally upward and toward the source of the sound.
Frequency response. When weighting is set to C, frequency response of the meter is flat from 32 to 10kHz, above 10kHz response of the meter drops off. Add this consideration when measuring high frequency volumes.
Subwoofer. The sub's measurements should be conducted with a pink noise in its range 30 - 80 Hz. The sub should produce 3db less volume than the other speakers in your system.