Is there a usable portable SPL meter on amazon that I can buy that's decently priced? I'm looking at this one.
I would get a SPL meter so you can video that with your phone. that way you'll have an actual measurement of the volume to show the landlord or the judge. Never used this one myself, so not a recomendation, just an example. https://smile.amazon.com/BAFX-Products-Pressure-30-130dBA-Warranty/dp/B00ECCZWWI
You could get a cheap decibel meter (for example, https://www.amazon.com/BAFX-Products-Pressure-30-130dBA-Warranty/dp/B00ECCZWWI/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2M11KK75ZZF9Z&dchild=1&keywords=decibel+meter&qid=1623039479&sprefix=Deci%2Caps%2C278&sr=8-3) ... maybe record the meter standing just outside the closed garage door, then walk slowly away (timed to the grunts?) still recording?
Not ideal, but if he thinks you’re exaggerating the sounds, video of the sounds plus the meter capturing the sounds would at least show that you’re not.
I had cRaZy LOUD neighbors recently. Apartment management didn’t seem to believe us (or every other resident in our very long hallway), so my husband bought a meter similar to the one I linked. We turned the thing on when they’d start up, note the date/times and meter readings. Took 3 months of absolute insanity, but they were forced to move (within the building, but one more complaint about them from their new neighbors and they’ll be evicted). Probably over sharing, but the meter helped me, so I read this and thought I might help you too
I recently purchased this:
I haven't had a chance to use it yet but found a recommendation for it on some car audio forum somewhere, don't remember where.
If you have an iPhone then you can use a dB meter app on it to get an accurate measure of the SPL. Android isn't accurate because there are so many different manufactures and thus different mics. There's consistency with apple hardware so the apps are actually accurate on the iPhone.
Here is an SPL meter on amazon for $18 bucks.
Take video of the SPL meter being used showing their noise levels. Show that video to the cops.
You can get a pretty cheap meter on Amazon for around $20. If you are really strapped for cash, both apple and android have apps that are accurate enough to go up to 70 if you put it right up to the mic, but the style of mic on phones can make it less than ideal.
As you said, loudness not only depends on the amp and headphone pairing, but also the individual track gain. It is safe to say that anything below the 12 o'clock position is safe for prolonged listening.
If you really need a rough estimate of how loud you are listening you will have to buy a dB meter and place it between the earcups while playing music
Well, short of using a calibrated instrument, distance is about as good as you'll get.
If you compare its loudness at that max distance to something known (human hearing lower threshold in a normal environment is somewhere around 40 dBA), you can work out sound intensity at other distances.
Assuming it's not faster than the instrument (in which case I make not guarantees about accuracy), you could just actually measure it. Something like this little guy would do fine.
I have this one and it's solid. To measure, take the wind shield off and stick it between your ear and the headphones, trying to avoid moving it and trying to keep as much of a seal as possible. Then read it in a mirror and add ~5dB for the lost sound.
The key to quiet listening is, as ressis74 mentioned, listening in a quiet room. Unless you're a "I love volume" guy, you'll probably calibrate to a comfortable volume. The problem is, the brain adjusts to higher sound levels, so if you just auto-adjust the volume in a noisy area so you can hear clearly, you could be at damaging levels. It's important to to note that the pain threshold (when you feel pain from volume) is above the damage threshold, so it's very possible to do damage without realizing it.
I have this one exactly. Pretty cheap!
For desktop listening, my Asgard 2 actually is usable in low gain mode. I'm operating at the far low end of the potentiometer, of course.
Hey OP - nobody in either of your threads is suggesting the right answer, which is to contact the city of OP to determine what the law is, whether it's being violated, and how you pursue a complaint if it is.
You might start by examining the OP city code.
I think parts E and F on that page may apply to your situation, but it may eventually come down to the exact level of noise (in decibels) - so you may want to measure the noise level at your window first with a cheap decibel meter from Amazon, so you can have an idea compared to the code levels in Part A.
Measuring decibels or loudness (DB vs LUFS) would likely not be super useful over an 8 hour period, or at night. That’s quite an excessive amount, and leaves too much time for variability. I’m an audio engineer and do a lot of loudness metering with my work. You could use a simple decibel meter, or even your phone! I’ll explain both examples below.
A decibel meter will measure decibels in real time. You can use this to see approximately how loud the sound in your home is, but usually doesn’t give you an overall average. You could use it standing in front of your window for 10 seconds, see about where the numbers fall, and make a note of where the numbers sit around. Once for the old, and once for the new in the same position. I’d recommend capturing either scenario at a peak volume time, (high traffic) instead of at night, since that will illustrate more of a difference in outside noise compared to inside ambience.
Alternatively you could use your phone, and a free computer software, to get a more accurate measurement of average perceived loudness. I’d say take a 30 second audio recording a foot away from your window with your phone during a peak loudness time with the old windows, do that again at the same time of day in the same spot with the new windows, and then run both audio files through an audio analysis software and note the difference. Orban is a free loudness meter that will process loudness levels of your audio levels and give you the data you’re wanting. Compare and contrast, and boom you’re done.
I just got a cheap $20 SPL meter from amazon (this exact one actually) and just pressed it up against the headphone driver. All I measured was the difference in SPL of a certain frequency when turning the equalizer filters on and off, and nothing else. I did find it to be ineffective below 300hz and above 10khz, and it isn't exactly scientific, so it isn't the most accurate thing in the world. I followed this frequency response graph and harman's compensation curve for InnerFidelity Graphs.
Here's a graphical representation of the target curve and the M50x's response
After roughly adjusting for it (I would say about plus or minus, 2 dB off the target curve), it sounded considerably clearer and more detailed. It still had the rather small sound stage of the M50x, and it won't make any headphone that much better, just something to keep in mind while doing this.
Okay thanks! I have this little guy (kinda cheap) https://www.amazon.com/BAFX-Products-Pressure-30-130dBA-Warranty/dp/B00ECCZWWI/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1M5QBPMM1OII2&keywords=decibel+reader&qid=1668799065&sprefix=decibal+readre%2Caps%2C78&sr=8-3
But I didnt need anything super fancy.
Cheap amazon db meter https://www.amazon.com/BAFX-Products-Pressure-30-130dBA-Warranty/dp/B00ECCZWWI/
$20
A sound level meter won’t break the bank if you want to be sure. https://www.amazon.com/BAFX-Products-Pressure-30-130dBA-Warranty/dp/B00ECCZWWI/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=1IH8ZI4B94HJZ&keywords=sound+level+meter&qid=1665788751&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjU1IiwicXNhIjoiNC4wMiIsInFzcCI6IjMuNjQifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=soun...
Fredericksburg, VA Noise Ordinance + $20.00 Db Meter could get you somewhere.
BAFX Products - Decibel Meter/Sound Pressure Level Reader (SPL) / 30-130dBA Range - 1 Year Warranty (Standard) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECCZWWI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_umwQk272kbUSQ
I bought a cheapy.
BAFX Products - Decibel Meter/Sound Pressure Level Reader (SPL) / 30-130dBA Range - 1 Year Warranty (Standard) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECCZWWI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Y07K66HAAJVQ18XRXFXW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
"I can't hear it therefore it's not an issue" sounds like a pretty insane mindset to me lol.
If your only option is to convince that guy, I think there's a few ways to do it. The third one is probably the best:
Your can get one that works fine (I've used them) for under $20
The easiest way to do this is with your own $20 decibel meter. Measure the db and adjust levels to where you want to keep them. Hearing damage chart
What about one of these? BAFX Products - Decibel Meter / Sound Level Reader - W/ Battery! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECCZWWI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_v54CAbRMDDVVE
Or the advanced which measures dba and dbc and samples many more times per second: BAFX Products - Decibel Meter / Sound Level Reader - W/ Battery! (Advanced Sound Meter) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P1D84N6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_r64CAb3QAJARN
Get a sound meter and balance your speakers.
If you can't adjust per channel levels on your receiver get whatever receiver supports the technologies (HDMI, AirPlay, etc.) you want as long as it has Audyssey.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECCZWWI/
have fun. point at your speakers from listening position.
If you meant that you want to measure the level (in -db) of the actual files being played:
http://www.darkwooddesigns.co.uk/pc2/meters.html
this is what you need
I dont know of any android app that is truly accurate
If you want accurate measurments, why not just get a decibel meter? They are cheap, for example this
rather than guess how loud the sound is, get a decibel meter . Smartphone dB apps can be wildly inaccurate. But dedicated dB meters arent expensive. Here is one for $18
Phone apps that measure loudness typically suck because they are inaccurate
Instead, get a dB meter. They are not expensive. For example this
I used both db Volume iPhone app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/db-volume/id457245262?mt=8 and this Digital Sound Level Meter: http://www.amazon.com/BAFX-Products-TM-Decibel-Battery/dp/B00ECCZWWI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437378038&sr=8-1&keywords=digital+sound+level+meter.
They both gave me the same readings so I trust my phone app when there's no wind.
What do you mean keep a pair on my if I'm iffy? I always have 30db pair and the acoustic 12db hear people talk still pair on my wallet. I guess I need to learn to talk with the acoustic earplugs on. Do you have the amazon link for your special acoustic earplugs? I have these right now and I can hear people and talk pretty alright: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NW1IZ5Q?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
Regarding tinnitus, I notice sometimes at night, it seemingly goes away mostly, but I think it's my mind filtering it out. Has your tinnitus ever "gone away" or "gotten better" and not just been "filtered out." I think mine has been the same.
Also, I will be going to the ENT soon in a few weeks. Regarding steroids/cortiorids, does anyone know if there a way to get a "just in case" prescription for that in case for emergency purposes?
I see a lot of people on this sub where they don't know what to do and then people recommend go to ENT for the cream. The problem is ENT appointments require 2-4 weeks and by then it's getting to too late, instead of RIGHT NOW.
I got this decibel reader but if you download “decibel X” in the App Store I got around the same readings decibel reader