GROUP BUY: Jaycar Sound Level Meter

[shaggerz]

Hey All,

I am able to get Jaycar's sound level meter (see link below) ,which they are selling for $89.95 each, for the bargain price of $56.76 each if I buy at least 4 of them. Would anyone be interested in these? Can be used to measure sound level from stereo, exhaust, etc.

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView...Max=&SUBCATID=

[jack.mc]

looks like fun, but i'd never use it!

[TehFastyOne]

I find them useful but parting with $90 is the hard part for me.

I'd probably use it to see the loudness of the ute of course, also use it to see how loud my motorcycle is with the aftermarket exhaust on it (got no baffle), but that's as far as I'd go with it.

If I could borrow one that'd be better.

Get a parabolic microphone... lots more fun if you want to do some conversation dipping

[StoneX]

It's $57, not $90.

[HoZy]

they are useless above 130db....... With a proper boxed an powered 2x12" this is useless to u........

Cheers
MaT

[shaggerz]

Yeah I had that concern myself. It'd have to be a pretty whomping stereo to be over 130db in the passenger seat though. Humans go deaf at something like 120db anyway I think.

But still, due to the 130db limit, this is definitely NOT for measuring competition systems...

[HoZy]

HAHA deaf at 120db, i was in hakhawks wagon when we got 138 at the last sound off with technical dificulties, i tuned it for the sound off lol

Cheers
MaT

[shaggerz]

Ahh my mistake...

http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html

check that link out. I still think that anything over the 130dB measuring limit is excessive based on that chart.

[StoneX]

This meter is pretty useless for car audio subwoofer testing, as people have said 130dB is pretty low. This meter is useful for setting up home theatre systems though.

These are useful for car audio as they measure up to 150dB, but only if you are reasonably serious about SPL. They cost about $279, but that is cheap compared to the $1,000+ the serious competitors pay for a proper Termlab setup.

[Tasmaniak]

you can actually start to go deaf at about 110dB

[hakhawk]

12vking might be able to vouch for my somewhat unsure advice, that this can be used to tune a sub box to a certain frequency to your cars resonant frequency, by testing at lowe volumes, to egt lowe than 130db, but sticking at that volume to get highest peak at a certain frequency. correct?

and at $57, its a cheap tuning tool. and cheap for checking your exhaust is within limits

[StoneX]

The resonant frequency changes with higher pressure... So it's not great for someone semi-serious.

[hakhawk]

ok, didnt know that, but for someone trying to tune their box with limited cashflow, it would be a godo alternative? i mean, i got 138 untuned, with a stupid 70amp circuit breaker that tripped at around 60hz. i since upgraded to 120amp, as instructed. and havent had a chance to test it since. i cant see huge gains to be had, but would like to break 140 with what i have.

[shaggerz]

Thats the intention... A really cheap alternative to spending hundreds or maybe thousands on a professional setup

[hakhawk]

yeh, im interested, how quickly u gotta jump on this?

[Tasmaniak]

you could use it to help find peak frequencies although may not neccesarily be resonant. You need to be aware of that. StoneX is right, as pressure level changes so does QHz.

It won't be accurate but it could certainly give you a fair indication of when you are getting close.

[garfa]

[quote=StoneX]This meter is pretty useless for car audio subwoofer testing, as people have said 130dB is pretty low.[quote]
took the words right out of my mouth.