Best Choice for iPhone Decibel Meter App

[Steve Catts]

For those who have utilized an iPhone-based app for noise readings in your shops, please share your preference for the app you feel has provided accurate results and ease of use.
Thanks!
Steve

[David T gray]

there not accurate dont waste your time.

[Ben Rivel]

Yea everything I have read about any of them that was serious and not promotion for one or the other said they werent worth anything.

[Andrew Hughes]

I had downloaded a free one on my iPad sometime ago it seemed to work okay.I thought it was cool.
I also downloaded a app that finds ghosts now that thing was way off it kept pointing at me.:eek:

[David Wong]

I have been happy with the app dB Meter. I use it for casual measurements. I have nothing to compare it to, but it works well for my needs.

[william watts]

I expect they are junk, but they are free :). All seriousness aside would these be useful for comparative readings. For example before and after measurements on sound insulation in a room?

[Brian Lamb]

I use one called Decibel 10th. I have used it to compare noise level from compressors and other numerous things. How accurate it is compared to a "real" sound meter, who knows, who cares, it gives you a relative reading so you can improve or at least be aware of certain sound levels.

[Bruce Page]

I use db Meter Pro. There's no way a 99¢ app is going to be as accurate as a $300 professional meter but it gives me a good comparative yardstick. I bought it when I was trying different methods to soundproof a furnace closet.

[roger wiegand]

I have two, dbMeter and SPL Meter. Neither was free, but no more than five bucks. They give similar readings, limited, I imagine, by the microphone in the phone, but a good external mic made little, if any difference. Both top out around 110 db. I'd guess that if you need an absolute reading correct to the second decimal place they would be considered "junk", but both appear to give very consistent relative readings that make sense. Repeated readings of the same source give essentially the same answer each time, the reading falls off as predicted with the square of the distance, so the basic proportionality seems correct.

I'm curious as to how the assessment of "junk" status was arrived at. I've actually been pretty impressed by these apps.

[Ole Anderson]

Here is a comparison of smartphone apps measured against a calibrated sound measurement setup: http://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2014/04/09/sound-apps/ Done three years ago. Three apps gave results within 2 dBA of the control, most didn't. SPL Pro and Soundmeter seemed to be the most accurate if I am reading the study correctly.