Extech 407730 Digital Sound Level Meter 40-130dB

I have an older DB meter that does straight readings. I was looking for something that I could use for averaging and finding peak volumes so I gave this a try. It's not at all expensive, is easy to use, and seems to work correctly. I have a high end calibrated source for my older meter, and when I tried it on the Extech it read exactly the correct value. So in a static situation the meter is very accurate. While I don't have any way to test it for peak or average readings, I'm guessing that it's probably pretty darn close. I plan on using this for measuring shop machine noise levels, and also for monitoring sound levels for the PA for a jazz band I play in. If you need a DB meter, this one will do a good job at a great price.

Pro grade instrument. Can be calibrated with separately purchased calibrator.

So far this meter seems to be working alright enough. We have used this on numerous occasions: checking noise level of a window air conditioner to determine if there was any way to dampen the noise level via adding various barriers around window; checking noise level of mowers, tractor, and weed eaters - though we always wear some sort of protective ear gear (plugs or muffs). By measuring equipment we use /have on hand, this gives us a more realistic idea as to what level of noise reduction we want to target / pay for with future replacement or other "noise producing" equipment. I could use this in my business, as I believe the quality is sufficient for the purposes of a very "limited" sound survey.

Nice and compact, I have not had any issues with the device.

This Extech 407730 decibel sound meter is easy to use right out of the box and it works very well. The instructions are simple and easy to understand and everything worked as expected. I had never owned or used a sound meter before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, and someone told me it can be complicated, but it's "So simple a child could do it", to quote Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy from the original Star Trek (Spock's Brain episode)! Having both the "A" and "C" ratings available to use is a good thing -- make sure you know which one you should use for your particular application (I did some basic web research to learn more). It measures 40 dB to 130 dB, and I was surprised to find that 43 dB is about my basic background noise in my yard, no wind but birds chirping. Also, the "Max Hold" function is great; it keeps the highest rating on the display so if you mount the meter remotely, you can still see what it recorded. I mounted it on a basic camera tripod and it worked fine. It actually has a metal tripod mounting thread, unlike some (expensive) digital cameras that use plastic. The only nits I can pick are: 1) The little foam wind sock that sticks over the end is pretty flimsy and it comes off too easily, but not a biggie; and 2) The battery cover is attached with a tiny Phillips head screw, rather than having a cover that simply snaps on. So you'll need to find a very small #3 Phillips head screwdriver just to remove the batteries, and let's hope you don't have to do this at night or in the bush. It seems well made for what it is -- basic plastic case and slightly mushy rubberized push buttons. The display is easy to read (not sure if it has a light, I only used it during the day). Once you familiarize yourself with the instructions, you pretty much don't have to bother with them again, it's that easy to use. The batteries are the el cheapo type that probably have about 25% of the lifespan of a good pair, but otherwise, this is a very nice unit that's probably way overkill for just recording the neighbor's late night parties. I used it for a basic scientific research project and published the results and it worked fine for that.

I lost some of my hearing in the military, and my father did before me. Hearing loss is progressive, painless, and permanent. I got this device so I could compare the sound levels in my gym to what is reported to be safe, so I can protect what is left of my hearing. This device did fine for this. I learned that 85 decibels is the loudest sounds you should be exposed to, and that this is louder than what I find pleasant even with my favorite songs jamming. But I'd recommend more people get this. What is your hearing worth? Lose it and you'll find out. This device is cheap by comparison.

A must for a live music sound man

I picked up one of these to help level match my subwoofer to my main stereo system. It has A and C weighting, and I used C as recommended. It worked great for this without needing to understand anything, right out of the box. I also used it to see if the level on the noise machine in my nursery was in the safe range, and adjusted it a little. There's a lot of buttons I probably won't use, honestly, but this is well made. It comes with a wind foam shield which you can use for outside applications. For quick estimates of sound volume (for unofficial purposes, I'm not sure how well calibrated this is) or for comparing two sources to see if they are the same, this is the right tool. I also used this to point out to my wife that the home theater stereo wasn't too loud to do hearing damage. I then pointed out that her yelling at me at how loud the stereo was actually WAS loud enough to do hearing damage (90db!) and that she should probably volume down. Yeah, that didn't go over so well. I don't recommend using this for spouse volume testing. But for stereo equipment matching, oh yeah, it rocks for that.

Grosse déception avec ce Sonomètre. Les fonctionnalités de base sont au rendez-vous. La précision est correcte. Et il y a même quelques bonnes surprises avec une vis de calibration, et une vis de fixation pour montage sur trépied. Si vous voulez utiliser ce sonomètre en utilisation de base "à main levée", très bien. Mais alors, pourquoi cette mauvaise note? Parce que j'avais acheté ce sonomètre spécialement pour relier la sortie analogique à un oscilloscope afin de pouvoir tracer les variations de niveau sonore. Hélas, à la sortie "AC", le sonomètre fournit un signal totalement inutilisable. À titre d'exemple, j'ai joint à ce commentaire un graphique montrant ce que je lis lorsque je balance un signal avec une amplitude de 100dB SPL. Si quelqu'un peut interpréter ça, merci de me le dire. À moins tout simplement que mon exemplaire ne soit défectueux? Bref, je renvoie le produit dés que possible...

Got this product for the restaurant i work at. We were having issues with noise complaints. This works perfectly!!!

Es una gran herramienta de medición; exacto, versátil y robusto. No te quiebres la cabeza buscando cual es la mejor opción, ésta es tu mejor opción.

Has made my movie listening far better after using this to dial in my 5.1.4 Atmos setup

I purchased this meter because it has both an “A” and “C” weighting response ( I needed the C weighting}. The meter works well and the display is easy to read.