SL510

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.

outstanding and highly accurate decibel meter. Is a class 2 meter which is the meter class used by OSHA.

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.

I got this a few days ago and its an incredible meter. first, it uses the much cheaper AAA batteries vs the expensive 9 volt batteries. I have a callibrator and it measured right on when I got it. the instruction manual doesnt tell how to calibrate it but the online manuael at extech does show you how. this meter is a very accurate CLASS 2 meter, a CLASS 1 is better but costs $700+ dollars. this meter can be used in court procedings and government monitering. a UNCLASSIFIED meter that costs under $100 or so is not nearly as accurate as a class 1 or class 2. ( class 1 & 2 is slightly better meters than TYPE 1 and 2 meters). this meter does A and C weighting, peak measurments, and max and minimum measurements over time. the ONLY thing I dont like? its only backlit for 10 seconds after pushing the button. for $126 for a class 2 meter from a top company like extech its the best sound level meter you will find. spend the $126 on this meter plus a $110-$150 for a class 1 calibrator like I bought on amazon and you will be set for years of accurate sound level measurements. dont bother with the $20-$80 meters if you want true readings.

No backlight but even worse the auto off function works when youre recording levels, sooo if you’re not hitting a button every 20 mins it turns off. It’s useless garbage. I got it to do dosiometering and it turns off. I reviewed the specs and it only measures down to 300hz so really not much better than the app on my phone. I got this as a dedicated sound meter to free up my phone but this thing is too worthless to use. And now I’m past the 30 return period. Don’t end up with garbage like me. Buy an app on your phone for 5 bucks or spend 200+ and get a real meter. This one is worthless. It’s like buying a handheld recorded that shuts off 20mins in WHILE RECORDING to ‘save power’. Well save your money and even more power by not buying this.

A must for a live music sound man

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'm a long time sound meter user, for the purpose of setting up a Home Theater listening system of fifteen plus years. Before "upgrading" to this unit, I was using a Radio Shack, digital sound meter, the standard on many Home Theater forums. I wanted better because like most, better is, well, just better; security in knowing you're using better. Buyer beware: this is not a spec'd sound level meter. There are four types of sound meters; lab grade type 0, field/lab grade Type 1, professional general field use Type 2 and the unspecified Type 3 with the lowest calibration standards for general survey work to see if one needs a better quality sound meter. This unit qualifies as a Type 3 as there's no mention in the provided data sheet of this unit being of any type. This is very important if one is going buy and use this unit for required spec'd measurements such as OSHA, lab, legal or law enforcement. Overall, my first impressions were, how light it was. Yes, I'm human and I like my gear to have some heft to it. Along with this sound meter, I purchased a sound meter calibrator. Beware, the first thing I did when calibrating this unit, I pushed the side mounted calibration wheel into the casing and had to take the case apart to "bend" the potentiometer, back into place. Not a good sign. The adjustment feature needs to be better secured as I'm a careful user of gear and from my experience, this shouldn't have happened. It's fixed, you've been warned, life is good. Moving forward, the meter reading is what I would characterize as unstable (even on slow, the readings flicker too much) and with a noise threshold of >40dB, does not go low enough for in room measurements. The Radio Shack, digital sound meter is limited to >50dB and yes, at >40dB, this unit is an improvement but at <40dB, in room measurements are lower then the range of this unit. The specifications state that this sound meter has a range of 40dB to 130dB and if the measurement is <40dB, one gets a constant "LO" error message. A normal quiet room is in the 35dB to 39dB range. Most Type 2 sound meters are spec'd down to 31.5Hz. This unit is spec'd 300Hz to 8kHz which leaves reliable subwoofer set up out of consideration. If one is doing general, outdoor, factory measurements, you'll be good but if setting up a Home Theater sound system, this is not the meter one should consider. For the price, the manufacture needs to improve on the sensitivity of this sound meter. The unit has a small threaded insert in the back so it can be held by a tripod with an appropriate sized thread tripod mount screw. The unit can be used as a microphone but if recording or doing room measurements and one has a laptop, I would recommend purchasing a USB measuring microphone and use your sound meter for just that, measuring sound pressure levels and nothing more. The meter lacks back lighting capability which makes it difficult to use in low light situations. Overall, I will give that it has a nice feel to the hand. A bit light but still, a nice feel. But for the price, I expected better and was disappointed to the point that I parked it on a shelf and bought another sound meter. If one wishes, they can check my other reviews as I have filed a review on this third sound meter. One can buy this unit and expect to get dependable use from it but in my opinion, it has too many user limitations to be considered anything more than an entry level sound meter. I will not be returning this sound meter because it works as advertised but overall, based on my above, I can't recommend buying this unit. ......................... 06Mar13 I've had the sound meter for a month. The power button is getting a bit wonky and at our expense, we're looking to have to send it to the manufacture for repair or replacement.