Apple

Turn your iPhone into a sound level meter to measure ambient noise

What to look for in these applications

If you are looking for a sound level meter, without a doubt you must live in a quite noisy environment and you want to have tests to be able to show that this is so. Although it may also be that you want to have fun and are curious if putting music in your room reaches a dangerous noise limit. In these cases you should use applications that are above all accurate. You have to look especially for those that are pre-calibrated in order to have greater precision. It may also be the case that a calibration has to be carried out as soon as the application is opened to have access to a much more precise measurement.

The esthetic it is also quite important. Obviously the most important thing in a sound level meter is the amount of dBA that is being detected. This must be the absolute protagonist in this regard and it is what to look for. The aesthetics in an application is a really important section and must be above all clear. Many of these can provide a lot of information that is not useful for you. In many cases those that are basic are the most useful since it is limited to something very specific that you need and that’s it.

Totally free applications

When you are going to download applications, you always look for the cheapest option. Here we show you options of this style, in which there is no type of microtransaction.

Sound Level Meter – Sound Meter

sonometer

This application has an extremely simple design to be able to show all the sound data that is around the iPhone. It is really easy to use since it only has to be started to be able to give the necessary permissions and know the amount of dB that is around you. In the application itself, a small graph is included under the main indicator where you can see the variation in this sense of all the sound registers.

In addition, it also integrates a history with all the records that have been made since you have installed it. If you don’t have much knowledge about healthy limits, the app will help you a lot. It has a series of established parameters in which it registers, depending on the intensity of dB, the noise levels that exist. For example, 120 dB gives you the information that it is unbearable noise.

Sound Level Meter - Sound Meter
Sound Level Meter - Sound Meter

dBMeter – Sonometer

dbMetter

dBMeter is a free app to measure decibels. Start measuring the noise level by simply pressing a button. dBMeter allows you to save the results in decibels in a comma separated file (csv) for later analysis with excel. You can also share these files by email, text messages, whatsapp, etc … This is ideal when you are working and the neighbors are bothering you or you do not know if you study in a suitable environment.

Keep in mind that since the microphone of each smartphone has different capacities, it is recommended to use the calibration option to obtain more reliable results. This is a process that is done at the beginning once the necessary permissions have been given to the application to start working correctly. This will make the results much more accurate.

dBMeter - Sonometer
dBMeter - Sonometer

NIOSH Sound Level Meter

Measurer

This award-winning application combines the best features of professional sound level meters and noise dosimeters in one simple, easy-to-use package. It has been developed by experienced acoustic engineers and experts in hearing loss. This makes it much more important since you can trust all the code they have used to program it.

It has been tested and validated with an accuracy of 2 dBA in accordance with laboratory standards. It’s completely free, with no ads, no limited features, and no in-app purchases. Provides the most relevant metrics found on professional sound instruments today. Averages such as LAeq and TWA, peak and peak levels, noise dose, and projected dose.

NIOSH Sound Level Meter
NIOSH Sound Level Meter

Sonic Tools SVM

sonic

This application combines a sound, vibration and magnetic field analyzer. In the field of view you can see beyond the typical number that gives us the exact data of dBA or another, a spectrogram. All this scheme can be freely consulted by zooming in or removing it to see exactly the data you want to consult. Here we also see that there is a little variation when it comes to precision.

It is important to note that this application has an audio signal oscillation function and depending on the operation it may generate a sound that is harmful to the human body, so please refrain from using things like headphones or earphones. That is why you have to be very careful since to have all this data it is necessary for the iPhone to emit sounds if you are going to use this type of functions.

Sonic Tools SVM
Sonic Tools SVM

Options with microtransactions

In the App Store you can find options that are free at first but are limited. In this case, micro-payments must be made in order to unlock all the functionalities, and in this case we show you the best options.

Soundmeter Pro

soundmeter

Decibel Meter Pro has a variety of features that give the sound level meter a unique precision and additionally it has a built-in spectrum analyzer. The application has been calibrated with a professional dB meter. dB Meter is a free application that provides professional quality measurements, thanks to the fact that it has been calibrated using a Nor140, a high precision sound level meter.

You can measure ambient noise levels, save your measurements and your location, and share them with friends. dBMeter mixes utility with sleek design and a fresh user experience to deliver a powerful tool with great presentation, and at a small fraction of the cost of professional sound level meters. In addition, in its latest versions it has also been made compatible with AirPods to be able to perform measurements with them.

Soundmeter Pro
Soundmeter Pro

Decibel X

Decibel

Decibel X »is one of the few noise / sound measurement apps on the market that offers highly reliable, pre-calibrated measurements. In the end you will be turning your iOS device into a professional noise or sound meter that accurately determines everything that happens around you. Although, it must be taken into account that in a totally silent room it will not mark 0 dB but that the range will always be from 30 to 130 dBA.

The interface that is used is quite beautiful so that when using it it is not annoying at all. It integrates with the iOS Health application to be able to export all the noise levels directly. It has been tested and calibrated for most Apple devices, although a calibration is always recommended to suit the personal situation of each device.

Decibel X - dBA Sound Level Meter
Decibel X - dBA Sound Level Meter

Sound Level Meter – Decibel Meter

sonometer

This application turns your iOS device into a professional sound level meter, detects harmful ambient noise, and helps protect your hearing and health. It has highly reliable pre-calibrated measurements and is dBA and dBC compliant. This makes it possible to make quite precise measurements to be able to have much clearer information about everything that happens around you, and it will also provide fun.

This application will make you clear about the amount of noise in a room as a whole. The interface is quite adequate since just by entering you can access the measurement with a graph of all its evolution over time. You do not need to do practically anything except the initial calibration and in case you see any strange value do it again.

Sound Level Meter - Decibel Meter
Sound Level Meter - Decibel Meter

dBNoise

dbnoise

Every day we encounter a lot of noise, long-term exposure can lead to hearing loss. The developers have created this app so that you can avoid exposing your ears to harmful noise levels and don’t have to buy a separate meter. It will simply use the microphone of your iPhone to be able to take the necessary measurements.

You can use it to measure ambient noise, save your measurements, and share your measurements with other users. In addition, the noise meter combines its usefulness with a modern design and a polished user interface. It is compatible with the company’s headphones, to be able to know how much noise is coming out of them in order to avoid problems when listening to music for example.

dBNoise: decibel meter
dBNoise: decibel meter

Which one do we recommend?

There are many options that we have reflected in this article, but without a doubt you have to stay with some of them in particular. One of them is NIOSH which is one of the best valued in the App Store and has the approval of experts in the field. Numerous engineers have come together to have a suitable tool to be able to perform the decibel measurement. It also has a very beautiful and clear aesthetic in which to query different data.

Another great option that can be found is Soundmeter Pro that despite having an integrated purchase, it is really powerful. Turn your iPhone into a true sound level meter with a modern and visually attractive aesthetic. It requires an initial calibration and offers fairly accurate results. In addition, all the data to be collected is stored so that you can consult it at any time.

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