A and C weighting change the number, not the noise
Two meters pointed at the same noise report different numbers, legitimately, because of frequency weighting: A-weighting discounts low frequencies the way hearing does, C-weighting keeps them. A reading quoted without its weighting cannot be compared to anything. Time response — fast or slow — decides whether a brief peak registers. We compare available weightings, time response, decibel range, the accuracy class the manufacturer states, and whether readings can be logged.
30–130 dB · ± 1.5 dB at 94 dB / 1 kHz · A-weighted · fast and slow response
A 30 to 130 dB meter publishing its accuracy with the conditions it applies at — ± 1.5 dB at 94 dB and 1 kHz — with A-weighting and fast and slow response modes.
Best for: Getting a sense of a noise problem, with a figure whose conditions are stated.
30–130 dB · ± 2.0 dB · A and C weighting · fast and slow · 4-digit 0.1 dB
The only meter here offering both A and C weighting, which is what separates a reading that follows human hearing from one that includes low-frequency energy.
Best for: Low-frequency noise — plant, traffic, bass through a wall — that A-weighting under-reports.
≈ $23
30–130 dBA · ± 1.5 dB · 0.1 dB resolution · warning indicator · windscreen supplied
A 30 to 130 dBA meter stating ± 1.5 dB and 0.1 dB resolution, with a warning indicator above a threshold and a foam windscreen in the box.
Best for: Measuring outdoors or near ventilation, where wind noise on the microphone otherwise dominates.
35–130 dB · MAX hold · large backlit display
A 35 to 130 dB handheld meter with a MAX function and a large backlit display. Its title carries the word "geeicht" — a manufacturer claim, reported here as one.
Best for: Household comparisons — before and after a change, one room against another.
30–130 dB · ± 1.5 dB · A and C weighting · 43,000-record logger · DC output
A logging meter storing up to 43,000 readings for export to a PC, with A and C weighting, a three-color LED warning and a DC output for external recording.
Best for: Establishing what a noise does over hours or days, which a handheld reading cannot show.
The measuring range decides which levels are usable. Outside it, the instrument saturates or sits at the floor.
The accuracy class is what separates an indicative instrument from one whose measurement can be held against someone.
A sound level meter drifts over time and nothing on screen says so. Stated compatibility with a calibrator is what lets you verify the device before a measurement that matters.
No. A measurement that can be relied on assumes an instrument of the right class, a calibration and a regulatory method, carried out by a professional.
They filter the signal differently: one approaches the ear's sensitivity, the other stays more faithful to low frequencies. Two values from different weightings are not comparable.
The fast response catches brief peaks, the slow one averages over time. An intermittent noise gives very different values depending on that setting.
Serious measuring instruments are calibrated with a reference source. Without calibration, the absolute value is indicative.
Away from reflecting surfaces and from the operator's body, on a tripod if possible. Held in the hand near the chest, the instrument also measures the reflections.
Strongly: wind on the microphone creates a noise of its own. A windshield is necessary outdoors.
Same settings, same position, same conditions. Changing a single parameter makes the comparison invalid.
An enforceable measurement assumes an instrument of a defined class, calibrated, and a precise protocol. A consumer meter documents a nuisance for your own use; on its own it proves nothing legally.
A measurement taken at home is indicative: carrying weight assumes an instrument class, a calibration and a method. Two different weightings are never comparable, a windshield is compulsory outdoors, and a microphone held near the chest also measures the reflections.
A column is raised only if four instruments in five publish the value. Below that, it would be measuring the silence of the manuals.
| Model | Price | Functions | Stated accuracy | Stated measuring range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tadeto T011 | $23 | A and C weighting | ± 2.0 dB | 30–130 dB · 4-digit 0.1 dB |
| AXVRAV WRY633 | — | A and C weighting · 43,000-record logger · DC output | ± 1.5 dB | 30–130 dB |
| Brandson A304418x3 | — | MAX hold | — | 35–130 dB |
| Tolesum S860 | — | — | ± 1.5 dB at 94 dB / 1 kHz | 30–130 dB |
| XRCLIF Sound level meter | — | warning indicator | ± 1.5 dB | — |
Specifications: manufacturer sheets for measuring instruments and the matching Amazon product pages. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure in this table names its source.
Most recent revision in this category: August 31, 2026.
Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.
