About Decibel Meter and this site

Decibel Meter is an Android app made by Apposite Labs Ltd, a small independent app studio in the UK. We built it because most sound meter apps we tried showed a twitchy number with no context, measured sound through the phone's call-processing audio path, and buried everything under ads.

dblevel.app is where we explain how the app works and publish guides on sound, noise and hearing.

How the app measures sound

The app captures raw microphone audio at 48 kHz using Android's unprocessed or voice-recognition audio source, which switches off automatic gain control and noise suppression. Every sample is filtered with IEC 61672 A and C frequency weighting and integrated with true exponential Fast (125 ms), Slow (1 s) and Impulse time weighting, the methods defined in the international standard for sound level meters. Leq, LCpeak, L10/L50/L90, SEL and NIOSH/OSHA noise dose are calculated from those weighted levels.

It's still a phone. Microphones differ between models and aren't certified Class 1 or Class 2 instruments, so we're upfront about accuracy: typically within 2 to 5 dB uncalibrated for everyday levels, and about 1 dB once calibrated against a reference meter.

How we write our guides

• Sources first. Health and legal figures come from primary sources such as the WHO, NIOSH, OSHA, the UK Health and Safety Executive and published research, and each guide links to the ones it relies on.
• No made-up precision. Sound levels vary with distance and setting, so we give typical ranges and say how they were measured.
• Not medical or legal advice. We explain the numbers. If you're worried about your hearing, see a GP or audiologist. For a noise dispute or workplace assessment, talk to your council, landlord or a qualified acoustician.
• Kept up to date. When guidance changes we update the guide and show the date at the top.
• Honest about the app. Our guides mention Decibel Meter where it helps, and we say plainly what a phone can and can't do.

Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected] and we'll fix it.

Company details

Apposite Labs Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 17153038. Office 9633, 321-323 High Road, Chadwell Heath, Essex, RM6 6AX, United Kingdom.