How to choose a sound level meter
By Grant, Inspection Tool Specialists. Reviewed November 2026.
Two things decide which sound level meter you need: the class your standard, regulation or client requires, and whether you need a quick spot reading, a logged survey or unattended outdoor monitoring over hours or days. Settle those first and the choice usually narrows to two or three instruments.
This guide covers handheld sound level meters, acoustic analysers, personal noise dosimeters, calibrators and outdoor monitoring kits.
Class 1 or Class 2?
IEC 61672-1 defines two accuracy classes. Class 1 has tighter tolerances and a wider frequency and temperature range; Class 2 is less precise and less costly. Which one you need is set by whoever will rely on the results:
| Use | Class to use |
|---|---|
| Occupational noise surveys for hearing conservation (SANS 10083) | Check the standard and your client's brief; Class 1 is the safer choice where results may be challenged |
| Environmental and boundary noise, municipal complaints, EIA work (SANS 10103) | Check the permit or tender; Class 1 is commonly required |
| Legal or tender submissions that cite IEC 61672 Class 1 | Class 1 |
| Internal checks, machinery comparisons, nuisance checks, training | Class 2, or a basic meter where no standard applies |
If you are unsure, read the clause in your standard, tender or permit that describes the instrument. Many municipal and environmental tenders specify Class 1, so check the tender before you buy a Class 2 meter. Basic meters with no stated class are fine for a rough check and nothing else.
Which measurements do you need?
Most meters show the instantaneous level in dB(A). The measurements that separate a survey instrument from a basic meter are:
- Leq (equivalent continuous level): the average energy over the measurement period. Often required in workplace and environmental reports.
- Lmax, Lmin and Lpeak: the highest and lowest levels and the true peak, for impulsive noise and exposure limits.
- Statistical levels L10, L50, L90: the level exceeded for 10, 50 and 90 percent of the time. L90 is a common measure of background noise in environmental work.
- Time-history logging: a record of the level at set intervals, so you can show when the noise occurred and export it to a report.
- Octave and third-octave analysis: the level in each frequency band, for noise control, tonal assessment and building acoustics. Usually an optional module.
Check which of these are standard and which are paid options on the model you are quoted. On modular analysers the statistical, logging and octave functions are often separate options, and a quote for the base instrument may not include them.
Do I need a calibrator?
Yes, for any measurement that goes into a report. A sound calibrator produces a known level, usually 94 dB at 1 kHz, and you check the meter against it before and after each survey. Measurement standards generally expect that check and a record of it. Match the calibrator class to the meter class. Many of our meters are also sold as kits that include a matching calibrator.
A calibrator check is different from a calibration certificate. The certificate is a laboratory document stating that the instrument met its specification on a given date, and clients, auditors and tenders often ask for one. Calibration certificates are offered as an option on many of our meters, often at extra cost.
Personal exposure: meter or dosimeter?
A sound level meter measures the noise in a place. A noise dosimeter is worn by a worker for the shift and measures the dose that person receives, which is what hearing-conservation programmes report. If your task is to establish the exposure of individual workers who move between areas, a dosimeter is the correct instrument; a meter is used to map the areas themselves.
Unattended and outdoor monitoring
Most handheld meters are not built for weather exposure. For monitoring on a boundary, a construction site or a balcony over hours or days, you need an outdoor kit: a weather-resistant enclosure, an outdoor microphone with windscreen and rain protection, a tripod, and a power supply or battery for the duration. Data should log to the meter's memory for download afterwards. Kits are built for rain exposure, not submersion, and the microphone protection must be fitted correctly or readings will be affected by wind.
Which meter should I buy?
| Application | Suggested starting point |
|---|---|
| Rough checks and comparisons, no standard | PCE-325D precision sound level meter |
| Workplace surveys with logging, Class 2 | PCE-SDL 1 data-logging meter or AWA5636 Class 2 kit with calibrator |
| Workplace and environmental surveys, Class 1 | AWA5662 Class 1 kit with calibrator or PCE-430 Class 1 with calibrator |
| Environmental reports needing L10, L50, L90 and logging | AWA6228+ Class 1 analyser with the statistical and time-history modules |
| Noise control, tonal assessment, building acoustics | AWA6228+ kit with octave analysis or AWA6292 acoustic analyser |
| Personal exposure of workers | AWA5920 personal noise dosimeter badge |
| Unattended outdoor monitoring, Class 2 | PCE-428-EKIT outdoor kit |
| Unattended outdoor monitoring, Class 1 | PCE-430-EKIT outdoor kit or PCE-432-EKIT with GPS |
| Calibrators | AWA6022A Class 2, AWA6021A Class 1, PCE-SC 09 Class 1 |
As a guide to our current range, including VAT: basic meters from about R1,000 to R7,000; Class 2 meters and kits from about R8,000 to R33,000; Class 1 meters and kits from about R18,000 to R75,000; outdoor monitoring kits from about R92,000 to R129,000. Calibration certificates are an extra cost. Prices change, so check the product pages.
Questions we will ask you
Tell us the standard, regulation or tender clause you must meet, whether you need Class 1 or Class 2, which measurements must appear in the report, whether monitoring is handheld or unattended outdoors, and whether you need a calibration certificate. With that we can recommend a configuration and provide pricing.