Whether you’re a performing artist or a studio engineer, protecting your hearing is critical. But despite your best efforts to invest in hearing protection or simply playing quieter, two questions have been elusive to answer: am I listening at harmful levels, and how long can I listen to music at any given level safely?
| Category | Value | Rating |
| Features | 35% |  |
| Usability | 35% |  |
| Sound | n/a | n/a |
| Documentation & Support | 10% |  |
| Price | 20% |  |
| OVERALL RATING = 3.3 Stars (out of 4) 3.6 stars or better: Outstanding, WIHO Award 3 stars or better: Worth considering 2 stars or better: Suited to specific needs 1 star or less: Not recommended |
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Sensaphonics has come to the rescue with dB Check Pro, an incredible sound level analyzer that addresses these questions in a simple to use package that requires no more than five minutes of learning time.
Plug the dB Check Pro in-line in between your in-ear monitors or headphones and your audio source and it shows you your listening level (in dBA-SPLs) as well as how long you can listen safely (or not) at that level. Adjust your volume and you’ll see this critical data update in real-time.
We put it to the test both in the studio and in live performance. The unit has a USB-rechargeable battery and is extremely light weight. It has a clasp to attach to an instrument cable or your belt just like your in-ear monitor receiver.
To properly utilize it, we had to go into the setup menu from the touch-screen interface and select what headphones or IEMs we were using. Sensaphonics presently supports over 140 different models from 12 brands (updated list on their website), and we happily found support for both of our test products. First, we used our Ultimate Ears UE Premier IEMs, connecting them to the dB Check Pro unit and then using the included, very short cable to go from the dB Check Pro to our Shure PSM receiver. We also tested them with our Shure SRH840 headphones in the studio.
One great configurable option is to also include measurements from a built-in microphone, which can measure ambient room dBA-SPL levels along with the levels going directly to your in-ear monitors.
We loved the functionality of the dB Check Pro! Seeing our listening level along with allowable safe listening times (displayed in both NIOSH and OSHA safety limits) was really quite refreshing. The NIOSH levels are more conservative and much more relevant for your musician ears than the “we barely care” OSHA safety limits, so focus on the numbers that are more likely to protect your hearing.
A few safety tips we should point out:
- If you use IEMs, never listen with just one in and one out. You’re far more likely to cause real hearing damage this way because in that listening scenario, you actually end up turning up the volume to your one IEM far higher than if you had both of them in your ears blocking external noise.
- This product is a massively useful tool, but it is not a guarantor of hearing protection. That’s between you, your personal health, your ears, and your listening levels.
We found the timer controls unnecessary, and would simply utilize the dB Check Pro in its continuous listening mode. But it really only took five minutes to figure out the unit (note: most critical is going into the settings to select your IEMs or headphones). Anyone making regular use of headphones or IEMs will benefit from this product, and it’s also great to confirm your listening level on ear buds with your phone or laptop (if you have a wired connection). We can’t recommend this highly enough. If you care about your hearing health, this tool gives you real data you can use to make better decisions about listening levels and duration.
The dB Check Pro (MSRP $500) sells for $399 direct. It’s not cheap enough to be an impulse buy for everyone in your band, but we’d recommend that if your band relies on IEMs, get one of these and share it. Let each person use it for a gig or two to figure out their listening levels and risk, then let the next person use it. People running live sound, DJs, and audio engineers should have one on hand for regular use. Well done, Sensaphonics!
Contact Information
Sensaphonics
www.sensaphonics.com
