title: The Use of Sound Level Meter Apps in the Clinical Setting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare sound level meter (SLM) readings obtained using a Larson-Davis (Depew, NY) Model 831 Type 1 SLM, a RadioShack (Fort Worth, TX) SLM, and iPhone 5 (Apple, Cupertino, CA) SLM apps.
  
  
  METHODS
  In Procedure 1, pure tones were measured in an anechoic chamber (125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000 Hz); sound pressure levels (SPLs) ranged from 60 to 100 dB SPL in 10-dB increments. In Procedure 2, human voices were measured. Participants were 20 vocally healthy adults (7 women, 13 men; mean age = 25.1 years). The task was to sustain a vowel "ah" at 3 intensity levels: soft, habitual, and loud. Microphones were lined up equal distances from the participant's mouth, and recordings were captured simultaneously.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, the 3 SLM apps and the RadioShack SLM yielded inconsistent readings compared with the Type 1 SLM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of apps for SPL readings in the clinical setting is premature because all 3 apps adopted were incomparable with the Type 1 SLM.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fava
authors.forename: Gisele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Melody
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baglione
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pimpinella
authors.forename: Jaclyn B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Spitzer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000295:instrumentation; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008144:Loudness Perception; D008297:Male; D063731:Mobile Applications; D010699:Phonation; D000068997:Smartphone / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013018:Sound Spectrography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D014833:Voice Quality; D055815:Young Adult