Sensaphonics’ dB Check Pro tells you how loud your headphones are and could “save your hearing”

If you’re anything like us, you probably crank up your headphones to a level that’s satisfying in the short term, but might well be doing long-term damage to your hearing. You could choose to carry on living in denial about this, or you could consider investing in Sensaphonics’ new dB Check Pro.

Billed as “the only accurate sound level analyzer for in-ear monitors and headphones,” this hardware device is programmed with the specs from some of the most popular IEMs and headphones on the market. Insert it between your sound source and your cans, select the appropriate model, then hit play to see the A-weighted SPL. You’ll also be given a safe exposure time if you want to listen at that level.

DB Check Pro also has on onboard microphone, which means that it can be used as a basic sound level meter for measuring ambient room revels. It runs on a USB-rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

“At Sensaphonics, our mission is to save the hearing of the entire music industry, and dB Check Pro is a big step forward toward that goal,” says Sensaphonics President and audiologist, Dr Michael Santucci. “For our industry, which requires good hearing, yet is built around a culture of high volume, dB Check Pro is literally a career saver. Every tour, every venue, every sound engineer, and every musician should have one.”

dB Check Pro is slated to ship by the end of the first quarter of 2019, though we don’t yet know how much it’ll cost. Find out more on the Sensaphonics website.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.