what is spl

Sound Pressure Level (SPL) is a measure of the pressure level of a sound wave relative to a reference level, usually given in decibels (dB) . It is a logarithmic measure of the effective pressure of a sound relative to a reference value. SPL is calculated in decibels (dB) and is equal to 20 times the logarithm of the ratio of the Root Mean Square (RMS) of sound pressure to the reference of sound pressure. The reference sound pressure in air is 2 x 10^-5 N/m^2, or 0.00002 Pa. SPL is measured with a Sound Pressure Level Meter, such as the Pulsar Nova, which converts sound values into electrical information and displays the measurement values in decibels. SPL is used in various fields, including audio engineering and production, product testing, research and scientific studies, and even in measuring the loudness of audio signals. SPL can also damage the ear, and the human ear starts to degenerate at an SPL of about 85-90 dB.