Public Measurement Library

Environment

Nature Outdoors · National Park

LAFmin

79.5 dB

LCeq

94.5 dB

LZeq

94.6 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

A walk through South Norwood Lake Park, a friendly trio playing live music, and people enjoying a drink at the nearby kiosk. What could be more relaxing? Standing just 5–6 metres from the musicians, I was surprised when SPL Reference displayed a “Loud” warning with a potential hearing-risk indication. The performance combined backing tracks with live guitars and vocals, creating an energetic soundscape that felt perfectly natural in such a pleasant setting. But this raises an interesting question: how often do we underestimate our sound exposure simply because we're enjoying ourselves? For visitors stopping briefly, the exposure may be limited. But what about those spending hours at the drinks kiosk, or the musicians performing throughout the afternoon? A reminder that hearing risk depends not only on how loud something sounds, but also on how long we are exposed to it. Enjoyable music is still acoustic energy, and our ears don't distinguish between sounds we love and sounds we dislike. Environment: Outdoor park / live music Sound sources: Backing tracks, guitars and vocals Distance: Approximately 5–6 metres from performers Measurement type: Recreational sound exposure / live music

Environment

Transport · Aircraft

LAFmin

72.3 dB

LCeq

96.7 dB

LZeq

99.5 dB

Calibration

Calibrated

Quality

Device Calibrated

Contributor

Michelangelo Canonico · Direct Sound Records

Licence

CC BY 4.0

After presenting SPL Reference at the Hi-Fidelity show in Milan, there was one more opportunity to put the app to work: the flight home to London. This measurement captures takeoff from inside the aircraft cabin, from the acceleration along the runway through lift-off and the initial climb. Engine thrust, aerodynamic noise and vibration combine to create one of the most energetic acoustic phases of a flight. The interesting question is the comparison: how much louder is takeoff than the steady noise we experience during cruise? We tend to notice the drama of takeoff, but a shorter, louder event and several hours of continuous cabin noise represent very different kinds of sound exposure. A fitting final measurement for the Milan trip: using the same app presented to the Hi-Fi community to measure the journey home. Environment: Aircraft cabin Journey: Milan → London Event: Takeoff and initial climb Measurement type: Transport / personal sound exposure

Environment

Transport · Aircraft

LAFmin

67.7 dB

LCeq

92.6 dB

LZeq

95.7 dB

Calibration

Calibrated

Quality

Device Calibrated

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Environment

Transport · Aircraft

LAFmin

75.3 dB

LCeq

87.7 dB

LZeq

88.6 dB

Calibration

Calibrated

Quality

Device Calibrated

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Environment

Transport · Car

LAFmin

61.4 dB

LCeq

70.5 dB

LZeq

70.9 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Michelangelo Canonico

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Environment

Music Nightlife · Live Music Venue

LAFmin

89.6 dB

LCeq

106.0 dB

LZeq

106.1 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Michelangelo Canonico

Licence

CC BY 4.0

A recording session is about listening carefully — but how long can we listen when the monitoring level becomes part of the experience? During this session, SPL Reference measured 99.7 dB LAeq, 106 dB LCeq, 106.2 dB LAFmax, with a 125.8 dB LCpeak. The striking number here is not simply the peak: an LAeq close to 100 dB means the average acoustic energy remained very high throughout the measured period. For perspective, NIOSH's 3 dB exchange-rate guidance gives approximately 15 minutes at 100 dBA as the daily exposure corresponding to its recommended occupational limit. Beyond that, accumulated exposure rises rapidly. CDC Interestingly, the 125.8 dB(C) peak is below the UK's workplace lower peak action value of 135 dB(C); it is the sustained level that deserves particular attention here. HSE For musicians, engineers and producers, this is an important reminder: a session can sound fantastic and still represent substantial noise exposure. Monitoring level and listening time are part of the recording environment too.

Environment

Residential · Home

LAFmin

30.0 dB

LCeq

34.6 dB

LZeq

35.8 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Michelangelo Canonico

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Late at night, from a loft overlooking the garden, the world seems to have almost switched itself off. This SPL Reference measurement captured a background level of around 30 dB — no traffic demanding attention, no conversations, no machinery; just the faint acoustic traces of an environment that feels virtually silent. And that is perhaps the interesting part: absolute silence is not zero decibels. Even when we perceive silence, there is still a measurable soundscape around us. A quiet reference point for the SPL Reference collection — and a reminder of just how different 30 dB feels after a day surrounded by the sound of the city.

Environment

Food Drink · Restaurant

LAFmin

73.7 dB

LCeq

88.6 dB

LZeq

88.7 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Excellent food, lively conversation, a busy dining room — and a sound level that made relaxing surprisingly difficult. This SPL Reference measurement was taken during dinner in a Turkish restaurant, where conversations, music, service and the reflections of many simultaneous voices combined into a dense and energetic soundscape. Nothing was necessarily wrong with the atmosphere; the restaurant was simply very lively. Yet it raises an interesting question: at what point does a vibrant restaurant become acoustically tiring? A reminder that our experience of a restaurant is shaped not only by what is on the plate, but also by the environment in which we enjoy it.

Environment

Sport Leisure · Tennis Court

LAFmin

48.4 dB

LCeq

68.6 dB

LZeq

69.5 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Michelangelo Canonico

Licence

CC BY 4.0

A few players on the courts, an otherwise peaceful outdoor setting — but how quiet is it really? This SPL Reference measurement captures the complete soundscape from outside the tennis courts: the rhythmic impact of balls and racquets, occasional voices from the players, periods of relative calm, wind passing through the area and, every so often, an aircraft crossing far overhead. None of these sounds necessarily dominates. Together, however, they reveal something interesting: even an environment we perceive as quiet is made from many layers of sound. A snapshot of an ordinary moment — and a reminder of just how much sound surrounds us without demanding our attention.

Environment

Construction · Roadworks

LAFmin

75.9 dB

LCeq

99.2 dB

LZeq

99.6 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

You can hear it long before you reach the roadworks. This measurement captures an excavator-mounted hydraulic breaker breaking the road surface at close range. What surprised me wasn’t only the level — around 100 dB during the measurement — but how persistent the sound remained and how clearly it could still be heard well beyond the immediate work area. The workers nearby were wearing hearing protection, and for good reason: at these levels, duration becomes as important as loudness. For a pedestrian, the exposure may last only seconds; for the people operating the machinery, it can be part of an entire working day. A striking example of how one relatively localised source can temporarily change the acoustic environment of a much larger part of a city street.

Environment

Sport Leisure · Stadium

LAFmin

62.1 dB

LCeq

87.6 dB

LZeq

90.6 dB

Calibration

Calibrated

Quality

Device Calibrated

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

You don’t need to be inside a football stadium to experience the match. This SPL Reference measurement was taken at a distance from a stadium during a football match, capturing the crowd as part of the surrounding soundscape. From afar, thousands of individual voices merge into a continuous background presence, punctuated by moments when the crowd suddenly reacts as one. It’s an interesting way to measure not just how loud a stadium is, but how far its acoustic footprint extends into the surrounding environment. Environment: Outdoor / urban Source: Football stadium and crowd, measured at a distance Measurement type: Community / environmental noise

Environment

Music Nightlife · Hifi Demo Room

LAFmin

61.5 dB

LCeq

90.2 dB

LZeq

90.8 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Michelangelo Canonico · Direct Sound Records

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Small Speaker. Very Big Low End. This one wasn’t really about how loud the demonstration was, but about what was happening at the bottom of the spectrum. During a demonstration by D’Von Audio, SPL Reference captured a remarkably extended and controlled low-frequency response from a relatively compact **pre-production loudspeaker. In the conditions of this demonstration, the measured response extended to around 24 Hz, remaining impressively linear— an unexpected result from a speaker of this size. More interesting than sheer bass quantity was the way the system managed the low end dynamically: depth, control and extension without the bass simply dominating the presentation. A good reminder of why at DSR we like to put measurements alongside listening impressions: sometimes what surprises the ears becomes even more interesting when you can see what is happening.

Environment

Music Nightlife · Hifi Demo Room

LAFmin

74.0 dB

LCeq

92.1 dB

LZeq

92.5 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Michelangelo Canonico · Direct Sound Records

Licence

CC BY 4.0

At a Hi-Fi show, we often talk about resolution, dynamics, realism and soundstage — but rarely about the actual level at which those qualities are being demonstrated. This measurement, taken during a listening session at the HiFi Stereo NET Show at Heathrow, looks at the SPL behind the experience. A system may sound effortless and refined even at a high level, which can make the true exposure less obvious than with harsher or more distorted playback. That makes the question interesting: does better sound quality make loud listening feel more comfortable — and therefore easier to underestimate? A small real-world measurement linking perceived quality, playback level and listening exposure. Curtesy Airt

Environment

Music Nightlife · Hifi Demo Room

LAFmin

57.0 dB

LCeq

88.8 dB

LZeq

89.0 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Michelangelo Canonico · Direct sound records

Licence

CC BY 4.0

A listening session at the HiFi Stereo NET Show at Heathrow offers a very different experience from listening at home. Systems are demonstrated in unfamiliar rooms, with visitors coming and going, conversations outside or inside the room, and exhibitors often choosing generous playback levels to reveal dynamics, impact and the capabilities of the system. This SPL Reference measurement captures the actual sound exposure during a typical show listening session. How does it compare with a relaxed evening at home? Are we listening louder than we realise when the system, the music and the atmosphere encourage us to turn it up? A useful real-world reference connecting Hi-Fi performance, listening habits and sound exposure — because evaluating how a system sounds is only part of the story; knowing how loudly we are experiencing it adds another dimension. Environment: Hi-Fi show / demonstration room Activity: Music listening Purpose: Listening-level and exposure reference. Image courtesy: Reference Audio

Environment

Nature Outdoors · Urban Park

LAFmin

48.9 dB

LCeq

78.6 dB

LZeq

79.9 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Step away from the city and the soundscape changes — but the city doesn’t completely disappear. This short measurement captures the natural background of an open outdoor environment: a gentle breeze, subtle sounds from the surrounding landscape, and, far on the horizon, the faint but persistent acoustic presence of the city. It’s an interesting reference for SPL Reference: quiet is rarely silence. Even when individual sounds are barely noticeable, together they create the acoustic baseline of a place.

Environment

Music Nightlife · Hifi Listening Room

LAFmin

58.3 dB

LCeq

84.6 dB

LZeq

85.2 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

A high-quality Hi-Fi system can make music feel remarkably present — but how loud are we actually listening when we turn the volume up for a truly involving experience? This measurement was taken during a listening session of Charlie Haden’s The Montreal Tapes: with Paul Bley and Paul Motian at a deliberately high playback level. The result was powerful and engaging, although still below the level I would consider realistic for recreating the scale and dynamics of a live performance. Beyond evaluating the system, this measurement asks a different question: what level of sound exposure are we accumulating during serious music listening? SPL, listening duration and musical dynamics all matter when considering exposure; a short peak and an hour spent listening at an elevated average level are very different things. For DSR, this is where Hi-Fi and measurement meet: not simply asking whether a system sounds good, but measuring the conditions under which we experience it. The same approach extends across playback setup, resonance, speed, vibration, room behaviour and acoustic level — turning subjective listening observations into something that can also be documented and compared. Source: Eversolo A6 - HiRes 192KHz Preamplifier: Audio Research SP20 Power Amplifiers: Manley Snapper Speakers: Proac D28

Environment

Streets Roads · Urban Street

LAFmin

62.5 dB

LCeq

83.8 dB

LZeq

87.1 dB

Calibration

Calibrated

Quality

Device Calibrated

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

A beautiful view doesn’t necessarily come with a quiet soundtrack. This one-minute measurement, taken from London Bridge while looking towards Tower Bridge, captures the acoustic reality behind one of London’s iconic views: traffic, people, the city in motion and the constant urban background all blending together. Just one minute standing still — how loud does London sound when you actually measure it?

Environment

Streets Roads · Urban Street

LAFmin

57.5 dB

LCeq

83.2 dB

LZeq

85.1 dB

Calibration

Calibrated

Quality

Device Calibrated

Contributor

Michelangelo Canonico

Licence

CC BY 4.0

An 11-minute walk from St Paul’s to Monument on an unusually quiet day. Even in the heart of London, the soundscape isn’t always dominated by noise. Footsteps, distant traffic, occasional voices and passing activity come and go as the route moves through different streets. This measurement captures something easily overlooked: the quieter side of a major city, and how its sound changes simply by walking through it.

Environment

Construction · Roadworks

LAFmin

86.5 dB

LCeq

95.8 dB

LZeq

96.1 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

A short SPL Reference measurement capturing the noise produced by a vibratory rammer compacting the ground during roadworks. Its small size is deceptive: the combination of the engine, mechanical vibration and repeated impact with the ground creates a strong, persistent sound at close range. This measurement captures a brief real-world exposure from the perspective of someone passing or standing near the works. Environment: Urban roadworks Sound source: Vibratory rammer / compactor Measurement type: Real-world construction noise

Environment

Construction · Building Construction

LAFmin

64.6 dB

LCeq

80.9 dB

LZeq

81.5 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Michelangelo Canonico

Licence

CC BY 4.0

How Loud Is Setting Up a Scaffold? It is an everyday sight on a city street — but how much noise does building a scaffold actually generate? This SPL Reference measurement captures workers assembling scaffolding alongside an urban road. Metal poles and fittings being moved, positioned and struck create repeated sharp impacts, mixed with traffic and the normal background of the city. What makes this sound particularly noticeable is not necessarily a continuous high level, but the succession of sudden metallic peaks interrupting the surrounding ambience. A good example of how an ordinary urban activity can temporarily transform the acoustic character of a street. Environment: Urban street Activity: Scaffold assembly Soundscape: Metallic impacts, construction activity and road traffic Measurement type: Real-world urban / construction noise

Environment

Transport · Metro Station

LAFmin

75.3 dB

LCeq

84.9 dB

LZeq

85.4 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

How Surprisingly Noisy Can an Escalator Be? An escalator may seem like an insignificant source of noise, but how loud does it actually get? This measurement lasts less than a minute, yet after being exposed to noise for much of the journey, the continuous mechanical sound of the escalator feels surprisingly intrusive and annoying. A small, everyday example of how sound level, duration and previous exposure can shape our perception of noise.

Environment

Streets Roads · Pedestrian Street

LAFmin

62.9 dB

LCeq

86.3 dB

LZeq

87.1 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

John Brown

Licence

CC BY 4.0

What does central London actually sound like when you simply walk through it? This short SPL Reference measurement captures a walk around St Paul’s, where traffic, pedestrians, voices and the wider urban background continuously overlap and change as you move through the area. Rather than measuring a single noise source, it records the acoustic experience of moving through one of London’s busiest urban environments — a brief snapshot of the sound levels that form part of everyday city life.

Environment

Food Drink · Coffee Shop

LAFmin

56.9 dB

LCeq

75.7 dB

LZeq

76.1 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Michelangelo Canonico

Licence

CC BY 4.0

A beautiful coffee shop, a relaxed conversation and some background music — how quiet is “quiet” when we actually measure it? This measurement captures a pleasantly calm café environment during a conversation. Music plays softly in the background, with a noticeable bass presence, while the coffee machine and occasional sounds from customers and the surrounding space create brief changes in level. An interesting example of how a place can feel quiet and comfortable even when its soundscape is far from silent.

Environment

Food Drink · Canteen

LAFmin

63.7 dB

LCeq

85.7 dB

LZeq

85.7 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

A normal lunch break with two colleagues in a busy company canteen. No particularly loud event, no machinery dominating the room, no obvious source of excessive noise — just the usual combination of conversations, movement, cutlery and the constant background of a shared dining space. And yet, the overall sound environment felt surprisingly uncomfortable. This SPL Reference measurement captures an interesting aspect of everyday noise exposure: sometimes it is not a single loud event that matters, but the continuous accumulation of many ordinary sounds happening at the same time.

Environment

Office Work · Open Plan Office

LAFmin

47.2 dB

LCeq

83.8 dB

LZeq

84.0 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

How Loud Is a Fire Alarm Test? Fire alarms are designed to be impossible to ignore. But how loud is one when you are actually standing in the building? This SPL Reference measurement captures a routine fire alarm test in a real indoor environment, recording both the alarm itself and the surrounding sound before and during its activation. The result provides a real-world reference for the sound level and short-term exposure produced by an emergency warning system, rather than a laboratory measurement of the alarm device.

Environment

Nature Outdoors · Urban Park

LAFmin

42.7 dB

LCeq

77.0 dB

LZeq

79.8 dB

Calibration

Calibrated

Quality

Device Calibrated

Contributor

Alex

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Evening Walk — Whitehorse Meadow, London, UK Environmental sound pressure level measurement recorded during an evening walk across Whitehorse Meadow at approximately 8 PM. The measurement captures the changing sound environment experienced while walking through an open urban green space, including the natural background ambience, footsteps and movement, distant road traffic, occasional voices and other human activity, birds and other wildlife, wind and vegetation, and intermittent sounds originating from the surrounding residential and urban environment. Unlike a measurement taken from a fixed position, this recording documents sound exposure while moving through the environment. As the walking route changes the distance and orientation relative to individual sound sources, the measurement provides a representation of the acoustic experience of crossing the park rather than the sound level of one specific location within it. The measurement forms part of the SPL Reference real-world environmental dataset, providing a useful quieter outdoor reference for comparison with streets, railway stations, public transport, workplaces, indoor environments and other everyday soundscapes.

Environment

Transport · Railway Platform

LAFmin

57.2 dB

LCeq

85.6 dB

LZeq

85.8 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Environmental sound pressure level measurement recorded while waiting for approximately 10 minutes on Platform 1 at City Thameslink railway station in central London. The measurement captures the acoustic environment experienced by a passenger during a typical waiting period, including the continuous background noise of the station, ventilation and infrastructure, passenger activity, announcements, and the substantial variations in sound level produced by trains approaching, arriving, stopping, and departing from the platform. The enclosed underground platform environment is particularly relevant to this measurement, as train noise and other transient sounds interact with the reflective surfaces and confined geometry of the station. The approximately 10-minute measurement period provides a useful representation of real-world passenger noise exposure while waiting for a train and forms part of the SPL Reference real-world environmental dataset, allowing comparison with outdoor railway platforms, onboard train journeys, other public transport environments, and everyday urban noise.

Environment

Office Work · Open Plan Office

LAFmin

43.9 dB

LCeq

63.0 dB

LZeq

63.8 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Environmental sound pressure level measurement recorded continuously for approximately one hour in the open-plan office of a large financial institution in London. The measurement captures the typical acoustic environment experienced during everyday office work, including conversations, telephone and video calls, movement through the workspace, keyboards and office equipment, ventilation systems, and the cumulative background sound generated by a large number of people sharing an open space. Unlike measurements dominated by individual high-level events, this recording is intended to document sustained everyday workplace noise exposure. The one-hour duration captures both quieter periods and temporary increases in activity, providing a more representative picture of the changing sound environment experienced by someone working in the space. The measurement forms part of the SPL Reference real-world environmental dataset, providing a reference for comparison with other workplaces, public spaces, transport environments, domestic settings, and urban locations.

Environment

Transport · Train

LAFmin

60.3 dB

LCeq

81.7 dB

LZeq

86.0 dB

Calibration

Calibrated

Quality

Device Calibrated

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Environmental sound pressure level measurement recorded during a typical passenger journey aboard a Thameslink train travelling from Norwood Junction to London Bridge. The measurement captures the changing acoustic environment experienced inside the passenger carriage throughout the journey, including acceleration and braking, continuous rolling and rail noise, track and wheel interaction, changes in speed, station approaches, and the transition from the suburban rail network towards central London. Rather than representing a controlled acoustic test, this recording documents real-world passenger noise exposure during everyday public transport. It provides a reference for comparing typical and peak sound levels encountered during rail travel with measurements collected in other transport systems, public spaces, urban environments, and everyday listening situations.

Environment

Transport · Railway Platform

LAFmin

47.2 dB

LCeq

82.7 dB

LZeq

84.1 dB

Calibration

Calibrated

Quality

Device Calibrated

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Environmental sound pressure level measurement recorded while seated on a bench on Platform 3 at Norwood Junction railway station, while waiting for a train. The measurement captures the everyday acoustic environment experienced by a passenger on the platform, including background station ambience, nearby rail activity, arriving and departing trains, announcements, passenger activity, and intermittent changes in sound level associated with trains moving through or around the station. Unlike an onboard measurement, this recording documents stationary noise exposure in an active railway environment, where relatively quiet background periods can be interrupted by much louder short-duration events. The measurement forms part of the SPL Reference real-world environmental dataset, providing a reference for comparing railway-platform noise with onboard transport, urban environments, public spaces, workplaces, and other everyday sound environments.

Environment

Residential · Home

LAFmin

39.1 dB

LCeq

83.4 dB

LZeq

84.4 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Anonymous

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Environment

Retail Commercial · Outdoor Market

LAFmin

51.1 dB

LCeq

73.9 dB

LZeq

75.1 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Michelangelo Canonico

Licence

CC BY 4.0

London - Gypsy Hill

Environment

Food Drink · Pub

LAFmin

40.8 dB

LCeq

55.5 dB

LZeq

56.1 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Michelangelo Canonico

Licence

CC BY 4.0

This measurement was taken during an evening dinner with friends at Funny’s Pub in Sapri, southern Italy. It represents a typical social dining environment rather than a controlled acoustic test: several people were talking around the table while normal restaurant activity continued in the background, including nearby conversations, staff movement, tableware and the general ambience of the venue. The recording is therefore intended as a snapshot of the real-world sound level experienced by a guest during a lively but ordinary evening out. Measurements like this can be useful when comparing everyday leisure environments and understanding how conversational noise, music and room occupancy combine to create the acoustic character of restaurants and pubs.

Environment

Music Nightlife · Nightclub

LAFmin

72.5 dB

LCeq

91.4 dB

LZeq

91.4 dB

Calibration

Uncalibrated

Quality

Indicative

Contributor

Michelangelo Canonico

Licence

CC BY 4.0

This measurement was taken outdoors at night from a residential property located close to Elayon Club Residence, a nearby tourist village where amplified music was being played during the evening. Unlike a measurement taken inside the entertainment venue itself, this recording represents the sound as experienced from the surrounding residential area. The measured level therefore reflects not only the music source, but also the effects of distance, outdoor propagation, local geography and the general nighttime background environment. This type of measurement can provide useful context when documenting how leisure and tourist activities contribute to the acoustic environment beyond the boundaries of the venue itself, particularly during evening and nighttime hours when background sound levels are generally lower.