# Sound Pressure Level

The A-weighted noise level measured at the operator's ear position, in dB(A). It is the figure that describes what the person holding the saw is actually exposed to.

Source: https://chainsawdata.net/en/glossary/sound-pressure-level/
Site: ChainsawData (chainsawdata.net) — open technical specification database
Last updated: 2026-08-24
License: free to quote with attribution to chainsawdata.net

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Chainsaws sit well above the level at which hearing protection stops being optional, and because the decibel scale is logarithmic a difference of 3 dB(A) between two models represents twice the sound energy. Sound pressure is measured under a defined test procedure, so published figures are comparable between brands but will not match what you meet in a confined space or against a hard wall, where reflections make it worse. This is a different quantity from **Sound Power Level**: pressure is what reaches your ear, power is what the machine radiates in total. Always wear hearing protection regardless of the number.

## This spec across the catalog

Recorded on 35 models in this database, from 89 dB(A) to 107 dB(A), averaging 98.57 dB(A).