I was just wondering if there are any good prices on these? Is the only place to get them at Radio Shack? I went there today but it was $40 and I really don't want to put the money down right now. Any suggestions on how to get it cheaper.........legally!

Rat Shack is by far the most common place to get them - there just aren't that many other electronics hobby stores around. That's why everyone pretty much just bites the bullet and goes to RS. But look in your Yellow Pages under electronics or whatever category RS is in and see if there are any independent RS-like stores around. You might find a better deal there.

Some other possibilities ...

Keep your eye on the coupons section at radioshack.com to see if a sound meter coupon comes up. Unlikely, but who knows?

Check ebay.

Ask around to your friends with home theaters and borrow one. I've used mine about 10 times in the 2 years I've had it, so borrowing one would probably be OK for now (and then borrow again or buy when you move stuff around).

Also, make sure you get the analog meter. It's actually more accurate and every sound set-up directions I've seen recommend the analog meter.

Hope this helps.

Sears has sound meters at similar prices to RS. The Sears digital meter seems to be better than RS's digital meter in that it registers in tenths of a DB. The Sears meters are on sale this week at 10% off I think. I haven't personally used the Sears models so I can't say what the quality is like.