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iPod iPod classic 160GB (UK) volume too low

R

RealEvil

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 5, 2007
334
32
Hi,

I have just got one of these, used to have a 2nd Gen 8GB Nano (UK model also). The volume (even after removing the volume limit - or rather setting it to be the highest point on the scale) is lower than my old Nano.

Maybe im going crazy but im really struggling here. I go to the same gym as before and I really struggle to hear it now. Many songs I play I am on MAX volume and thats not really enough...

Today I just picked up some new Shure E3G earphones in the hope their low imepedence/sound isolating design would help but no.

Anyone else having this problem?


Neil
 
You really shouldn't be listening to music that loud. If you want to save your hearing of course.

Unless of course you are already going deaf which would explain why it's hard to hear it.

Don't know how to increase it any more though. Maybe through the equaliser?
 
Volume low?

I noticed this also. My old 30GB 3G iPod was replaced by a 80GB Classic past weekend and I noticed that the volume is much lower too. I used to use my 3G iPod while riding my motorbike as the foam earplugs hurt my ears after a while but with the Classic I can hear the wind rushing past my ears as well as the music. I'm using a pair of Sony E71's which I was using on the old iPod.

I accept the hearing part about not having it too loud. Only idiots and fools need the volume up so loud, but the old 3G iPod was usually set to 3/4 volume and isolated me from the wind completely and is much louder than the new one at full - again as with the previous post - with the volume limiter reset to full.

I'm investing in some new more expensive headphones to see if that helps but disappointed so far. I am not sure why this difference should be so. Both iPods were bought from Apple Stores here in UK.

Marky
 
eek, i hope your using an armband or something mark, nothing worse than loosing your ipod at high speeds! well... maybe getting hit by an ipod from your motorbike...

Im getting my classic in a couple days and ill report on the volume status themn.
 
I have heard that laws in Europe may force Apple to limit the maximum volume on iPods. I have also heard that sometimes they don't with certain shipments by mistake or something. It seems your iPod nano is standard volume, but your iPod classic has been restricted by EU laws.
 
This is becoming unacceptable, I too have the same problem with a 160gb classic. Even through the dock connector on my car's built in ipod connector! Comparing it with my 5G 60GB and my 8GB iPhone, with the cars setting at 40 and the classic with the cars setting on max isn't even comparable!! at around 50 it's blasting, at around 30 with the iphone and 5g ipod I can carry a conversation with a passenger, 50 on the car with the classic is roughly the same was 30 with the iphone and 5g ipod.
 
I've bought an 80GB iPod Classic and the top level of the volume is too low. I like to listen to it on the way to work on the underground and actually the sound of the train drowns out the music.

Is there anything I can do about this?
 
Volume not acceptable

I too have purchase a 160GB classic. Pleased with the item in general, but not the max volume. I have looked for 3rd party apps to remove this limitation (including Gopod and Eupod) but they are old programmes that dont seem to find the new classic.
So i call Apple and speak to a representative. He is not aware that there is a volume cap (!). Then a senior technician, who advises me to go to an apple store to compare it with another ipod, to see if something is wrong..... Oh yes, there is something wrong alright!
I find this totally unacceptable, and plan to return the ipod to get my money back. I will then ask a friend to buy me one in the US in a few months. So i will end up getting what I want - but what a lot of hassle!
 
Ipod 160GB Classic Volume too low.

It's not about being too loud or going deaf and I don't understand why people jump to that conclusion. I have a seperate volume control on my headphones which is less effective at low output levels plus the car takes an Ipod input but struggles with the classic's low output levels.
I also own a 5g 80GB which is fine. The 160GB Classic runs at least 75% more quietly at full volume.

Does anyone know if this can be fixed?
 
Can this be fixed?

After contacting apple support and becoming more frustrated with a service department offering no service (and with absolutely no knowledge of the fact that the new classic is volume capped) I tried my two local apple dealers. Both had no knowledge of this matter. I was amazed. It gave a whole new meaning to 'I dont know, I just work here'. As it happened, I dropped into a PC shop after this to buy some memory and mentioned this dilemma off-handedly. I was then met with 'of course, everyone knows they are capped - I removed mine on my 5G ipod'. He turned his screen and googled 'ipod classic volume patch', found nothing, but triumphantly declared that this was not going to be a problem. Give it a few weeks and you will find a patch, or a re-written version of gopod, he said.
Im still not sure what to do, and moreover, amazed that there arent hordes of users complaining about this.
 
I'm furious about that my new iPod classic is capped. The last iPod I bought was also here in the UK - a video iPod and that was not capped (or if it was, the cap was way high).

I've been listening to ridiculously loud music for years but I always use some excellent headphones - cheap ones tend to create high intensity harmonic artifacts which *do* damage your ears. My hearing today is excellent, despite my irresponsible madness of wanting to listen to *my* music at the volume *I* prefer.

Apple keep doing these dumb things - my iPod before that was a 3G one I think, which was a) too quiet and b) tended to go into pause mode if you use any non-Apple (i.e. good) headphones and move about. My number one use case was to listen to music whilst cycling to work, which I now could no longer do unless I used Apple's in-ear phones which IMO at high volumes are peaky and damage hearing.

So here's one more supporter of the let-us-do-what-we-like team.

Neil.
 
when I got my classic I noticed that the volume limit (under settings) was about 1/2. I set it to full and I can't tell any difference in volume between the classic and my previous 5G iPod. The only other thing I can think of to check if volume's too low is to make sure Sound Check is turned off - if it's on and you have any music that's set too quiet on your iPod everything else will be set down to the same level.
 
Phil A. said:
when I got my classic I noticed that the volume limit (under settings) was about 1/2. I set it to full and I can't tell any difference in volume between the classic and my previous 5G iPod. The only other thing I can think of to check if volume's too low is to make sure Sound Check is turned off - if it's on and you have any music that's set too quiet on your iPod everything else will be set down to the same level.
Click to expand...

I had the same problem and found that Sound Check was enabled. I turned it off and voila! It was great.

Cheers.
 
I just got a new 160GB classic and I don't have any such volume reduction. To be sure, I just went and tested the same song with the same headphones on my 5th gen 80GB and 160GB classic and the max volume level is near identical.
 
Phil A., devman, vanmacguy, do you all have iPod classics bought in the European Union?
 
The volume on my 2nd gen nano is ridiculously low. It's impossible to hear when out running; I refuse to wear isolator earbuds, as I feel they're too dangerous as they dramatically reduce my situational awareness.

I know that these limitations were forced on Apple, but I'm annoyed that it's now nigh on impossible to remove the cap.

I won't be buying anymore EU iPods because of this issue.
 
Padraig said:
It's impossible to hear when out running; I refuse to wear isolator earbuds, as I feel they're too dangerous as they dramatically reduce my situational awareness.
Click to expand...

totally agree with that part.

Padraig said:
I know that these limitations were forced on Apple, but I'm annoyed that it's now nigh on impossible to remove the cap.

I won't be buying anymore EU iPods because of this issue.
Click to expand...

Has it been proven that EU ipods are capped?
 
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