iPod iPod classic 160GB (UK) volume too low

[Timtrash]

Still don't know if this is compatible with ipod classic though

It is not the solution for the ipod classic, as discussed.


iPodVolumeBooster - 1.4 is the patch found at http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/23890

It appears to rise the volume by 7 decibels. It doesn't make much difference but it is better than nothing. Yeah, it works.

I'm on a mac by the way.



I hope it is nothing a patch can't fix. I mean, if iPodVolumeBooster - 1.4 can boost by 7 decibels, I wonder why it can't boost by more. Maybe it will do in the future.



Can this be done on the ipod classic? And if it can be done, does anyone know how. It looks like it would be a bigger volume boost when compared to iPodVolumeBooster - 1.4

Useful to know, but is there any evidence yet that this works on the classic? My problem is that I don't have a Mac so I can't even try it. Has anyone used the aforementioned RegionalVolumeLimits.plist hack on the classic and can verify whether it works or not? I am loathe to use the iPod Volume Booster 1.4 as it sounds like it doesn't really fix the problem. This is getting ridiculous - surely Apple monitor these forums and can see that they've got some very angry customers on their hands? They certainly don't seem shy in removing potential solutions to this problem. Come on Steve Jobs - sort this damn mess out

 

[12AX7EH]

possible solution,

I´m too very annoyed by eu volume cap because i have to turn my car stereo way up to have a decent volume level.By doing so i get also increased hisss sound level.
---

maybe it would be possible to install us firmware to eu ipod since us firmware version dose not have any volume limitations.

would someone from us please upload us version of ipod software?

 

[gavstephenson]

volume adjustment

I can confirm that putting 'volume adjustment' up to 100% in iTunes does not help. It doesn't make the maximum volume via ipod classic any higher.

This has been discussed on a different forum I've been reading (can't remember where), so thought I should mention it.

Anyone had any luck? Even with the extra 7 decibels that iPod Volume Booster provides, it is still too quiet. I wonder why iPod Volume Booster only increases the volume by 7 decibels. Why not increase the volume by a larger amount? Anyone have any ideas?

 

[maniacco]

solution

hi guys !!!!... this is my first post on this forum.... ive paid a lot of money for my ipod, and i read a lot about Euro ipods... a tried almost every way to make my ipod louder.... even google doesnt know, then as a advanced unix operator - i try to fight mysleph. and WOILA
simply remowe file IpodPres from your ipod
the funny thing is even if you remove it and restart you ipod all your preferences is still on it, but ipod is LOUD !!!
do it from console
open it
and then
rm /Volumes/YourIpodName/IpodPrefs

mail me if it works for you... maybe is is a placebo

andrzej.maniak@gmail.com

sorry for my weak english....
regards from poland... anyone got a yob for me ??

 

[XxCH3AT3RxX]

Okay so this is only on iPods outside of the US? If so that will make me happy, not to sound rude, it is just that I have wanted one for so long(iPod classic 80GB USA) and have to wait till XMas to do it.

And what does that one program do that removes the sound cap? I know they don't have a version out for the iPod classic, but I was curious if it messed with your iPod or music.

 

[Killyp]

hi guys !!!!... this is my first post on this forum.... ive paid a lot of money for my ipod, and i read a lot about Euro ipods... a tried almost every way to make my ipod louder.... even google doesnt know, then as a advanced unix operator - i try to fight mysleph. and WOILA
simply remowe file IpodPres from your ipod
the funny thing is even if you remove it and restart you ipod all your preferences is still on it, but ipod is LOUD !!!
do it from console
open it
and then
rm /Volumes/YourIpodName/IpodPrefs

mail me if it works for you... maybe is is a placebo

andrzej.maniak@gmail.com

sorry for my weak english....
regards from poland... anyone got a yob for me ??

Didn't do anything to my Nano Can't see how it would be different for the Classic...

 

[maniacco]

Didn't do anything to my Nano Can't see how it would be different for the Classic...

sad.
this is my teory
all ipods are made by poor china people (they do it for a half pound of rice/day) ... no matter where it gonna be sell.
on oldest ipods there was small hidden partition - and there was the cap.
program Gopod was eresing that partition - i was read source code.
on my ipod i was trying removo almost all hidden and not hidden files, and restarting ipod. THIS ONE SOLVES MY PROBLEM... really.

 

[opossumita]

sad.
this is my teory
all ipods are made by poor china people (they do it for a half pound of rice/day) ... no matter where it gonna be sell.
on oldest ipods there was small hidden partition - and there was the cap.
program Gopod was eresing that partition - i was read source code.
on my ipod i was trying removo almost all hidden and not hidden files, and restarting ipod. THIS ONE SOLVES MY PROBLEM... really.

Hi all, i'm for the first time here!

Maniacco, could you re-explain your uncap procedure step by step?

I can't understand what:

remowe file IpodPres from your ipod ---- you mean preferences?
do it from console ----> what?
open it
and then
rm /Volumes/YourIpodName/IpodPrefs -----> where?

means exactly.

Grazie

 

[Killyp]

I did it through Finder, but first you have to show hidden files in Finder.

Go to terminal, and type in

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
<press enter>
killall Finder
<press enter>

Connect your iPod and make sure it isn't going to automatically eject (enable 'use in disk mode' in iTunes), and open it in Finder. Navigate to the 'iPod Control' folder (which will appear lighter than the other folders, as it's meant to be hidden) and delete the file iPodPrefs, then go back to terminal and type in the same as above except with FALSE in the place of TRUE.

However this is a waste of time before you continue!! from my point of view, because it didn't do anything.


In fact, why the heck did I even spend the time writing out that post?

 

[tianuk3]

wow this really looks unacceptable.. i really wanted to get a 160gb ipod as unfortunately creative dont make anything near that capacity (sorry creative hav much better sound too!). Think I will wait till there is an obvious fix... :-(

 

[stuartm]

How do you change the max vol settings

Have you gone into the settings and reset the maximum safe volume?

I seem to recall my 2G Nano being surprisingly quiet in the gym until I did that. But now it's easily loud enough to drown out the gym music and the treadmill hum

How do you do this on a 80gb classic, I too have found the volume surprisingly low.

 

[stuartm]

This serious stuff. This will impact on christmas sales for mac no end. Im gutted, I really thought that it was the quality of my downloads. Im currently listening to my music on FULL volume and Ive only had my pod for a couple of weeks. I thought that it was my lack of understanding on Itunes. if there really is no fix then the whole system is being shifted over to creative or sony.
Im not happy.......... Its a UK 80gb Classic I have. oh and another thing you breath on the chrome and it scratches. I had it 1min and it looks like its been stepped on in gravel.

 

[Nitrocide]

We'll I for one followed the guide to delete the iPodPrefs file and as far as I can "see" its worked.

Originally when i tried to change the volume limit on the actual iPod it wouldn't go higher than 100% without resetting the volume limit back down to 95% or whatever. Now it doesn't do that and the indicator stays at 100%.

Of course other confirmations needed.

 

[Lifeguy]

I'm having the same problem w/ my 160GB Black iPod Classic, and I bought mine in the United States.

 

[gavstephenson]

Sounds like we have conflicting reports. Can anyone else answer the all important question - does it work?

I'm a bit worried about doing this. Maybe I'll stick to the extra 7 decibels from iPod Volume Booster.

 

[assscat]

I tried this yesterday with my 80GB Classic. Unfortunately (and that's a big unfortunately b/c this is the only thing I hate about this iPod) it doesn't make any difference.

While it seems plausible that the cap is contained 'within' the ipodprefs file, deleting it doesn't change the cap's status, as presumably it's reinstated along with the new ipodprefs file that's created. Possibly if someone could get inside the file and modify it to 'remove' the cap that might work, but that's just pure guesswork.

This is really starting to get on my nerves now. I've been through about four different set of earphones (in-ear, on-ear etc.) in the past month to try to get a listenable volume on the tube but it's just no good.

I really hope someone is working towards a volume cap eliminator. I don't want to have to buy an old iPod for everyday use and keep my Classic for quiet surroundings.

 

[Lifeguy]

So, I've been browsing the net a bit to see if anyone else is acknowledging this problem. It turns out that there are many who are noticing this same problem. Here are a few links that discuss this thoroughly.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5319986&#5319986

http://homepage.mac.com/marc.heijligers/audio/ipod/comparison/measurements/measurements.html

 

[ace962]

The thing that confuses me is that if there is a "noise cap" for some sort of EU regulation then how come Creative and Sony haven't had to limit the volume on there MP3 players to? I looked into this and there is no complaints of any other players being to quiet?

The only semi helpful thing i found was using a "cheaper" headphone. The Apple buds and headphones like the Sony MDR-V150 (Argos £12.99) because of their "cheapness" seem to be a little bit louder.

I came to the solution of purchasing some extremly high quality Bose noise cancelling headphones. They retail for £225 to £275 which i appreciate to the average home user is alot of pocket money. The major benefit with these is that they dont need to be loud! The noise cancellation is astonishing, and the sound quality is amazing! For these two reasons they are superb.

From everything i have seen there is no real answer to this problem as of yet. Even with the iPod software 1.0.3 fix.

I can't see Apple fixing this with an update. Its just guna be a case of waiting for a piece of software that may help. Just in addition from all the information i have gathered GoPod haven't been about since about 2005, so i can't see a fix coming from them.

I hope this helps people!

 

[Tom B.]

Maybe you should all just get some in-ear headphones. You really will damage your hearing permanently if you are listening to your iPod on full volume every day. Making it louder would just be making it worse.

In-ear headphones will mean that you will be able to listen at a much quieter volume, but still hear it just as well as on full with Apple earbuds. They're quite a lot cheaper than they used to be as well.

 

[gavstephenson]

I don't want to moan, but I'm sick of people telling me how loud the music that I listen to on my ipod should be.

Yeah, I know your intentions are good, and that is kind of you, but they are my ears. And if I'm not hurting anyone else what's the problem? Maybe like why you can smoke in your own home but not around others.

You really will damage your hearing permanently if you are listening to your iPod on full volume every day.

It is good form to back up your arguments with evidence, isn't it?

Anyway, how is everyone else getting on with ipod volume booster? Enough 'boost'?

 

[Tom B.]

It is good form to back up your arguments with evidence, isn't it?

Sorry, I though it was general knowledge that listening to loud music damages your hearing. No?

The type of earbud headphones that come bundled with every iPod sold can cause serious hearing loss, according to a Northwestern University professor and audiologist. The earbuds can lead to permanent damage after only an hour of high-volume music in the 110- to 120-decibel range, the equivalent of a concert, said professor Dean Garstecki. He recommends switching to over-the-ear headphones, listening to your tunes no more than an hour a day, and turning down the volume.
“Insert earphones can boost the signal by as much as six to nine decibels. That’s about the difference between the sound of a vacuum cleaner and a motorcycle,” said Garstecki. “It’s a significant difference.” He also noted that the storage space on iPods contributes to problems. “Not only do you have a signal that is likely to be more intense, you’re likely to be using this device longer than people have been using CD players and Walkmans in the past. This increases the likelihood of hearing loss down the road.”

A new study found that teens and those in their 20’s are at risk of going deaf up to 30 years earlier than their parents because of listening to music on their iPod at high volume levels. According to the study by Deafness Research UK, more than 50% of those aged 16 to 24 listen to their MP3 players for more than an hour a day, but 68% of the group do not realize that listening to at loud volume can cause permanent damage. “A generation ago we would see people going deaf in their sixties or seventies, but we’re now seeing more people going deaf in their forties, which is very worrying,” said Vivienne Michael, the chief executive of Deafness Research UK. “Many young people are regularly using MP3 players for long periods and are frighteningly unaware of the fact that loud noise can permanently damage your hearing.”

A disgruntled iPod owner has filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming the device causes hearing loss and that the company does not properly warn users of this danger. iPods are “inherently defective in design and are not sufficiently adorned with adequate warnings regarding the likelihood of hearing loss,” according to the complaint, which was filed yesterday on behalf of John Kiel Patterson in U.S. District Court in San Jose, California.
The suit, which seeks class action status, demands compensation for unspecified plaintiffs’ damages and upgrades to make iPods safer to use. According to the complaint, iPods can produce sounds of more than 115 decibels, which can damage the hearing of a person exposed for more than 28 seconds per day. Apple ships a warning with each iPod that states “permanent hearing loss may occur if earphones or headphones are used at high volume.”

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&q=hearing+damage+ipod&btnG=Search

Anyway, feel free to listen to your music at whatever volume you want, it is your business, not mine.

 

[Sesshi]

I don't want to moan, but I'm sick of people telling me how loud the music that I listen to on my ipod should be.

Yeah, I know your intentions are good, and that is kind of you, but they are my ears. And if I'm not hurting anyone else what's the problem? Maybe like why you can smoke in your own home but not around others.



It is good form to back up your arguments with evidence, isn't it?

Anyway, how is everyone else getting on with ipod volume booster? Enough 'boost'?

Posts like this end up a few years later with "I've got this terrible ringing in my ears. Anyone know how to get rid of it?"

Tom B has excellent advice. Highly isolating in-ear monitors allow you to control your listening environment, so that you can listen quieter.

But that's not the whole story, because in-ears being efficient can be driven to ear bleeding volumes by the iPod as well - even limited ones. The sensible listener who wants to be able to listen for a long time a) controls his listening environment and b) limits maximum possible volume to a non-damaging level.

 

[ace962]

Maybe you should all just get some in-ear headphones. You really will damage your hearing permanently if you are listening to your iPod on full volume every day. Making it louder would just be making it worse.

In-ear headphones will mean that you will be able to listen at a much quieter volume, but still hear it just as well as on full with Apple earbuds. They're quite a lot cheaper than they used to be as well.

Have you actually listened to an EU iPod classic or are you just trying to be arrogant?

I'm assuming you haven't read the whole thread fully. I suggest you give it a good read BEFORE commenting on an issue.

 

[Sesshi]

Listened to it through what, is the question.

I believe he's trying to be helpful. The standard 32-ohm iPod phones may not go loud enough for outdoor use for some people, but the point being made is that those people may be trying to play the music too loud in the first place.

For example, let's take a commute on London's Tubes. The standard iPod earphones have no isolation at all, which means that in order to be able to make out the music over the noise of the train, your music must be louder than the noise of the train - and some of those squeals can exceed 100db's for short periods, and it's generally a darned noisy place to be. It needn't be places like the Tube - just compare the volume you'd use to listen to your iPod at home with the volumes you'd use in most outdoor situations and it will be come pretty clear.

What Tom B is referring to is the fact that if your player doesn't go loud enough for the music to be intelligible in the Tube situation for example, it's actually not a bad thing as such. A pair of isolating earphones allows you to control your listening environment by reducing ambient noise and the 'base noise threshold' if you like, so say something you couldn't hear at all at 70% volume on the iPod using a non-isolating standard iPod phone now becomes audible.

With a highly isolating phone like the Etymotics or Shures for example (fitted correctly), your iPod volume level in a noisy environment may be barely above what you needed for home with a pair of iPod earphones. This is not just "compensating for lower volume". It is damaging your hearing less over time.

This is a very simplistic example, but this might help. Let's say your music listening peaks at 50db over ambient noise of 20db at home with the standard iPod earphones. So the maximum noise level you're being subjected to is 70db. This will be the 'reference'. Now, it's take an ambient of 80db - a busy street - and try and make your listening experience about the same. Now you're subjecting yourself to 130db peaks, a level which can result in hearing damage over a short period. And the 'crippled' iPod may not even be up to delivering this volume. Throw in a pair of Etymotics in there, which will give you about 30db isolation with the foam tips. 80 (ambient) - 30 (isolation) + 50 (music) = 100dbs. There should be no need to compensate with volume-increasing hacks with an isolating phone, and you're listening at levels that cause your hearing less damage.

Make sense now?

 

[gavstephenson]

Sorry, I though it was general knowledge that listening to loud music damages your hearing. No?

Depends what you call loud.

To respond to your first piece of 'evidence', the EU ipods don't reach 110-120 decibel range. Maybe if you could turn them up to just under this level people would be happy with the volume.

2nd piece - "68% of the group do not realize that listening to at loud volume can cause permanent damage." That's fine but irrelevant.

“A generation ago we would see people going deaf in their sixties or seventies, but we’re now seeing more people going deaf in their forties, which is very worrying,”

They 'see', do they? Great, thanks for the figures.

3rd piece - one person (in the US) has filed a lawsuit. And...?



Of course listening to music at a certain level will damage your hearing, but a little more personal choice with regards to the EU ipod would be welcome.

Posts like this end up a few years later with "I've got this terrible ringing in my ears. Anyone know how to get rid of it?"

Years of listening to a Walkman, years of listening to an ipod. As far as I can see (my girlfriend keeps telling me to turn the TV up) my hearing is fine, thanks.

Yeah, I think in-ear headphones will help people a wee bit. Mine do.

It a) still may not be enough for some (including me) and b) why should people have to spend more money for a pleasant listening experience?

What we are simply saying is that in our opinion the EU cap is too low. I'm guessing we'd be happy with the US ipods. So, we're looking for a way to increase the maximum volume. In ear headphones - one option with weaknesses, certainly worth a mention though. Let's hope a foolproof option pops up soon.