Apple to introduce iPod volume limiter
By Ryan Block 
posted March 29th 2006 10:27AM
posted March 29th 2006 10:27AM
The
people spoke, and Apple listened -- while they still have their hearing that is. After facing that French iPod law (no,
not that one, the
other one regulating volume output in portable audio devices) and a lawsuit here in the states about
iPod-related hearing damage, Apple's apparently releasing a software update to allow for a personal volume threshold
option in your iPod. Meaning you can set it so your iPod can't get any louder than a certain pre-defined level --
though as long as that level is configurable, even if its placed out of the way in the device options, people will
still continue to set it to 11 and damage their hearing. Still, what's interesting here is that this move could be
construed as an admission of guilt in some sense, but hey, we appreciate the thought, Apple. Look at that guy in the
picture -- we wouldn't really want him screaming at full volume right into our ears, either.
Lets see a volume limiter for all the idiots blasting their car stereos at full volume. Boom. Boom. Boom.
My mom tried to do this to me when I was little. She listened to a song on my walkman then marked a little line on the volume dial where I was allowed to have it set. Problem is, when I listened to a different song or type of music, suddenly everything was too quiet to hear. Does this new volume limiter just set the overall volume of the ipod so that say what was level 11 is now actually level 8 or does it reduce the overall decible level so that no song will go over a certain point but all be able to go to a set decible level?
I understand that it's easier for parents to control childrens volume rather than teaching them what can hurt them but from what I understand, this whole issue was brought on by an adult and if they weren't smart enough to know that volume could hurt them then how are they going to be smart enough to know what level so set the limiter at? It's basically just a digital volume switch anyway.
Personally I think this is as dumb as people blaming fast food for making them fat or burning themselves with coffee or whatever but I guess it's the world we live in now. I know that cars can hurt so I wouldn't walk on to a highway and then sue the car manufacturer so if I'm told that volume can hurt I shouldn't be able to go after the audio manufacturer either. It's common sense people.
This is not about the nanny state versus unbridled free-market capitalism. This is about a useful, common-sense feature that was available on the Sony discman I bought in 1992, and that costs basically nothing to implement for a software-driven device like the iPod. Sheezus...
Strictly PR on Apple's part. If your kid wants louder, they can just plug in lower-impedence headphones.
AVLS - wow, haven't thought about that in a while. What a vile system.
From reading all the posts, I have come to understand that iPod buyers need a user manual in order to use it correctly.
This is such a waste of time.
People wouldn't turn them up so loud of they came with noise cancelling headphones. When's that coming?
#47. Your precious iPods aren't the only players targeted by this. See, this is the French law that targets all portable devices, so that the volume output doesn't exceed a certain threshold.
To comply with this, Sony has consistenly euro-capped its devices with weak 1.5mW+1.5mW amp so that the volume on max with most headphones will never exceed that threshold. Sony also has put AVLS function (caps volume to 14/30 or 16/30) for a long while with their walkman.
You tend to sound better when you sort of look around and are aware of other things aside from your precious iPod. More authortative too. Less of a fundie of sorts, fundie.
There is ALREADY volume limiting on ipods (in the UK at least). I personally have disabled it so I can drive a larger systems, but when listening with headphones (canalphones to be precise), I leave the volume at 1 or two notches above 0. This is easily enough for the headphones I use. If you're dumb enough to leave your volume cranked up at full blast, you'll not only run the risk of hearing damage, you'll also get some nasty distortions in your sound (Not that you'd notice with the POS earbuds that come with the ipod).
What?
I can't hear you. Speak up please.
do not insult BONO he is the best vocalist out there. U2 BEST BAND..
45. "I read an intersting comment on Gizmodo about this. To complain about a "saftey feature" on an ipod is like complaining about seat belts on a car. You don't have to wear it, but it can save you from harm."
no... it is like arguing them putting a seatbelt on a seatbelt. Before seatbelts, there was nothing else to hold you in. On the iPod, there is already something to regulate the volume with...this is just adding another one on top of that
Apple should change their motto to "Can you hear me now?" But then again VZW might get a little pissed...
I've gotta say, I've never accidentally turned the volume on my Zen Micro up. More and more I'm reminded why I passed on the iPod.
This one goes to 11.
#56 were typing u dumbass
That's it, we need to bring a class action suit against stupid people. I suggest we start with the moron who gave us the waring of "do not use hair drier in bathtub." Seriously, between parents and school we should have learned this stuff by the age of 6.
I think Apple have stepped up to the mark and taken notice on this which should be commeneded but I also think it was unnecessarry.
Why should they have been bullied into doing this when ultimately the responsibility of the hearing of the iPod users are thier own?
And has the French courts not realised that the iPods sold in Europe have volume limiting already (to comply with EEC law)?
what THE HELL is wrong with the United States? I mean aren't these gadgets SUPPOSED to be powerful music players...and now your suing them for pulling the extra juice out of the machine and getting you some dB? I mean geez if you can't listen to music without damaging you're ears its not a problem with the player...it might just be you're a retard. First it was the lady who sued McDonald's(and I aint no McDonald's fan) cus her coffee was hot...and now this.
dumb dumb dumb.
To #10, tommer12.
No one on the Engadget staff owns an iPod.
http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/28/tabletkiosk-umpc-pricing-revealed/1#c1344039
Hey Joe Smith, how did you manage to get -1 stars?
Apple didn't go nearly far enough in their effort to protect people's hearing. A discussion of scientific studies on iPod sound levels and hearing loss can be read here:
http://brentblog.typepad.com/brentblog/2006/03/the_science_of_.html
I cant belive no one has mentioned the reference to "This Is Spinal Tap" It's a crime against humanity to not notice that!
Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don't know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
Nigel Tufnel: [pause] These go to eleven