[Aethelred]

EU seeks to make 'cranking it to 11' on DAPs nearly impossible


Love that brain-pounding sensation when you jack that volume past the sensible limit? If so, you best hop on the next flight to somewhere not within Europe, as the almighty European Commission is fixing to peg the default volume limit on portable media players at 80 decibels. If you're stricken with an awful case of déjà vu, you're not alone. You may recall that a similar French law forced Apple to limit the volume level on its iPod family to 100dB, and at that time, it decided to make the limit apply to all units shipped within Europe. Now, the EU is seeking to bring that ceiling down to 80dB on all portable music players in an effort to protect the precious hearing abilities of its citizens, though we should note that said level would only apply to the default setting, not overall maximums. In other words, you can override the recommended listening level if you please, but don't bet on that socialized healthcare taking care of you if The Man finds out. Kidding. Maybe.

[Via Telegraph]
Filed under: Portable Audio

EU seeks to make 'cranking it to 11' on DAPs nearly impossible originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:57:00 EST.

 

[xnor]

Nice, will protect the next generation from hearing damage.

 

[sanderx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aethelred /img/forum/go_quote.gif EU seeks to make 'cranking it to 11' on DAPs nearly impossible Love that brain-pounding sensation when you jack that volume past the sensible limit? If so, you best hop on the next flight to somewhere not within Europe, as the almighty European Commission is fixing to peg the default volume limit on portable media players at 80 decibels. If you're stricken with an awful case of déjà vu, you're not alone. You may recall that a similar French law forced Apple to limit the volume level on its iPod family to 100dB, and at that time, it decided to make the limit apply to all units shipped within Europe. Now, the EU is seeking to bring that ceiling down to 80dB on all portable music players in an effort to protect the precious hearing abilities of its citizens, though we should note that said level would only apply to the default setting, not overall maximums. In other words, you can override the recommended listening level if you please, but don't bet on that socialized healthcare taking care of you if The Man finds out. Kidding. Maybe. [Via Telegraph] Filed under: Portable Audio EU seeks to make 'cranking it to 11' on DAPs nearly impossible originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:57:00 EST.

Did you actually read more than just the heading? What does it matter if a player has a default max of X dB, if you can go and just override it after answering "yes" to "do you know it might harm your hearing" or similar prompt? It is not as if you shouldn't probably be using line out and amplifier anyways (even if you listen at 80dB).

Reading the news from an actual neutral news source, not from one that deliberately distorts anything EU related, would be good too.

 

[TStewart422]

The "nanny state" continues on...

 

[HD-5000]

Just what people need....the government telling you how you should listen to your music.

 

[xnor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TStewart422 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The "nanny state" continues on...

The EU is a state? THAT is news to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HD-5000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just what people need....the government telling you how you should listen to your music.

how loud you should listen
And yes, this is what people need just like they need the OSHA.

 

[astroid]

A more effective measure would have been to show the voume level in DB on the players.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroid /img/forum/go_quote.gif A more effective measure would have been to show the voume level in DB on the players.

Could be done I think. Maybe.
The player would need a database of specs and measurements from various headphones. The user would need to select which headphone they are using from a list.
The music being played would need to have been analyzed similar to what is done for replay gain but with more data points.
The player itself would need to monitor and measure the voltage and other electrical measurements that it is sending to the headphone.

With all that you might be able to get a reasonable guess of the dB level being played.

Would that process work? I don't know the engineering to know whether that is feasible or even possible.

 

[TStewart422]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xnor /img/forum/go_quote.gif The EU is a state? THAT is news to me.

It's a figure-of-speech.

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroid /img/forum/go_quote.gif A more effective measure would have been to show the voume level in DB on the players.

Except that most folks don't know a dB from a hole in the ground.

k

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xnor /img/forum/go_quote.gif how loud you should listen And yes, this is what people need just like they need the OSHA.

No, it isn't.

What they need is simply information.

If, after that, they still choose to ram their eardrums six inches into their skulls, that's their business.

k

 

[HD-5000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xnor /img/forum/go_quote.gif how loud you should listen And yes, this is what people need just like they need the OSHA.

Sorry, but I think the government has its sticky fingers far too deep into our private life. I believe I should be able to listen to music as loud as I damn well please.

Let's try to keep the bullsh#t bureaucratic red tape out of our electronics, for heaven's sake.

 

[moogoob]

Step 1: plug volume-limited DAP into cheapo Boostaroo.
Step 2: ...
Step 3: Profit!

 

[xnor]

HD-5000, did you read the first post?

And this is not the US and A. Over here in the EU we take health care, environmental pollution etc. serious ... and I don't see why it's bad to protect people from their own stupidity.

 

[HD-5000]

And Americans don't take health care and the environment seriously? Are you trying to be crass?

You may think that protecting people from themselves is a good thing. Maybe we should ban fast food and fast cars too, since we have to protect people from their own stupidity by signing away our rights. You are a naive, shortsighted person.