Can You Hear Me Now? iPod Volume Restrictions On The Way
Have you heard? iPods in Europe are about to get a lot more quiet. Regulators have released a new set of standards governing how loud portable music players can go, and that means the default max volume is going take a big dip from where it currently sits.
The EU's New MP3 Player Policy
The European Commission's new policy will require iPods and other MP3 players to have a default maximum volume of 80 decibels. That's considered a "very loud" level by most sound rankings; anything above that mark can be potentially dangerous. Presently, most MP3 players go as loud as 115 to 125 decibels.
For some fun comparisons, we turn to the U.S. National Institute On Deafness And Other Communications Disorders (apparently, every shorter agency name was already taken). According to the, er, USNIODAOCD:
o 80 decibels is equivalent to the level of noise you'd hear on a busy city street;
o 90 decibels is lawnmower-like loudness;
o 110 is as ear-shattering as a loud rock concert;
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JR Raphael, PC World