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EU to lower the volume on your iPod
Danny Brierley17.10.08
THE volume of personal stereos could be turned down by EU safety campaigners who fear they are damaging hearing.
Devices like the iPod and other MP3 players are likely to be restricted by Brussels regulators.
A scientific commission found that 10 per cent of users were listening to music at levels that could cause permanent hearing loss after five years. At the moment they are allowed to reach 100 decibels, but "in-ear" headphones can raise the sound to 120.
A recent British study found that 6.9 per cent of people aged 18 to 25 played their personal stereos louder than 90dB. The Royal National Institute for Deaf People has calculated that more than two thirds of young people who regularly use MP3 players face premature hearing damage.
Reader views (9)
The only thing that needs to be turned down is the volume of garbage coming from the EU. I would rather be deaf than driven insane and broke by those damned communists who not only want to regulate every facet of my life, but make me pay for it at overtime rates.
- Ciccio, Toronto, Canada.
Sorry? Say again please?
- Phil, Kent
I don't know about loud ipods damaging the user's hearing but they certainly cause plenty of irritation to anyone sat nearby on the tube/bus/train.
The problem's with the cheapy, poorly fitting, noise leaking earphones Apple supplies as standard. They should be banned tomorrow! Instead they should supply the in-ear noise blocking type 'phones which leak less noise so don't irritate other people, don't need to be turned up so loud (less damage to the ears) and give better sound and comfort.
- Nigel, London
Strange, because all the people I know with an iPod complain that it is not loud enough, unlike the US version which is much louder.
- Dom, London
Get Stuffed! eu, we never wanted you anyway.
- Vince London, West London
Here we go - another study. Yes, its pretty well obvious to anyone with a modecom of common sense that happens to use public transport that the majority of people with hearing pieces placed directly into their ears on high volume (if others can hear it, its too loud) will probably be stone deaf by time they are 40. People don't realise that the elements that make up your capacity to hear that are inside your ear are extremely tiny and delicate and by introducing any kind of loud noise day after day will actually render the tiny workings of your ear to malfunction and will eventually render you deaf.
- Sue, Orpington, Kent
Cant even hear mine properly on the tube !
- P I Staker, london
EU: toddle off and resolve the banking and immigration problems before worrying about consumer electronics.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland
you can't turn the volume right down 2 a comfortable level on some ipods,what i mean here is the volume is still loud^ at the lowest setting,so after a while your hearing deteriorates because of it
i wish i could lower the volume level on my ipod,because i have sensitive hearing
- Jonathan, glasgow
