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Remove iPod European Volume Cap
bsodmike writes "This is a complete how-to for removing the EU Cap in the new iPods allowing 104dB bliss! Thanks to everyone @ #eucap including UnixMonkey, Keaner, Silvacow, m@rk et al." Some countries have an upper limit of 100dB for consumer devices, so the European version of the iPod is "crippled."
If you listen to your iPod at 100+ dB for a prolonged period of time, you might find yourself with hearing loss. Broken iPods can be fixed or replaced, but unfortunately your eardrums are permanent, and non replaceable.
Is that a real poncho? I mean, is that a Mexican poncho or is that a Sears poncho?
Before everyone starts going off on 104db being too loud for people to listen to without hearing loss (oops, too slow everybodys started already), people might like to consider a totally valid reason for this patch: the SPL of 104db is only generated when utilising the supplied headphones with the iPOD. If you choose to use better quality yet less sensitive headphones then you will need a higher output to generate the same SPL. However, you are not currently permitted by the powers that be to do this. Also, some people may be listening to non-normalised sound files which have an average volume considerably lower than your average normalised recording. The peaks in non-normalised recordings will be much more likely to be transients which are much less likely to cause problems, but are you "permitted" to raise the average output level up to a reasonable level? I think not...
The only Good System is a Sound System
Anyone remember the Sup 'R' Mod, the little RF modulator that cost, IIRC, $29.95 and allowed you to use your Apple ][ with an ordinary television receiver instead of a monitor? In those days, a dinky little green-screen monitor cost $150 or so, and few people invested in color monitors. All Apple stores carried them, they were as automatic a part of the sale as the camera store selling you a roll of film with your new camera.
The supposed story is that this was the actual modulator Apple had PLANNED to build into every Apple ][, but this was about the time the new FCC regs came into effect and, with the modulator, it didn't meet them. So they quickly set up a deal with the company that became Sup 'R' Mod. It was illegal for Apple to sell an Apple ][ with the modulator IN it, but perfectly OK for a company to sell the modulator by itself, and OK for an end user to PUT the modulator in.
I remember thinking at the time that the modulator fit so nicely and installed so easily, almost as if it were MADE to go there.
OK, mod this down as off-topic... it would only be a good parallel (and hence on-topic) if Apple had assisted with and winked at the defeat of the volume limitation, and I don't think they did.
Except that they aren't.
Eardrum repair is actually fairly common, and I'd know. I currently sport a 31-year old eardrum and a 7-month old eardrum. And before anyone goes off about it being the Tympanic bones that get damaged, rather than the drum itself, they can give you prostetic bones, as well.
I tried to talk my Dr. into giving me bionic bones/membranes, but he wasn't too into the idea.
A man talking sense to himself is no madder than a man talking nonsense not to himself.