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EU Recommends Noise Limits On MP3 Players

Posted by Soulskill on from the protecting-you-from-yourself dept.

A story at the BBC notes increasing pressure from the European Commission to set standards that would limit the maximum volume on portable MP3 players. Their reasoning is that it would protect users from damaging their hearing after listening to loud music for extended periods. Quoting: "This follows a report last year warning that up to 10m people in the EU face permanent hearing loss from listening to loud music for prolonged periods. EU experts want the default maximum setting to be 85 decibels, according to BBC One's Politics Show. Users would be able to override this setting to reach a top limit of 100 decibels. ... Some personal players examined in testing facilities have been found to reach 120 decibels, the equivalent of a jet taking off, and no safety default level currently applies, although manufacturers are obliged to print information about risks in the instruction manuals. Modern personal players are seen as more dangerous than stationary players or old-fashioned cassette or disk players because they can store hours of music and are often listened to while in traffic with the volume very high to drown out outside noise."

3 of 360 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Forget disabled users... by Hurricane78 · · Score: 0, Troll

    And what about reality? Do you have to hack reality too, to get back to a reasonable volume? :P

    I would say: “Fix your ears!”. But unfortunately, medicine does not care or want to fix things, and only sells you symptom treatments. So I have to say: If you need a hearing aid, get one.
    Because reality ain’t gonna adapt itself to you. Sorry, man.

    --
    Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
  2. Re:Do what we say, not what we do by fbjon · · Score: 0, Troll
    And this device consistently causes hearing loss to recipients? Not only that, but isn't it equally "hypocritical" that people get fined for speeding, while police cars drive as fast as they need during a chase?

    No, it's not hypocritical, those are two entirely different things.

    --
    True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.
  3. Re:What can't I f**king decide for myself? by el3mentary · · Score: 0, Troll

    Yeah but you piss me off on the bus/train/tram you inconsiderate dick. I don't want to hear your music and neither does the rest of the carriage.

    I would support this if only to limit the amount of inconsiderate jerkasses on public transport from imposing their music onto my ears.

    --
    I reject your reality and substitute my own.