[Paul B]

I've got a 2nd generation Ipod Nano, recently it froze so I re-installed all the firmware and re-sync'd it. The other day when walking through the city I noticed I could barely hear my music over the traffic noise which I hadn't noticed before. I had a bit of a search on the interweb and it turns out that due to some EU law they have capped the volume on the European 2nd gen nano's so you can't have them too loud. Now I understand the reason for this, they don't want to be sued but whats wrong with sony's approach of having a set max level which you have to physically turn off (like when your mobile phone tells you its loud enought to make you deaf etc. but still lets you do it!)? As of yet noone has managed to uncap the volume and all of the available internet fixes only seem to make max volume occur at much lower down the sliding scale. My question is this:
are there ways that I can get more oompf from my ipod?
A small inline amplifier?
a better pair of headphones?
or should I have stuck to Sony (sonicstage was a real pain to use)...

[unclesomebody]

There is no solution for the second generation nano. If (and when) a new version of gopod comes out that will do the trick.

[andy_e]

The volume on my creative zen is really crap too, is there anyway to solve that?

[Paul B]

yeah i got that much after a bit of reading, fiddled with eupod and mp3 gain all to no avail. Hasnt goPOD 1.5 been due for a LONG tim now?
In the meantime?

[fatdoc]

i have a 2nd gen nano, with seinhesiser (sp) sport headphones (the ones that wrap around the back of your head), i ride to work most days on the a61, and they are plenty loud.

about £30 i think... worth it IMO.

[Paul B]

interesting, I've had a look at those...

[Jim]

what about that alternative ipod firmware bubba linked too a while back

[unclesomebody]

or any headphones with a very low impedance will sound louder (but you probably knew that)

[Paul B]

what about that alternative ipod firmware bubba linked too a while back

i'll try it but I doubt that has the volume level uncapped...

[unclesomebody]

actually, if you can install rockbox that will remove the volume limit as it's a software (not hardware) implementation.

[Paul B]

actually, if you can install rockbox that will remove the volume limit as it's a software (not hardware) implementation.

really? I would have thought people would have picked up on that in the endless forum posts (if it works). I'll give it a go, cheers unc/jim

Edit:

Rockbox works on:

Apple: 1st through 5.5th generation iPod, iPod Mini and 1st generation iPod Nano
(not the Shuffle, 2nd/3rd gen Nano, Classic or Touch)

[SA Chris]

The volume on my creative zen is really crap too, is there anyway to solve that?

Andi I assume you have gone to System - Audio Settings and then

Smart Volume to "Off"
Bass Boost to "On"
Restrict Volume to "Off"

I am pretty Mutt and Jeff and my Sennheiser Neckbands (PMX 40) are plenty loud enough for me.

[andy_e]

Yes- done that, and the top volume is still dismal.