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EC wants MP3 player volume limit

iPods and other music players sold in Europe could soon be subject to a compulsory volume threshold to protect listeners' ears

By Martin James, 14 Dec 2009 at 11:43

Figure listing to MP3 player with headphones

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The European Commission wants to impose compulsory volume restrictions to MP3 players sold in Europe over concerns that listening to music too loudly could cause hearing damage.

A report in October last year claimed that as many as 10 million European consumers face permanent damage to their hearing from listening to music at high volumes for prolonged periods of time. At the time, there were widespread calls for a volume restriction to be put in place, and the European Commission now plans to begin a consultation in the new year to make those calls a reality.

The commission wants a default maximum of 80-85 decibels put in place, with a manual override unlocking a true maximum of 100 decibels, which would still be significantly down on the volume output some players offer today.

Speaking to the BBC's Politics Show, Stephen Russell of the European consumer lobby ANEC said: “There are up to 10 million Europeans, mainly young people, at risk of losing their hearing permanently in the next five years due to their personal listening habits."

He added: “Some of the units on the market at the moment are capable of generating a volume of beyond 115 decibels. If we compare that with health and safety legislation, workers are not allowed to be exposed to that levels of volume for more than 30 seconds.”

The two-month consultation will canvass the views of all EU standardisation bodies, with a final decision expected to come in the spring.

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7 comments

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Nanny State

Ah, more ridiculous decisions from the bored pen-pushers in Europe. What happened to democracy and personal freedom of choice.
It just means I'll be buying all my stuff in the States now. Much cheaper there anyway.

By Auric73 on Tuesday Dec 15

Oh Nanny . . .

You are so benevolent and wise. I am so happy that we have you to look after us.

By jezza on Tuesday Dec 15

And how will they do that?

How do they propose to monitor or control the volume delivered at the ear? it depends on the kind of headphones used, how close to the ear they are,impedance etc etc.
If they limit it so it is safe with in-ear earphones then the player will be no use with on-ear types.
It's a pipe dream of a nanny state

By BrianDavison on Tuesday Dec 15

Save My Sanity

About time too. I'm fed up with having to listen to a tinny version of Ipod users so-called music when I am on public transport. It should be restricted to such a level that it cant be heard by others within 10 feet. Anyhow I hate to think what it is doing to their hearing.

By Birdmaniw on Tuesday Dec 15

How will they do it

Easy, feed back from one of the earpieces. No feedback, no music.

By Birdmaniw on Tuesday Dec 15

Stevematt

The output of these devices is rated in mW not dB. It's Signal to Noise Ratio thats rated in dB. That's so dumb.

By TheDude on Tuesday Dec 15

Less Irritation

I understand the volume thing may be a problem, but for me the thing I would really want is all portable devices having media playback blocked through internal loudspeakers. Hands free is great on a phone, nut shouldn be a method of playing music. I have had to crank up the volume on my mp3 player (with headphones) so that I can drown out the chav playing trash on their phone.

By davidbachman2028 on Tuesday Dec 15