[fmalloy]

I find that the iPod volume level is pretty low. In a serious listening mode in a noisy environment, I have to crank it full volume, and some songs are at a low level anyway. On top of that, I think my hearing is below normal.

What I did to help was:

1. Open iTunes, select all songs in the Library with CMD-A
2. CMD-I for Get Info
3. Say OK about the multiple song info warning
4. Check the box that says "Volume Adjustment"
5. Turn up the slider
6. Sync

This will raise the volume of all the songs, so they play louder on the iPod.

It will take a while if you have a lot of songs. I think it can also cause distortion on some songs if you raise it all the way.

If there is a better way to do this, please let me know.

Frank

[Ambassadeur]

Originally Posted by fmalloy

I find that the iPod volume level is pretty low. In a serious listening mode in a noisy environment, I have to crank it full volume, and some songs are at a low level anyway. On top of that, I think my hearing is below normal.
...
This will raise the volume of all the songs, so they play louder on the iPod.

Maybe there is a connection between your "cranking it full volume" and a hearing level below normal?

Excessive volume (for longer periods) does damage your hearing permanently, so maybe turning it up even more is not the way to go. You might better try getting earbuds that insulate the sound better in noisy environments you you don't need to turn it up so much and even increase the basic volume setting for each song.
Try in-ear buds as compared to the stock ipod earphones. Just my 2c.

[fmalloy]

Originally Posted by Ambassadeur

Maybe there is a connection between your "cranking it full volume" and a hearing level below normal?

Excessive volume (for longer periods) does damage your hearing permanently, so maybe turning it up even more is not the way to go. You might better try getting earbuds that insulate the sound better in noisy environments you you don't need to turn it up so much and even increase the basic volume setting for each song.
Try in-ear buds as compared to the stock ipod earphones. Just my 2c.

Yes, obviously I know there is a correlation, which is why I mentioned it. I probably do need a hearing test.

I already have the Sony EX-70 in-ear phones, but while they insulate external sound their impedance and/or efficiency is not the same as the provided ear buds so they reduce the volume compared to the stock ear buds.

[Ambassadeur]

Originally Posted by fmalloy

I already have the Sony EX-70 in-ear phones, but while they insulate external sound their impedance and/or efficiency is not the same as the provided ear buds so they reduce the volume compared to the stock ear buds.

You think so? I am using the EX-71s and they are at least the same volume as the stock ear buds, IMHO. I am running them at some 60%-80% volume, anything above that becomes difficult to stand for longer periods.

For your volume pumping problem, anything you do with the main volume setting for each song would distort it to some point, it's the same problem with the iTunes equalizer setting for the pre-amp. At 100% it distorts horibly.

You could check out some of the programs that are out there to make up for the lower max. volume in europe. some of them increase the individual song levels in the database on the ipod, so maybe that'd work for you as well... try the search funtion and look for ipod, europe and volume I'd say.

Good luck. And have those ears tested!!!

[Big Mac]

Ambassadeur is right about distortion from the software volume increase. It is possible that the OP had a lot of tracks that were recorded too low.

[Randman]

How were the songs ripped? What format and settings? I also have the 71s and play them at a lower volume most of the time because they do insulate sound so well.

[fmalloy]

Originally Posted by Randman

How were the songs ripped? What format and settings? I also have the 71s and play them at a lower volume most of the time because they do insulate sound so well.

Ripped using the normal AAC encoder, and also bought music from the iTMS.

I'll have to do a better comparison, but when I did a quick switch of the earbuds and the EX-70s (I have the older EX-70, not the EX-71) it seems that the stock earbuds are a bit louder. I read that the impedance of the 70s are different than the earbuds (something like 16 vs. 32 ohms) and I know that the impedance has to match or the volume can be different

[SpaceMonkey]

Unfortunately, there is a modern trend for popular music to be mastered at very high levels, in some cases because of pressure from record labels, because louder music usually "sounds like" it is of higher quality (in fact, many modern pop songs have horrible clipping problems). If, like me, you have a varied collection that includes both older and newer music, normalizing volume in iTunes very difficult without resorting to pumping up the volume adjustment all the way for at least some songs.