Got an EU iPod? Still using euPod for volume boosting? • Non-Gaming • Apple, Mac, and iPod • Eurogamer.net

AnotherMartin 26 Apr 2005 10:35:16 6,229 posts
Seen 11 years ago
Registered 20 years ago

As you probably know EU iPods are volume restricted.

I, like others, had been using euPod to give a bit of a boost to the playback volume of my iPod.

But euPod only changes a setting in the iPod DB to get it to play louder than normal and you have to run it each time you update the tunes on your iPod. It does also come with MP3gain but that alters the actual mp3 files, which I don't want.

I know there has been firmware hacks for those using iPods on Macs for sometime now but I never came across one for Windows, until now...

Shamlessly nicked form another forum, I give you goPod.

Tiny little download, no install, does exactly what it's meant to.

If you're totaly paranoid you may want to back up your iPod first as as this is low level editting the firmware there is always a risk. But I ran it on mine this mornign with no issues and the end result is much better than euPod.

Remember to run euPod before/after you do goPod to make sure all the DB entries are back down to normal. But saying that you can always carry on using euPod if you still need that bit extra. (don't we all :-)

As goPod is changing the firmware the only time you'll need to re-run it is if you update/reinstall the firware on your iPod.

Hope i'm not teaching anyone to suck eggs here, I did do a forum search and it didn't come up.

Oh, and I'm not responsible for your ears so be carefull!

edit: forgot to say that there's also Mac and Linux versions on that site.

Edited by AnotherMartin at 10:35:55 26-04-2005

mentat 26 Apr 2005 10:37:09 5,613 posts
Seen 3 years ago
Registered 20 years ago

how quiet are they then?

My US ipod is really loud when turned up. Never managed to go full on...

AnotherMartin 26 Apr 2005 10:55:27 6,229 posts
Seen 11 years ago
Registered 20 years ago

Not sure off hand. I did read something yesterday where goPod was being discussed, what it did and how much difference it made but I can't find it at the mo.

But i did it on my EU iPod and the difference is noticable.

rare_uk 26 Apr 2005 11:39:51 3,634 posts
Seen 3 days ago
Registered 20 years ago

A cheers AM will give it a go once I have the time

montywithnail 26 Apr 2005 16:47:09 430 posts
Seen 1 year ago
Registered 19 years ago

Not sure what it was that i used, but it sounds like a similar proggy.

IMO the difference was huge. full volume on my ipod orignally, is now about 2/3 volume on my recalibrated pod.

I found that, out of the box i had trouble getting much clarity from it at full volume on planes, trains and in the gym (especially if i wasn't using earbuds). With the volume increasI now have no problem at all.

AnotherMartin 26 Apr 2005 16:59:04 6,229 posts
Seen 11 years ago
Registered 20 years ago

Yep, I was listening again to mine at lunch time and there is a big difference. I used to use euPod to boost 45% but even after running it to put it back to 0% and running this the difference is there.

GingerMagician 26 Apr 2005 17:12:31 3,011 posts
Seen 7 years ago
Registered 18 years ago

You do know you can boost the volume levels of the tracks on your iPod in iTunes, right?

No hacks, no firmware - all built into the iTunes software from the start.

Deleted user 26 April 2005 17:15:43

Hope i'm not teaching anyone to suck eggs here, I did do a forum search and it didn't come up.

Most definitely not, I'm sick of euPod. Cheers Martin! \o/

GingerMagician 26 Apr 2005 17:21:32 3,011 posts
Seen 7 years ago
Registered 18 years ago

otto wrote:
GM, yes, but that changes the music file itself making it more lossy. The hacks under discussion change the iPod's firmware getting rid of the volume limitation, so not lossy.

I personally haven't had any problem with the volume level on my EU iPod(s) but I've found that the headphones being used make a huge amount of difference. On my Senn PX-100s I need to play them at full volume all the time, on my HD-457s two-thirds is usually enough, on my old fontopia in-ears I needed even less.

Fair enough - just noticed AM's comment in the original post.

/is blind

You're right about Fontopias though, they do rock.

sam_spade 26 Apr 2005 17:24:02 15,745 posts
Seen 7 hours ago
Registered 20 years ago

Gah, doesn't detect my ipod. At all.

bainbrge 26 Apr 2005 18:22:21 1,687 posts
Seen 6 months ago
Registered 19 years ago

otto wrote:
GM, yes, but that changes the music file itself making it more lossy. The hacks under discussion change the iPod's firmware getting rid of the volume limitation, so not lossy.

I personally haven't had any problem with the volume level on my EU iPod(s) but I've found that the headphones being used make a huge amount of difference. On my Senn PX-100s I need to play them at full volume all the time, on my HD-457s two-thirds is usually enough, on my old fontopia in-ears I needed even less.

I am also slightly confused, my sony ex71's are rarely up to 2/3...Does the hack have any advantages if this is the case, i.e. does the additional amplification make a given volume level "better"? Is there an advantage to having more power to deal with transient peaks which aren't necessarily very "loud" but are louder than the surrounding sound?

AnotherMartin 27 Apr 2005 09:39:33 6,229 posts
Seen 11 years ago
Registered 20 years ago

sam_spade wrote:
Gah, doesn't detect my ipod. At all.

Are you running it on windows?

Also if you do a search for goPod you should find various discussions of it on the net, where you might find some help.

AnotherMartin 27 Apr 2005 09:41:29 6,229 posts
Seen 11 years ago
Registered 20 years ago

bainbrge wrote:

otto wrote:
GM, yes, but that changes the music file itself making it more lossy. The hacks under discussion change the iPod's firmware getting rid of the volume limitation, so not lossy.

I personally haven't had any problem with the volume level on my EU iPod(s) but I've found that the headphones being used make a huge amount of difference. On my Senn PX-100s I need to play them at full volume all the time, on my HD-457s two-thirds is usually enough, on my old fontopia in-ears I needed even less.

I am also slightly confused, my sony ex71's are rarely up to 2/3...Does the hack have any advantages if this is the case, i.e. does the additional amplification make a given volume level "better"? Is there an advantage to having more power to deal with transient peaks which aren't necessarily very "loud" but are louder than the surrounding sound?

I'd say give it a go, personaly I think it's worth doing. If you don't like it or think it's not worth it just download the latest iPod udater from Apple and re-do the firmware as that should set it back to normal.

But I'd say go for it as all your doing is putting an EU iPod back to what it should be, basically what the rest of the world seem to get.

rare_uk 27 Apr 2005 10:05:26 3,634 posts
Seen 3 days ago
Registered 20 years ago

As I keep going on about it I use Jriver Media Center which has an audio analysis tool that allows a flag to be entered into the iPOD db to specify the volume level, I think that's how iTunes does it too so the file is never changed. Media Center Audio analysis is used by me to make all the mp3's play at the same volume level

But for some reason it still isn't loud enough as I belive the software on Media Center just sets all the volume levels on all the songs to the same level (which is good as you don't get your ears blown out when a loud song comes on)

so hopefully this gopod will sort it all out.

Ah god knows what I'm on about, there was point in here somewhere but I lost it, what with interruptions from colleagues etc.

otto Moderator 28 May 2007 11:16:19 49,322 posts
Seen 4 days ago
Registered 20 years ago

GM, yes, but that changes the music file itself making it more lossy. The hacks under discussion change the iPod's firmware getting rid of the volume limitation, so not lossy.

I personally haven't had any problem with the volume level on my EU iPod(s) but I've found that the headphones being used make a huge amount of difference. On my Senn PX-100s I need to play them at full volume all the time, on my HD-457s two-thirds is usually enough, on my old fontopia in-ears I needed even less.