Hello, I would like to buy an I Pod Classic 160 GB and have heard that the volume limit in Europe has been reduced from the factory. Are the devices in the U.S.A also affected?

Question

Hello, I would like to buy an I Pod Classic 160 GB and have heard that the volume limit in Europe has been reduced from the factory.
Are the devices in the U.S.A also affected?
Volker

Answer 1

No, they are not. But getting round this is not that simple.
Until recently, the European Volume Limit that you're referring to affected iPods sold within the EU (European Union countries), so one purchased in the US would not be affected by this. Nor, in theory, would an iPod purchased in Norway or Russia, since neither of them are in the EU.
However, iPod Classics now sold within the UK (where I live) now appear to have an option to disable the EU Volume Limit. I would assume therefore, that this option is available on an iPod Classic bought anywhere within the EU. The firmware on an iPod Classic that can turn off the EU volume Limit is 2.0.5.
iPod Classics running earlier versions of the firmware (including 2.0.4) cannot be upgraded. I have personally seen one with 2.0.5 Mac on it in an Apple Store and the EU limit could be turned off. Check the picture from Badgorr in this thread New Option to turn off EU Volume Cap?  (It's towards the bottom of the page.) However, non-Apple stores may still have older stock, so be aware of this when you go shopping.
Experience tells me that buying an iPod from outside the European Union area is not that simple and you are unlikely to manage it. Apple will not ship goods to another country. So either you travel to the US to buy one from a shop (that's a bit extravagant) or you persuade someone else to buy one and send it to you. However, not only will you have the cost of shipping, but in either case, your country's tax department will almost certainly add tax to it when it comes into the country. The service delivering it will apply the tax and charge you for doing so as well or you get charged by the customs department at the airport.