Sony NW-HD5 Volume

[Nigel Nash]

As with the NW-HD3, the volume is limited to comply with Euro regulations. Normally not a problem, but older CDs seem to be encoded at a lowere volume, and for some CD audio or MP3s I have forund the volume of the HD5 too low. The following solution is for the HD3, but works for the HD5 if you substitute the "search-menu" for the "MODE" button reffered to. Obviously, once in the Service Menu BE CAREFUL. There are various parameters, and you only want to change the SP (Sound Pressure??) option. Turn it off and the volume bar gets longer and the player louder.

How to disable the max output limitation

This simple hack will disable the built-in output throttling in the European
versions of the player and thereby raising the max volume by a certain amount
(something like 20% - just my estimate).

1) To enter the service menu, first make sure the player is on (i e plays a
track).

2) Stop playback.

3) Set the player to HOLD before the player switches off.

4) While holding down the MODE button, enter the following key combination on
the navigation wheel:

RIGHT RIGHT LEFT LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT UP DOWN

5) Now as you disable HOLD, the display goes dark and says "POWER". You are now
inside the service menu.

6) Click UP so that the display says "OTHER".

7) Click RIGHT so the display says "G TEST".

8) Click UP as many times as needed until the display says "SP SET".

9) Click on the PLAY button. If the display says "OFF", than you might just as
well leave the service menu (go to step 11). However if the display says "ON",
it means that it the player is set to restricted output.

10) Click on the MODE button so that the display shows OFF.

11) Press the PLAY button to store the new setting. Now the display should say
SP SET.

12) Hold down the MENU button until the unit performs a normal startup.

13) You must now enable the backlight again by using the normal Menu function.

[LFC_SL]

couldn't have posted a link to Dotnet's thread instead eh?

people don't mess with anything in Service Menu 'cept to remove volume limit. You have been warned, + no idea if covered by warranty

[wilto]

that thread got a bit long and this confirms that it also works for HD5.

[jonbhoy]

First off thanks to Nigel for the step-by-step to overiding the volume limitation, what a difference.

The fact that E.U. regulations now affect how we listen to OUR music poses the question "where will this all end?". Imagine in 5yrs time I go to a Hi-Fi shop to dem an amplifier and find that it sounds too quiet, and the assistant turns round and says "Er..Sorry Mate E.U. Rules state that it can't go past a certain volume level"

If the powers that be can dictate how current portable devices function, whats to stop them from dictating how Audio separates in the future function?

Somehow I would'nt put it past them.

[LFC_SL]

I think their (eu execs) concern is that with portable devices, sound goes thru headphones next to ear.

with everything else, its speakers.......which u won't exactly put next to ur ear when you have it turned up

[jonbhoy]

It only takes the excuse "It's for your neighbours benefit" that E.U rule such 'n' such is introduced.

Just the same as "It's to protect your hearing" that we limit personal vdevices volume. - I like playing music loud, but do it sensibly i.e when my neighbours are out at work when I'm off work.

[LFC_SL]

yeah well..........with a volume limit remover available round the corner for most HD DAPs (not flash unfortunately), can't really complain

although, if the volume needs to be limited, what?! the US and Japan are letting their citizens go deaf?!

[David Mackenzie]

I'LL decide what's an appropriate volume for me thank you.

[verflucht]

Thanks to whoever it was that found out that little tip about the volume. It's about 2am, just picked up my NW-HD5 today and after 5 hours(!) of transferring 1298 songs (I don't have USB 2), i am dancing like a madman in my bedroom. I'm just going to give the Soundstage software another go, but if anybody knows how to (I hope this is not a dumb question) to edit songs so that the Album info mirrors what I have in Soundstage with what is transferred to my new baby. For example, I streamlined some artists names, for example: Puff Daddy, Puff Daddy & The Fam, Puff Daddy and other idiots into simply Puff Daddy on Soundstage. The problem is that when that gets copied into my player, the artist names revert back to the originals. Quite annoying. Especially since only the song name scrolls to show all the characters if it is too long to fit on screen.

Any help?

stupid question I know, but where is the MODE button on the HD5???

[mcfarfs]

It is, I believe, the "Search-Menu" button.

Cheers! fixed the rubbish EU volume.

[Louis Mazzini]

I just tried this on my HD5: I got to the "Power" screen, then to "Others" (rather than "Other" - sorry if that sounds pedantic, but it might be relevant), but from there I found no "G Test" screen. Anyone else come across this/have any idea how to proceed from here? Cheers.

Nigel, thanks so much for taking the time to put this hack on the web. I've registered as a forum user just so I can say a big big thanks!
I almost paid £1 to some greedy so-and-so on eBay who is selling this information, but then thought that someone is bound to have put it on a forum somewhere. Superb result, as I was almost thinking that I should have bought a US model or something, as the volume limiter is ridiculous (AV users - vote no in EU referendums in future!), but this has restored faith in my HD5.
By the way, I was on the verge of mild panic during the process - I did everything except when I tried to power up using the menu button nothing happened. I tried many times, and held it down for ages, but couldn't get out of the service menu! I called a Sony Centre but all the engineers were out at lunch. Then I just tried again, and hey presto it worked, all of a sudden! Don't know why, but don't panic if you experience the same problems when removing the limiter on yours. Many thanks again.
By the way, anyone found a good case yet? I can only seem to find two on the whole web, one from Sony Style that is £25 including postage (HD5ALEATHER.EU is the part code) and one from Noreve (http://www.noreve.com/product/Etui_c...ml?language=en) that is 40 Euros. Neither appeal too much, maybe something cheaper that you can operate the unit in would be nice?

[LFC_SL]

damn e-bayers trying to cash in on others desparateness......especially annoying when solution is free....

blowsy, there's another thread here on HD5 cases