What are you listening to audiobooks ON?

[chyron8472]

I listen to my audiobooks using Plex Media Server. Sometimes my wife and I listen to audiobooks on the TV with the Plex app on our Roku, but mostly I listen to books with Plex for Android on my phone.

I'm really picky about the way my audiobooks look and feel. The primary problems I have with listening to audiobooks on Audible (et al.) are that the cover art often is ugly; the book titles don't sort by series name/order; and books are often not chapterized properly. (also it does not display chapter numbers/names).

[WT Sharpe]

These days I'm listening to my audiobooks on my phone, my Echo, my Tap, my Prius, and my hearing aids (the latter two items via Bluetooth from my phone).

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by chyron8472

. . . The primary problems I have with listening to audiobooks on Audible (et al.) are that the cover art often is ugly; the book titles don't sort by series name/order; and books are often not chapterized properly. (also it does not display chapter numbers/names).

The biggest concern I see is that introductions are generally counted as chapter one, so all the following chapters will be off by one when compared to the DOC. Not a major problem, though.

[Alohamora]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

The biggest concern I see is that introductions are generally counted as chapter one, so all the following chapters will be off by one when compared to the DOC. Not a major problem, though.

That doesn't bother me, unless the book ends before the last "chapter" because Audible includes an afterword or author bio in the chapter count.

Apart from that niggle, the Audible app on a no contract Android phone is as close to perfect as I've found.

[chyron8472]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

The biggest concern I see is that introductions are generally counted as chapter one, so all the following chapters will be off by one when compared to the DOC. Not a major problem, though.

Like I said, I'm also picky about book cover art.

Left is Audible, right is Plex.






Proper chapter markers and names:




And making sure books sort by author's lastname -> series order:

[kenmac999]

Primarily my android phone using Mortplayer for AudioBooks. Its simple design makes it easy to use.

[CRussel]

Listening to books on my new, waterproof, Delphin while swimming in my Endless Pool.

This is a solid 4 3/4 out of 5 for waterproof audio players. I'm still testing out its various features. Here's the details, good and bad. First, the bad:

1. WiFi is supposed to be off while swimming. Doesn't work anyway in the water, so duh. But it's a bit annoying if you need to change something.
2. Sound quality through the plugged in headphones is pretty poor. Totally adequate for books, but I wouldn't want to use it for music. OTOH, they've been totally transparent about that, AND the sound quality through the Bluetooth is much better. For books only? I find the included headphones quite adequate.
3. Button interface is a bit awkward at times, but do-able. However, the addition of a WiFi button would have been a plus.
4. Battery is pretty minimal. And will get worse over time, of course. But it's acceptable.
5. Automatic shutoff after 30 minutes. Might be annoying if you're swimming long distances. Not (yet) configurable.
   ETA: 30 minutes of inactivity, not 30 minutes of playing music or listening to books. So not really a problem.
6. Wireless keyboard included wouldn't pair with device. Quite annoying, actually. But I'm going to send email or call tech support. Good test of their support.
   ETA: Support was great, problem resolved, and their instructions and video being updated to reflect what the support engineer and I discovered.
7. Proprietary charging cable. But it works.

Now, for the good stuff:

1. Light, small, and no hindrance on my goggles headstrap.
2. A BUNCH of ear pieces -- you'll certainly be able to find ones that will fit and keep water out of your ears. So odd shapes there, but they actually work well.
3. Audible app. Native behaviour. Love it. Just love it.
4. Amazon Music for those inclined. Spotify, Pandora, etc, for those of other persuasions. (Requires offline mode, so Premium necessary.)
5. Small screen but usable, just, without extra keyboard.
6. Charges in a reasonable time -- a bit over an hour from nearly dead.
7. No more excuses, no more reason not to swim.
8. Wish I'd bought the 16 GB, but only because I always wish I'd bought more memory.

ETA: I've had this for a month now, and swum with it at least every other day. It's still absolutely the best waterproof music/audiobook device I've ever used, full stop. And it's now available for purchase. (I got mine via Kickstarter.)

[trichobezoar]

I'm not sure if I should listen to The New Art of Negotiating on my old school laptop (Asus U47A), my Galaxy Note 10.1 tablets (I have a few--which one?) or my Kindle Touch... Decisions, decisions.

I guess I have to negotiate with myself--which one to choose?

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by trichobezoar

I'm not sure if I should listen to The New Art of Negotiating on my old school laptop (Asus U47A), my Galaxy Note 10.1 tablets (I have a few--which one?) or my Kindle Touch... Decisions, decisions.

I guess I have to negotiate with myself--which one to choose?

I would suggest the one that you have with you when you want to listen and that has what you want to listen to on it.

I personally listen on a couple of different devices. I have on device that I use in the car, then I have my phone which has a selection on it and finally a tablet that has a much bigger selection. At work, I normally listen on the phone, but if it's especially noisy (i.e. certain loud mouthed people are there), then I listen on my tablet because it's a lot easier to connect my good noise canceling ear phones to my tablet.

[trichobezoar]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

I would suggest the one that you have with you when you want to listen and that has what you want to listen to on it.

Thank you so much for the advice. *nods* I could listen to it on my laptop when I'm home and on my small, lightweight Kindle everywhere else.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Speaking of waterproof, can anyone recommend a Bluetooth shower speaker? I'm not terribly concerned with the sound quality or any bells and whistles.

I bought the one below a few years ago and I've been very happy with it. I don't know if the company still makes it, or if the company is even around anymore. I bought it for our hot tub, since you can totally submerse it (not just splash it). Not that you'd ever do that on purpose, but around a hot tub things can happen. The only (minor) downside to it is the control buttons are not really distinct. You can find them by feel (barely), but then to know which one is which you better have memorized what order they are in. This isn't a problem for me, but I can see how some people might get confused in a situation where they could not see the buttons (like in the shower with shampoo in your hair and your eyes closed!) On the plus side, the speaker has a microSD slot so you can load up one of those little memory cards and keep it in the speaker for the times when you want music, but don't have your phone around to bluetooth pair with it. The speaker is metal framed and rubber coated.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A.../outeraudio-20

Large picture here (you can see what I mean about the buttons being non-distinct):

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....L._SL1500_.jpg

Another one I considered buying based on research is the JBL Charge 3. It costs three times as much as the Sharkk above though. And if you look at pictures of the JBL, it's buttons seem even more non-distinct. But it gets good ratings. I would probably go with one of the smaller ones for shower use - like something from the JBL Clip series. Unless you live in a mansion, there just isn't much space in a shower for you to need gigantic sound. The Charge 3 might be overkill. The Sharkk model above sounds great, and since it's not expensive, would be a fine choice for a shower IMHO.

[SeaBookGuy]

Usually my android phone: Audible, Smart Audio Player or Overdrive app.

I have started listening on my Sansa Clip again recently, especially for books where I do not want cover art displayed.

[Tarana]

Currently, Ipod Itouch, Nano, Echo, Fire HDX, Nook HD+. I've been trying to figure out audiobooks on Plex. The current Fires have terrible speakers, so I don't bother with them at least until the HDX gives out. I need the text-to-speech, but I think I can plug these into a small speaker.

My Mom's CD player failed and I gave her mine. I'm trying to decide if I should try and replace it. I have about 40 audiobooks on CD. Not sure all of them are rippable. I rip all my music since I lost hearing. Can't really tell the difference with the compressed format.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Tarana

My Mom's CD player failed and I gave her mine. I'm trying to decide if I should try and replace it. I have about 40 audiobooks on CD. Not sure all of them are rippable. I rip all my music since I lost hearing. Can't really tell the difference with the compressed format.

Why wouldn't they be rippable? Rip them all down to MP3 and then you can do what you want with them. (Personally, I then convert into one giant m4b, with internal chapters, and it's almost as good as having a native Audible book.)

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Why wouldn't they be rippable? Rip them all down to MP3 and then you can do what you want with them. (Personally, I then convert into one giant m4b, with internal chapters, and it's almost as good as having a native Audible book.)

I have 2 audiobooks that would not rip but they were keepers. The others are still in shrink wrap waiting to be listened. It's probably just psychological. End of an era, you know?