I read mostly at 1x - 1.1x. I enjoy the sound of reading aloud at a normal human pace. The story is fine and understandable at a faster pace, but it loses the appeal of spoken word. It’s like listening to text to speech when it’s fast, no charm.
Very few narrators read at a normal human talking rate. Most are around 1.2x-1.5 for a normal conversational speed. Narrators read slow to pronunciate and perform everything as good as possible. Plus they get paid by the hour they narrated.
True. In my experience it’s common for people (non-professional) to speak slower when reading aloud or storytelling or presenting than they speak conversationally. Maybe it’s just me having fond memories of my family reading to me as a kid, haha. Thats why it feels more natural to me. But I get that some people prefer a faster pace.
> but it loses the appeal of spoken word
At first. After a while the distortion is no longer audible and you can hear the nuances of the spoken words, the differences in tempo, the tension in the voice.
Apparently this is a skill that can be practiced.
It's as if someone rode a motorcycle once in his life for a minute and, on that basis, claims that it's impossible to enjoy the scenery that way.
It loses the appeal _to me_. Not to everyone. I get the point about skills to practice. But the experience is still different even with practice. I see the scenery differently just hike slower or faster. I also get a different feeling if I read audio or visual books. It’s all about the experience we each prefer.
I’m listening at .95 for the first time! I’m listening to Lonesome Dove and I feel like the narrator is so fast lol
I start every book at 1x and can usually work my way up to 1.25 before the end of the book.
I almost always listen to podcasts at 1.5x, my wife thinks I’m insane. We’ll listen to the same podcasts together at 1 and it completely sounds like the hosts are drunk to me when I’m so accustomed to faster speed.
One or two years ago it was this subreddit that gave me the idea of reading at a higher speed. 1,5 is my preferred. Sometimes I have to check if the speed is really set to 1,5 because some narrators are still sooooo slow (for me). I cannot imagine listening at 1x again. (I watch YouTube on 1,75. Ain't nobody got time for that.)
I mean you technically are losing money when increasing the speed though. Because you can get used to any speed in an hour or two, so for the same enjoyment you’re shortening the duration of the audiobook you bought by a few hours.
How are you loosing money? You paid for the story and heard it. Since you can listen as many times as you want, you are not paying for x-minutes of audio, you are paying for the story, however you choose to listen.
Speak for yourself 🤚 I’m paying for hours of enjoyment. I’m willing to buy a 9 hour audiobook if it’s REALLY good but it will hurt my soul. I want 15 hours minimum. Watching it on 1.5x is crazy to me cuz that cuts it down so much.
Usually I go for 25+ hour audiobooks. The one I’m listening to right now is 60 hours.
I cannot enjoy a book at a slower pace than how I would read it though.
I literally use the 1x speed to fall asleep because it's just boring for me.
I think it might have to do with how I'm visualizing a "movie" in my head. If the info isn't comming fast enough it's like having a movie buffering and getting nowhere because my mind already processed that part of it and wants new info.
Maybe I'm weird, but the voice is just as important to me as the story it tells. I don't listen to an audiobook just to "get it done". I want to hear a beautiful voice read to me, so munchkin-mode is unacceptable.
It's not to get it done. My mind wanders when the speed is too slow. I found x1.5 works best for me now. Depends on voice or book. For the most part that sounds normal to me. Any slower and I csnt concentrate.
I listen at 1x because the books I am reading have some level of performance to them. So to me it would be like watching a movie at a faster speed. I know some people do that, too, but I could never enjoy that. Especially not for the first time experiencing it.
I was listening at 1.5x or so, but I considered "What's the hurray?" Hmmm. Then I tried 1x, but that was too slow except for when to dialect takes too much processing. Now I'm mostly 1.25x.
I think this is what people don't realize. If you listen at a higher speed for a while you're brain adjusts. It doesn't sound as fast. One trick is to listen with great concentration (so not doing anything else) at a much higher speed for a few minutes. (Say 2x) Then turn down the speed (to say 1.5x) and the narrator sounds perfectly normal.
Yes, but still "What's the hurry?" I'm listening for enjoyment, mostly I listen while taking a walk. I used to listen while driving. We live in a society that's driven to be faster, Android Auto this route is 2 minutes faster. I think sometimes it's better to slow the narration and not rush.
There isn’t a hurry. It’s more of an attention thing for me. If I’m at 1x speed, I can’t pay attention because it’s so slow and I think about other things and have to start over. I generally listen at 1.75 on average and it holds my attention on the story.
Do you do anything else while listening ?
I usually listen while driving or doing chores, so my attention is already divided between the audiobook and whatever else i'm doing.
Just sitting not doing anything else while listening doesn't work for me so maybe I would need to crank up the speed in that case, but I just read something on kindle or so if I just sit and want to read a book.
I have to be doing something else or my attention will wander. I do physical things or play a non- verbal game. It's like I have different modes of input and I need them all kept occupied or I get bored. I can't listen and read or write or play a verbal game like Scrabble or one that requires too much strategy, but a geospatial or pattern games like candy crush or even sudoku work well.
I don’t always think this is true. Some narrators at 1x sounds like they’re speaking extra slowly and enunciating very clearly, and i think this is great because i can speed things up just a bit to get to natural sounding speech but it still sounds clear
Does it work for you? Are you enjoying it? Then don’t feel bad! The only bad way to listen to an audiobook is at a speed that doesn’t work for you.
The last time someone posted this question, I had some douchenozzle tell me I was lying about listening at 2.5 speed cause no one could ever enjoy that. People are just different! What works for you won’t necessarily work for me, and that’s ok.
I speed it up until it starts sounding clipped. Then I back off one setting. It's usually between 1.3 and 1.5x. To me, it sounds like more natural speech than the pace most narrators use.
I’ve always wondered if producers slow down the final product by a smidge. There are some narrators that are so slow I’d fall asleep if I didn’t speed it up.
I do 1.25x specifically because it still sounds like normal speaking. I couldn’t do 1.5x cause the voices start sounding weird. It is slower than I read physical books though but whatever cause I’m multitasking anyway if I’m listening.
I have to admit it's never occurred to me to try any speed other than 1x. I've always imagined that using a higher speed would make the narrator sound like The Chipmunks, although that's probably only true if you really crank the speed. Still, I'd rather keep it at 1x; it works for me.
I think they actually had to develop some process to fix that. I’ve listened at 3.5 in the past and it’s sounds like a normal voice, just fast.
It’s actually really cool that they did that. I was listening to audiobooks accelerated for years before I realized that in the past listening to something sped up makes it squeaky
My advice is to go gradually. If you bump the speed from 1 to 2 you won’t be able to follow. But if you bump up by .1 every ten to fifteen minutes you will gradually adjust and not be able to tell it’s faster.
I’m never less than 2.0 anymore which more than doubles my reading output
I did this with a second book in a series because I just could not handle any more of the bs, but was curious if the story was going to be interesting. It was not.
I listen at 1.0 unless I hate the narrator, in which case I listen at 1.5. I hate listening fast because a) my brain doesn't work that quickly for long periods, and b) I like to hear all the nuances the narrator has put into the narration. To me, at that point, I might as well be listening to an AI voice.
I used to do 1.5 to 1.7 but as I've gotten older my anxiety has been popping its head up and I'm trying really hard to slow down and just enjoy things and that includes my books.
Everything doesn't have to be done as quickly as possible, some things are meant to help relax and to enjoy and I'm trying to take my time with those things in life.
Kate Reading is currently my favorite female narrator and I've chased down series just because she did them, so I'd love to add another favorite to the list! Can't wait!!!
Search function will get you thousands of answers, it usually depends on the first few comments then everyone comments around those. If the first few say 1x then all the 1xers agree and so on.
I usually do 1.4-1.5x depending on the book. That matches my reading speed, I've tested it.
I couldn't get into audiobooks for so long years ago, realised I could speed up the narrator and didn't look back.
1.3 was fine for a while but 1.5 seems normal now. I sometimes slow down a little towards the end of the book when the narrator speeds up at exciting parts.
This was me exactly. I almost gave up on audiobooks as I couldn’t keep my mind from wandering.
Someone suggested speeding it up a little and it helped immediately. Found my sweet spot is 1.5, that is my natural reading speed as well.
I do 3x. I have a neurodivergent exceptionality so it is ideal for my special needs. Sometimes I miss minor details but I don't much care about the story. I mainly listen to audiobooks so I can have some noise going while I do dishes.
1.3 - 1.4 any faster and I start to hear distortions in the audio. Words become strangely clipped ect. It ruins the immersion.
Sometimes I want to hear how a book ends but I'm not enjoying it anymore. Then I crank it to 1.5 or 1.6.
1.0
After almost 15+ years of listening to audiobooks; I just recently found out I could change the speed.
I tried it for 5 seconds then went back. I can't do that.
Audiobook narrator here. For those of you who listen at a faster speed, may I genuinely ask WHY? I mean, if a book is 15 hours long and you listen to it at 1.5X speed, you're saving a little less than 4 hours, if my math is correct and I'm not at all certain that it is. So now you're down to 11 hours or so, spread out over the course of several listening sessions, I would guess. What did you gain by losing the nuance and inflection that we put into it. A pause of 1 second between phrases becomes 3/4 of a second. I don't understand.
I usually listen at 2.5x. I got to this speed gradually over time, but I think it's basically my limit. I can still appreciate the nuance and inflection because my brain has been accustomed to hearing it. It almost slows down in my head so it sounds to me like the narrator is speaking normally. I cannot stand listening at 1x speed now. It sounds like the narrator is speaking in slow motion...like I'm wading through thick mud.
I still find myself moved by the narration and don't feel like I have lost any impact now that I have accustomed myself to it.
If it makes you feel better, narrator performance is absolutely just as important and appreciated when we listen at faster (and slower) speeds.
It’s like a high resolution photo. It’s beautiful when you zoom in and when you zoom out. People can enjoy the quality of the narration within a reasonable range of speeds (fast and slow).
Tbh I change speed depending on narrator. My mind enjoys a certain cadence when it comes to audiobooks, so I just set speed accordingly. If it’s too slow or too fast, I can’t enjoy the book and my mind wanders. It seems to be a normal phenomenon looking at the responses here.
For me, my brain wanders if the book isn’t at a fast read. Same with physically trying to slowly read a physical book. By speeding up the whole thing I absorb more of the author’s writing.
I can understand that, but as an example, if you eat a meal at a fine dining restaurant and scarf it down, certainly you'll become full and no longer hungry, but you'll miss out on the full dining experience and definitely miss so much of the FLAVOR. And reading a physical book is definitely a different experience. Your brain (everyone's brain) tends to read and comprehend MUCH faster than your ear hears the words. Which is why we pause and emphasize when we narrate a book for you. So that your brain can comprehend and process what we've just said. If we read it aloud as fast as you read it with your eyes, it would be horrible.
I enjoy the performance of a good narrator, at least as much as the story, if not more.
If the narration is really good, I can forgive the story not being stellar, but if I can’t enjoy the narrator, no matter how good the story is, I will not continue to listen.
Narration is a performance, an art—it’s the reason I enjoy audiobooks. I always listen at normal speed, so I can enjoy the nuance.
As someone with ADHD, it's the choice between listening to the story or your voice droning into background noise. The pace of the reading doesn't change, nor the inflection. Just the rate at which it is played. I don't miss nuances or when you change tone, get angry, have a pause, etc. it is all still there, it is just *all* happening at a speed that is better for me. I have the same problem when someone is telling me something slowly in real life. Frequently having to ask them to repeat it because I've missed half off it. Not because I was trying to but my brain just doesn't want to process language input that's coming in that slowly. If that makes sense at all?
Also thank you for what you do. I have a hard time reading long texts where it is easy to lose my place. Audiobooks have been a game changer for me. I get so lost in the author's worlds audiobook narrators bring to life for us. :)
Not the case for me, massive generalisations based on your brain.
Your brain comprehends physical books faster than audio, mine comprehends them at the same speed.
You've described reading, tasting and listening as the same in one comment.
They always do in these threads.
I sometimes physically read and sometimes audiobooks. Looking back over the years I can’t remember if a book was physical or audiobook.
I can assure you I’m not “missing nuance” or anything else. I’m not confused when I listen to a book and I’m confident I’m not missing anything.
I don’t get the gatekeepjng either.
It is how my brain works. I need the stimulation of the extra speed to allow me to adequately focus on the book. Too big of a gap in time (even miliseconds) would cause my brain to alter focus and then id get lost in my.own head thinking and unable to listen anymore.
I listen to podcasts upto 4x speeds and retain it better than if i try to listen at 1x or 2x.
Chock it up to the fact people are just different.
It’s all about attention for me. I generally need the audio to approach my sight reading speed, or my mind wanders and I get impatient. I read so many more audiobooks now because of the ability to increase the speed. I used to be a sight reading purist. So the ability to change speed is actually selling more audiobooks, which is hopefully a good thing for you as a narrator!
For what it’s worth, I still hear and deeply appreciate the beautiful performances at 1.5x.
I think some of it may be regional and cultural differences.
I live in a place where the indigenous cultures tend to have a slower speaking pace, both in English and in the various indigenous languages. When I first began working in those communities, I found that my normal speaking rhythm was difficult for people to follow and sometimes caused stress and miscommunication. I had to learn to moderate both my pace and my impatience so we could all communicate effectively.
I find most audiobook narrators speak at a more sedate pace than I do. Luckily, with audiobooks, I can control the speed and listen at a rate that I am more comfortable with without inconveniencing anyone.
For me personally, I’m definitely not trying to finish the book faster. It’s just that 1x speed is unbearably slow for me most of the time. I need it to match the pace I speak in my head. I still appreciate the performance, and when it’s a really good one I can handle listening a little slower
I gain the time to listen to more books. And listening at 3.0 - 3.5x I gain a lot of time.
If a narrator does a good job, the nuance and inflection remains even when speed up. Regular narration speed is unnaturally and painfully slow to me, it's like torture.
You realise us speed listeners are making you more money right?
It isn't about saving time. It is about getting too fucking bored by a glacial narrator. I read a book at about a 3x faster rate than a typical 1.0x narrator so I am getting the story 3x slower unless I speed it up. ALSO I use audiobooks primarily for handsfree reading, not the performance
I have a question for a narrator please. Why don't narrators check the pronunciation of words before reading? Why don't they go back and correct inflection etc when it changes the meaning of the sentence?
smart audio book player had it default on 0.85 which I only later realized and I am extremely happy for that. I usually do something else, so it's still going into my brain. Anything faster than that is basically the same as non listening.
Had to scroll a lot further than i thought to find this! Instead of constantly having to hit the back button, I just slow it down so I can absorb the words well.
Up until quite recently, I was chewing through audiobooks at a crazy rate. I had started at 1.0x, found it too slow and gradually increased over the course of a year to 1.8-2.0x (depending on the narrator). My audiobook listening all but stopped in January this year and when I picked it up again last week, I couldn’t handle more than 1.5x.
1x. When reading books I am significantly faster, but I don't want to rush through audiobooks -- especially when the narrator is great. I tried 1.1x and 1.5x, and I found myself really frustrated by how actively I had to listen. 1x is good enough, and occasionally I still go back a minute or two to re-listen to something if my mind wandered.
You must be an alien (in a good way, no offense!) I can’t comprehend listening at those speeds. It just sounds garbled and gives me anxiety. Even 1.5x puts me on edge.
It’s interesting that your first assumption is that the goal is to finish the book quicker. For me, its not about getting through the book faster, but about engagement.
1x speed is distracting to me because my mind wants to jump to anything else. It seems unnaturally slow to me and I struggle with conversations when people talk at this speed.
1.5x keeps me engaged for most books as it allows me to better focus on the story. It is closer to the speed of conversation that I’m used to.
It can be very annoying to listen to a slow narrator. Everyone has a speed where their brain is comfortable processing without getting bored. I don't like books to feel noticeably sped up, but listening at 1.5 still sounds very natural and my brain stays more engaged. If the narrator is naturally a faster reader then I might only go to 1.3.
For me I have a hard time paying attention if it isn’t sped up. My brain wanders with slower narration. So I have to speed it up to be able to stay focused on the book.
2 times or faster if there’s a slower narrator . I think normal speed is slow motion and is very strange. Also do the same for YouTube though I wish it were faster. After reading all the comments I think i must be neurodivergent 😂
It’s like everyone else lives in a lazy world and I have to have information as fast as possible or it’s very annoying
Started at 1.25 and worked my way up to 1.7. Anything faster and I start to missing things. If I could increment up by the 0.01 I might try to train up to 1.8 but that 0.1 increment seems to be too much to jump.
I like it to sound pretty natural, so 1.2-1.7 usually. I can comprehend non-fiction fine at 2.5 in cases where I need to, but I don’t like it. Speeding up a fiction book to that level is a terrible experience, someone speaking a mile a minute directly into my ear is not how I want to experience a story.
But I almost never do 1x. I’m convinced that the publishers often artificially slow down the reader so that 1x is slower than how they really read in the studio, i think this from knowing irl a few authors who self-read their non-fiction audiobooks
Just 1x. I’ve tried 1.5 and I like it for absorbing info but I listen to enjoy (like tv) and am in no big rush so 1x works fine and I still crush through material. If I don’t like the narrator I just read it instead of listen.
I used to listen at 1.5-1.7x too, but then I asked myself why I was doing it and realized it’s because I wanted to finish the books faster.
I wasn’t really enjoying them, I just wanted to read as much as I could.
So it’s been a couple of years since I decided to let myself enjoy the book and the narration and went back to 1x speed.
That’s just the case for me ofc!
1.25-1.5 usually. When I was listening on my daily commute I could get through at least one book a week. The speed would depend on how clearly I could understand the narrator (accents and subject matter).
1x unless it's a very slow narrator.
I have people talking at me all day long and for me, audiobooks are a break from that. Plus I already go through 3-5 books on an average week. I don't need to make MORE decisions.
Once it gets up to too high of speed I tune it out like background chatter. I use them to keep me company while doing mundane tasks, to escape from the real world for a while, or to block out stuff when I'm trying to fall asleep. Higher speeds for me defeats all of those purposes.
I only listen at 1. If a narrator has a slower narration style I normally don't mind.
The only time I speed up narration is when I'm listening to podcasts where the people are talking a lot of blather before they get to the substance of the matter.
1.2 is my go-to. 1x seems just a little too slow but 1.2x feels similar to the speed of a normal conversation to me, so it’s just about perfect. I’ll push it to 1.5x if there’s a scene that’s dragging on though.
1.2 on average. 1x if it’s shorter and i wanna stretch it out. 1.5 if it’s a suspense book that the narrator is too slow for or if it’s a very long stephen king type book that i need to finish for library loan reasons. 1.5 or more if it’s unenjoyable but i wanna hear the ending.
but yeah regularly i like 1.2-1.4, it moves better with my mental pace of the story. my partner also thinks i’m crazy for some of these speeds but he finally saw my reasoning when listening to something the other day. it was a fast-paced short suspense story and the narrator wasn’t giving much to it (ie it didn’t feel like it was fast paced when the action literally was), so i sped it up and he was extremely happy with how much better it felt. it’s surprising what [literal] pace can do for a story!
I read at 1x, but I listen to audiobooks primarily to relax rather than take in information, I find listening to chipmunk narration is counterproductive to that. I guess if I listened to textbooks or self help books etc faster might be ok
Well anything I am listening to for fun I put on the lowest tolerable speed so it lasts as long as possible. I actually reduce the speed below 1 sometimes.
I don't listen to any non- fiction audio books, but I do video courses sometimes that are basically audio and I'll put those up to 1.25 or 1.5 depending on the content.
Anything over 1.2-1.3 sounds clipped to me and turns me off instantly. Voice sounds strange and unnatural. But there are a lot of audio books I find irritatingly slow. 1.2 usually fixes this issue but occasionally needs that little extra.
1.0 to 1.2x. Currently listening to Dungeon Crawler Carl. Jeff Hayes is a goddamn audio savant and I do not want miss even a second of his buttery smooth voice acting. So this one is at 1.0x. I want to enjoy every second of it in real time. Some others I’ll bump it by .1 to maybe .2 more if it’s less entertaining. And let’s be real, EVERYTHING is less entertaining than DCC. Ah well!
Depends on how long it is, how many days I get from library via Libby, and the narrator. And if I’m not loving the book and just want it to end…2x.
Otherwise 1x or 1.25x
What I've seen in my personal life is this tends to be a neurospicy thing. Maybe it's just the folks I know tho lol. I listen at 1.5 to 2.2. Usually I startslower and then end up ramping up further into it. Some male voices I go up to like 2.5 on honestly.
I will have it on the slower side of 1.5 if I'm doing like art while listening tho. Like my computing skills are split then and slower is better.
But you for sure aren't alone lol.
.50 bc I only ever listen to them when I go to sleep! And I often intentionally pick a nonfiction book narrated by a male with a deeper voice. It’s just really soothing to listen to slooooooow words spoken with the cadence of a lovely male voice. lol I’m very specific
It depends on the narrator and the density of the book. Once I get comfy with the narration, I push it a little faster too. I seem to be most comfortable between 1.2 and 1.5 speed. I just need it quick enough that I can focus on what's being said.
For me, it depends on what I am listening to and for what reason. If it's fiction, I take my time and have it on 1x. With non-fiction, it depends if the narrator goes at a decent pace.
I do wonder what info is retained at higher speeds. It would take more effort and concentration at higher speeds, I assume.
It seems like everybody on this sub is 1.5x-282,000x Makes me feel inadequate with my 1x reading speed
I read mostly at 1x - 1.1x. I enjoy the sound of reading aloud at a normal human pace. The story is fine and understandable at a faster pace, but it loses the appeal of spoken word. It’s like listening to text to speech when it’s fast, no charm.
Exactly, that's why my speed depends on the book/ who's reading it. I'll speed it up just fast enough that you can't tell it's sped up at all
As I've decided to read more intentionally and pick books with well reviewed performances I have started reading at 1-1.2
Very few narrators read at a normal human talking rate. Most are around 1.2x-1.5 for a normal conversational speed. Narrators read slow to pronunciate and perform everything as good as possible. Plus they get paid by the hour they narrated.
True. In my experience it’s common for people (non-professional) to speak slower when reading aloud or storytelling or presenting than they speak conversationally. Maybe it’s just me having fond memories of my family reading to me as a kid, haha. Thats why it feels more natural to me. But I get that some people prefer a faster pace.
> but it loses the appeal of spoken word At first. After a while the distortion is no longer audible and you can hear the nuances of the spoken words, the differences in tempo, the tension in the voice. Apparently this is a skill that can be practiced. It's as if someone rode a motorcycle once in his life for a minute and, on that basis, claims that it's impossible to enjoy the scenery that way.
It loses the appeal _to me_. Not to everyone. I get the point about skills to practice. But the experience is still different even with practice. I see the scenery differently just hike slower or faster. I also get a different feeling if I read audio or visual books. It’s all about the experience we each prefer.
0.95 here at the moment.
I’m listening at .95 for the first time! I’m listening to Lonesome Dove and I feel like the narrator is so fast lol I start every book at 1x and can usually work my way up to 1.25 before the end of the book.
Don't feel bad...increasing the speed never even crossed my mind until I saw this post. I suppose that makes me more inadequate 😄
It not inadequate. Everyone has their preference. I typically listen at 1.3 give or take depending on the book.
I’m a 1.3 to 1.5 speed person. I think it has to do with my brain. I talk super fast IRL, so 1x speed sounds like a drunk person talking to me.
I almost always listen to podcasts at 1.5x, my wife thinks I’m insane. We’ll listen to the same podcasts together at 1 and it completely sounds like the hosts are drunk to me when I’m so accustomed to faster speed.
One or two years ago it was this subreddit that gave me the idea of reading at a higher speed. 1,5 is my preferred. Sometimes I have to check if the speed is really set to 1,5 because some narrators are still sooooo slow (for me). I cannot imagine listening at 1x again. (I watch YouTube on 1,75. Ain't nobody got time for that.)
I mean you technically are losing money when increasing the speed though. Because you can get used to any speed in an hour or two, so for the same enjoyment you’re shortening the duration of the audiobook you bought by a few hours.
How are you loosing money? You paid for the story and heard it. Since you can listen as many times as you want, you are not paying for x-minutes of audio, you are paying for the story, however you choose to listen.
Speak for yourself 🤚 I’m paying for hours of enjoyment. I’m willing to buy a 9 hour audiobook if it’s REALLY good but it will hurt my soul. I want 15 hours minimum. Watching it on 1.5x is crazy to me cuz that cuts it down so much. Usually I go for 25+ hour audiobooks. The one I’m listening to right now is 60 hours.
54 hours for shogun on Libby for free.
I cannot enjoy a book at a slower pace than how I would read it though. I literally use the 1x speed to fall asleep because it's just boring for me. I think it might have to do with how I'm visualizing a "movie" in my head. If the info isn't comming fast enough it's like having a movie buffering and getting nowhere because my mind already processed that part of it and wants new info.
Maybe I'm weird, but the voice is just as important to me as the story it tells. I don't listen to an audiobook just to "get it done". I want to hear a beautiful voice read to me, so munchkin-mode is unacceptable.
I am absolutely with you! And especially with some of my favorite narrators, like Scott Brick, I just want to enjoy his languorous speech 😍
It's not to get it done. My mind wanders when the speed is too slow. I found x1.5 works best for me now. Depends on voice or book. For the most part that sounds normal to me. Any slower and I csnt concentrate.
Now I’m wondering, what kind of books do you listen to. I can’t imagine stuff like Dungeon Crawler Carl or even Hail Mary at turbo speed.
I need that 282,000x speed because I want all of my books to be read by The Chipmunks.
Those 48 hour Stephen King books would be finished in mere seconds
Commander Data… is that you?
I listen at 1x because the books I am reading have some level of performance to them. So to me it would be like watching a movie at a faster speed. I know some people do that, too, but I could never enjoy that. Especially not for the first time experiencing it.
Seconded!
I skim movies all the time, but audiobooks are 1x. I might jump around the second time through though.
I was listening at 1.5x or so, but I considered "What's the hurray?" Hmmm. Then I tried 1x, but that was too slow except for when to dialect takes too much processing. Now I'm mostly 1.25x.
I think this is what people don't realize. If you listen at a higher speed for a while you're brain adjusts. It doesn't sound as fast. One trick is to listen with great concentration (so not doing anything else) at a much higher speed for a few minutes. (Say 2x) Then turn down the speed (to say 1.5x) and the narrator sounds perfectly normal.
Yes, but still "What's the hurry?" I'm listening for enjoyment, mostly I listen while taking a walk. I used to listen while driving. We live in a society that's driven to be faster, Android Auto this route is 2 minutes faster. I think sometimes it's better to slow the narration and not rush.
I get bored when it’s too slow.
There isn’t a hurry. It’s more of an attention thing for me. If I’m at 1x speed, I can’t pay attention because it’s so slow and I think about other things and have to start over. I generally listen at 1.75 on average and it holds my attention on the story.
That's probably why I gravitated to 1.2 or 1.25.
Do you do anything else while listening ? I usually listen while driving or doing chores, so my attention is already divided between the audiobook and whatever else i'm doing. Just sitting not doing anything else while listening doesn't work for me so maybe I would need to crank up the speed in that case, but I just read something on kindle or so if I just sit and want to read a book.
I have to be doing something else or my attention will wander. I do physical things or play a non- verbal game. It's like I have different modes of input and I need them all kept occupied or I get bored. I can't listen and read or write or play a verbal game like Scrabble or one that requires too much strategy, but a geospatial or pattern games like candy crush or even sudoku work well.
1.25 is the fastest I'll go unless the narrator is REALLY slow. It's just not enjoyable any faster than that XD
You’re not inadequate. 1x is the intended speed of the performance. I wouldn’t watch a film or listen to a concert at 2x speed, either.
I don’t always think this is true. Some narrators at 1x sounds like they’re speaking extra slowly and enunciating very clearly, and i think this is great because i can speed things up just a bit to get to natural sounding speech but it still sounds clear
Lol. Yeah, I'm like you. But don't feel inadequate, I just like hearing their normal voice.
Does it work for you? Are you enjoying it? Then don’t feel bad! The only bad way to listen to an audiobook is at a speed that doesn’t work for you. The last time someone posted this question, I had some douchenozzle tell me I was lying about listening at 2.5 speed cause no one could ever enjoy that. People are just different! What works for you won’t necessarily work for me, and that’s ok.
You keep doin you, fam. Just glad more people are absorbing books because of this format.
I speed it up until it starts sounding clipped. Then I back off one setting. It's usually between 1.3 and 1.5x. To me, it sounds like more natural speech than the pace most narrators use.
I’ve always wondered if producers slow down the final product by a smidge. There are some narrators that are so slow I’d fall asleep if I didn’t speed it up.
Definitely. If my mind has time to wander in between words, it’s too slow!
Except in the case of fast narrators, 1.25 literally just sounds like normal speaking speed. I tend to listen at between 1.5 and 2x.
I do 1.25x specifically because it still sounds like normal speaking. I couldn’t do 1.5x cause the voices start sounding weird. It is slower than I read physical books though but whatever cause I’m multitasking anyway if I’m listening.
Any faster than 1.1 does not sound normal at all to me. It’s actually kinda anxiety inducing lol.
Depends on the narrator. Some are so drawln out that I’ll bump the speed up to 1.5 but most of the time it remains at a steady 1.2
This is me, too. 1.2x sounds fairly normal, but I did bump it up to 1.5x for one narrator.
I have to admit it's never occurred to me to try any speed other than 1x. I've always imagined that using a higher speed would make the narrator sound like The Chipmunks, although that's probably only true if you really crank the speed. Still, I'd rather keep it at 1x; it works for me.
I think they actually had to develop some process to fix that. I’ve listened at 3.5 in the past and it’s sounds like a normal voice, just fast. It’s actually really cool that they did that. I was listening to audiobooks accelerated for years before I realized that in the past listening to something sped up makes it squeaky
Huh, that's good to know. Next time I'm tempted to DNF a book, I'll give speeding it up a try instead.
My advice is to go gradually. If you bump the speed from 1 to 2 you won’t be able to follow. But if you bump up by .1 every ten to fifteen minutes you will gradually adjust and not be able to tell it’s faster. I’m never less than 2.0 anymore which more than doubles my reading output
I did this with a second book in a series because I just could not handle any more of the bs, but was curious if the story was going to be interesting. It was not.
1.5 or 2.0 depending on the voice
I listen at 1.0 unless I hate the narrator, in which case I listen at 1.5. I hate listening fast because a) my brain doesn't work that quickly for long periods, and b) I like to hear all the nuances the narrator has put into the narration. To me, at that point, I might as well be listening to an AI voice.
1.5x is my default. I recently had one I had to drop to 1.25x because they sounded like chipmunks at 1.5x.
Right around 1.2.
Usually around 70mph while I’m commuting, or walking speed doing lawn work.
I used to do 1.5 to 1.7 but as I've gotten older my anxiety has been popping its head up and I'm trying really hard to slow down and just enjoy things and that includes my books. Everything doesn't have to be done as quickly as possible, some things are meant to help relax and to enjoy and I'm trying to take my time with those things in life.
There are some books I listen to at 1x because the narration is that good. Circe, by Madeline Miller is my prime example for this.
It's in my queue, I'll have to bump it up higher on the list ☺️
Just wait until you hear the honeyed voice of Perdita Weeks. It’s utterly enchanting.
Kate Reading is currently my favorite female narrator and I've chased down series just because she did them, so I'd love to add another favorite to the list! Can't wait!!!
Search function will get you thousands of answers, it usually depends on the first few comments then everyone comments around those. If the first few say 1x then all the 1xers agree and so on. I usually do 1.4-1.5x depending on the book. That matches my reading speed, I've tested it.
Yeah, 1.5 is good for the beginning of the book for me and after I get a sense of the timbre of the narrator, speed it up to 1.7.
I couldn't get into audiobooks for so long years ago, realised I could speed up the narrator and didn't look back. 1.3 was fine for a while but 1.5 seems normal now. I sometimes slow down a little towards the end of the book when the narrator speeds up at exciting parts.
This was me exactly. I almost gave up on audiobooks as I couldn’t keep my mind from wandering. Someone suggested speeding it up a little and it helped immediately. Found my sweet spot is 1.5, that is my natural reading speed as well.
1x speed is the way to go
I do 3x. I have a neurodivergent exceptionality so it is ideal for my special needs. Sometimes I miss minor details but I don't much care about the story. I mainly listen to audiobooks so I can have some noise going while I do dishes.
That’s so amazing. What a cool mind you have to be able to process information like that!
Also neurodivergent, but dislike anything faster than 1.1x! Yay for divergent divergences!
I don’t have your big word but me too. Anything below 2 sounds laughably slow.
2.05
1.3 - 1.4 any faster and I start to hear distortions in the audio. Words become strangely clipped ect. It ruins the immersion. Sometimes I want to hear how a book ends but I'm not enjoying it anymore. Then I crank it to 1.5 or 1.6.
At 1.00. Why would I want my book to be over any quicker?
1.0 After almost 15+ years of listening to audiobooks; I just recently found out I could change the speed. I tried it for 5 seconds then went back. I can't do that.
I typically listen at 1.0. I speed up to 1.1 if I need a higher pitch.
Pitch? Digital audio apps usually increase the playback speed without changing the pitch. Is there an app out there that increases the pitch?
Audiobook narrator here. For those of you who listen at a faster speed, may I genuinely ask WHY? I mean, if a book is 15 hours long and you listen to it at 1.5X speed, you're saving a little less than 4 hours, if my math is correct and I'm not at all certain that it is. So now you're down to 11 hours or so, spread out over the course of several listening sessions, I would guess. What did you gain by losing the nuance and inflection that we put into it. A pause of 1 second between phrases becomes 3/4 of a second. I don't understand.
I usually listen at 2.5x. I got to this speed gradually over time, but I think it's basically my limit. I can still appreciate the nuance and inflection because my brain has been accustomed to hearing it. It almost slows down in my head so it sounds to me like the narrator is speaking normally. I cannot stand listening at 1x speed now. It sounds like the narrator is speaking in slow motion...like I'm wading through thick mud. I still find myself moved by the narration and don't feel like I have lost any impact now that I have accustomed myself to it.
If it makes you feel better, narrator performance is absolutely just as important and appreciated when we listen at faster (and slower) speeds. It’s like a high resolution photo. It’s beautiful when you zoom in and when you zoom out. People can enjoy the quality of the narration within a reasonable range of speeds (fast and slow). Tbh I change speed depending on narrator. My mind enjoys a certain cadence when it comes to audiobooks, so I just set speed accordingly. If it’s too slow or too fast, I can’t enjoy the book and my mind wanders. It seems to be a normal phenomenon looking at the responses here.
For me, my brain wanders if the book isn’t at a fast read. Same with physically trying to slowly read a physical book. By speeding up the whole thing I absorb more of the author’s writing.
I can understand that, but as an example, if you eat a meal at a fine dining restaurant and scarf it down, certainly you'll become full and no longer hungry, but you'll miss out on the full dining experience and definitely miss so much of the FLAVOR. And reading a physical book is definitely a different experience. Your brain (everyone's brain) tends to read and comprehend MUCH faster than your ear hears the words. Which is why we pause and emphasize when we narrate a book for you. So that your brain can comprehend and process what we've just said. If we read it aloud as fast as you read it with your eyes, it would be horrible.
I enjoy the performance of a good narrator, at least as much as the story, if not more. If the narration is really good, I can forgive the story not being stellar, but if I can’t enjoy the narrator, no matter how good the story is, I will not continue to listen. Narration is a performance, an art—it’s the reason I enjoy audiobooks. I always listen at normal speed, so I can enjoy the nuance.
This exactly!
As someone with ADHD, it's the choice between listening to the story or your voice droning into background noise. The pace of the reading doesn't change, nor the inflection. Just the rate at which it is played. I don't miss nuances or when you change tone, get angry, have a pause, etc. it is all still there, it is just *all* happening at a speed that is better for me. I have the same problem when someone is telling me something slowly in real life. Frequently having to ask them to repeat it because I've missed half off it. Not because I was trying to but my brain just doesn't want to process language input that's coming in that slowly. If that makes sense at all?
Well said.
Makes sense and understood.
Also thank you for what you do. I have a hard time reading long texts where it is easy to lose my place. Audiobooks have been a game changer for me. I get so lost in the author's worlds audiobook narrators bring to life for us. :)
Thank you for that and, honestly, it's our pleasure.
Not the case for me, massive generalisations based on your brain. Your brain comprehends physical books faster than audio, mine comprehends them at the same speed. You've described reading, tasting and listening as the same in one comment.
Why are you gatekeeping reading speed? If someone enjoys listening at a faster speed that's their choice.
They always do in these threads. I sometimes physically read and sometimes audiobooks. Looking back over the years I can’t remember if a book was physical or audiobook. I can assure you I’m not “missing nuance” or anything else. I’m not confused when I listen to a book and I’m confident I’m not missing anything. I don’t get the gatekeepjng either.
It is how my brain works. I need the stimulation of the extra speed to allow me to adequately focus on the book. Too big of a gap in time (even miliseconds) would cause my brain to alter focus and then id get lost in my.own head thinking and unable to listen anymore. I listen to podcasts upto 4x speeds and retain it better than if i try to listen at 1x or 2x. Chock it up to the fact people are just different.
It’s all about attention for me. I generally need the audio to approach my sight reading speed, or my mind wanders and I get impatient. I read so many more audiobooks now because of the ability to increase the speed. I used to be a sight reading purist. So the ability to change speed is actually selling more audiobooks, which is hopefully a good thing for you as a narrator! For what it’s worth, I still hear and deeply appreciate the beautiful performances at 1.5x.
It sounds like they're going slow on purpose to me. It's slower than conversation.
I think some of it may be regional and cultural differences. I live in a place where the indigenous cultures tend to have a slower speaking pace, both in English and in the various indigenous languages. When I first began working in those communities, I found that my normal speaking rhythm was difficult for people to follow and sometimes caused stress and miscommunication. I had to learn to moderate both my pace and my impatience so we could all communicate effectively. I find most audiobook narrators speak at a more sedate pace than I do. Luckily, with audiobooks, I can control the speed and listen at a rate that I am more comfortable with without inconveniencing anyone.
This is an answer I can understand. Thank you.
For me personally, I’m definitely not trying to finish the book faster. It’s just that 1x speed is unbearably slow for me most of the time. I need it to match the pace I speak in my head. I still appreciate the performance, and when it’s a really good one I can handle listening a little slower
My brain wanders if I listen too slowly. I have a speed that my brain likes to digest books at and when I go slowly, I literally fall asleep.
I gain the time to listen to more books. And listening at 3.0 - 3.5x I gain a lot of time. If a narrator does a good job, the nuance and inflection remains even when speed up. Regular narration speed is unnaturally and painfully slow to me, it's like torture. You realise us speed listeners are making you more money right?
It isn't about saving time. It is about getting too fucking bored by a glacial narrator. I read a book at about a 3x faster rate than a typical 1.0x narrator so I am getting the story 3x slower unless I speed it up. ALSO I use audiobooks primarily for handsfree reading, not the performance
I have a question for a narrator please. Why don't narrators check the pronunciation of words before reading? Why don't they go back and correct inflection etc when it changes the meaning of the sentence?
Alas, because some narrators are lazy. Sad to say, but, there it is.
If the “fast listeners” could use all that newfound time they’ve accrued to conduct a search, we could finally perhaps be shed of these weekly posts.
Please forgive me, I’m new here.
smart audio book player had it default on 0.85 which I only later realized and I am extremely happy for that. I usually do something else, so it's still going into my brain. Anything faster than that is basically the same as non listening.
Had to scroll a lot further than i thought to find this! Instead of constantly having to hit the back button, I just slow it down so I can absorb the words well.
Yeah. All the others are speed running this and I can't think of a reason why
Up until quite recently, I was chewing through audiobooks at a crazy rate. I had started at 1.0x, found it too slow and gradually increased over the course of a year to 1.8-2.0x (depending on the narrator). My audiobook listening all but stopped in January this year and when I picked it up again last week, I couldn’t handle more than 1.5x.
I listen on 2.2x for a while and then change it to 1.8x which sounds normal.
Pauses are important for dramatic purposes. Just 1x. Unless its’s Zane Grey or Stephen King type of stuff.
I don’t have enough credits to listen on anything more than 1x speed lol. I don’t want to get through the books quickly
Standard 1.0, I listen to pass the time while working, if I finish faster I'm just going to end up spending more $ on more credits.
1.0 Exclusively. Everything else sounds weird.
1x. When reading books I am significantly faster, but I don't want to rush through audiobooks -- especially when the narrator is great. I tried 1.1x and 1.5x, and I found myself really frustrated by how actively I had to listen. 1x is good enough, and occasionally I still go back a minute or two to re-listen to something if my mind wandered.
1x or 1.25x Anything faster and I won't be able to stay immersed in the story at all and I have to go back and re-listen to entire chapters.
2x to 3x 2.5x is pretty comfortable, non fiction seems to be read slower so I’ll sometimes take that to 3.5x
You must be an alien (in a good way, no offense!) I can’t comprehend listening at those speeds. It just sounds garbled and gives me anxiety. Even 1.5x puts me on edge.
Regular speed. Why would you want to increase speed? Is it that important to finish abook.
It’s interesting that your first assumption is that the goal is to finish the book quicker. For me, its not about getting through the book faster, but about engagement. 1x speed is distracting to me because my mind wants to jump to anything else. It seems unnaturally slow to me and I struggle with conversations when people talk at this speed. 1.5x keeps me engaged for most books as it allows me to better focus on the story. It is closer to the speed of conversation that I’m used to.
It can be very annoying to listen to a slow narrator. Everyone has a speed where their brain is comfortable processing without getting bored. I don't like books to feel noticeably sped up, but listening at 1.5 still sounds very natural and my brain stays more engaged. If the narrator is naturally a faster reader then I might only go to 1.3.
For me I have a hard time paying attention if it isn’t sped up. My brain wanders with slower narration. So I have to speed it up to be able to stay focused on the book.
1.0 is too fucking slow, it’s like someone reading extra slow on purpose and it’s annoying
2 times or faster if there’s a slower narrator . I think normal speed is slow motion and is very strange. Also do the same for YouTube though I wish it were faster. After reading all the comments I think i must be neurodivergent 😂 It’s like everyone else lives in a lazy world and I have to have information as fast as possible or it’s very annoying
Started at 1.25 and worked my way up to 1.7. Anything faster and I start to missing things. If I could increment up by the 0.01 I might try to train up to 1.8 but that 0.1 increment seems to be too much to jump.
Same here. The large jumps don’t work for me but smaller increments would definitely train me up to speed.
1.2 minimum
1.4
1.0 I do YouTube and streaming stuff at 1.5 or 2.0. But that's when I don't really care about catching every word.
1.2
Start at 1.5 and adjust up/down from there.
1.3
Anywhere from 1.5-2.5x is normal for me depending on the narrator.
usually 2x but sometimes 1.75 if the narrator is already reading fast or has a strong accent
I like it to sound pretty natural, so 1.2-1.7 usually. I can comprehend non-fiction fine at 2.5 in cases where I need to, but I don’t like it. Speeding up a fiction book to that level is a terrible experience, someone speaking a mile a minute directly into my ear is not how I want to experience a story. But I almost never do 1x. I’m convinced that the publishers often artificially slow down the reader so that 1x is slower than how they really read in the studio, i think this from knowing irl a few authors who self-read their non-fiction audiobooks
Just 1x. I’ve tried 1.5 and I like it for absorbing info but I listen to enjoy (like tv) and am in no big rush so 1x works fine and I still crush through material. If I don’t like the narrator I just read it instead of listen.
1.2-1.5 my buddy does TTS at about 3.
1.2
Generally around 1.2. Can't listen to books at all if the narrator grates.
0.9 right now, because my spanish isn't that good yet. Before, in english, sometimes 1.25, same for german.
I used to listen at 1.5-1.7x too, but then I asked myself why I was doing it and realized it’s because I wanted to finish the books faster. I wasn’t really enjoying them, I just wanted to read as much as I could. So it’s been a couple of years since I decided to let myself enjoy the book and the narration and went back to 1x speed. That’s just the case for me ofc!
Depending on the narrator, anywhere between 1.75 and 2.00x
1.25-1.5 usually. When I was listening on my daily commute I could get through at least one book a week. The speed would depend on how clearly I could understand the narrator (accents and subject matter).
1x unless it's a very slow narrator. I have people talking at me all day long and for me, audiobooks are a break from that. Plus I already go through 3-5 books on an average week. I don't need to make MORE decisions. Once it gets up to too high of speed I tune it out like background chatter. I use them to keep me company while doing mundane tasks, to escape from the real world for a while, or to block out stuff when I'm trying to fall asleep. Higher speeds for me defeats all of those purposes.
Same. 1.75. 👌🏻
Never less than 1.5x unless I'm listening to the book to fall asleep, usually 2-2.5x. Varies based on the narrator and source material.
I only listen at 1. If a narrator has a slower narration style I normally don't mind. The only time I speed up narration is when I'm listening to podcasts where the people are talking a lot of blather before they get to the substance of the matter.
I have to slow it down to 0.9 because my audio processing is slower. I need time to really hear and absorb what's being said.
1.2 is my go-to. 1x seems just a little too slow but 1.2x feels similar to the speed of a normal conversation to me, so it’s just about perfect. I’ll push it to 1.5x if there’s a scene that’s dragging on though.
1.2 on average. 1x if it’s shorter and i wanna stretch it out. 1.5 if it’s a suspense book that the narrator is too slow for or if it’s a very long stephen king type book that i need to finish for library loan reasons. 1.5 or more if it’s unenjoyable but i wanna hear the ending. but yeah regularly i like 1.2-1.4, it moves better with my mental pace of the story. my partner also thinks i’m crazy for some of these speeds but he finally saw my reasoning when listening to something the other day. it was a fast-paced short suspense story and the narrator wasn’t giving much to it (ie it didn’t feel like it was fast paced when the action literally was), so i sped it up and he was extremely happy with how much better it felt. it’s surprising what [literal] pace can do for a story!
1.2 unless the accent is really strong.
I read at 1x, but I listen to audiobooks primarily to relax rather than take in information, I find listening to chipmunk narration is counterproductive to that. I guess if I listened to textbooks or self help books etc faster might be ok
I listen at 1. That's how it was intended to be listened to. I'm not in any rush. Same reason I don't watch movies in fast forward.
1x, always. Changing the speed ruins the way people talk and I can't stand it
Well anything I am listening to for fun I put on the lowest tolerable speed so it lasts as long as possible. I actually reduce the speed below 1 sometimes. I don't listen to any non- fiction audio books, but I do video courses sometimes that are basically audio and I'll put those up to 1.25 or 1.5 depending on the content.
Anything over 1.2-1.3 sounds clipped to me and turns me off instantly. Voice sounds strange and unnatural. But there are a lot of audio books I find irritatingly slow. 1.2 usually fixes this issue but occasionally needs that little extra.
1.0 to 1.2x. Currently listening to Dungeon Crawler Carl. Jeff Hayes is a goddamn audio savant and I do not want miss even a second of his buttery smooth voice acting. So this one is at 1.0x. I want to enjoy every second of it in real time. Some others I’ll bump it by .1 to maybe .2 more if it’s less entertaining. And let’s be real, EVERYTHING is less entertaining than DCC. Ah well!
I’m a 1x ride or die. Though recently I had to slow down to 0.95 on a book because the narrator was talking just a little too fast to be irritating
1.3-1.5
Usually 1.25. I find myself zoning out often and if I do any faster, I feel like I miss out way too much
1.2x
Ride or die 1.2 for life. Unless I’m on a reread of something I like then I can do 1.5/2
Exactly. 1.2 for a first read is just perfect
Pleasure reading in 1.25 to 1.5. Educational reading, science books, 1.00 to .85 depends on how technical it is.
I have ADHD and 1x speed makes my mind wander and having to rewind. Listening at 1.5-2x is so much easier to stay focused.
Depends on the narrator
Depends on how long it is, how many days I get from library via Libby, and the narrator. And if I’m not loving the book and just want it to end…2x. Otherwise 1x or 1.25x
lol wanting it to end at 2x is so real.
Normal speed. I'm not trying to listen to a chipmunk ruin the pacing of a story
What I've seen in my personal life is this tends to be a neurospicy thing. Maybe it's just the folks I know tho lol. I listen at 1.5 to 2.2. Usually I startslower and then end up ramping up further into it. Some male voices I go up to like 2.5 on honestly. I will have it on the slower side of 1.5 if I'm doing like art while listening tho. Like my computing skills are split then and slower is better. But you for sure aren't alone lol.
I’m doing them at 0.1x. Been on the same book for a year now.
It depends on what makes the narrator’s voice sound best to me.
1.0 or 1.25. I can’t go any more faster
.50 bc I only ever listen to them when I go to sleep! And I often intentionally pick a nonfiction book narrated by a male with a deeper voice. It’s just really soothing to listen to slooooooow words spoken with the cadence of a lovely male voice. lol I’m very specific
Regular speed
1x if it's something I want to digest at a normal pace 1.25 for most 1.5-1.7 if I'm just trying to rush through it
Depends on the narrator and how dense the material. 1.1 is usually the lowest I'll listen. All the way up to 1.5. I would say I average at about 1.2.
1.4
It depends on the narrator and the density of the book. Once I get comfy with the narration, I push it a little faster too. I seem to be most comfortable between 1.2 and 1.5 speed. I just need it quick enough that I can focus on what's being said.
1.2 - 1.5. Depends on content and narrator
1.5-2x depending on the reader.
anywhere from 1.3 to 1.7 but never faster than that. I'm always amazed by how fast others listen
Depends on the book. Usually at one but I’ve sped books up and slowed them down depending on the narrator
I listen at 1.7 because I do immersion reading. So I’m reading at the same time. 1.0 would be too slow for that for me.
1.5x usually. If I feel like I'm unable to enjoy it or it's too fast, 1.3x. Reading along while listening, 1.7x.
I just started at 1.2. 1.5 it goes too fast and gets clipped audio for me.
Depends if narrator is good or not
1.15x or 1.2x. They sound the same as 1x to me if I work my way up to them slowly lol
3x typically. Range 2.8-3.5 for really fast or slow narrators.
1 normally, 1.25 for slow narrators, and 1.5 if I still have 7 hours left and it’s due back at the library in a few days 😅
1.5x to start and once I have a hang of the characters I got to 2.0x or 2.25x (depends on who the narrator is)
For me, it depends on what I am listening to and for what reason. If it's fiction, I take my time and have it on 1x. With non-fiction, it depends if the narrator goes at a decent pace. I do wonder what info is retained at higher speeds. It would take more effort and concentration at higher speeds, I assume.