Audiobook Volume

[Luffy]

I'm curious about the conventions of audiobook volume. What level of volume do people generally listen to?

The audiobooks come in various formats, but I've noticed that none have very strong loud sound.

I would like to know at what level do people listen to books?

I have a Samsung A23 phone. I listen to audiobooks on it - it's a newish hobby - and I listen to the narrators on its highest safe volume notch.

Is it recommendable to step beyond the loudest safe option for comfort? I think most people will agree that an audiobook read at loud levels is not the same as listening to all kinds of music. RSVP.

[Quoth]

There are various issues created by legislated volume levels in some countries:
1) Earphones/buds/headsets vary dramatically in sensitivity so imposed limits and lack of ability to turn volume louder creates a problem.
2) Some makers simply limit the gain. This is set assuming typical modern over compressed music mixes.
3) Some makers monitor program level and limit what you can turn it up to, this shouldn't affect audio books. However issue (1) means that it can be too low.
4) Some may soft limit level, this shouldn't affect audio books but might and it takes no account of (1).

5) You may already have impaired hearing, perhaps due to past infection or age, not excessive noise. You need a higher level.

I'm all for safety and banning certain things, but the recommendations and limits on audio playback are broken. I had one French make PMP that was only any use to feed Car Stereo or HiFi in 2006.

Try different app (if DRM allows). Try different make and style of ’phones, avoid Bluetooth, and some €12 wired are better than €120 models.
Try a different player, especially not big brand.

Large 1990s not on ear but ear inside surround are often much louder and better quality.

I use Musicolet Android app for audiobooks and music. I've only one set of wired earbuds loud enough but four larger headphones are OK, one is from 1946!

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by Quoth

There are various issues created by legislated volume levels in some countries:
1) Earphones/buds/headsets vary dramatically in sensitivity so imposed limits and lack of ability to turn volume louder creates a problem.
2) Some makers simply limit the gain. This is set assuming typical modern over compressed music mixes.
3) Some makers monitor program level and limit what you can turn it up to, this shouldn't affect audio books. However issue (1) means that it can be too low.
4) Some may soft limit level, this shouldn't affect audio books but might and it takes no account of (1).

5) You may already have impaired hearing, perhaps due to past infection or age, not excessive noise. You need a higher level.

I'm all for safety and banning certain things, but the recommendations and limits on audio playback are broken. I had one French make PMP that was only any use to feed Car Stereo or HiFi in 2006.

Try different app (if DRM allows). Try different make and style of ’phones, avoid Bluetooth, and some €12 wired are better than €120 models.
Try a different player, especially not big brand.

Large 1990s not on ear but ear inside surround are often much louder and better quality.

I use Musicolet Android app for audiobooks and music. I've only one set of wired earbuds loud enough but four larger headphones are OK, one is from 1946!

Thanks for the comprehensive reply. I will do what I can. Other perspectives are welcome, if any. I can't post as many words as you have, but I appreciate the effort gone in the post.

[hobnail]

The only audiobooks I've listened to, years ago, were ones that I bought on CD. So I don't know anything about DRM for audiobooks. But I was thinking that if your audiobooks don't have DRM you could pull them into an audio editing program and "fix" them. Audacity is what I've used for other things. It has gain equalization and other gizmos that might help.

I used to listen to audiobooks when driving on long trips. At that time I had a pickup truck and it was noisy and it was very apparent when the audio had been done poorly; some authors would mostly talk quietly and then practically yell for emphasis, so if I turned it up for the majority it would be blaring when they got loud. It really needed some sort of equalization during the production.

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by hobnail

The only audiobooks I've listened to, years ago, were ones that I bought on CD. So I don't know anything about DRM for audiobooks. But I was thinking that if your audiobooks don't have DRM you could pull them into an audio editing program and "fix" them. Audacity is what I've used for other things. It has gain equalization and other gizmos that might help.

I used to listen to audiobooks when driving on long trips. At that time I had a pickup truck and it was noisy and it was very apparent when the audio had been done poorly; some authors would mostly talk quietly and then practically yell for emphasis, so if I turned it up for the majority it would be blaring when they got loud. It really needed some sort of equalization during the production.

Thanks for the advice and the anecdote. Some audiobooks have all chapters in one mp3 file or m4a file. I think your advice suits well those types.

[Quoth]

I'd use Audacity to split single file audiobooks into a file per chapter (or main scene break as som books have no chapters and others have some very long ones.

Audacity is excellent for "fixing" files too. Speech has little below 300 HZ or above 4kHz, so unlike music you can apply hum/ low cut or anti-noise/high cut filters without noticeable damage.

Some samples recorded on a Zoom H4N and edited in Audacity. Not publish quality, but I don't like audiobooks overloaded with music and sound effects. I tried that for production in mid 1990s and it makes the dialogue too hard to follow. Film & TV makers have got poor compared to 40 to 90 year old movies.
Download or play online. About 3.5 hours.
https://www.corvidspress.com/fiction...ne-of-destiny/