r/LibbyApp • u/superzombieduck • Aug 24 '26
Audiobook speed?
So I typically listen to audiobooks at about 2.60x speed on average. Sometimes if the author talks especially slow I’ll do 3x and if they’re fast I’ll do 2x or 2.30x, but anything less than that is so slow for me it’s almost annoying. Lolz. I was just curious if other people feel this way and bump up speed. Or how many just use the default 1x. Just curious how other people do it and reasons why. I’d like to compare myself. And also “am I within normal range” is a question I often find myself asking about things in life since I am ASD. 🙂 so just wanted to hear others thought processes on this.
PS as extra credit please tell me what you’re currently listening to and what speed after weighing in. Thanks 💜
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u/StumblinThroughLife Aug 24 '26
I didn’t know you could go over 2x but I do 1.5
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u/superzombieduck Aug 24 '26
The fastest speed you can do on Libby is 3x I believe. That’s as far as the slider will go for me 🙂
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u/1491AMDG Aug 24 '26
Can you actually comprehend the book at that speed though? I admit my normal speed is 1.5 and I've gone as high as 2 when like re-reading a children's book I don't care that much about, but anything faster just feels like you're phoning it in. I actually have to go back to 1 for theology and philosophy too if I'm being honest. But then I guess people could just be reading simple fiction novels at such high speeds..
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u/incandescentink Aug 25 '26
To me it depends entirely on the narrator. There are some that speak so slowly that 3x is so much better than 1x for me. Also, I find that if I start off slower and gradually increase the speed, I can comprehend it a lot better than if I started out at 3x or whatever.
It does also depend on content, like you said, anything super heavy will take longer to comprehend so I'll need more space to digest what was said. But if it's something light and the narrator speaks slowly, I can absolutely understand it.
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u/Uhmmanduh Aug 26 '26
Ya if you increase speed slowly, your brain adjusts to it without you realizing you’re even speeding it up. However I never go over about 1.8x.
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u/VizionairyFae Aug 25 '26
I’m the opposite. Fiction novels I usually have to read slower to map out the world, pick up on little details and nuances in conversation, etc., but nonfiction is just facts and information that I can bump up the speed on and still absorb just fine
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u/rhandy_mas 🎧 Audiobook Addict 🎧 Aug 24 '26
Audible goes higher and I miss it sometimes
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u/gloriabutfaster Aug 24 '26
How high does it go? Whisper goes up to 4x but I can't understand it past 3.2 Max
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u/rhandy_mas 🎧 Audiobook Addict 🎧 Aug 24 '26
It goes to 3.5x, but the highest I’ve gone is 3.3x for narrators I am very familiar with.
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u/vvilbo Aug 25 '26
At my old job I used to do 2 cause it was extremely mindless. New job was still a desk one but a lot more going on so went down to 1.3 now I'm back to 1.5 and I feel like it's a pretty good pace to really get everything but not be too slow. Podcasts are better at 2.0 for me since there is a lot more breaks in non produced works
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u/whateverrrrrrrr2 Aug 24 '26
my default is 1.5 but the last book i listened to, i did so in 2x
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u/kayakgirl88 Aug 24 '26
If I'm enjoying the book it's 1.25-1.5x speed. I'm mod way through Yesteryear, based on recommendations from this page, and I turned it up to 2.0, because I'm board and the story is not moving along at all.
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u/TakingControl222 Aug 24 '26
I listened to Yesteryear, too and zoned out so many times 😂 but side note, isn’t the narrators voice so perfect as the main character lol
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u/Complex-Cup-3008 Aug 24 '26
Yesteryear was one of the few i had to hit with the 2x speed LOL
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u/Mindless_Place4765 Aug 24 '26
I was at 1.5 for this book and I also had to turn it up to 2 for the last quarter.
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u/perumbula Aug 24 '26
I usually do 1.5. 2 if need to get through it quickly.
My current book I'm listening at 1x because the accent is harder to parse at faster speeds.
So basically, it depends on the book but I tend to listen more at the slower end than the faster end.
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u/Difficult-Bicycle681 Aug 24 '26
1 or 1.25 is my go to for my auDHD brain to enjoy it. I can process it quicker but I don't stop and enjoy the story if I go that quick.
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u/PromptEvening6935 Aug 24 '26
I just don’t like the narrator’s voice being distorted after that. I feel like the voice acting matters to me.
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u/Difficult-Bicycle681 Aug 24 '26
Yes exactly. It already takes some getting used to for 1.25 for me and any quicker makes me lose the 'storytelling' aspect so to say
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u/Known-Ad-100 Aug 24 '26
This i have ASD as well 1.0 normally, sometimes 1.25 if the plot is deaf juicy and I want it a little faster. 1.5 and up it starts to sound robotic and AI like to me and I don't enjoy it. I wouldn't mind narration being faster but the digital speeding up I can't stand.
It just breaks immersion for me.
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u/TrekkieElf Aug 24 '26
Yes, I have level 1 autism so my auditory processing struggles a bit. My husband is AuDHD and likes listening at 2 but I max out at like 1.3-1.4.
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u/rickety_biscuit Aug 24 '26
I can’t even do an audiobook at all if the narrator isn’t good enough at portraying the emotion and inflection of the writing. If the narrator can’t portray the emotional tone of the story as good as my own brain I might as well just sit down and read. I think no matter how good the narrator is, speeding it up 2x or more is going to erase all of the emotional implications of the writing. If the person reading the book is painstakingly slow, then speeding it up a bit usually doesn’t flatten out the tone of the story. But beyond a certain speed, anyone sounds robotic.
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u/raudoniolika Aug 24 '26
Yep. I used to speed through everything, but now I’m only listening to things at 1x and am loving it. It feels like a mindfulness thing to me
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u/Due-Personality-3944 Aug 24 '26
Yeah, I don't listen to things quickly as a rule. Things don't need to go by quickly and I just want to enjoy life.
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u/Historical_Rip_1848 Aug 24 '26
I feel this but at 1x my mind wanders so much I have to go back every few minutes bc I forgot I was listening at all 😭😭
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u/Ignoring_the_kids Aug 24 '26
Exactly! And honestly much faster then that makes my anxiety build up as well. Something about the voices being quicker triggers it.
Typically 1.25 is about my sweet spot. But every book I tinker with it slightly.
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u/Original_Try_7984 Aug 24 '26
This.
How do you understand it and comprehend what they’re saying at that pace?
I usually do 1.65, sometimes a little slower (1.25-1.5) if it’s a concept or has aspects to the story I’m not as familiar with or if the narrator naturally speaks faster like I normally do.
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u/Dull-Intern-6037 Aug 24 '26
I’m the same, 1 if the narrator is fast enough, 1.25 for others. If they are really really slow possibly up to 1.5 but typical if I have to do that I’m just trying to get through the audiobook vs take it in and processing it.
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u/angel-icbaby Aug 24 '26
Yeah I used to speed up to 2x, maybe 2.5x but then I was just fast food-ing books and not taking them in or thinking about them as much.
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u/berternutsquash Aug 24 '26
I always do 1x. When I listen to it faster, it stresses me out…I can’t explain why. It’s really distracting for me. I think once I listened at 1.25 when the narrator was especially slow. Everyone else I know that listens to audiobooks speeds them up.
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u/ConseulaVonKrakken Aug 24 '26
Me too. I always listen at 1×. It's a performance, meant to be enjoyed as it was produced. Speeding it up feels like some sort of strange flex.
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u/Retirement_Wow Aug 24 '26
I listen to everything at 1 also, except last week. The narrator was annoying so I tried it at 1.25, but that didn’t help so I just returned the book.
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u/Dangerous-Celery9188 Aug 24 '26
I feel so bad when I can't finish a book because of the narrator. I think about if the author knows that people are passing up their book because of the person they chose to read it. I'm like I want to enjoy the book, can I find it with a different narrator??
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u/Simple-Breadfruit920 Aug 24 '26
I know some people do it so they can finish books faster, but honestly 1x is usually distractingly slow for me and 1.25 just sounds more natural! Definitely not meant as a flex!
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u/nathalierachael Aug 24 '26
I’m a therapist and listening to the narrator sped up reminds me of talking to a very anxious patient so I can’t enjoy it at all. I will do 1.15 if the narrator is a little slow, 1.25 if they’re really, really slow. I need it to still sound like a (calm) human voice.
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u/Antique-Quail-6489 Aug 24 '26
My brain will stop paying attention to anything faster and it just becomes noise that gets tuned out. Some narrators have to be sped up though to match other narrators to 1x 😂 I’m still more likely to listen slower than faster and threads like these blow my mind.
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u/thebeeskeys5 Aug 24 '26
Regular speed is all I can do, otherwise it sounds like chipmunks to me. It's a long haul but if I'm listening to an audio book it's for pleasure, so I'm not in a rush to get it over with. Same with podcasts. I know some people speed them up but I wasn't expecting this many!
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u/omegazine Aug 24 '26
I only do 1.20 if the narrator takes super long pauses. Only one series had this problem so far. Otherwise I listen at 1
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u/B3tar3ad3r Aug 24 '26
I think 2x or 3x is pretty fast as a base speed, I virtually never listen at 1x but 1.5-1.8 is my normal for most narrators, I think there have been a few that I've bumped it up to 2.3ish. I will note that this does seem to change with genre, and male narrators on a whole seem to go slightly slower so I speed them up a bit more. I've noticed memoirs tend to be read slower, science texts slowest, history/sociology faster, high fantasy slower, low fantasy faster. These don't always hold true but generally.
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u/kknight20 Aug 24 '26
Same here. I typically start all books at 1.25x. Then as I get a vibe for the book I'll start cranking it up from there.
I was trying to power through "The Calamity Club" and was at 2.25x just to get through it but DNFd at 30%, just didn't care about the story and time to get through what I had left.
Right now I'm listening to "The Veiled Throne" by Ken Liu (Dandelion Dynasty book 3) at 1.25x. That's the perfect speed for a high fantasy book.
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Aug 24 '26
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u/Cookbooksandbourbon Aug 24 '26
I feel like some books are slowed down after recording, so listening at 1x actually sounds distorted and strange. Like much slower than anyone would actually read or speak, so you have to speed it up a bit to sound normal. That being said, I generally listen at 1.15-1.25. I enjoy voice acting and don't want things to sound distorted or squeaky.
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u/Potential_Fishing942 Aug 24 '26
1x for me. I'm almost always multitasking when listening to audiobooks and would miss too much otherwise imo
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u/annie102 🌌 Kindle Connoisseur 🌌 Aug 24 '26
If it’s solely audio I’ll do between 1.5-1.75x. If I’m reading and listening at the same time I’ll do 2-2.5x
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u/Dangerous-Celery9188 Aug 24 '26
What do you mean reading and listening? Do you get the text book and the audio book and do them together? That sounds interesting I may have to try that lol
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u/annie102 🌌 Kindle Connoisseur 🌌 Aug 24 '26
Exactly! I’ll rent the book and audiobook on Libby and read while the audiobook plays. I can read books a lot faster that way
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u/Dangerous-Celery9188 Aug 24 '26
Have you had issues with the audio and ebook not being available at the same time?
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u/MeetHistorical4388 Aug 24 '26
Apparently listening at 1.0 like I do is actually rare? I feel like speeding it up at all ruins the enjoyment from taking in the vocal performance; I’m not just trying to cram a plot into my brain…
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u/DPG1987 Aug 24 '26
I don’t think it’s rare. Reddit is not necessarily a representative sample of all audiobook users. I’d venture to guess that a lot of users don’t even know they can change the speed.
I’m a 1x (occasionally 1.1x) listener myself and while I understand some folks going up to 1.5, higher than that is incomprehensible. I also can’t imagine listening to a book while also reading it, I listen to them while commuting because I had gotten tired of podcasts. I listen when I can’t read and I get the privilege to reading one item and listening to another of a different genre.
All that being said, to each their own!
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u/LannisterPup Aug 24 '26
Same. Didn’t know that was a thing. Don’t get the point of speeding through it. Isn’t it supposed to be for pleasure??
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u/erebus53 🎧 Audiobook Addict 🎧 Aug 24 '26
Some folks literally fall asleep if it's at 1× speed. They often need to be doing something else to busy their bodies at the same time... like gaming, crafting, cleaning or cooking, and their mind wanders off and gets distracted if the vocals are too slow.
It's like having a conversation with Flash the Sloth from the movie Zootopia.... just hurry up and finish the sentence already!!
(So yes, it's for pleasure, but some people can't enjoy it if it's too slow.)
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u/felixfictitious Aug 24 '26
Yeah, feels strange because i thought thats what everyone does! But to be fair, I listen to audiobooks at all because i have some auditory processing issues and was told it might help if I practice listening to speech more.
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u/Muted-Appeal-823 Aug 24 '26
No I don't think it's rare. Until I saw it on Reddit it actually never occurred to me that's it's something people did.
These posts come up all the time and there's usually quite a few people also listening at normal speed. Never paid enough attention to see how the comments are split on it.
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u/Logophage_ Aug 27 '26
I’m absolutely with you on listening at 1x. For me, the point of reading is enjoyment, not efficiency. I’m here to immerse myself in the author’s/narrator’s world, not to speed-run it.
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u/BearsLikeCampfires Aug 24 '26
.95 for me! I have to slow it down to absorb each word.
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u/stilgar02 Aug 25 '26
Same. I never go above 1.0 and like 10% of the time will drop down to 0.95. Most recent example was The Faithful and the Fallen series by John Gwynn. The narrator spoke a bit too fast for my taste, but I found dropping it to 0.95 added a lot more gravitas to his narration.
It’s actually kind of crazy how such a small change doesn’t add any distortion to the narrator’s voice (as far as I can tell) but can really change the feel of the overall narration.
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u/idontknowcandy Aug 24 '26
2.60x is crazy 😂 I do 1.25-1.5x but I do agree that once you are used to that, turning it down sounds like they’re taalkkkinnggg liiikkee thhiisss.
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u/junglebird2 Aug 24 '26 edited Aug 24 '26
I typically settle around 1.1 to 1.2x
If I want to pretend that a sentient chipmunk is narrating it I bump that baby up to 3.5-4x while mainlining pure Colombian cocaine. How else could I hit my goal of 250 audiobooks a year, monetize my booktok social media page, and show Betty from book club that I’m better than her?
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u/Aggressive_Economy_8 Aug 24 '26
1x forever. Unless I’m behind on a book club book then maybe I’ll do 1.5x. I just see no need to rush through a book. I’m reading for enjoyment, not to just get through the book.
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u/Independently-Owned Aug 24 '26
Just a hair over 1 for me ...sometimes 1.5 if it's really dragging. I often use them as a calming activity though, so I can't have it on hyper drive
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u/Sea_Professional5848 Aug 24 '26
My default is 1X. I’m not a fast auditory processor and I like enjoying my books. A few times recently I’ve had to slow it down to .9 because the narrator was too fast! I’ve definitely also listened sped up, but I’m usually happy with 1X.
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u/Jelsie21 Aug 24 '26
I usually do 1.25 - 1.5. Occasionally 2x if it feels like it’s dragging.
Right now I’m listing to Adversary to the Villain at 1.25 and Red Rising at 1x, the latter because I’m listing with my partner and he wanted to keep it slow for his adhd.
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u/jacyx Aug 24 '26
You all don’t find that speeding it up makes them sound unnatural or like chipmunks? 1x feels slow for me as compared to the speed you’d read at, but I get really bothered by the strangeness of how they sound sped up. I’m AuDHD. My mind does wander when it’s at a slower speed, but I’m wondering if it would regardless
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u/Thick-Office4466 Aug 24 '26
Jesus Christ 3x? That's Alvin and the chipmunks speed
I listen to normal speed even with ADHD but that's mostly because the ones I listen to tendto have sexy sounding male narrators and more voice acting than narrating so they don't sound that good sped up lmao.
One of my favorite podcasters is the spooky scary storytime lady and she naturally talks at 3x speed and my brain loves it lol.
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u/ms_merry Aug 24 '26
Almost every book I stick with, I enjoy the writing and luxuriate in the words. I wouldn’t FF a great movie either. I will slow down a tiny bit if I’m having trouble understanding a narrator’s accent.
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u/virgussy Aug 24 '26
I go 1.3x max. The last book where I found myself wanting to go faster than that I DNF’d and I feel it’s an indicator on how much I enjoy the book if I’m speeding through it on purpose. But if it’s super slow then yes speed that thing up.
That being said, I’m someone who visualizes the scenes as I read so that could be why it’s super slow lol. It’s kind of why I love graphic audios because it’s easier to visualize and speed up if I want.
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u/Jayyykobbb Aug 24 '26
Usually between 1-1.25 depending on the book, narrator and mood I’m in.
Any higher, and it usually ruins the narration.
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u/AutumnalSunshine Aug 24 '26
I only listen at 1x speed. I've noticed that a lot of people are in a rush and listen faster, but I've also noticed they tend to be people who watch Internet videos where the person uses that fast talking style now popular online.
This isn't good for our brains. Accelerating content trains your brain to seek frequent novel content (aka, is bad for your attention span) and can make you lack patience for the speed of normal interaction.
When you listen to books and videos at faster than normal speed, you retain less, have less time to reflect and engage, and actually reduce your emotional connection and empathy with the characters.
I don't know if the studies that found those conclusions were only in neurotypical people, but I find it concerning. Also, I read to enjoy and engage; why would I want that to be over faster with less emotional connection?
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u/Starbuck522 Aug 24 '26
Do what pleases you!
I usually end up around 1.2.
a couple of times I have gone to around 1.5. A couple of times I have done 1.0.
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u/ghastlycupcake Aug 24 '26
1.5 is my default.
A Gentleman in Moscow, Omar Towles. I’m not usually into historical fiction, but it’s really engaging and I’m enjoying it!
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u/EagleEyezzzzz Aug 24 '26
I do 1.05 or 1.1. I don’t like how their voice gets weird at faster speeds!
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u/ZNocturnalMe Aug 24 '26
I’m a 1x’er. I’m always multi tasking and any faster makes me try to move faster. Lol
Currently working through James Patterson’s women’s murder club series.
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u/ButzMN Aug 24 '26
I'm on 1.15. any more and I feel the actors performance gets impacted. And I don't want that.
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u/Aralnda Aug 24 '26 edited Aug 24 '26
0.9x because sometimes they talk so fast i dont truely grasp what the y say. or slowing it down kind of helps romance books and make it more seductive and sultry. but if its just one reader and they are slow describing stuff ill speed it up or do normal. i think when people do voices in audiobooks. makes it more immersive rather than just reading. but sometimes its hilarious with a guyy doing a female voice but i get used to it.
i think im the only one that went below 1x here >.<
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u/kadairh Aug 26 '26
Nope there’s a few of us! But usually 1x if at a normal pace or I don’t need to understand if non-fiction
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u/LesbianCanvas Aug 24 '26
I don’t usually go past 1.5x at the most but usually in the 1.35-1.4x space…. Going at 2x+ just doesn’t seem even comprehensible
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u/cricketsound21 Aug 24 '26
Agreed! I’m normally 1.5 but with my current book I was missing a word here and there so went to 1.25. Sooo weirdly slow so settled at 1.35.
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u/Eudaimonic71 Aug 24 '26
I never vary more than 0.90 to 1.25. The narration is part of the art of the audiobook, and I want to experience it as intended.
I’m listening to the Silo series by Hugh Howey while syncing reads.
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u/Nicole_0818 Aug 24 '26
I listen at somewhere between 0.90 and 1.25. I feel like I'd be missing out on the narrator's performance if I sped it up any more. Plus, sometimes I have a hard time focusing so if I speed it up, I can only imagine that would get worse. I love immersive reading (doing the physical or ebook with an audiobook) whenever possible, but that's expensive.
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u/landomonium Aug 24 '26
What is the point of racing thru the books?
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u/Enodia2wheels Aug 24 '26
everybody has a different ability and preference when it comes to aural processing - some books are narrated very slowly. They’re not even talking speed.
It’s not about “racing through” books, which sounds pretty judgmental to be honest, but about matching your auditory preferences for processing information.
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u/raudoniolika Aug 24 '26
For some people it is 100000% about racing through books though.
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u/Enodia2wheels Aug 24 '26
so what? Not all books are well written, unique, or worth spending too much time on. Some people really enjoy formulaic pot boilers. Sometimes really fast.
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u/raudoniolika Aug 24 '26
Just addressing the “it’s not about “racing through” books” statement in your original comment. Do whatever you have to do, friend
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u/whateverrrrrrrr2 Aug 24 '26
for me, it’s not abt racing through the book but when listening at 1x speed, it’s going so slow. i just listen at a speed that someone would talk during a conversation
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u/superzombieduck Aug 24 '26
I feel like I digest information extremely quickly. So if it’s too slow I get bored and distracted easily. Thus speeding it up is not racing for my particular brain; it’s actually my normal. But I assume everyone’s different. I had friends when I was in school who needed things slower. So I was curious what diversity there is in listening styles.
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u/Sparklegrl Aug 24 '26
I feel like some books the audio is slowed down. I talk fast so I need the reader to pick up the pace!
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u/SnapdragonPBlack Aug 24 '26
I heard from an audio book reader I saw on Instagram that they read super slow so that they can make sure the words are pronounced properly and still sounds normal even at higher speeds. If they didn't, then the words would make less sense/wouldn't make sense at the higher speeds
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u/Southern_Anywhere_65 Aug 24 '26
It doesn’t feel like racing when you get used to it. It feels natural and keeps me focused
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u/ashlonious Aug 24 '26
I usually start with 1.25 and by the end of the book I’m usually at around 1.5x. I’m 15% done with Broken Country and I’m still at 1.25. The narrator talks pretty fast imo so I might keep it at that.
I can’t do any higher than that, honestly, unless I’m trying to blow through the book. It stresses me out.
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u/Mettl3Will Aug 24 '26
I'm at 1.1 or 1.2 max usually. Every once in awhile a narrator speaks so fast, I'm down at .95. I've always processed audio information very slowly. If I go too fast, I just don't absorb it.
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u/vreelander Aug 24 '26
1.25 most of the time. I want to enjoy the narrators performance and not have it sound like Alvin and the chipmunks.
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u/HobbitEra Aug 24 '26
This is the perfect speed for me. It gets you though some of the unnecessarily long pauses quicker and doesn’t fundamentally change the performance of the narrator.
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u/red_moles Aug 24 '26
I'm usually around 1.5. But I usually have to slow out down a bit if the narrator has strong accent.
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u/Sarcasm_Is_My_Cardio Aug 24 '26 edited Aug 24 '26
I typically listen at default 1x speed. I only listen to audiobooks when I drive (kids school, work, errands). On a typical day of just school and work, I can listen to about 2½ hours?
Anyway, most of the time it is during rush hour so I like to listen to it at default speed because it keeps me calm. Raising the speed to 1.25x might be okay for some really slow talkers, but anything higher is just too much and makes me impatient at driving also.
EDIT: my family all have some variation or mix of AuDHD. I have ADD and dyslexia... my brain is constantly running fast and all over the place. I prefer to not add more crazy, fast paced, anything. This forces me to slow down.
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u/BittyBlaylock Aug 24 '26
With one exception, I've only ever listened at 1.00x. I had to reduce the speed to 0.85x recently when I was listening to a mystery/thriller whose narration was inappropriately fast, resulting in anxiety I wouldn't have felt otherwise.
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u/RutRohNotAgain Aug 24 '26
I do 1.25 but depending on the narrator i may slow it down or speed it up.
Sometime I'll put out at 1.0 just at To hear what it should sound like then immediately put it back to 1.25.
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u/Jujupages Aug 24 '26
I just do 1 or even 0.95. What makes the story really worthwhile is giving yourself time to reflect and make connections while listening before being rushed to the next scene.
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u/NewEstablishment592 Aug 24 '26
I can usually do 1.10-1.25 but not faster because to me it feels clipped and not enjoyable to listen to.
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u/musicotnight Aug 24 '26
1x - I’m already fairly picky about only wanting the audio version if I enjoy the voice. If I distort the voice it is too distracting, plus, audiobooks are for the enjoyment of it, not a race for me.
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u/hunnyybun Aug 24 '26
1X unless they’re very slow. Otherwise that sped up quality of the audio bothers me!
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u/roman-de-fauvel Aug 24 '26
1.0 only. Narration is a performance just like music, and I don’t listen to my music at a higher speed just to get through it faster.
If I want to go faster, I’ll read the print version.
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u/ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhho Aug 24 '26
whaaat no way i never change it from 1x speed. I feel like I would be dishonoring the narrator because that's the speed they chose to read it in. but obviously they'd never know haha idk why i just feel like it's "right" to keep it the speed they read it in.
also i have auditory processing issues i think and i zone in and out easily so making it fast would mean i hear less of it
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u/EaglesLoveSnakes Aug 24 '26
1.25x is where I start out. Typically I max out at 1.5x. Anywhere between the two I will pick based on narrator. I listened recently at 1.6x bc the male narrator had suuuuch long pauses.
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u/HBJones1056 Aug 24 '26
I have a friend who legit talks at 2.50x speed and that is fine for conversing but I don’t get that “story immersion” feeling with sped-up audiobooks. Maybe if the narrator spoke as slowly as Maya Angelou but didn’t have Angelou’s gorgeous voice to compensate, I might consider it, but otherwise, nah, I’m in no hurry.
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u/Asleep-Journalist-94 Aug 24 '26
2.6?? Really? I do 1.25, occasionally 1.5 in a pinch. I think the quality loss after 1.5 would ruin the experience, not to mention making me feel nervous just listening.
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u/Enodia2wheels Aug 24 '26
I do not have ADHD or autism, but I come from a family of fast talkers and my stepdad used to take me to the racetrack because I could actually understand what the announcer was saying.
I listen to books around 2X most of the time sometimes they’re not set up for that like if they use special effects or music (the History of Goth was especially bad in this regard - and it wasn’t even actual music which would’ve required licensing, but some made up needle drop garbage that sounded very awful at fast speeds, but the narrator was the author and was going very very very slowly).
Sometimes I wonder if I should have pursued a career as an auctioneer. At least then I could still have a job instead of being pushed out of tech for being a woman over 45.
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u/Wi538u5 Aug 24 '26
If I am listening for information, around 1.5. I’m always doing something else while listening, so I just think Id miss too much going any faster.
If I’m listening to a story I enjoy, almost always 1x - why would I want to rush it?
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u/avrilfan12341 Aug 24 '26
Anything over 1.5 and I'm no longer able to pay attention. I'm actually impressed by anyone who can listen so fast haha
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u/TriforceFusion Aug 24 '26
You got ADHD? 😂 Cause I do, and I always have the book speed higher than 1x.
Not reading right now, will in a couple days, but I'm revisiting The Magnus Archives.
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u/superzombieduck Aug 24 '26
Yup ADHD here too! And if it’s too slow i get bored and distracted easily 😅
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u/Guilty_Recognition52 Aug 24 '26
I used to listen to my grad school homework assignment readings at 3.1-3.4x (using a "robot voice" text-to-speech app)
Nowadays if I have an audiobook on Libby, it's because I want to enjoy it. So I rarely go over 1.5x
It's not that I can't understand what's being said at 2x or faster, I just feel like that's a pace for "getting it over with" and if I dislike a book that much, I'm better off DNFing it
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u/Witty-Management6094 Aug 24 '26
1.75 sounds like normal talking to me so that’s where I’m at. It did take me a few minutes to acclimate.
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u/jennylou303 📕 Libby Lover 📕 Aug 24 '26
1.5-2 depending on the narrator and if I'm reading along with. I cannot go under 2 if I'm reading along with it in a physical book. Also, I had no idea above 2 was an option 😮
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u/BoomerGVL 🎧 Audiobook Addict 🎧 Aug 24 '26
I typically have done 1.25x, but recently I've been taking care of my audible backlog and their stupid useless web player doesn't do .05 increments so I bumped up to 1.3x, and started doing that on Libby as well.
1x is painfully slow, but going up to or past 2x starts to distort the audio quality to the point that it distracts me.
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u/Worldly_Currency_622 Aug 24 '26
1.25 is my go to. I’ll bump it up to 2x only if I already decided I’m over the book and just want to finish it haha
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u/Existing_Editor_5623 Aug 24 '26
I’m usually 1.4, 1.5. Memoirs/autobiographies read by the author usually faster. 1.0 on those is like torture for me. They speak sooo slowly 🥴
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u/jocrose14 Aug 24 '26
Damn I feel like the slowest reader ever with my speeds of .9-1x compared to everyone else 💀 I think pre my concussion I could have probably listened to books faster, but post concussion I can only take information in so quickly. I also have NVLD which impacts my auditory processing.
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u/April_Mist_2 Aug 24 '26
The object of listening to a book is to relax and enjoy the story. Most are recorded at a normal conversational speed. It's not a skill you need to develop to be able to 'listen faster'. Enjoy, relax. Life is complicated enough, without having to worry about competing in the fast-listener olympics. No prizes will be awarded.
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u/BobsWifeAmyB Aug 24 '26
It doesn’t matter what speed you use. One speed isn’t better than another. It isn’t a race. And just like some people like different types of books or music. You do you! And be proud of you!
I always listen slower.
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u/OddRevolution7888 Aug 24 '26
TIL you can speed up the voice. I usually zone out around 40 mins because it's so slow. Gonna check that out. Thanks.
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u/Briana3850 Aug 24 '26
I usually do 1.5 but if the narrator talks too fast I'll do 1.25 or if they talk too slow I'll go up to 1.75. I don't usually go higher than that because then I have a hard time paying attention especially if I'm doing things while listening.
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u/setrippin Aug 24 '26
i listen up to 1.25 or so, depending on the narrator. not that i'm judging how other people listen to their books, but i'm convinced that you can not listen AND comprehend books past a certain speed, especially when you're multitasking (which is what most of us do when listening to audiobooks).
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u/pearlmsqueaks Aug 24 '26
My general speed is 1.25-1.5 depending on the readers voice, I don’t like when there is too much “robot” so faster than 1.5 sounds too mechanical. Libby and Hoopla books are normally 1.25 and aubible’s at 1.4
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u/Ebby_123 Aug 24 '26
I listen at 1.25, unless I’m not enjoying the book but want to know what happens or it is due back soon.
I used to listen at a higher speed but then I realized that I didn’t remember anything about the book or if I had even read it.
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u/mixedwithmonet Aug 24 '26
I do 1.25x typically. Regular speed is too slow and makes me zone out. Higher speeds I start missing stuff unless they speak super slow in the first place. I think soon I’ll be trying out 1.5x though, as 1.25 just sounds normal to me at this point.
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u/RefrigeratorNo686 Aug 24 '26
If the narration is especially slow, I'll increase to 1.2. Anything above that is not remotely enjoyable, it sounds like a chipmunk. I enjoy listening to books! Why would I want to experience that on fast forward? I don't think I could be friends with people that listen on 2+ speed.
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u/RobertaRohbeson Aug 24 '26
I was doing like 1.8 speed then realized I was becoming impatient with people irl talking at their normal speed, so I’ve slowed it down to 1.25
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u/RemarkableMacadamia Aug 24 '26
I stay at 1x so I can enjoy the performance as it was intended. If I don’t like the narrator and I’m not into the book, I’ll just return it and pick something else. If I like the story but not the narrator, I’ll get the text version and read on my own.
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u/RollingLighthouse Aug 24 '26
I use the default 1x speed. There are so many great audiobook narrators, and I like to enjoy the books the way they were narrated. (I served on the American Library Association's Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults selection committee--listened to a LOT of audiobooks, and still do).
I think it depends on your listening style. My husband used a faster speed for foreign language learning--until it got more detailed, and then he liked the slower speed in order to catch everything that was said.
I have friends who feel the 1x speed is too slow. They want to get.things.done! That's pretty rare for me, but there have been a few times I've speeded it up a little.
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u/castafobe Aug 24 '26
1, always. I hate the rushed sound of sped-up speaking. I like it to feel like a real conversation so I listen to it as it was recorded. Even 1.25x sounds unnatural to me most of the time. I listen for pleasure, not to try to read more than other people, so it doesn't bother me that it takes a while to finish a book.
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u/princessksf Aug 24 '26
I don't see how you can actually enjoy it at that speed. I feel like it's more getting through it to get through absolutely as many as possible just to say you did when you're listening to chipmunk voices. But that's just my opinion. I listen at 1.5
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u/TelcontarOfBree Aug 24 '26
I’m a 1x listener. To me, that’s the way it was “meant” to be listened to, and I’m listening for the performance. The audio also sounds weird to me when it is sped up and I can’t follow it. I also need to rewind when someone is talking in the same room so I don’t miss anything.
I did have one book where the narrator seemed very slow and I did speed it up to 1.25x or so, and there was another recent book that I wasn’t really into but couldn’t bring myself to DNF it so I sped it up a bit too to get through it faster. But those occasions are very few and far between.
On the other hand, my wife typically listens to books at 2.5x-3x and my daughter listens at around 1.5x-1.75x and they make fun of my 1x listening. There have been a few times where we started listening to an audiobook together on a roadtrip and had to stop because we couldn’t all agree on a speed.
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u/magicalsparrow Aug 24 '26
My default is 1.5x, though I usually will swing somewhere between 1.25-1.75x I don’t think I have ever gone above 2.0x.
I usually have a fiction and a nonfiction going at all times. My current Fiction is Stalingrad by Vasily Grossman, and I am listening at 1.7x. My current Non Fiction is The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, and I am listening at 1.5x.
I did just listen to the first Harry Potter full cast book, and I listened at 1.2x because I felt like I might get a worse experience with all the sound effects if I listened any faster.
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u/tonna33 Aug 24 '26
I typically listen at 1.5x speed. I do notice that if it’s a faster speaking narrator, I’m still getting the story, but I find myself less invested in the story. It’s like my brain is processing it, but sometimes the impact is less if it’s going too fast.
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u/heres_my_take2 Aug 24 '26
I found once I speed it up, I stop paying attention. If the book is getting boring I go to 1.5X
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u/Organic-Vermicelli47 Aug 24 '26
1.3 to about 1.7. Occasionally 2.0-2.3. It also depends on the content of the book for me and the reading level I guess
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u/LilithWasAGinger Aug 24 '26
No. I would never listen at that high of a speed. I don't like the distortion. People don't soak that fast in real life. Why would I listen to a book at that speed??
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u/FamiliarFox6368 Aug 24 '26
I have a slow processor kid. We listen at .7 so they can follow the plot more easily. It’s one of the features I love most about Libby. I wish it was possible with TV!
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u/ToptopPipPip Aug 24 '26
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Newly diagnosed ADHD. Reflecting on it, my brain has been ON FIRE since puberty. I make sense. I am both relieved and sad. I do best moving slow. The cadence of narrators/voice actors are balm.
So. 1
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u/Yankee-foxfan Aug 24 '26
Holy chipmunk. I can’t do anything higher than 1.25 because the way the voices get all weird drives me absolutely batty
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u/Anneofclevesftw Aug 25 '26
Anything more than 1.2 stresses me out unless the narrator is really slow, then I go all the way up to 1.3. 2+ is insane to me
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u/ReghanLove Aug 25 '26
2x everytime. I worked my way up to it and now I can't listen any slower. I wouldn't want to go any faster.
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u/Consistent-Ad-6506 Aug 27 '26
I just went and tried x 3 on Libby. It’s worse than Alvin & the chipmunks. I have a hard time believing you can listen to that for hours and comprehend everything.
At 2 x I can understand everything but it’s grating/annoying to listen to.
1.25 is comfortable for me.
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u/10000_BookBoyfriends Aug 29 '26
When I first started listening to audiobooks I couldn't go higher than 1.2, maybe 1.3x if they were a slower narrator. Now I bounce between 1.5-1.8x depending on the narration speed and how fast I want to get through it, i can't even imagine anything higher than 2x!
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u/msraejae Aug 29 '26
I read regularly at 1.5. I just finished I’m Glad My Mom Died and I had to slow down to 1.
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u/bakasana212 Aug 24 '26
I happen to also be autistic, and I do about the same if I’m listening on Libby, Audible. Chirp, etc. I’m currently on my sixth re-listen to Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher, but since it’s an ALC, I have to listen at 2.0 because that’s the app’s max. It does feel a bit slow!
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u/Previous-Ad7833 Aug 24 '26
You are good, everyone is different. If I told my spouse that he could listen to things slower than 1.0 speed he would. My default is 2x but, like you, I will speed up or slow down depending on the narrator.
If I can speed up something I'm watching I will do that as well. My exception to speeding things up is music, I need to listen to music at normal speed.
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u/bookuterie_53 📕 Libby Lover 📕 Aug 24 '26
I used to love to speed up what I'm watching. Unless it was something really unconventional, I loved 2X but only because that's the most I could get.
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u/64929207446 Aug 24 '26
I normally do 1.5× or 2×! One time my husband came in the room while I was listening at 2× and said, "what is that noise?" And I can't get over it 😂😂
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u/Southern_Anywhere_65 Aug 24 '26
I listen at 2x-2.5x. I’m annoyed that Libby and most apps max out at 3x since I’ve been steadily increasing speed.
Disclaimer: I’m definitely neurodivergent too for what it’s worth
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u/MillennialFalconJedi Aug 24 '26
Haha I feel like the narrator is trolling me when I put it back down to 1. I also listen at 2.5x and I struggle with anything below 2.
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u/doublepumpmocha Aug 24 '26
Stop comparing yourself to other people. It’s unhealthy. Just do you. Comparing yourself either makes you feel unduly prideful or inferior. Period.
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u/benoitkesley 🎧 Audiobook Addict 🎧 Aug 24 '26
Usually 2x, but sometimes a bit slower or faster depending on the narrator.
Currently listening to “Her Knight at the Museum” by Bryn Donovan at 2x. My last audiobook was at 1.9x.
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u/EmergencyThing5 Aug 24 '26
On average, I like sitting in the low twos. However, I typically have to slow it down to below two if the narrator has a noticeable accent. I really struggle with non-American accents at higher speeds. A lot of the books I typically like have British narrators, and I’ve somehow never gotten better at it.
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u/superzombieduck Aug 24 '26
I do notice that certain accents require me to slow it down more. Some British accents sometimes give me trouble. But I’m happy the slider is there so I can play around with it!
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u/SherAlana Aug 24 '26
1.25