Commentary: What hardware do you use to listen to audiobooks and podcast?

SFFaudio Commentary

I’ve been listening to audiobooks my whole life.

It started as a young boy when adults would read me bedtime stories. Then, as I grew up, I turned to 8-tracks and LP records. Then for a long time in the 1980s and 1990s I was using cassettes almost exclusively.

For personal portability, with cassettes, I used about Sony Walkmans and Sanyo knock-off walkmans. At home I used ghetto blasters and clock radios with cassette players.

Eventually CDs came in, and I used them concurrently with cassettes. They were followed by MP3-CDs. Then I was using iPods (I owned four over the years, three Nanos and a Mini). Every technology that’s has come in has improved the accessibility and portability of audiobooks for me.

Today I pretty much use just one device for all my audiobook and podcast listening. That’s my iPhone 3GS.

I use it so much I had to start worrying about it holding a charge for the whole day.

The current solution I’ve come up with has been very satisfactory. I use three separate charging docking stations at home. All of them are identical, the Sony ICF-CS10iP. I have one at my computer, one in my bedroom, and one in my bathroom.

Sony ICF-CS10iP

In fact, I’ve liked it so much I bought a fourth for work and use it in my classroom. I gave one to my niece and one to my sister and my mom bought one for herself and I bought one for a friend too. They come with a little remote control, but I tend to have them near at hand most of the time.

When not at home listening I’ve used light and cheap over the ear earphones for most of my life. But I’ve always disliked the burden of cords. So, for about six months now, I’ve been using a Sony DR-BT160AS headset. I don’t like the fact that it is an in-ear ear-bud model, but the fact that it combines stereo earbuds with a microphone with a behind-the-neck mount and NO CORD at all make them a substantial improvement over every pair of headphones I’ve used before. It is rechargeable (with an internal battery) and sustains a charge for several hours of use. It’s Bluetooth enabled and works incredibly well at a distance of up to ten meters or so. In fact it actually works a little better when at a distance than it does when close up.

Unfortunately, like any pair of earbuds they aren’t truly comfortable, but their compact size, the built in microphone, and the lack of cables makes me very pleased to have a pair. I actually bought a second set shortly after the first so that I’ve got as a backup for when the first dies.

Sony DR-BT160AS Bluetooth earbuds

What hardware do you use to listen to audiobooks and podcast?

Posted by Jesse Willis

8 thoughts to “Commentary: What hardware do you use to listen to audiobooks and podcast?”

  1. I pretty much rely on my iPhone for audiobook and podcast listening too. I may switch to a bluetooth headset at some point, though I’m worried about battery life. I’ve heard Stitcher is a great app for listening to podcasts. This post has reminded me to try it, so we’ll see how it works.

  2. I use my iPhone + Audible app for most audiobook listening of late, and my trusty 160Gb iPod for everything else (music and podcasts). I still love being able to put every bit of music I have on there. And audio drama and courses and whatever else I’ve I’ve decided to keep.

    For headphones I use $20 Sony in-ear headphones for daily use. For when I want to give undivided attention to a good audio drama or piece of music, I have a good set of Sony over the ear headphones or some Bose in-earphones.

    The Bose in-earphones have INCREDIBLE sound, but they aren’t good for prolonged use because (1) they get uncomfortable, (2) they fall out of my ear, and (3) if I wear them like I do my cheaper earphones (meaning almost constantly, dangling in a shirt pocket if I’m not using them), I lose the detachable rubber earpiece. I saw them at Best Buy a few weeks ago and they’ve been redesigned since I got my pair. Surely they still sound great, and it looks like they’ve solved (1) and (2). Would love to try them out.

  3. One more thing – because I have a family at home, I almost never play audiobooks through speakers. Most of what I hear, I hear through earphones. I don’t use a docking station myself, but my wife and kids each have one of their own.

  4. Being a reclusive billionaire with a taste for the quality of days gone by has its advantages, and often leads to foibles that some may consider peculiar, but due to an almost embarrassing surfeit of wealth more often gets the nod as “eccentric”.

    Insisting on only the finest and most authentic audio experience for my audiobooks, I eschew modern digital conveniences and sniff at the soulless renderings of elegant works of fiction made available via “CD” and “mp3”.

    Rather, on a weekly basis, I send out my Lenkbarer Luftfahrzug zeppelin, piloted by the estimable, if doddering, Captain Stormytop, to retrieve for me such worthies as Scott Sigler, Cory Doctorow, Stephen King and Frank Key (to name a few) and deliver them to my floating island fortress “Rocinante” where I have them read me their latest works of fiction, shouting the text through a megaphone so as to be heard above the buffeting of winds as I steer my city ship amidst the clouds in relentless search of my elusive prey, Moebius Dick, the airwhale with one side. Their every utterances are records on wax cylinder to be played back later on my Patented Edison Phonograph, their voices lulling me into a fitful sleep peppered with utopian dreams of the resurgence of Victorian era social norms and gentlemanly codes of conduct.
    When they finish their recitations, the authors are recompensed with gifts of weyrgeld from my overflowing halls of accumulated lucre, fed on bits of ambrosia cake and Rüdesheimer Apostelwein 1727 and sent on their merry, tipsy way until the next time I have need of their paltry services.

    Of course, that’s just me. YMMV.

  5. I use a cheap Logik mp3 player and ear buds (with wires) for listening to audiobooks and podcasts while im working outside all day (Gardener). And when im back at home of an evening i listen to them through the computer or i have a pair of old pc speakers i hook up the the mp3 player.

    Love Bob

  6. I use my iPod and earbuds or car sound system. I hate those earbuds but haven’t found anything that is much better so was interested to see your recommendation.

    BTW, I’m really enjoying your more informational posts. :-)

  7. Playback: iPod touch or Sansa Clip + (I’d use an iPhone if I had one)…

    But for earphones I have to have noise isolation so I can hear the book and still keep the volume low. Right now I’m using Sure ES215 in ear monitors (IEMs, aka canal phones) with the foam “olives” for a good but comfortable seal. Previously I’ve had a few pair of custom molded in ear monitors. Pro-style IEMs are made to wear the cables over the ear and over and behind the head. Combine that with a clothing clip and it helps get the cable out of the way.

    However, the same seal that gives you noise isolation also gives you that stuffed up feeling that makes every head movement and footstep audible. You can make a red neck noise isolation rig that doesn’t have that problem by merely wearing your stock iPod ear buds and put on shooter’s ear muffs over that. It looks silly but with a good pair of shooters ear muffs you get good noise isolation with less of of the extra noise you get from wearing sealed IEMs.

    Active noise cancellation headphones are also an option, but I have enough gadgets that need batteries already and I dislike the “shhhhhhhhhhhh” sound that many active noise cancellation headphones make–especially if you don’t have a good seal with the headphones.

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