- The best mp3 player for audiobooks how to#
- The best mp3 player for audiobooks install#
- The best mp3 player for audiobooks upgrade#
- The best mp3 player for audiobooks portable#
- The best mp3 player for audiobooks software#
(It has its own database system.)Īlso, I expect someone would have to install Rockbox for you. The major drawback for you is that Rockbox doesn’t work with iTunes. Rockbox has an FAQ and an index page for blind users. The benefit is that Rockbox provides support for blind and visually impaired users, including voiced menus.
Only a small number of – usually, older – players are compatible, but this does include many SanDisk models, as well as Cowon, Philips, Samsung, Sony and other players.
The best mp3 player for audiobooks software#
One of the geekier options is to install the open source Rockbox software to improve or replace the operating software in a compatible MP3 player.
The best mp3 player for audiobooks upgrade#
You could either upgrade them via iTunes or, if there are not too many of them, burn them to CD and re-rip them. Note also that non-Apple players will not play old music files that have Apple’s DRM (Digital Rights Management) copy protection, ie m4p rather than m4a. You can convert AAC files to MP3 in iTunes but it might be a lot of work and it won’t improve the sound quality.
This is a problem with many cheap players, and it may not change in a hurry because MP3 is now licence-free (the Fraunhofer Institute’s patents expired) whereas AAC still requires fees. I haven’t used any of the exercise-oriented MP3 players, so you will have to read some reviews to see if there’s one you think might work for you.īased on Amazon reviews, the 8GB AGPTEK G02 looks a good bet at £17.99/ $19.99 except that it only supports MP3, Microsoft WMA (Windows Media Audio) and WAV files, not Apple’s AAC files. There are also “head hugging” all-in-one MP3 players/headphones such as the Sony NWZ W273A (discontinued) and the (current) NW-WS413 and NW-WS414 Sports Walkman models, for general exercise including swimming. Examples include the waterproof Sigomatech swimming MP3 player, the AGPTEK S12 and the Exeze Rider. Some MP3 players are designed for swimmers. It might be a decade old, but the iPod Shuffle is still a great asset to visually impaired listeners. (The original Creative Zen Stone is long gone.) Have a look at the AGPTEK G02 and the Philips GoGear SoundDot and FitDot, for example. The SanDisk (Sansa) Clip Sport and Clip Jam are among the most popular examples, but both have screens. People who are doing physically strenuous things don’t have time to look at tiny screens or mess about with complicated interfaces. The affordable alternatives are mostly MP3 players that target the gym bunny and exercise markets, which probably includes the Shuffle.
The best mp3 player for audiobooks portable#
But they have built-in loudspeakers so they’re not as portable as a Shuffle or similar MP3 player. In the UK, the RNIB sells Sovereign and Sonic portable USB players that enable blind users to play music from flash drives. (Daisy is an acronym for Digital Accessible Information Systems, and it’s an international standard for audio publications such as “talking books”.) There are products such as the Victor Reader Stream, which is a Daisy-compatible talking book and media player, and the Plextalk Pocket Daisy player, but they generally cost £300 to £400 or more. If there is, suppliers don’t appear to be addressing it. You would think there would be a huge market for cheap, easy-to-use MP3 players suitable for blind and visually impaired users, and for older users whose fingers are not as nimble as they used to be. Experiment with Siri on an iPad or iPhone to find out if you can operate an iPod Touch successfully.Ī new iPod Touch may be a bit spendy at the moment, but you may be able to afford a second hand or refurbished one.Įither way, as an iTunes user, sticking with Apple is the simplest way to maintain your current set-up. See Apple’s help page, Use Accessibility features on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.īetter still, the latest iPod Touch has Siri, Apple’s voice-controlled digital assistant. These include the VoiceOver screen reader and Voice Control, which recognises command such as shuffle, pause and next song. However, it does have a number of features that may make it usable by blind and visually impaired users. You might dismiss it for being a touchscreen player or, more likely, because it’s expensive at £199/£299 or $199/$299. The iPod Touch is the only surviving member of the iPod family, and it’s much like an iPhone without the phone. You may have a friend who is happy to do this for you, should the need arise, or a local repair shop that can do it cheaply. Replacement iPod batteries often ship with the small tools required, and there are usually demonstration videos on YouTube.
The best mp3 player for audiobooks how to#
However, iFixit also shows how to replace the batteries in later versions of the Shuffle, and this could influence your choice of a new model. Unfortunately, iFixit says this is “very difficult” with a first-generation version, so I don’t recommend it in your case. Alternatively, you could get someone to replace the battery in your current Shuffle.
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