Ask HN: What is your preferred podcast playback speed for optimal comfort?

2 points by avadhesh18 ↗ HN
What podcast playback speeds would you prefer to see as options in a podcast player's user interface? Choices include 1.2x, 1.4x, 1.8x, and 2x or 1.25x, 1.5x, 1.75x, and 2x.

3 comments

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Depends on the podcaster. Usually between 1x and 1.5x and rarely higher than that unless I'm pressed for time.
Full agreement about it depending on the podcast, finding a player where speed is feed specific was a huge improvement for me. There are a few podcasts I listen to where the accent and cadence makes me feel genuinely angry if I have to listen to them at 1x, yet they become interesting enough to subscribe to when they're up around 2.25x.

It makes me wonder how much of a pattern there would be based purely on the listener's birth location and general regional cadence. I know I have a tendency to speak too quickly for some people in my native English, and also in languages I've learned later in life. Perhaps there are people who'd like a 0.4x button for interacting with me ;)

Two thoughts:

Why have discreet values in the UI? Give me a slider, so I can set it just right!

I've read that blind people set their screen readers insanely fast: like, 10x or whatever. So, 2x seems like it might be a lot too low for the maximum?