How fast can you listen before you stop taking it in?

There's no correct playback speed. A comfortable pace depends on the narrator, the book and how much attention you have to spare. What you can do is find your limit with a quick test instead of guessing.

Find your speed in a week

1. Start at 1.0x for the first chapter, so you know how the narrator normally sounds.
2. Move up in small steps, such as 1.1x or 1.2x, rather than jumping straight to 2x. Your ear adjusts surprisingly quickly to small changes.
3. Stay at each step for a day or two. It'll feel fast at first and normal soon after.
4. Stop when recall drops, not when the voice starts to sound odd.

The 30-second recall test

Pause at the end of a chapter and say out loud what just happened. If you can explain the main events or the argument, the speed is working. If you're vague, or you need to skip back often, slow down a notch.

Match the speed to the book and the moment

• Slower: dense non-fiction, unfamiliar subjects, complex plots with lots of characters.
• Slower: anything you're listening to while doing something that needs your attention, like driving in traffic.
• Faster: light non-fiction, re-listens and slow-paced narrators.
• Close to normal: performances you're listening to for the acting, such as full-cast productions.

Finishing more books isn't much use if none of them stay with you. Pick the fastest speed you can still retell.