Audiobooks - Any Downpour Users Here?

[DeepSpaceYorks]

I feel like buying some of the old audiobooks and stumbled upon Downpour who look good. Does anyone here have any comments about them? What is quality like (bitrate)? Audible is very poor and DRM'd to death.

 

[Stevil2001]

I think @ATimson is a user.

 

[Peak]

I am a member of both Downpour and Audible, and I'm not really picky about the sound quality on audio books (both sounds good to me).

I do have Legacies book 2 and 3 on Downpour, and checking the bitrate of those files (the m4b-versions, which is what I use) gives a bitrate of 60k VBR with a sample rate of 32 kHz.

I downloaded book 2 in mp3 just to check and it looks like the bitrate for the mp3:s are about the same.

I would recommend Downpour over Audible, but they do have a smaller catalogue. No DRM, though. I think it's only Audible (for some reason) that insists on keeping the DRM (despite the fact that it have been quite easy to convert Audible-files for a long time).

 

[inflatabledalek]

I've used Downpour a lot simply because of the lack of DMR, mainly to complete my Bond audiobooks. I'm not technically minded but it has always sounded good to me.

Only possible concern might be a lot of the Trek stuff on there are the twenty odd year old abridged intended for cassette readings, not sure how good the basic starting quality would be on those.

 

[DeepSpaceYorks]

Only possible concern might be a lot of the Trek stuff on there are the twenty odd year old abridged intended for cassette readings, not sure how good the basic starting quality would be on those.

That's why I'm interested in them I suppose. I like the idea of the readers (usually Nimoy, Doohan and Takei) and they have full scores and sound effects. I could never afford them when I was a nipper. I'm sure I could get a decent transfer if I had the original cassettes!

I am a member of both Downpour and Audible, and I'm not really picky about the sound quality on audio books (both sounds good to me).

I do have Legacies book 2 and 3 on Downpour, and checking the bitrate of those files (the m4b-versions, which is what I use) gives a bitrate of 60k VBR with a sample rate of 32 kHz.

That's a bit low on the bitrate for my liking, like really low. Damn, that's probably gonna upset my ears somewhat. Big Finish offer their downloads in 256, a much better bit rate.

 

[Peak]

Yeah, both Big Finish and for exemple Graphic Audio is really good bitrate-wise. But, as I said, i'm not really picky when it's only voices. Both BF and GA do have music and soundeffects, so quality are more important there.