I only listen to Audiobooks on my player. I used Clip/original firmware and liked the sound very much. Bought Clip+ and although I hear it uses the same chip, I didn’t like the sound so I’ve tried the Clip+ with Rockbox and the sound got better but the battery drained real fast (No EQ or special settings). I’d like to try another player in my quest for the perfect audiobooks experience and am deliberating between Fuse+ and the Fuze. I read some bad reviews on the Fuze+ but understand that the latest firmware is a step up and frankly mostly interested in audiobooks so easy navigation is not critical. What do you think, Fuze? Fuze+? or just grab another old clip?
Have you tried other headphones/earbuds? Maybe the Clips were different from the Clip+'s? Headphones/earbuds would make the largest difference in perceived quality and tone.
Since audiobooks are usually encoded at a lower bitrate because high fidelity is not needed for understanding spoken word, yours is an unusual complaint. Not illegitimate, just noting that I can’t judge whether the Fuze or Fuze+ would sound good or not to you, even though I have all the players you’ve mentioned. I don’t have “golden ears,” but it sounds like you do.
If you like (and can find) a new original Clip, I’d get another one. I don’t recommend re-furbs (although there are many who do).
As far as a choice between the Fuze and Fuze+? I’d vote for the Fuze.
The Fuse is far better if you do not mind having to replace it within 15 months. Either the screen or the thumb wheel will go out on you. My daughter has one that has lasted nearly 3 years,but she has not used it daily.
The one thing that is great about the Fuse is that you can stop reading an audiobook for months and pick it back up right where you left off without having to remember where you were in that book. One Fuse is as good as 6 Fuse+s for that reason.
If you tend to read one or two books at a time and want something to last go for the Fuse+. I have purchased 6 Fuse+. 4 are more that a year old. All are still working perfectly.
I play audiobooks easily two hours a day. The Fuse+ is ok.
I use my fuze+ for audio books, the sound is good, battery life is good and it starts up where you left off. It doesn’t display the book cover though, at least not with books from OverDrive.
@alanj wrote:
I use my fuze+ for audio books, the sound is good, battery life is good and it starts up where you left off. It doesn’t display the book cover though, at least not with books from OverDrive.
Your OverDrive comment inspired me to try it. I want the book show up as Podcast. I had to change the main file from read only to change the genre. I then transfer 5 audio books to my player. The book cover display on all five books.
Ah. I just use the OverDrive console’s Transfer button to transfer them to the Fuze’s Podcast folder, selected via Overdrive’s advanced Options button, then they show up as books, not Podcasts, but without the cover picture. For me, it’s a simpler method, I can live without the cover picture.
I tried the Advanced Option and still sat the art work. When I get new books I will try the advanced option before changing the Genre.
Do you now how to turn books in early?
Are you getting the art work with MP3 and WMA titles? I’m not sure if I’ve actually tried an MP3 book on my Fuze+.
You can’t return books early. You can delete them from your computer and player but you have to wait for the loan period to expire if you’ve reached your borrowing limit and want to borrow more.
I’ve just tried it - you do get the cover picture on the Fuze+ with MP3 audiobooks transfered using the OverDrive console’s Transfer button. Strange really, in my computers Documents/ My Media folder, both WMA and MP3 books have the cover.jpg, it just doesn’t transfer with WMA titles. The transfer speed is much faster with MP3s too.
I see book covers in both formats. I though the problems may be that you were putting content in the podcast file without a subfolder. But when I did this I saw book covers all the same.
Hmm… odd. It’s not a major issue for me though, I normally only have one or two books on at a time, and I do delete them when I’ve listened to them, so I’m not getting confused by the files all looking the same. (Although I sometimes keep them a little longer than the agreed two weeks, I’ve never been fined for being overdue).
The Fuze+ sounds interesting. I have ipod touch and it is very frustrating with wma library books not being able to bookmark, back up 10 seconds, or anything. I am able to do that with mp3 library books. With Overdrive Media, does the Fuze+ actually allow you to bookmark and backup with wma books? Our library only allows direct download with mp3. With wma, you have to go through your computer first.
With the Fuze+ you have to download OverDrive WMA titles to your computer first and then transfer them via Overdrive’s console, the DRM won’t let you drag them across to the Fuze.
You can pause and resume, pause go and play some music the return to your book and resume where you left off. If you switch off while in an audiobook, it restarts where you were when you switched off.
You can rewind all the way back to the beginning of the book by keeping your finger on the control, it starts rewinding slowly and speeds up as it goes. It’s easy to twitch and skip back to the beginning of the chapter instead of rewinding though. It’s quirky but you get used to it.
One thing I find is, if I recharge when in the middle of an audiobook using a mains charger, it resumes where I left off in the book. But, if I recharge via USB port on computer, it defaults to the Music Folder when I switch on again. It leaves a little marker on the chapter I was listening to though, and when I go to that chapter it asks if I want to resume or start at the beginning of the chapter.
All in all, I’m pretty pleased with mine.
OverDrive have just released an update, you can now return audiobooks early, you no longer have to wait for them to expire.
Edit:
Only MP3 audiobooks downloaded after you install the OverDrive Media Console v3.2.2.0 update will have the return option.
Due to OverDrive’s agreements with publishers, WMA titles cannot be returned before the lending period is up.
