Aux jack & mp3 player

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Rat

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2010
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977
Location
Silicon Valley
I recently bought Kindle Fire. It's getting harder and harder to find audiobooks on CDs. Most are now downloadable and have DRM protection. I can get them on the Kindle from the library through the Overdrive app, but I can't rip them to a USB thumb drive. The Kindle is capable of playing through a headphone jack and I've already used that to play an audiobook on my home stereo. My question is whether this is practical in the Leaf using the Aux jack.

The biggest problem is that I don't see how to control the audio, i.e. pausing and restarting. Unlike music, it's not okay to miss a section while giving all my attention to traffic. I believe the iPad works with the USB port and allows dash or steering wheel audio controls, but I see no such functionality with the Aux input. It wouldn't be safe trying to pause and start or rewind the story on the Kindle as I drive. On the other hand constantly switching CDs is a distraction, too. I could see maybe on a long drive on the freeway with little traffic, where the need to stop and start play would be little to none, it might be safer to have the audiobook playing on the Kindle than on CDs.

Anyone who has experience with the auxiliary jack, what is your advice?
 
Rat said:
Anyone who has experience with the auxiliary jack, what is your advice?

The Aux jack is pretty much a "dumb port" that gives you better audio performance than (for example) an FM transmitter.
Unfortunately, the control is built into "smart" devices (like iPods/Kindles) and DRM doesn't help to get away from these devices.
 
I have been using the Audible app on my iPhone and listening via bluetooth. It works well - pauses, has a 30 second rewind, picks up between drives but the draw back is the cost of the books.
 
The Kindle Fire doesn't have bluetooth, at least my model doesn't. It's the wi-fi model, not the 3G or 4G model. I didn't buy it expecting to play it in the car, but I thought it might be an option at times. I wouldn't want to leave it in the car and it's too heavy and bulky to take with me when I'm out running or hiking or at the gym. I will probably stick with CDs (or rip CDs to the USB stick) for audiobooks in the car.
 
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