Hi Jane,

The import setting that is closest to what iTunes and Audible uses
for their audiobooks is the "podcast" setting under AAC files. This
sampling produces files that are half the size of the "High Quality"
setting.  There isn't a preset setting like this under mp3 files.
If you use "High Quality" to import from audio cd to mp3 files
you can fit 10 audio CDs onto 1 mp3 CD. You'd have to change
to custom settings to drop the value from "High Quality" (128 kbps)
to 64 kbps if you wanted to get smaller files. 

>I am trying to figure out the best setting for importing some audio  
>books I have on CD.  Right now it is set at the highest quality, but  
>is there a better opne, that will make the audio sound as good  
>without taking up so much space? 

If you want to check out what other audiobooks sound like
at different settings, NAXOS is offering some free download
audiobook samples in mp3 format for the start of their
audio download shop this month. The samples are generally
abridged books that are 2-3 audio CDs in length, but are
offered in mp3 format.  The download zip folders also come
with PDF files of the descriptive material that is supplied
on the CD inserts.

Here are some of the pages (from the U.S. download site):

Hard Times by Charles Dickens:
http://www.naxosaudiobooks.com/northamerica/311012.htm

Brief Lives by John Aubrey:
http://www.naxosaudiobooks.com/northamerica/237812.htm

The Canterbury Tales, Volume 1 by Chaucer:
http://www.naxosaudiobooks.com/northamerica/304412.htm

Grimm's Fairy Tales:
http://www.naxosaudiobooks.com/northamerica/200512.htm

And there's an audio sampler of their 2006 releases:
http://www.naxosaudiobooks.com/northamerica/2006sampler.htm

On each page look for "Link to free download page" at the bottom.

NAXOS uses a rate between the podcast rate and the High Quality
setting.  The listed links may only be free until the end
of the year. 

HTH

Esther

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