Page 10 | Harry Potter - the full-cast Audible edition

TheNeighboursComplain · 2025-11-04T09:38:36+00:00

Has anyone started this yet? The first book was just released today. I'm only a couple of chapters in, and I really want to love it, but I'm not blown away so far. The narrator is good; I do like her voice - it's a nice and soothing voice. I really like the cast voices, but their voices are too quiet and sometimes quite tinny sounding. The sound effects can be really distracting, and too loud - it's quite hard to hear the cast voices over them. I'm hoping it improves!

LinkedinLovely · 17/12/2025 12:40

Yay, thanks for the heads up. We're also enjoying it, bedtimes or car journeys.

If you like this kind of thing, the BBC did a wonderful version of The Dark is Rising a couple of years ago that is still available

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TheNeighboursComplain · 17/12/2025 09:08

The Chamber of Secrets is out, and it's soooo much better than the first book! The sound balance is miles better - the background noises don't compete with the actors anymore, and the voices don't sound muffled/tinny either. This makes for a much nicer listening experience.

There's still an awful lot of grunting and groaning, which I can't get on board with it sounds like people pooping but otherwise, I love this one.

The actor voicing Peeves is fabulous, and he actually sings rather than chants (oh Potter you rotter) - brilliant. This gives me hope that Weasley is our King will be sang. Oh and Filch is also terrific.

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CrustyBread1977 · 13/11/2025 22:16

I’m loving it and I can’t wait to listen to it again!

I was struck by the boy playing Ron using front /a/ vowels in words like “can’t”, although he otherwise speaks with an RP accent. Apparently the actor is trying for Ron’s “rural accent” - what it’s meant to be escapes me! If Ottery St Catchpole is supposed to be in Devon, that doesn’t sound like a Devon accent to me!

Randomchat · 13/11/2025 22:08

Apparently it's designed to listen on headphones. I have no idea why that makes a difference? I also find the background noises hard to hear past. They're quite distracting.

We listened on a long family car journey and it kept us entertained though so I'm glad we bought it

IsntItDarkOut · 13/11/2025 21:36

I’ve just finished it today. I’m a big fan of Riz but he’s not working for me as Snape yet. Love Matthew McFadden as Voldermort though, and love McGonagall.
Madam Pomfrey is ridiculous and distracting.
Found it much easier to listen on my headphones and the mismatched sound levels.

Civilservant · 08/11/2025 12:04

Couldn’t resist getting it! Enjoying it very much so far. It is a bit like the higher budget ‘immersive’ audio productions. The sound effects are similar to those too,

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TheNeighboursComplain · 06/11/2025 07:51

@Civilservant I've never listened to a podcast drama so I'm not sure!

I'm also looking forward to the TV production. The girl playing Hermione is also in the audiobook and she's terrific. I hope TV Harry is a better actor than the films.

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TheNeighboursComplain · 06/11/2025 07:46

medievalpenny · 05/11/2025 18:49

This was discussed briefly on the world at 1 on radio 4 today, with some irritating chap who felt the need to lament that so much money had been invested on creating a radio play for a "problematic" franchise like Harry Potter (as opposed to something much more pure like Batman or Marvel...). I paraphrase.

They talked about the sound effects making it much more dense than an audiobook - so you can't casually listen, you need to dedicate your full attention to it.

They also played a different preview from when Harry arrives on Platform 9 3/4. I did find it hard to hear the narrator over the background noise for that clip. I'm just not sure the sound mixing is going to work for me.

Are you listening through headphones, a proper speaker system, or a phone speaker?

I listened on a fairly decent Bluetooth speaker.

I know what you mean about the 'casual' listen! I did listen in that way, but I know the books well. If someone didn't know the books, I think they'd need to concentrate more.

I've finished it now, and overall enjoyed it enough to want to listen to the rest of them when they're released. It's definitely more immersive than a standard audiobook, and I can imagine later books being able to really ramp up the emotion and fear with the sound effects and large cast. The actors are terrific, especially the younger ones. I liked that the Snape actor didn't try to mimic Alan Rickman - he just made our his own.

However, I do think the balance is off. In parts the narrator is much clearer than the cast, who can at times sound muffled or tinny. I did get used to the background shuffling noises eventually, but I didn't love it as much as I thought I would.

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Civilservant · 05/11/2025 21:29

Thank you for posting this! Interesting. I’m looking forward to the TV production, unsure about this, will probably only listen to it if there’s a deal at some point.

Is it comparable in style to higher budget podcast dramas?

Disappointing if the sound balance is dodgy when they’re charging £7.99 or a credit!

medievalpenny · 05/11/2025 18:49

This was discussed briefly on the world at 1 on radio 4 today, with some irritating chap who felt the need to lament that so much money had been invested on creating a radio play for a "problematic" franchise like Harry Potter (as opposed to something much more pure like Batman or Marvel...). I paraphrase.

They talked about the sound effects making it much more dense than an audiobook - so you can't casually listen, you need to dedicate your full attention to it.

They also played a different preview from when Harry arrives on Platform 9 3/4. I did find it hard to hear the narrator over the background noise for that clip. I'm just not sure the sound mixing is going to work for me.

Are you listening through headphones, a proper speaker system, or a phone speaker?

HollyGolightly4 · 05/11/2025 18:46

My bad (as the kids say!) @ThatWorthyAquaFox ! I didn't recognise some of it. Probably too used to Stephen Fry's audio version- it's my insomnia crutch!

ThatWorthyAquaFox · 05/11/2025 17:25

HollyGolightly4 · 04/11/2025 21:23

I've only just began, and there's some details about the crowd outside Dursley's office that I've noticed for one!

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Those descriptions are in the book.

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TheNeighboursComplain · 05/11/2025 16:25

Chimneyonya · 05/11/2025 14:04

God love him Stephen says himself he can’t sing so he just had to sort of chant it 😅

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Chimneyonya · 05/11/2025 14:04

TheNeighboursComplain · 05/11/2025 06:03

Google says it's not been rewriten:

This is a completely new recording, not a rewrite of the original text, which remains the same and unabridged.

I haven't noticed anything new myself, but it does feel new because of the big cast and sound effects. The Hogwarts school song, for example, has got many voices singing it, all drowning each other out, so it sounds like JKR intended it when she wrote it - a funny song with no actual tune and everyone singing at different paces. Things like that are great.

It gives me hope that they do a better job of 'Weasley is our king' because that's dreadful in the Stephen Fry version!

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God love him Stephen says himself he can’t sing so he just had to sort of chant it 😅

Snapespeare · 05/11/2025 07:41

Snape is alright, not an Alan imitation (What's the point, there's only one Alan) I'm enjoying a female narrator - I didn't have a dad, I don't remember having bedtime stories read to me as a child, so this is an unexpected comfort.
Hermione is magnificent, which bodes well for the hbo version, Neville is a delight. Draco just smarmy enough with a good level of Potter

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TheNeighboursComplain · 05/11/2025 06:03

Google says it's not been rewriten:

This is a completely new recording, not a rewrite of the original text, which remains the same and unabridged.

I haven't noticed anything new myself, but it does feel new because of the big cast and sound effects. The Hogwarts school song, for example, has got many voices singing it, all drowning each other out, so it sounds like JKR intended it when she wrote it - a funny song with no actual tune and everyone singing at different paces. Things like that are great.

It gives me hope that they do a better job of 'Weasley is our king' because that's dreadful in the Stephen Fry version!

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Snapespeare · 04/11/2025 22:11

I'm listening, they've just got to Hogwarts and I'm enjoying it immensely - the way McGonagall rolls her R's, How close to Robbie Coltrane Hagrid is, Hermione is on-point. Quirrells stammering.
I expect I will fall out of love with it the minute Snape speaks, as it's not our Alan.

HollyGolightly4 · 04/11/2025 21:27

It's not as I expected so far. I was really looking forward to the cast narrating, but they haven't really gone for it as I imagined!

JudgeBread · 04/11/2025 21:23

I've been wobbling on this for a while because I have such fond memories of the Stephen Fry narration - my mam got me the cassettes from the library when I was a nipper and I used to fall asleep listening to them.

I love the idea of it though so I might spend my credit on it this month.

HollyGolightly4 · 04/11/2025 21:23

Chimneyonya · 04/11/2025 20:27

Which parts?

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I've only just began, and there's some details about the crowd outside Dursley's office that I've noticed for one!

Andtheworldwentwhite · 04/11/2025 21:22

It would be interesting to know if jk Rowling re wrote it or someone else did. Wether she added on parts she wished she had added in the original books

Andtheworldwentwhite · 04/11/2025 21:20

I thought they would just have the narrator reading the book and the cast saying the speaking parts on the book. But it isn’t. They have come up with something different. Same story obviously. But changed it up. As an example the first Christmas Day is really more in detail ie talking about how magical crackers work. So yes. It’s like listening to the same story but in a different way. I’m enjoying it. But I agree the background is hard. One thing is the sighing and groaning in the background that people are acting out. Who knew people moaned and groaned that much. But it hasn’t stopped me from listening.

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TheNeighboursComplain · 04/11/2025 20:47

medievalpenny · 04/11/2025 20:25

It is tempting and I have listened to the preview but not sure I can justify £70 to get new versions of audiobooks I already have - or having to wait 7 months to listen to them all.

From the preview it seemed like background noises of some kind were continuous. Not sure the balancing was quite right as Mr Dursley's one bit of speech in the preview was so quiet I could barely hear it compared to the narrator, but that could have been the device I played it on.

I left Audible and they gave me an offer to come back of 99p a month for 3 months, so I'll be buying the first 3 books using the offer. Could you get something similar?

"Not sure the balancing was quite right as Mr Dursley's one bit of speech in the preview was so quiet I could barely hear it compared to the narrator"

This is what I've found as well, although it has improved as it's gone on (or maybe I've just got used to it).

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Chimneyonya · 04/11/2025 20:27

Andtheworldwentwhite · 04/11/2025 19:34

It isn’t the original text from the books. I have checked. So some parts are really new which is lovely. Like a new part of the book I have never read.

Which parts?

medievalpenny · 04/11/2025 20:26

Andtheworldwentwhite · 04/11/2025 19:34

It isn’t the original text from the books. I have checked. So some parts are really new which is lovely. Like a new part of the book I have never read.

What kind of changes?