diff --git a/SMART_SPEED_PHASE1_DESIGN.md b/SMART_SPEED_PHASE1_DESIGN.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..07b7c3e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SMART_SPEED_PHASE1_DESIGN.md
@@ -0,0 +1,262 @@
+# Smart Speed Phase 1 Design: Web Audio API Pipeline Refactor
+
+## Status
+Work-in-progress for bead `audiobookshelf-hsc` (blocks `audiobookshelf-d8s`).
+
+## Objective
+Refactor the local audio playback pipeline so that it can optionally route audio through the Web Audio API (AudioContext + MediaElementAudioSourceNode). This prepares the ground for Phase 2 (real-time silence detection) without changing audible behaviour when Smart Speed is OFF.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Current Audio Pipeline Architecture
+
+### 1.1 Core Player Files
+- **`client/players/LocalAudioPlayer.js`** — The single source of truth for local HTML5 audio playback.
+- **`client/players/PlayerHandler.js`** — Mediates between the UI (`MediaPlayerContainer.vue`) and the concrete player (`LocalAudioPlayer` or `CastPlayer`).
+- **`client/players/CastPlayer.js`** — Chromecast player; **out of scope** for this refactor. Smart Speed will only apply to `LocalAudioPlayer`.
+
+### 1.2 How Playback Currently Works
+
+`LocalAudioPlayer` creates a raw `<audio>` element (`#audio-player`), appends it to `<body>`, and drives it directly:
+
+```js
+// client/players/LocalAudioPlayer.js (lines 31-40)
+var audioEl = document.createElement('audio')
+audioEl.id = 'audio-player'
+audioEl.style.display = 'none'
+document.body.appendChild(audioEl)
+this.player = audioEl
+```
+
+Playback rate is set on the element itself:
+
+```js
+// client/players/LocalAudioPlayer.js (lines 267-271)
+setPlaybackRate(playbackRate) {
+  if (!this.player) return
+  this.defaultPlaybackRate = playbackRate
+  this.player.playbackRate = playbackRate
+}
+```
+
+All other controls (`play`, `pause`, `seek`, `volume`, `currentTime`, `buffered`) interact with this raw `<audio>` node.
+
+### 1.3 HLS Path
+For transcoded streams `hls.js` attaches to the same `<audio>` element:
+
+```js
+// client/players/LocalAudioPlayer.js (lines 180-183)
+this.hlsInstance = new Hls(hlsOptions)
+this.hlsInstance.attachMedia(this.player)
+```
+
+The Web Audio API pipeline must work for **both** direct-play and HLS paths.
+
+### 1.4 User Settings Store
+Settings are stored client-side in `localStorage` via the Vuex module `client/store/user.js`. The default state includes `playbackRate`, `playbackRateIncrementDecrement`, `jumpForwardAmount`, `jumpBackwardAmount`, and `useChapterTrack`. There is **no server-side persistence** of these UI settings; the server `User` model (`server/models/User.js`) does not store playback preferences.
+
+Relevant snippet:
+
+```js
+// client/store/user.js (lines 4-22)
+settings: {
+  orderBy: 'media.metadata.title',
+  orderDesc: false,
+  filterBy: 'all',
+  playbackRate: 1,
+  playbackRateIncrementDecrement: 0.1,
+  bookshelfCoverSize: 120,
+  collapseSeries: false,
+  collapseBookSeries: false,
+  showSubtitles: false,
+  useChapterTrack: false,
+  seriesSortBy: 'name',
+  seriesSortDesc: false,
+  seriesFilterBy: 'all',
+  authorSortBy: 'name',
+  authorSortDesc: false,
+  jumpForwardAmount: 10,
+  jumpBackwardAmount: 10
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## 2. Proposed Web Audio API Pipeline
+
+### 2.1 High-Level Architecture
+
+```
+┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────────────────────┐     ┌─────────┐
+│  <audio>     │────▶│ MediaElementAudioSourceNode  │────▶│  Gain   │────▶ speakers
+│ (src/HLS)    │     │ (created once per lifecycle) │     │  Node   │
+└──────────────┘     └──────────────────────────────┘     └─────────┘
+                                                             │
+                                                             ▼
+                                                    (future: AudioWorkletNode
+                                                     for silence detection)
+```
+
+Even when Smart Speed is **disabled**, audio will flow through the AudioContext. This guarantees that:
+1. The pipeline is already initialised when the user toggles Smart Speed ON.
+2. Phase 2 only needs to insert/remap an `AudioWorkletNode` between `MediaElementAudioSourceNode` and the destination.
+
+### 2.2 Playback Rate Through AudioContext
+
+When the Web Audio pipeline is active, setting `audio.playbackRate` will **not** be sufficient if we later insert a worklet that manipulates time. However, for Phase 1 we have two compatible options:
+
+**Option A (recommended):** Keep using `audio.playbackRate` even when routed through AudioContext. The `MediaElementAudioSourceNode` respects the media element's playback rate—its output clock is tied to the element. This is the simplest approach and requires zero additional code for rate control in Phase 1.
+
+**Option B (future):** Use `AudioBufferSourceNode` with `playbackRate` param. This would break the HLS path (HLS needs a media element) and is therefore rejected.
+
+> We will proceed with **Option A** for Phase 1.
+
+### 2.3 Lifecycle Rules
+- One `AudioContext` per `LocalAudioPlayer` instance.
+- One `MediaElementAudioSourceNode` per `AudioContext`.
+- `AudioContext.state` must be resumed from a user gesture (e.g. `play()`). We will call `audioCtx.resume()` inside `play()`.
+- `LocalAudioPlayer.destroy()` must close the context and disconnect all nodes to prevent memory leaks.
+- Volume control should remain on the `<audio>` element (`audio.volume`) for simplicity unless we need node-level panning later.
+
+---
+
+## 3. `enableSmartSpeed` User Setting
+
+### 3.1 Where to Add
+Add `enableSmartSpeed: false` to the `settings` object in:
+- **`client/store/user.js`** (default state)
+
+No server-side change is required because user settings are purely client-side (`localStorage`).
+
+### 3.2 UI Location
+A toggle will eventually be added to `PlayerSettingsModal.vue` alongside `useChapterTrack`, `jumpForwardAmount`, etc. That work is deferred to Phase 4; for Phase 1 we only need the setting to exist in the store.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Fallback Strategy
+
+### 4.1 Feature Detection
+```js
+const supportsWebAudio = typeof window !== 'undefined' && window.AudioContext || window.webkitAudioContext
+```
+
+If `AudioContext` is unavailable (very rare in modern browsers), `LocalAudioPlayer` should operate exactly as it does today—no `<audio>` wrapping, direct playback.
+
+### 4.2 iOS / Safari Considerations
+Safari requires `AudioContext.resume()` after a user gesture. Calling it inside `play()` covers this. `webkitAudioContext` prefix is still needed for very old Safari versions; the fallback handles both.
+
+### 4.3 HLS Compatibility
+`hls.js` attaches to the `<audio>` element. Since the element itself does not change—only its audio output is redirected via `MediaElementAudioSourceNode`—HLS continues to function identically.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Files That Need Modification
+
+| File | Change |
+|------|--------|
+| `client/players/LocalAudioPlayer.js` | Wrap `<audio>` in `AudioContext` + `MediaElementAudioSourceNode`; add `supportsWebAudio` flag; update `destroy()` to close context; update `play()` to resume context |
+| `client/store/user.js` | Add `enableSmartSpeed: false` to default state |
+| `client/strings/en-us.json` | Add `LabelEnableSmartSpeed` (deferred to Phase 4, but documented here) |
+| `client/components/modals/PlayerSettingsModal.vue` | Add toggle UI (deferred to Phase 4) |
+
+---
+
+## 6. Minimal Skeleton Implementation (Phase 1)
+
+The following diff-style plan outlines a **non-breaking** change to `LocalAudioPlayer.js`.
+
+### 6.1 Add AudioContext properties
+```js
+constructor(ctx) {
+  // ... existing ...
+  this.audioContext = null
+  this.audioSourceNode = null
+  this.usingWebAudio = false
+  // ...
+}
+```
+
+### 6.2 Initialise pipeline after audio element creation
+```js
+initialize() {
+  // ... existing audio element creation ...
+  this.initWebAudio()
+}
+
+initWebAudio() {
+  const AudioContextCtor = window.AudioContext || window.webkitAudioContext
+  if (!AudioContextCtor) {
+    console.warn('[LocalPlayer] Web Audio API not supported, falling back to direct audio')
+    return
+  }
+  try {
+    this.audioContext = new AudioContextCtor()
+    this.audioSourceNode = this.audioContext.createMediaElementSource(this.player)
+    this.audioSourceNode.connect(this.audioContext.destination)
+    this.usingWebAudio = true
+    console.log('[LocalPlayer] Web Audio API pipeline initialised')
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error('[LocalPlayer] Failed to initialise Web Audio API', err)
+    this.usingWebAudio = false
+  }
+}
+```
+
+### 6.3 Resume context on play
+```js
+play() {
+  this.playWhenReady = true
+  if (this.player) {
+    if (this.usingWebAudio && this.audioContext && this.audioContext.state === 'suspended') {
+      this.audioContext.resume()
+    }
+    this.player.play()
+  }
+}
+```
+
+### 6.4 Clean up on destroy
+```js
+destroy() {
+  this.destroyHlsInstance()
+  if (this.audioContext) {
+    this.audioContext.close()
+    this.audioContext = null
+  }
+  if (this.audioSourceNode) {
+    this.audioSourceNode.disconnect()
+    this.audioSourceNode = null
+  }
+  if (this.player) {
+    this.player.remove()
+  }
+}
+```
+
+### 6.5 No change to `setPlaybackRate`
+Because we are using Option A, `setPlaybackRate` continues to set `this.player.playbackRate = playbackRate`. The `MediaElementAudioSourceNode` inherits this rate.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Testing Checklist (Manual)
+
+- [ ] Audio plays normally through Web Audio pipeline with `usingWebAudio = true`
+- [ ] Playback rate changes are audible and reported correctly in UI
+- [ ] HLS transcoded streams still play
+- [ ] No audible degradation or latency is introduced
+- [ ] Player can be destroyed and re-created without leaking AudioContexts (check DevTools Performance tab)
+- [ ] `enableSmartSpeed` setting persists in `localStorage` across reloads
+- [ ] Graceful fallback on browsers with no `AudioContext`
+
+---
+
+## 8. Phase 2+ Notes (Out of Scope)
+
+- **Silence detection:** An `AudioWorkletNode` (or `ScriptProcessorNode` fallback) will be inserted between `audioSourceNode` and `audioContext.destination`.
+- **Time-stretching:** The worklet will compress silent segments by adjusting buffer playback timing.
+- **Progress tracking:** When Smart Speed is ON, wall-clock time and `audio.currentTime` will diverge. The UI must account for this—`LocalAudioPlayer.getCurrentTime()` may need to map compressed time back to real time for progress sync.
+- **CastPlayer:** Will continue to receive normal-speed audio unaffected.
+
+---
+
+*Document produced as part of bead `audiobookshelf-hsc` — Smart Speed Phase 1.*
diff --git a/client/players/LocalAudioPlayer.js b/client/players/LocalAudioPlayer.js
index a0384d54..35f45f50 100644
--- a/client/players/LocalAudioPlayer.js
+++ b/client/players/LocalAudioPlayer.js
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ export default class LocalAudioPlayer extends EventEmitter {
 
     this.playableMimeTypes = []
 
+    this.audioContext = null
+    this.audioSourceNode = null
+    this.usingWebAudio = false
+
     this.initialize()
   }
 
@@ -67,6 +71,25 @@ export default class LocalAudioPlayer extends EventEmitter {
       if (canPlay) this.playableMimeTypes.push(mt)
     })
     console.log(`[LocalPlayer] Supported mime types`, mimeTypeCanPlayMap, this.playableMimeTypes)
+    this.initWebAudio()
+  }
+
+  initWebAudio() {
+    const AudioContextCtor = window.AudioContext || window.webkitAudioContext
+    if (!AudioContextCtor) {
+      console.warn('[LocalPlayer] Web Audio API not supported, falling back to direct audio')
+      return
+    }
+    try {
+      this.audioContext = new AudioContextCtor()
+      this.audioSourceNode = this.audioContext.createMediaElementSource(this.player)
+      this.audioSourceNode.connect(this.audioContext.destination)
+      this.usingWebAudio = true
+      console.log('[LocalPlayer] Web Audio API pipeline initialised')
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error('[LocalPlayer] Failed to initialise Web Audio API', err)
+      this.usingWebAudio = false
+    }
   }
 
   evtPlay() {
@@ -115,6 +138,7 @@ export default class LocalAudioPlayer extends EventEmitter {
 
   destroy() {
     this.destroyHlsInstance()
+    this.destroyWebAudio()
     if (this.player) {
       this.player.remove()
     }
@@ -231,6 +255,26 @@ export default class LocalAudioPlayer extends EventEmitter {
     this.hlsInstance = null
   }
 
+  destroyWebAudio() {
+    if (this.audioSourceNode) {
+      try {
+        this.audioSourceNode.disconnect()
+      } catch (err) {
+        // Ignore disconnect errors
+      }
+      this.audioSourceNode = null
+    }
+    if (this.audioContext) {
+      try {
+        this.audioContext.close()
+      } catch (err) {
+        // Ignore close errors
+      }
+      this.audioContext = null
+    }
+    this.usingWebAudio = false
+  }
+
   async resetStream(startTime) {
     this.destroyHlsInstance()
     await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 1000))
@@ -245,7 +289,12 @@ export default class LocalAudioPlayer extends EventEmitter {
 
   play() {
     this.playWhenReady = true
-    if (this.player) this.player.play()
+    if (this.player) {
+      if (this.usingWebAudio && this.audioContext && this.audioContext.state === 'suspended') {
+        this.audioContext.resume()
+      }
+      this.player.play()
+    }
   }
 
   pause() {
diff --git a/client/store/user.js b/client/store/user.js
index 96e79d12..368bd8a4 100644
--- a/client/store/user.js
+++ b/client/store/user.js
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ export const state = () => ({
     authorSortBy: 'name',
     authorSortDesc: false,
     jumpForwardAmount: 10,
-    jumpBackwardAmount: 10
+    jumpBackwardAmount: 10,
+    enableSmartSpeed: false
   }
 })
 
