Airpods Pro 2 as Hearing Aids

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johno1234

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#316056 12-Sep-2024 10:53

This is interesting to deaf buggers such as myself:

AirPods Pro 2

What I don't see is whether it supports CROS where sound from one side is processed digitally and played into the ear on the other side - a benefit of my HAs.

Also, not clear if hearing is assisted by the phone or just the airpods. If the phone is off or locked in a pocket does this all still work?

The tech in my HAs used to cost about $9k but now is around $4k . If it came down to $400 that would be amazing.

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#3281372 12-Sep-2024 11:58

I'm really excited. As someone who suffers from hearing loss and a headphone geek.

As there's no hardware this year, they need to provide a X-factor feature to tempt buyers to buy an 'old model' so I'm certain it will be good, it really has to be.

SteveXNZ

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#3281491 12-Sep-2024 15:33

Definitely want to keep an eye (ear?) on this topic. Those of us who wear hearing aids are always well aware of their limitations, even expensive models. Poor performance in noisy environments, lack of directionality, and lack of frequency customisation without going back to an audiologist are all bugbears of mine. Apple has the potential to revolutionise the industry with better tech, AI integration, lower prices through economy of scale and returning power to the end-user. Bring it on!

mattwnz

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#3281497 12-Sep-2024 15:50

This has been building for a while as they have improved over time. It is potentially a big market disruptor considering the price. Potentially they could create a higher priced model focused on these users that is more comfortable to wear all the time. Medical tech is usually so expensive due to economies of scale and lack of competition, so they can charge what the market will bare

robjg63

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#3281502 12-Sep-2024 16:06

mattwnz:

This has been building for a while as they have improved over time. It is potentially a big market disruptor considering the price. Potentially they could create a higher priced model focused on these users that is more comfortable to wear all the time. Medical tech is usually so expensive due to economies of scale and lack of competition, so they can charge what the market will bare

I understand the big driver was a change in the USA in the last year or so where hearing aids became an 'over the counter' product, rather than going through their over priced health/insurance system. Suddenly large retailers (Costco/Walmart etc) can sell directly at a fraction of the previous prices and subsequently a lot more people are interested/able to afford. Bigger sales usually equal dropping prices equalling increased domand etc etc.

Hearing aids are certainly expensive (as I know). Maybe the market needs some disruption and Airpods (and other earbud products) have some potential to do that.

I understand Jabra have had some Earbuds that can be used to a degree as hearing aids and Sony started making earbuds with hearing enhancement for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. Apple will likely go all out to try and cash in too.

The 'aging' hearing impaired market is huge. (Apologies to any younger hearing impaired).

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johno1234

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#3281542 12-Sep-2024 19:15

mattwnz:
This has been building for a while as they have improved over time. It is potentially a big market disruptor considering the price. Potentially they could create a higher priced model focused on these users that is more comfortable to wear all the time. Medical tech is usually so expensive due to economies of scale and lack of competition, so they can charge what the market will bare

Med tech is expensive because of onerous FDA compliance and record keeping regulations. I’m interested to know if Apple are FDA compliant.

vexxxboy

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#3281546 12-Sep-2024 19:28

having never tried the air buds would they be comfortable to wear for 16 hours a day

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Senecio

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#3281594 13-Sep-2024 06:59

vexxxboy:

having never tried the air buds would they be comfortable to wear for 16 hours a day

I've never worn mine for that long but I would be confident to say no, they wouldn't be comfortable to be worn for that long. The battery also only lasts ~5-6hours so they will never be a replacement for those who truly need a hearing aid. More just a support device for those with mild hearing loss to be used when hearing is critical, say a doctors appointment or something like that.

Don't get me wrong, I like the idea and as someone who is almost 50 I am certain it will be a feature that I will use in the not too distant future. But will they replace medical hearing aids? I don't think so.

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johno1234

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#3281606 13-Sep-2024 08:51

Senecio:

vexxxboy:

having never tried the air buds would they be comfortable to wear for 16 hours a day

I've never worn mine for that long but I would be confident to say no, they wouldn't be comfortable to be worn for that long. The battery also only lasts ~5-6hours so they will never be a replacement for those who truly need a hearing aid. More just a support device for those with mild hearing loss to be used when hearing is critical, say a doctors appointment or something like that.

Don't get me wrong, I like the idea and as someone who is almost 50 I am certain it will be a feature that I will use in the not too distant future. But will they replace medical hearing aids? I don't think so.

Good point re battery life and comfort. Mine go in at 7am and come out at bed time. Don't even notice they are in there during the day.

alasta

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#3281609 13-Sep-2024 09:01

I occasionally wear my Airpods Pro for three or four hours but I definitely wouldn't want to wear them all day even if the battery were up to the task.

People with a clinical need will continue to have a dedicated hearing aid. The benefit of the new Airpods Pro feature is that it will reduce the frequency of having to swap between Airpods Pro and a hearing aid which must be a real nuisance for those who need to do it.

Eva888

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#3281612 13-Sep-2024 09:21

I use them in the evenings to watch TV or sometimes in the day to listen to the radio when there is an announcer with a voice I can’t decipher. Some of the women with a low husky voice are hopeless for me to understand. I can generally hear ok when not in a cafe or noisy environment. Hearing loss is mild to moderate and I manage reasonably without them

For me putting them on the first and subsequent times has always felt like switching on a light. Brilliant, clearer sound and volume that I need to turn down the TV. I have two pairs that connect with Bluetooth with whatever is closest, phone or iPad. The reason for two is battery which lasts around 4-5 hours. So with two pairs I switch to the other while the first is charging.

The sound is crisp and I’ve pretty much used them on transparency mode without doing the hearing test they advise so it can be tweaked more. Am planning to do this one day, but they’ve been so good as is that I haven’t bothered yet.

First time wearing my ears felt a bit sore but after first few hours they were no problem. It depends on one’s ear shape if they will be comfortable or not. I don’t wear them in the street as for me they will certainly drop out.

I would recommend that anyone with some hearing loss tries this route before getting expensive aids. At worst you will have a nice sounding pair of pods. I tried a Rolls Royce proper pair at a clinic and hated them. These have given me exactly what I need.

Sorry no time to elaborate more as off to volunteering. Can answer later this afternoon if any queries.

eracode

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#3281613 13-Sep-2024 09:26

@Eva888 and @alasta ^^ You say 'mine' and 'them' but I'm not sure whether you are talking about hearing aids or AirPods? Very interested in this thread.

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wellygary

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#3281614 13-Sep-2024 09:27

johno1234:

Med tech is expensive because of onerous FDA compliance and record keeping regulations. I’m interested to know if Apple are FDA compliant.

Appears so

"As noted by TechCrunch, the FDA today announced that it has authorized Apple to add OTC hearing aid functionality to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2, and it marks the first product that the FDA has allowed to serve as an over-the-counter hearing aid software device."

https://www.macrumors.com/2024/09/12/airpods-pro-2-hearing-aid-fda-authorization/

johno1234

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#3281619 13-Sep-2024 10:06

Hearing loss can be very socially isolating in certain noisy environments. In a noisy restaurant or bar, unless you are right next to my left ear, I can't hear you. Group outings etc are basically hopeless and annoying. However with a good set of HAs I can actually hear people all around me. It's not perfect but certainly much better. This is where the new Airpod functionality could be a real winner.

iPhone streaming to HAs is a massive bonus. In noisy environments I can listen easily to the phone and I am never that idiot who has his phone on speaker. People just think I'm that idiot who is talking to himself.

I just wish other devices such as my windows laptop, AppleTV and Apple Watch could also stream to them.

alasta

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#3281650 13-Sep-2024 10:59

eracode:

@Eva888 and @alasta ^^ You say 'mine' and 'them' but I'm not sure whether you are talking about hearing aids or AirPods? Very interested in this thread.

Edited for clarity.

tehgerbil

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#3281667 13-Sep-2024 11:47

I wear my airpods pro 2 for extended periods, have played with all the settings and am really enjoying the latest firmware so far which uses the motion sensors to respond yes/no to answering calls etc.

I've worn/tried many different airbuds from various makers and in terms of fit and comfort (personally) the Apple ones win.

I do see a lot of people wearing them wrong which probably goes a long way towards people complaining they hurt/don't fit properly. The stems should rotate roughly 20deg angled towards your mouth:

(Top = Correct fit.)
r/airpods - Above is the correct position to use the AirPod Pro. Below, is the far less ugly way to wear/use it. The problem with that is the fact that the Pro don’t seal 100% right. My question is: any alternative to buy tips that allow me to use it at any angle I wish? Thanks in advance
(Bottom = wrong fit.)

This (personally) is the cause of a lot of discomfort if I've absentmindedly not inserted them properly.

In terms of clarity, even without the hearing aid feature as Eva888 noted they're really good at piping in the outside noise around you into your canals with a bit of on the fly processing which subtly, but noticeably enhances the 800 - 3.5khz frequency range and makes speech not louder but brighter.

It's hard to describe but for someone with hearing loss Eva888's description is really good, like glasses they allow me to lower my subconscious comprehension effort to understand what's being said.

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