Premium AirPods can act as hearing aids resources for adults with mild to moderate hearing, according to a new study that pits Apple’s hearing aids against traditional hearing. resources in several trials.
These results could change the lives of millions of people with hearing loss resources they need it, either because of the high cost or because of the stigma that comes with them – two issues that don’t work very well for hearing aids.
“These wireless headphones aren’t perfect, but they can be a great starting point for many patients who don’t have access to hearing professionals. resources,” says otolaryngologist Yen-Fu Cheng, from Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan.
“They will see an increase in life even with these ears.”
For the purposes of this study, 21 people with mild to moderate hearing loss were tested and tested for hearing loss. resources (costing US $ 10,000 in the Taiwanese market), felt important resources (US$1,500), AirPods Pro in-ears (US$249) and AirPods 2 (US$129). AirPods were paired with Apple iPhones, which had a natural sound amplification program called Live Listen installed.
Short sentences were read to the volunteers, and then they were asked to repeat them.
In noisy environments, if the sound is not coming from the front of the listener, AirPods Pro has been shown to be comparable to premium audio systems. resources. In quiet environments, the AirPods Pro were slightly worse than the original listening resourcesand about and early hearing resources.
The original AirPods 2 weren’t as good as they sounded resources in quiet or noisy situations – but it was better than nothing. In the noisy environment, where the noise source was in front of the volunteers, neither AirPods helped the participants hear better.
While the AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro have Live Listen technology that amplifies sound, only the Pro version has noise canceling, which detects and blocks out certain external sounds. This may help explain the difference between the two sets of wireless headphones.
“Two factors may make the difference between the two scenarios,” said Ying-Hui Lai, a biologist at the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. “It may be related to the trajectories of the movement, and the advanced algorithm for generating signals for premium listening. resources.”
“This discovery will encourage engineers to develop ideas resources and human voice amplifiers that are highly sensitive to certain aspects.”
Apart from the high cost of hearing professionals resources, wearers may worry that it makes them look old. They also require multiple visits to health professionals for maintenance and management. As a result, about 75 percent of people in the US who have hearing loss do not use these devices resources.
Wireless headphones are a very accessible option, and their numbers are growing: Everyone from Google to Samsung to Sony makes wireless headphones, with additional features that are filled with every update of these products.
The researchers think their work could inspire developers to include products to help people with hearing loss, as well as products to improve the quality of music and podcasts. However, it may be important to introduce some strategies to manage earmarks that may and may not be helpful.
“Globally, the market for wireless headphones is growing rapidly,” says Lai. “Some companies are interested in how they can develop hearing aids with sound-amplifying devices. Our research confirms that the idea is plausible.”
Research has been published in iScience.
