TEDx Topic on Hearing Aids

[TerryMiller]

Some here may already know of the technology this lady speaks of, but in my case, we are looking at going to an audiologist to get our hearing tested. We were scheduled to do so last Monday, but the lady got sick, so now we are scheduled for the end of January.

Thus, I thought that it might benefit others that might be looking into hearing aids.

 

[dlbleak]

Beltane wanted 5k for hearing aids. She got the same ones at Costco for $1700

 

[cal7.62x39]

Man this touches me. I have had severe hearing loss in my right ear for years and it is getting worse. It is crazy the things I can hear vs cant. If there is any sort of background noise, or if I cant see your lips I cant hear you very well. Dont try to talk to me if I am not looking at you because it just does not register. I just saw this video yesterday and it is how I hear the world. I am planning on switching from android to apple and getting these. I hope they work as well as this add claims.

 

[TerryMiller]

So, I guess I have to ask, although I can probably find out for sure the last of January when I test, but is iPhone the only smartphone that can work with earbuds? Does it actually have to be Apple products and not Android ones?

 

[L.C.]

Apple air pods can be used as hearing aids.
I have a set and they work great.
https://a.co/d/fiUlwbi

 

[cal7.62x39]

So, I guess I have to ask, although I can probably find out for sure the last of January when I test, but is iPhone the only smartphone that can work with earbuds? Does it actually have to be Apple products and not Android ones?

The Apple AirPods have to be used with an iPhone, I'm not aware of any that are Android on the market yet..

 

[dennishoddy]

I’ve had three different model hearing aids over the years from the VA. All work with IPhone.
No clue if the work with android

 

[Snattlerake]

I have tinnitus so bad I can't hear consonants in speech. That's my problem.

 

[RETOKSQUID]

Man this touches me. I have had severe hearing loss in my right ear for years and it is getting worse. It is crazy the things I can hear vs cant. If there is any sort of background noise, or if I cant see your lips I cant hear you very well. Dont try to talk to me if I am not looking at you because it just does not register. I just saw this video yesterday and it is how I hear the world. I am planning on switching from android to apple and getting these. I hope they work as well as this add claims.

Dang allergies acting up now.

 

[davek]

I've been playing with the Apple AirPods 2 Pro as hearing aids. They work pretty well. I keep in mind that the software is version 1.0 and there will likely be improvements. I also saw an article today about AirPods 3 Pro coming out early next year.
You need to have an IPhone 13 or later to program them with the hearing test. The hearing test is very much like any other, tones are played and you touch then phone when you hear them. A good fit is necessary and a quiet rommm, I took the test inside a closet. Once programmed they can function as hearing aids without being tethered to the iPhone.
The main downside is that I only can only count on 4 hours or so of battery life. The case is good for 30 hours of recharge and the AirPods do charge up again in about a half hour. Get a second pair and you can just swap them out as needed.
I also had a problem with the silicone pads not wanting to stay in, especially in my right ear. I got some third party ones from Amazon and they stay in better.
Best Buy sells them with 3 months of Apple Music and Apple Health included. The AirPods 2 Pro applies the hearing correction to all inputs, including music. It's really nice to hear music again the way I remember it, not muffled.
They have 3 modes of operation, transparent so you can hear around you as well as you phone call or music, Automatic Noise Cancellation which cancels out sounds from the outside world and an automatic mode that will shut off the music when you start a conversation with someone ( I haven't really tested this yet). ANC will also provide some protection in loud environments.
They aren't good for severe hearing loss.
They don't have features to mask tinnitus (yet),
My hearing aids are out of warranty, if they break I think I could get by with the AirPods 2 Pros pretty well. Definitely worth a try if you already have an iPhone 13 or later already.