Hearing Aids
- Thread starter Louise
- Start date
withintention
Member
- Nov 26, 2023
- 51
- Tinnitus Since
- 10/2023
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Noise and/or infection
I've been trying out the AirPods Pro 2 with Apple's Hearing Protection and Assistance features, and I have to say, it's an excellent product for anyone with hearing damage and tinnitus.
This is the only product I've encountered that provides all these functions in one:
When you put the AirPods in, they seal your ear canal and block out most sounds. When you enable Transparency mode, the AirPods use their microphones to pass audio through to your ears via their speakers. The standout feature here is Adaptive Transparency, which automatically reduces loud noises. You can also customize how much sound it lets through. I tested this by clapping near my ear, and no matter how hard I clapped, it didn't get any louder beyond a certain point.
Hearing Aid
You can upload your audiogram, and the AirPods will act as a hearing aid, amplifying frequencies where you have hearing loss. While I don't have significant hearing loss, I love having this feature integrated into a device that's already providing hearing protection. I used to have to choose between ear protection and hearing aids, but with the AirPods, I get both at once.
Tinnitus Sound Therapy
You can enable Background Sounds to help distract from tinnitus or to support Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT).
I don't have hyperacusis from over-protecting my ears, but I was worried I might develop it, given how cautious I've been. With the AirPods, I can protect my hearing while still allowing safe levels of sound, which seems like it could lower the risk of developing hyperacusis.
Downsides I've Noticed
This is the only product I've encountered that provides all these functions in one:
- Hearing Protection
- Hearing Aid
- Tinnitus Sound Therapy
When you put the AirPods in, they seal your ear canal and block out most sounds. When you enable Transparency mode, the AirPods use their microphones to pass audio through to your ears via their speakers. The standout feature here is Adaptive Transparency, which automatically reduces loud noises. You can also customize how much sound it lets through. I tested this by clapping near my ear, and no matter how hard I clapped, it didn't get any louder beyond a certain point.
Hearing Aid
You can upload your audiogram, and the AirPods will act as a hearing aid, amplifying frequencies where you have hearing loss. While I don't have significant hearing loss, I love having this feature integrated into a device that's already providing hearing protection. I used to have to choose between ear protection and hearing aids, but with the AirPods, I get both at once.
Tinnitus Sound Therapy
You can enable Background Sounds to help distract from tinnitus or to support Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT).
I don't have hyperacusis from over-protecting my ears, but I was worried I might develop it, given how cautious I've been. With the AirPods, I can protect my hearing while still allowing safe levels of sound, which seems like it could lower the risk of developing hyperacusis.
Downsides I've Noticed
- You can't manually adjust the hearing assistance settings. You either take a hearing test or upload your audiogram, and the hearing aid settings are automatically configured. As far as I can tell, they can't be inspected or modified.
- You can't upload your own background sound for tinnitus sound therapy. Apple offers options like crickets and white noise, but I'd really appreciate the ability to upload a loopable sound designed to match my specific tinnitus frequency.
- Adaptive Transparency has only three levels: Less Noise, Default, and More Noise. I'd prefer the ability to set specific limits for the maximum decibel level allowed, or at least have more than three settings.
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