Need hearing aids? New study says AirPods might do the trick

November 18, 2022

By Kim Komando

Millions of people struggle to hear properly, which can significantly affect their quality of life. But correct medical care and equipment can be costly and difficult to maintain. Tap or click here to use your Echo to get medical help.

Luckily, there seems to be a much cheaper option for hearing aids. It’s not the latest medical science or audio technology advancement but a simple accessory compatible with most gadgets.

Read on to see how scientists determined Apple’s AirPods make excellent hearing aids. 

Here’s the backstory

It’s hard to believe that AirPods can help you hear better, but a recent study published in the iScience journal explains why personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) are great alternatives to expensive medical tools.

Specifically, the study investigated the electroacoustic features of the AirPods Pro when paired with the iPhone’s Live Listen function.

Researchers found that AirPods Pro met four out of five PSAP standards and that there weren’t significant differences in speech perception between AirPods Pro and hearing aids in quiet environments. This is game-changing!

Even though hearing aids are now legally sold over the counter, they are still much more expensive than Apple AirPods. Tap or click here to find out if over-the-counter hearing aids are a good idea.

What you can do about it

The study indicates that nearly 75% of people with hearing loss do not obtain hearing aids, which can cost anywhere between $3,000 to $6,000. That is more than 10 times the price of AirPods Pro, which retails for around $250.

AirPods Pro are great as hearing aids as they are compatible with the iPhone’s Live Listen feature. The technology lets your phone act like a microphone that sends sound to your AirPods. Apple says this can help you better hear a conversation in loud areas or even hear someone speaking across the room.

To use AirPods as hearing aids, you’ll first need to add Live Listen to Control Center on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Here’s how:

• Go to Settings > Control Center.
• Scroll down and tap the Add button next to the Hearing button.
• Tap Settings to save the changes.

Here’s how to use Live Listen:

• Open Control Center on your iPhone or iPod Touch or iPad.
• Tap the Hearing button.
• Tap Live Listen.
• Place your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch in front of the person that you want to hear. If you can’t hear well enough, adjust the volume on your device.

You can also see your headphone audio levels in real time while listening to content. You can quickly peek to see detailed decibel-level information.

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