Tech in Plain Sight: Hearing Aids - You might think you don’t need a hearing aid, and you might be right. But in gener... - https://hackaday.com/2025/03/26/tech-in-plain-sight-hearing-aids/ #hackadaycolumns #medicalhacks #hearingaid #history
The feature works brilliantly for me: life-changing. Actual hearing aids with Bluetooth (so I wouldn't be constantly swapping them for some form of headphones/ earbuds) cost thousands.
I can hear people sooo much better. When I take them out, my natural hearing sounds like I've clamped my hands over my ears, similar to how you don't know how bad your vision has gradually got until your first pair of glasses.
Apple have been evil of late, but this is genuinely great.
So disappointed.
#TGA approved #Apple #Airpods Pro 2's #hearingAid feature Dec 17 last year.
2 major iOS updates (& all beta) since have not enabled the feature.
C'mon #TimCook … how long does it take to flip a bit you've already done for over 100 countries already?
https://www.apple.com/au/airpods-pro/feature-availability/
I can #hear!!!!!!!! My #AirPods Pro 2 (with a built-in #HearingAid feature) arrived and son Jared and I set them up, and now I can freaking hear everything!!!!!!! 
Good #HearingAid advice here. I’ve worn NHS hearing aids for 40 years and I can’t imagine my life without them now…
But as a teenager I hated being seen in them. I silently rebelled throughout my GCSEs by taking them out at school.
Then I came to my senses for A levels because I wanted to be the best I could be.
And that should be your thinking whatever age you are. If in doubt, get tested.
https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/10-tips-from-hearing-aid-users-you-need-to-know-azYpe8i6renj?
Eine Woche Airpods als Hörgerät - Der Selbsttest
Apple ist ein beliebter Hersteller von Im-Ohr-Kopfhörern für hörende Menschen. Seit Ende Oktober haben sie ihrem neuesten Produkt, den AirPods Pro 2, Hörgerätefunktionen verpasst. Wir haben sie eine Woche lang die Airpods als Hörgeräte getragen und genauso ausgiebig getestet, wie wir es bei der Auswahl neuer Hörgeräte tun würden.
https://doofe-ohren.de/index.php/2024/12/20/eine-woche-airpods-als-hoergeraet-der-selbsttest/
So, that's new hearing feature on AirPods Pro 2 (iwth Updated H2 chip with USB-C)
For those with AirPods Pro 2 (updated version with updated H2 chip with USB-C), here's a new feature that they have been working for now.
HEARING PROTECTION!!!!!!!!
Hearing Test.
And most requested feature, HEARING AID!!!!!!
Aloha! Question for folks on the #BigIsland #Hawaii: Does anyone have recommendations for #HearingAid providers? There seem to be just a handful, and the only one I've seen really positive recommendations for is booked until June.
Bypassing Airpods Hearing Aid Georestriction With a Faraday Cage - When Apple recently announced the hearing aid feature on their new AirPods Pro 2, ... - https://hackaday.com/2024/11/15/bypassing-airpods-hearing-aid-georestriction-with-a-faraday-cage/ #reverseengineering #airpodspro #hearingaid #airpod
The FCC will soon require all hearing aids and phones to work together.
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-fcc-will-soon-require-all-hearing-aids-and-phones-to-work-together-190003074.html
#accessibility #hearingaid #phones #fcc #tech #hearingLoss #hearing #deaf
Does anyone know if there’s a brand of #hearingAid that will let you vary the equalization values to fit varying circumstances? My aids are tuned to my measured hearing deficits by frequency range, weighted to highlight frequencies in my wife’s voice. But maybe at a concert I might want to adjust the #equalization to fit the music. Seems like it should be doable, if it’s not already.
Apple May Break Into the Hearing Aid Industry - When the entry of a tech giant such as Apple into a market represents its liberati... - https://hackaday.com/2024/09/17/apple-may-break-into-the-hearing-aid-industry/ #medicalhacks #hearingaid #airpod #fda
The FDA announced that it has granted what it calls “the first over-the-counter hearing aid software device," thus approving the software that enables Apple's AirPods Pro 2's hearing-aid capability. Via @Techcrunch. #AirPods #FDA #HearingAid #Tech #Technology #Apple https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/12/apple-airpods-pro-granted-fda-approval-to-serve-as-hearing-aids/
In-situ Audiometry Compared to Conventional Audiometry for Hearing Aid Fitting
Van Eeckhoutte, et al., 2024, Trends in Hearing
"The results clearly indicated that modern measured in-situ thresholds align (within 5 dB) with conventional thresholds measured, indicating the potential of in-situ audiometry for remote hearing care."
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/23312165241259704
Is there a cool top of the line sleek hearing aid with great software and noise canceling options and it also plays music and sounds amazing with like nine lil microphones and 5 tiny speakers and it looks amazing and stuff?
1. my mom needs one and I have not been impressed with what others who use them say about them.
2. if I ever need one I expect it to do all this and more.
What is the state of the art? Does anyone care? #hearing #hearingAid #gadgets #questions #HardOfHearing #Deaf #HOH
Open Source Ear Monitoring Platform Listens To Your Ears - All sorts of exciting things happen in your ears, and now there is a good open sou... - https://hackaday.com/2023/10/17/open-source-ear-monitoring-platform-listens-to-your-ears/ #hearingimpaired #medicalhacks #hearingaid #audio
I have to face up to the fact that I need a #hearingaid . I don’t even know where to begin. How do I go about getting one—do you know?
Using AirPods as a Hearing Aid (Revised)
I posted a link to an article earlier about what we can do to prevent dementia.
https://mstdn.social/@garry/110004588618144618
One thing that was news to me is that there is a link between poor hearing and dementia. And one thing that many people don't know is that you can use AirPods as a hearing aid. It takes a few minutes to set up but can make a world of difference.
I spent a lot of time some years ago working with very loud sound while producing music with pro level headphones. Subsequently my ability to hear sounds at 1,000 Hz and above was greatly reduced. Amongst other things this meant that it was difficult to hear consonants in speech, effectively making me partially deaf.
I got a pair of AirPod Pro earbuds and set them up for my personal hearing needs. Later that day I went for a walk in my local woods and literally gasped out loud at hearing the birds I'd been missing for some years!
The way you set them up is buried deep in the Settings, so it's not surprising that not many people know about it. Here's where you need to go. You need to have the AirPods connected to your iPhone or iPad.
Settings
Accessibility
AirPods
Audio Accessibility Settings
Headphone Accommodations
Custom Audio Setup
Headphone Audio Customisation
You run through a couple of hearing tests, one for voice volume levels and one for best music settings. After the tests you should see a volume slider. It's important to move that to wherever you need it. Hearing sounds at all frequencies is great, but I found that I wanted a slight volume boost to enhance conversations. Some people might want to turn it down if it's enhancing the sound too much.
After this you should be good to go, but you can always set it up again. And maybe make a note of where the settings are. (Why can't we bookmark particular settings, Apple?)
"A few points to note:
1) If you can get an audiogram (from a free hearing test?) you can input that at an early stage of the setup. I didn't have one to test but I imagine that it speeds up the whole process.
2) This process worked for me, but I'm not an audiologist, so it's your decision whether to go this route.
3) Here's the list of devices it works with, and the news is good for anyone with any of these devices:
AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation)
AirPods (2nd and 3rd generation)
AirPods Max
Apple EarPods (with 3.5mm Headphone Plug or Lightning Connector)
Powerbeats
Powerbeats Pro
Beats Solo Pro
Beats Fit Pro
I tried it with the EarPods that came with my iPhone XS and they weren't recognised for some reason. Maybe it's only with newer models.
4) Airpods Pro 2 cost £248 currently in the UK. That's a fair amount of money. Hearing aids that actually work typically cost between £500 and £3,000, and that's just for one. You usually get a discount for two, but it's still a lot of money. Cheaper to get an audiogram and the AirPods.
5) It should be obvious that you need to use the AirPods in Transparency mode for this to work. You can, of course, listen to music in Transparency mode, and you should find that you can turn the music up or down without affecting the volume of the sounds around you. Now, if Apple would just add extra sensitivity for the sound of ebikes and scooters...
6) Dr Rob (@PapaBear) reminded me that you can use Live Listen (sometimes jokingly referred to as Espionage Mode), which is where, say, you put your iPhone in the middle of a desk during a meeting, or right in front of the TV. You can read about that here:
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/airpods/dev85c352340/web
7) I'm going to repeat the warning that Apple (and every other manufacturer of such audio devices gives you, slightly revised for the context: Listening (to anything through AirPods) at high volumes can damage your health.
8) Paul (@beerbaking) suggested a way of using a Shortcut to access the Settings without having to dive down one level at a time.
Open the Shortcuts app, tap Add Action, tap URL (you can search for it first), enter prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=AUDIO_VISUAL_TITLE/AXPAEnableSpecID (perhaps copy and paste to avoid mistakes) in the field with the paperclip icon, tap Open URLs under Next Action suggestions, tap Done. Tap the new Shortcut to try it. You can then long-press on the Shortcut to Rename it. You can also long-press, tap Share, then tap Add to Home Screen for a one-tap solution that avoids going back into the Shortcuts app every time.
I hope you find this information useful. And especially that it keeps some of you from worse hearing loss, let alone dementia.
There are a couple of articles you might be interested in:
Study: AirPods Pro are this close to being full-fledged hearing aids
https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/11/study-airpods-pro-are-this-close-to-being-full-fledged-hearing-aids/
Apple AirPods getting new health features in the next few years
https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/03/12/apple-airpods-getting-health-features-in-the-next-few-years
