Duana, a patient of mine who already wears hearing aids and received Apple Airpods Pro earbuds for Christmas. Just to see what they were like, she put them in hearing aid mode.
“I had them in for about 15 seconds, and then took them out. I will never use them that way again,” she shared.
What was the problem she ran into?
She described the background noise that was amplified in her ears as loud and obnoxious.
You see, as someone who already uses advanced-technology ReSound hearing aids, she immediately noticed the difference between the processed sound of her hearing aids and that of a device that amplifies all sounds equally.
Duana’s testimony is the best possible evaluation of how self-treating your hearing with a device like Apple Airpods can go horribly wrong. I want to use it as a springboard to discuss the difference between sound amplifiers and prescription hearing aids.
What Does Hearing Aid Mode for Apple Airpods Actually Do?
There are various earbuds available that come with the capacity to use an app on your phone to amplify sound. In some cases, this could assist a non-hearing-aid-wearer who needs a little boost, for example to hear a soft speaker or the television without having to turn up the volume.
Though they may do a basic audiogram assessment of your hearing and even comes with some sound-muffling capabilities to protect your hearing, these methods amplify all sounds equally. That means that the background noise you hear when trying to converse with someone is amplified at equal intensity, essentially canceling out any benefit from amplification.
I like to compare using sound amplifiers instead of prescription hearing aids to using a magnifying glass instead of prescription eyeglasses. If you are trying to read really fine print with a magnifying glass, it serves its purpose well, but there is no way you would walk around holding a magnifying glass in front of your eyes if you have astigmatism.
Our patient provides a very clear opinion about the Airpods, saying,
“If this is something that you’re considering over hearing aids, give it a second thought.”
How Do Advanced-Technology Hearing Aids Process Sound?
To fully understand the difference between sound amplification and sound processing, we need to take a closer look at what goes on when sound enters an advanced-technology hearing aid and is transformed into sound that allows you to hear better.
Most of today’s hearing aids are designed with two types of microphones: an omnidirectional microphone to pick up sounds in all directions and a directional microphone that focuses toward the front to pick up sounds or speech that you are more focused on.
Using wide dynamic range compression or something similar to it, the broad range of sounds received is sorted into different channels. The device rapidly evaluates the importance of each channel, amplifying focused sounds and suppressing background noise.
Various types of processors handle sounds in different ways, but this is the essential difference between amplifying all sounds equally and only amplifying some sounds.
Will You Be Disappointed With Apple Airpods Hearing Aid Mode?
Most people with hearing challenges struggle with understanding conversations, and one of the biggest complaints is the loss of clarity when trying to hear a speaker in a crowded restaurant where there are multiple conversations taking place, or in any environment where background noise is causing you to miss critical words of a conversation.
If the background noise or the other conversations are amplified at the same level as the person you are speaking to, you will hear, as Duana described it, “loud and obnoxious noise,” without any distinction between the noise and the conversation.
Wearing Airpods as a better hearing solution could have disastrous effects because you won’t realize that you are not getting what you really need. You will continue to struggle with hearing clarity, but the struggle will be louder and more intense.
Personalized Hearing Care Is Critical
What I can’t stress enough is the fact that no technology, regardless of how advanced, can provide the right better hearing solution.
Why?
Because there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution for your hearing challenges. A comprehensive hearing assessment from a trained professional is critical to understanding the exact texture of your hearing loss.
By texture, I mean, the sounds you are able to hear naturally with complete clarity and those you need a little extra help with. As your hearing care professional evaluates those elements, he or she is able to provide a range of hearing aids that can to fill in the gaps in your hearing.
Putting hearing aids in your ears isn’t the end of your journey to better hearing—it is the beginning. We are here to fine-tune your listening experience as you adapt to the device, ensuring that you are able to hear exactly how you want and need to hear.
Hear In Texas provides additional support with hearing aid troubleshooting, maintenance, deep cleaning, and hearing aid repair associated directly with your hearing aids, and we also help with earwax removal, tinnitus management, and other forms of support.
Finally, as your hearing needs change, we are able to adapt the hearing technology to suit what you need rather than force you to get along with technology that really isn’t helping you achieve your goals.
If you are looking for a solution to your hearing challenges and considering Apple Airpods or some other self-treatment solution, we ask you to take a moment to consult with us, learn what you really need, and then make an informed choice.
Start off the right way by contacting us for a hearing assessment or more information about the services we offer. You can click here or call us at (830) 360-2000 to start your better hearing journey today! You’ll be glad you did.
