When there was more noise, the AirPods Pro was just as good as the best hearing aid, especially when the noise was coming from the side of the person. A new study in the journal iScience found that adults with mild to moderate hearing loss might be able to use Apple’s AirPods Pro as hearing aids.
Researchers from the Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan did the study. Experts looked at and tried out different hearing aids on 21 people with mild to moderate hearing loss. There were both high-end and basic hearing aids, as well as AirPods Pro and AirPods 2 earbuds.
For the study, the AirPods were paired with an iPhone that had the “Live Listen” app running. This app amplified the sounds around you. Researchers asked the people to wear the gadgets and listen to short sentences that were read out loud by the researchers. After that, they had to say the same thing again, word for word.
The researchers found that the AirPods 2 worked as well in quiet places as basic hearing aids. When it was louder, the AirPods Pro, which has a noise-canceling feature built in, worked just as well as the top-of-the-line hearing aid, especially when the noises were coming from the side of the participant.
But when the noises were coming from in front of the participants, neither model of AirPods helped them hear better.” Even though these wireless earbuds aren’t perfect, they would be a good place to start for many people who can’t get hearing aids.
Even with these earbuds, they will have a better quality of life “According to Science Alert, the study’s corresponding author, Yen-fu Cheng, said this. Mr. Cheng also said that because hearing aids have a bad reputation, many people would feel more comfortable wearing Apple’s AirPods all the time instead.
He also said that people with hearing loss often have to go to doctors to get their hearing aids fitted and fine-tuned, which can be hard for many. So, the Taiwanese researchers say that Apple AirPods Pro might be a better option for patients because they are easier to use.
“The market for wireless earphones is growing quickly around the world. Some companies want to look into the possibility of making earbuds with features that make sounds louder. Our research shows that the idea makes sense, “Science Alert says that’s what the researchers said.
