CNBC tries hearing test, hearing protection, hearing aid

I tested the brand new hearing health features coming to Apple‘s AirPods Pro 2 headphones, they usually saved me a long-overdue trip to the audiologist. 

Apple unveiled the features during an event in September, they usually will probably be publicly available through a free software update next week. Users can take a clinically validated hearing test with the AirPods Pro 2, and the buds will function an over-the-counter hearing aid if applicable. The headphones may even be equipped with latest hearing protection capabilities, akin to loud sound reduction, which can be switched on by default. 

Greater than 1.5 billion persons are living with hearing loss, in keeping with the World Health Organization. Tapping into this market could help Apple juice sales for the $249 AirPods Pro 2, which the corporate first launched two years ago. 

In case you already own the headphones, the hearing health features are value exploring. They take just just a few minutes to establish, they usually’re easy to make use of from the comfort of your house. The AirPods Pro 2 are also a cheap option for those on the lookout for assistive hearing technology. Other over-the-counter hearing aids can cost hundreds of dollars without insurance, as an illustration. 

Taking the hearing test

I even have a pair of third-generation AirPods that I exploit daily, but this was my first time trying the AirPods Pro 2. I took them straight out of the box, flipped open the lid to the charging case and paired them with an iPhone. After that, I popped them in my ears and ready to take Apple’s hearing test.

During its event in September, Apple said 80% of adults within the U.S. haven’t had their hearing checked previously five years. That is actually true in my case. The last time I remember getting my hearing tested was in elementary school. 

Admittedly, I have never gone out of my option to protect my hearing, so I wasn’t sure what my results would seem like. I felt a bit of nervous beforehand. 

To access the test, you’ll be able to go into the Health app or into the earbuds’ settings menu. I pulled it up, and it prompted me with just a few basic questions on my age, my health and whether I’d been exposed to a loud environment previously 24 hours. 

You could be in a really quiet space to take the test. Apple runs a background noise test to make sure your environment is suitable, after which it assesses the fit of your headphones inside your ears. The AirPods Pro 2 include medium-sized flexible ear suggestions attached, but there are extra small, small and huge tip sizes included within the box. Apple sells a set of ear tips about its website for about $13 should you’ve misplaced yours.      

I took the test in my apartment, and I didn’t need to regulate the fit of the headphones. I read the test’s instructions after which it was time to start. 

The hearing test plays a series of tones at different volumes and frequencies, and also you tap the screen every time you hear a sound. It began with my left ear and moved to my right, and it took a bit of greater than five minutes.

The hearing test was easy. There are some long pauses between tones, so I felt like I second-guessed myself occasionally. And Apple is not kidding about finding a quiet space to take this test. Among the tones were so soft that I practically had to carry my breath to listen to them. My test also robotically paused just a few times as traffic passed by outside, so I’d recommend finding a room that is as near silent as possible.  

You’ll be able to take the test as over and over as you would like, and you may get your results as soon as you are done. A duplicate is stored within the Health app, and you’ll be able to share it together with your doctor. 

I learned that I even have little to no hearing loss in each ears, though there are some frequencies that could be harder for me to choose up on. It’s nice to have that peace of mind. 

Using your headphones as a hearing aid

Since I even have minimal hearing loss, I used to be prompted to activate a feature called “Media Assist,” which uses my hearing test results to regulate the clarity of my calls, music and videos based on my specific profile. 

I had Media Assist enabled as I used the AirPods Pro 2 to FaceTime family and friends, watch CNBC and hearken to different genres of music on Spotify. I didn’t hear much of a difference with music or TV, but I did notice that voices seemed amplified on my FaceTime calls. It is a subtle change, but I discovered it helpful. 

In case your test results show you might have mild to moderate hearing loss, you will be prompted to establish and use your headphones as a clinical-grade hearing aid. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Apple’s hearing aid software in September. 

“After you are taking a hearing test, your AirPods Pro are transformed into a customized hearing aid, boosting the particular sounds you would like in real time, like parts of speech, or elements inside your environment,” Dr. Sumbul Desai, Apple’s vice chairman of health, said in a prerecorded video last month.

The hearing aid feature is meant for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss, but users can turn it on of their settings even in the event that they don’t fall under that category. Out of curiosity, I switched it on while walking around Latest York City, running errands, watching TV and chatting with my roommates. 

The feature immediately amplified the world around me, and I joked that it felt like a superpower. It was easier for me to listen to quiet dialogue on TV, and my conversations were magnified. Interestingly, I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the loud sounds of town, which I believe is resulting from the earbuds’ latest hearing protection features. 

Using a hearing aid can take some getting used to, so don’t be concerned if it doesn’t feel natural straight away. You may as well make specific adjustments to your liking in your settings and the iOS Control Center. 

The hearing aid feature was cool to try, even when I needn’t use it. It will be nice to modify it on in a crowded Latest York City restaurant, but otherwise, I got the support I needed from the Media Assist feature.        

If you might have mild to moderate hearing loss and are prompted to activate the hearing aid feature, Media Assist may even be activated. Your AirPods Pro 2 will robotically adjust as you make calls, watch videos and hearken to music across all of your Apple devices. 

Though I wasn’t the best candidate for the hearing aid, I’m excited to inform my parents and grandparents about it. Because the AirPods Pro 2 seem like another pair of Apple headphones, they’re less conspicuous than many existing hearing aids, which I expect will probably be an added perk for a lot of users.