A leading expert in the field of hearing health and hearables has warned that Apple’s AirPods Pro earphones should not be used as a replacement for hearing aids even though they can be effective in helping people with hearing loss comprehend speech in quiet environments.
Andrew Bellavia, founder of hearing consultancy AuraFuturity, says that while AirPods can be beneficial for those with lower-level or natural hearing loss, those with greater needs should not rely on them.
A recent study in published in iScience this week found that the sound amplification feature called Conversation Boost within AirPods, performed as well two prescription hearing aids. The study even claimed that AirPods met four out of five standards to be classed as hearing aids. That’s not a distinction Apple claims.
“I have no doubt that the hearing features within AirPods Pro can improve speech understanding for some people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, as well as those without measurable hearing loss who have difficulty in noisy situations,” he told Trusted Reviews.
Although the Conversation Boost feature did offer some improvement in a loud restaurant, the amplification level was too low for his “more severe [hearing] loss.”
Mr Bellavia claimed that over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids work best for people with “normal, age-related hearing loss at mild-to-moderate level.”
OTC hearing aids are not available in Australia yet. Perth tech company Nuheara scored an FDA approval to sell its OTC HP Hearing PRO device in the US, but Australia is a long way from gaining access to them.
