Samsung’s new premium earbuds the Galaxy Buds Pro have been found to be effective in helping people with mild to moderate hearing loss to better hear sounds in their surroundings.
According to a new study published in Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology – which was carried out in partnership with Samsung Medical Centre – users who tried out the Galaxy Buds Pro were able to understand spoken words better and could hear amplified sound much more clearly.
The Galaxy Buds Pro were assessed alongside a hearing aid and a sound amplification product, looking at three key tests: electroacoustic assessment, sound amplification evaluation and clinical performance evaluation.
This study was the first to demonstrate the potential benefit of true wireless earbuds for individuals with mild to moderate hearing impairments.
“With rapidly aging populations it’s expected that, by 2050, one in ten people will have hearing loss1. But while hearing aids are useful for managing hearing impairments, uptake remains relatively low, mainly due to the high price,” said Il Joon Moon, Associate Professor at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Samsung Medical Centre.
“The initial study findings are very promising and encourage people to discover alternative devices, such as Galaxy Buds Pro, that can support them in their day to day lives.”
Participants in the study had mild to moderate hearing loss, with a median age of 63 years.
“Statistical significance was observed at 1,000Hz, 2,000Hz and 6,000Hz, meaning Galaxy Buds Pro sufficiently amplified sound at the three frequencies of speech pitches. Furthermore, in total, over 57 per cent of the participants reported that Galaxy Buds Pro were able to help them communicate in a quiet environment,” the study revealed.
It was also discovered that, when wearing Galaxy Buds Pro, individuals were able to understand spoken words better–the results found statistically significant improvement in performance for the three devices compared to that in the unaided condition.
This suggests that along with hearing aids and personal sound amplification products, Galaxy Buds Pro could potentially provide communicative benefit for individuals with hearing loss, and especially for those with mild and moderate loss.
“As we develop new products and services, we are mindful of how our technology can help people to defy barriers and do more,” says Han-gil Moon, Master and Head of Advanced Audio Lab, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics.
“These findings reflect our ongoing commitment to creating innovations that enable everyone to better enjoy everyday experiences, and we plan to extend the test to more participants in the coming months.”
The $349 Galaxy Buds Pro feature Ambient Sound, which can amplify nearby sounds by up to 20 decibels and, with four levels to choose from, users are able to adjust and customize how they experience sound according to their needs.
