Researchers take a fresh look at the Live Listen feature in AirPods.
A new study by scientists has shown that Apple’s AirPods can be an affordable alternative to hearing aids.
Experiment results in detail described in an article for the journal iScience.
The scientific publication claims that the “apple” gadget is able to improve the hearing of users with damage to the ear canals. Researchers have taken a fresh look at the Live Listen feature of AirPods, which is probably little known to most users. Allows you to hear the interlocutor in a noisy environment, or if they are speaking from across the room.
In several experiments, researchers compared basic $1,500 hearing aids to $10,000 premium hearing aids, AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro, the high-end version of noise-cancelling headphones. 21 people with varying levels of hearing loss tested each of the four devices.
- In the end, the AirPods Pro performed almost as well as regular hearing aids in quiet environments and were slightly inferior to the premium models.
- AirPods 2 performed worse, but still helped subjects hear more clearly than without hearing aids.
- In noisy environments, AirPods Pro performed comparable to premium hearing aids, but only when the noise was coming from one side.
- When the noise came from the front, together with the AirPods 2, they failed to improve the hearing of the participants.
In the US, AirPods 2 retail for $129 and AirPods Pro for $249. Hearing aids are much more expensive. Scientists believe that their scientific work may prompt manufacturers to implement features for people with hearing loss in headphones.
Cursor wrote before that A serious flaw has been discovered on Apple devices in the security system.
