The Conversation Clear Plus from Sennheiser is a special pair of in-ears. You can make calls and listen to music with them, but that is not what these caps excel at and are aimed at. What are they specifically intended for? To help you focus better on conversations in difficult situations. This makes the set seem to have a similar function to a hearing aid, but that is not entirely the case, if we understand Sennheiser correctly.
“These are not hearing aids,” Sennheiser writes on its website, with the audio manufacturer emphasizing that the wireless earbuds are not intended for people with hearing loss. The intended user has no difficulty in following conversations at a normal volume in quiet situations without aids, and can hear the ‘birds chirping’ outside. In short, Sennheiser is targeting the Conversation Clear Plus at people with normal hearing who would like to effortlessly follow conversations in difficult situations. Consider locations with a lot of environmental noise, such as a full pub or a busy conference, where the buzz around you can make a conversation a tiring activity.
Strengthen conversations
However, the operation of these in-ears is broadly comparable to that of a hearing aid. That is not surprising, if you consider that the consumer branch of Sennheiser was taken over by Sonova a few years ago. For example, this Swiss group also sells hearing aids under brand names such as Phonak and Unitron, and is the owner of the Dutch hearing care chain Schoonenberg. While the Sennheiser brand name is prominently displayed on the packaging of these in-ears, you will find the name of the parent company on the side.
The idea is that the Conversation Clear Plus amplifies the sound of conversations that you focus on. Voices that sound almost directly in front of you are amplified more than voices behind you. Meanwhile, the in-ears try to dampen sounds with other frequencies. The big difference with real hearing aids is that they offer more amplification and are more tailored to the individual user. These devices can also be much more expensive, although this set from Sennheiser is not exactly cheap with its recommended retail price of 849 euros. We took the time to investigate whether these in-ears succeed in facilitating conversations in difficult situations and whether they are worth their hefty price.
Appearance and wearing comfort
The Conversation Clear Plus may not be a normal set of in-ears, but it does consist of a charging case with two earphones in it. The box and caps are large; the charging case of the Apple Airpods Pro fits almost twice that of Sennheiser’s conversation booster. However, the weight of the ears is not too bad; they weigh 5.7 grams each, which is quite average. The in-ears and their charging box are completely black, with the exception of the white Sennheiser logo and the gray-colored silicone on the ears. With their IPX4 rating, the earphones are splash-proof, but not dust-proof.
In addition to the standard installed medium silicones, a larger and smaller size are also included. The in-ears are equipped with so-called ear fins, three sets of which are also included. In my experience, thanks to those extra ear fins, the caps stay in place well. This is also the case with moderately intensive sporting activities. Moreover, the in-ears do not press too much against your ears and they are light enough to walk around undisturbed for hours.
Specifications Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus Recommended retail price 849 euros Bluetooth version 4.2 Supported audio codecs AAC, SBC Frequency range 20-20,000Hz Driver size 12mm (diameter) Battery capacity per earpiece 70mAh Battery capacity charging box 500mAh Weight per earpiece 5.7 grams Weight charging box 55 grams Dimensions per earpiece 27.1 x 18.2 x 20.6mm Charging box dimensions
68 x 66,9 x 32,6mm
App
Conversation Clear (iOS en Android)
Touch control and app
You can press the top half of the stems of both earplugs. Because only the top is compressible, you do not push the earphones loose or out of your ears. By pressing and holding them for a moment, you can easily switch between the three usage modes. If you press a button, immediate auditory feedback follows. That’s nice. It is a pity that you cannot adjust the operation of the handles to your own taste.
You can of course also operate the in-ears via the accompanying Conversation Clear app. It shows the charging status of the earphones and is clearly laid out, but also has a few annoying quirks. If you change a setting and then lock your phone, the buds will first return to the previous setting, only to apply the new setting after about three seconds. Every time you minimize the app and then put it back on your screen, the earphones must be connected again. The same applies if you lock your phone when using the app and then unlock it again later. The connection is sometimes restored within two seconds, but I also regularly had to wait more than ten seconds. That gets boring pretty quickly.
In addition, the app requires you to create a Sennheiser account before you can even use the software. The reason is that the app creates an individual sound profile for you. By linking this to an account, you can call it up again via the cloud if, for example, you change smartphones. That may be useful, but it would have been nicer if Sennheiser had left the choice for that option to the user.
2023-11-04 05:00:00
#Sennheiser #Conversation #Clear #Clear #conversations #high #price
