This year, nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have hearing loss. But recent studies show that only a small percentage of those with hearing impairment actually go as far as having their hearing tested or using hearing aids.
Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 earbuds allow users to take a scientifically validated hearing test right from an iPhone or iPad in the comfort of their own home.
With Settings on your mobile device, there is a Hearing Test option. To ensure an accurate measurement of your hearing ability, the AirPods use their noise cancellation feature and in-ear seal to create a miniature soundproof booth in your ears.
The test takes about five minutes using pure-tone audiometry based on advanced acoustic science. It plays a series of tones that users respond to by tapping on their screen. The test results include a graph that shows the decibel loss for each ear, as well as information about hearing assistance available. Users can even turn their AirPods into clinical-grade hearing aids through the Hearing Aid mode.
The Active Noise Cancellation feature removes up to 2x more background noise than Apple’s previous earbuds. The Conversation Awareness feature detects voices interacting with you and amplifies them while lowering the volume of whatever media you’re consuming. Voice Isolation is similar in enhancing the audio quality of phone calls within loud environments.
The AirPods Pro 2 are a prime example of universal design in that they’re a mainstream product that’s beneficial to a wide variety of users.
The AirPods Pro 2 are currently available through INDATA’s Equipment Lending Library. For more information about these earbuds, click here.
Photo courtesy of Apple.com.