According to experts, Apple’s AirPods Pro may be used in some cases in place of considerably more expensive hearing aids.
Researchers from the Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan investigated whether Apple’s AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro can be utilised as personal sound amplification devices for the study that was published in the journal iScience (PSAPs). Consumer wearable devices called PSAPs are made to amplify sound for consumers.
For this, they compared these two commercial products with two different types of hearing aids. The study’s hearing aids cost $1,500 and $10,000 each, compared to the AirPods Pro and AirPods 2, which went on sale for $249 and $129, respectively.
The researchers then put these four gadgets to the test on 21 study subjects who had mild to moderate hearing loss. Wearing the gadgets and listening to the researchers read simple sentences was required of the participants. The participants were then required to repeat the phrases exactly.
In a quiet setting, the performance of the AirPods Pro was found to be equivalent to that of the entry-level hearing aids while somewhat falling short of that of the premium hearing aids. Even though the AirPods 2 had the weakest performance of the four gadgets, those who wore them could still hear better than they could without them.
When the noises came from either side of the subject during testing, the AirPods Pro performed similarly to the high-end hearing aids. However, neither of the AirPod versions was able to improve participants’ hearing when the noises were coming from directly in front of them.
According to expert, wearing hearing aids carries a social stigma and many patients are reluctant to do so out of concern that they will appear old. For these patients as well, the Apple AirPods Pro may offer a more affordable alternative.
Also read: Purchasing new AirPods ? Here’s how to get your face engraved on it
