Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers a speech before the start of an Apple event at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California, on September 9, 2024.
Justin Sullivan | fake images
I tried the new hearing health features coming AppleThe AirPods Pro 2 headphones saved me a long-awaited trip to the audiologist.
Apple unveiled the features during an event in September and they will be publicly available via a free software update next week. Users can take a clinically validated hearing test with the AirPods Pro 2 and the earbuds will serve as over-the-counter headphones, if applicable. The headphones will also be equipped with new hearing protection capabilities, such as loud noise reduction, which are activated by default.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.5 billion people live with hearing loss. Tapping into this market could help Apple's juice sales for the $249 AirPods Pro 2, which the company first launched two years ago.
If you already own the headphones, the hearing health features are worth exploring. They set up in just a few minutes and are easy to use from the comfort of your home. The AirPods Pro 2 are also a cost-effective option for those looking for assistive hearing technology. Other over-the-counter hearing aids can cost thousands of dollars without insurance, for example.
Take the hearing test
I have a pair of third-generation AirPods that I use every day, but this was the first time I tried the AirPods Pro 2. I took them straight out of the box, opened the lid of the charging case, and paired them with an iPhone. . After that, I put them in my ears and prepared to take the Apple hearing test.
During its event in September, Apple said that 80% of adults in the US had not had their hearing checked in the past five years. That's certainly true in my case. The last time I remember having my hearing tested was in elementary school.
Admittedly, I didn't do everything I could to protect my hearing, so I wasn't sure what my results would be like. I felt a little nervous beforehand.
To access the test, you can access the Health app or the settings menu on your headphones. I opened it and they asked me some basic questions about my age, my health, and whether I had been exposed to a noisy environment in the last 24 hours.
You need to be in a very quiet space to perform the test. Apple performs a background noise test to ensure your environment is suitable and then evaluates the fit of the headphones inside your ears. The AirPods Pro 2 come with medium-sized flexible ear tips attached, but extra small, small, and large tips are included in the box. Apple sells a set of ear tips on its website for about $13 if you misplace yours.
I tested it in my apartment and didn't have to adjust the fit of the headphones. I read the test instructions and it was time to start.
The hearing test plays a series of tones at different volumes and frequencies, and you tap the screen each time you hear a sound. It started on my left ear and moved to the right, and it took just over five minutes.
The hearing test was easy. There are some long pauses between tones, so I felt like I was questioning myself from time to time. And Apple isn't kidding about finding a quiet space to conduct this test. Some of the tones were so soft I practically had to hold my breath to hear them. My test also auto-stopped several times when traffic passed outside, so I'd recommend finding as quiet a room as possible.
You can take the test as many times as you like and you will get your results as soon as you finish. A copy is stored in the Health app and you can share it with your doctor.
I learned that I have little to no hearing loss in both ears, although there are some frequencies that might be harder for me to pick up. It's good to have that peace of mind.
Use your headphones as a hearing aid
Because I have minimal hearing loss, I was asked to activate a feature called “Media Assist,” which uses my hearing test results to adjust the clarity of my calls, music, and videos based on my specific profile.
I had Media Assist enabled while using the AirPods Pro 2 to FaceTime with friends and family, watch CNBC, and listen to different genres of music on Spotify. I didn't hear much difference with music or TV, but I did notice that voices seemed amplified on my FaceTime calls. It's a subtle change, but I found it useful.
If your test results show that you have mild to moderate hearing loss, you will be asked to set up and use your headphones as a clinical grade hearing aid. The US Food and Drug Administration approved Apple's hearing aid software in September.
“After you take a hearing test, your AirPods Pro transform into a personalized hearing aid, boosting the specific sounds you need in real time, such as parts of speech or elements in your environment,” said Dr. Sumbul Desai, vice president of Apple. health, he said in a pre-recorded video last month.
The hearing aid feature is intended for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss, but users can activate it in their settings even if they don't fall into that category. Out of curiosity, I turned it on while walking around New York City, running errands, watching TV, and chatting with my roommates.
The feature instantly amplified the world around me and I joked that it felt like a superpower. It was easier for me to listen to quiet dialogue on television and my conversations were magnified. Interestingly, I didn't feel overwhelmed by loud city sounds, which I suspect is due to the headphones' new hearing protection features.
It can take some time to get used to wearing a hearing aid, so don't worry if it doesn't feel natural right away. You can also make specific adjustments to your liking in your settings and in the iOS Control Center.
It was great to try out the headset feature, even if I don't need to use it. It would be nice to turn it on in a crowded restaurant in New York City, but otherwise I got the support I needed from the Media Assist feature.
If you have mild to moderate hearing loss and are prompted to activate the hearing aid feature, Media Assist will also be activated. Your AirPods Pro 2 will automatically adjust when you make calls, watch videos, and listen to music on all your Apple devices.
Although I was not the ideal candidate for the hearing aid, I am excited to tell my parents and grandparents. Since the AirPods Pro 2 look like any other pair of Apple headphones, they are less flashy than many existing headphones, which I expect will be an added bonus for many users.
