OTC Hearing Aids - Apple EarPod Pro2 vs. Philips 9050

[TheWalkman]

I wasn't sure if I should point this out, but since no one else does, I stand corrected.

They are AirPods Pro, not EarPods Pro

…and I’m using EarPod Pro 2s to be precise. My apologies to all.

 

[Old_School_Brad]

…and I’m using EarPod Pro 2s to be precise. My apologies to all.

Haha! You definitely need the SpellingPod Pro 2 too, my friend.
Just some light-hearted banter.

 

[nathan]

Hmm. Now I don't know if I should take the new test if it ends up very different to the subtle tuning I have applied from my existing audiogram. I really like how they sound now. Do you know if you can change between the apple audiogram and the mimi audiogram after the test is completed?

I was able to keep audiograms from Mimi and from the new Apple hearing test, in the Health app, basically as two different entries. It's not clear but seems likely one could keep dozens perhaps hundreds of individual tests.

 

[nathan]

…and I’m using EarPod Pro 2s to be precise. My apologies to all.

I'm not sure if you are joking? There is no such thing as EarPod Pro or EarPod Pro 2.

They are AirPod Pro and AirPod Pro 2.

If you write it that way, it is more likely folks searching for this topic will be able to find it more readily.

---

More on topic:

I've compared the first and second generation AirPod Pro models, and tried the new software in 18.1 and I have to say, it is pretty impressive. I am sure the "hearing aid" function will be useful for me at times, though it seems mostly focused on frequency/threshold (which is helpful for sure!) and my larger challenge is noisy situations, so I'm hoping it also has a measure of directionality when in use.

I am already pretty darn impressed with how it uses signal processing based on one's audiogram to adjust the audio from podcasts, music, phone calls, videos, etc.

Does anyone know whether it doesn't this with content from an AppleTV as well? (Ie, not EQ the sound in the room, but EQ the sound when using the AirPods as bluetooth headphones connected to an AppleTV)

 

[TheWalkman]

I'm not sure if you are joking? There is no such thing as EarPod Pro or EarPod Pro 2.

They are AirPod Pro and AirPod Pro 2.

If you write it that way, it is more likely folks searching for this topic will be able to find it more readily.

---

More on topic:

I've compared the first and second generation AirPod Pro models, and tried the new software in 18.1 and I have to say, it is pretty impressive. I am sure the "hearing aid" function will be useful for me at times, though it seems mostly focused on frequency/threshold (which is helpful for sure!) and my larger challenge is noisy situations, so I'm hoping it also has a measure of directionality when in use.

I am already pretty darn impressed with how it uses signal processing based on one's audiogram to adjust the audio from podcasts, music, phone calls, videos, etc.

Does anyone know whether it doesn't this with content from an AppleTV as well? (Ie, not EQ the sound in the room, but EQ the sound when using the AirPods as bluetooth headphones connected to an AppleTV)

My AirPod Pro 2s connect to my Apple TV and use the audiogram equalization and sound great.

 

[TheWalkman]

I was able to keep audiograms from Mimi and from the new Apple hearing test, in the Health app, basically as two different entries. It's not clear but seems likely one could keep dozens perhaps hundreds of individual tests.

Agree.

A point I read about this is the fact that you can test your own hearing as frequently as you’d like with these tools, allowing much more flexibility than needing an appointment with a pro. (Though some may argue that these, homebrew, tests aren’t as accurate, I stopped by my local Costco and the Hearing Center was scheduling a month or more out for a hearing test.)

 

[Old_School_Brad]

Agree.

A point I read about this is the fact that you can test your own hearing as frequently as you’d like with these tools, allowing much more flexibility than needing an appointment with a pro. (Though some may argue that these, homebrew, tests aren’t as accurate, I stopped by my local Costco and the Hearing Center was scheduling a month or more out for a hearing test.)

Say what you will about Apple, but they don't do things halfway. While they're not typically first to market, they wait for technology to mature before jumping in -and when they do, they do it right.

So, now that they've received approval to use this as a hearing aid, I’m inclined to trust that it meets high standards for accuracy and efficiency.

 

[johny_2000]

I’m not a hearing expert, but the FDA-approved hearing test that the AirPods Pro 2 performs only tests the ability to hear up to 8 kHz.
In my opinion, this is only done to treat speech-related hearing problems.
In the audio world, we’re looking for the ability to hear sounds up to 20 kHz.
Naturally, people lose the ability to hear the highest frequencies first, and then the hearing loss moves down the lower frequency spectrum.

 

[Old_School_Brad]

I’m not a hearing expert, but the FDA-approved hearing test that the AirPods Pro 2 performs only tests the ability to hear up to 8 kHz.
In my opinion, this is only done to treat speech-related hearing problems.
In the audio world, we’re looking for the ability to hear sounds up to 20 kHz.
Naturally, people lose the ability to hear the highest frequencies first, and then the hearing loss moves down the lower frequency spectrum.

View attachment 405995

Does the apple correction only apply correction up to 8 kHz?

 

[johny_2000]

Does the apple correction only apply correction up to 8 kHz?

I don't know. They don't share details of the EQ corrections applied after the audiogram.

 

[johny_2000]

Sorry for this dark humor .
Where are the engineers and managers of audio equipment manufacturers now?

 

[Frank Dernie]

So funny because I’ve always told my wife I have no idea what British people on shows and movies are saying but it was most likely because of my hearing loss. I can understand accents a little bit better now when wearing my hearing aids

There are a huge number of strong and very different accents in the British Isles.

I am English and brought up in the North, which has a range of quite markedly different accents. I studied in London where a lot of people have cockney accents but there is also widely used "received pronunciation" or accentless English and since I live near Oxford now (Oxford English was the way accentless english used to be described) I have a much less strong accent than I used to, though I can't bring myself to use the long A, ie I can't say "barth" when I say bath or "carsting" for casting.

It is odd but I find some regional accents really irritating but am delighted by others.

My wife is Scottish and had a really strong Aberdonian accent and used a lot of local dialect words. She studied at the Royal College of Music in London as a singer, has a good ear and has largely lost her accent but it is immediately obvious when she is on the 'phone with friends and family since it comes back! It took me a long time to learn a lot of the words they use since they are what is called "the Doric" dialect. "Girls and boys", for example, are "quines and lunes" and there are a lot of other dialect words used.

My daughter has settled in Wales which has a characteristic accent which varies less it seems to me through the country. Welsh is a different language and widely used, in fact in primary school only Welsh is used.

I have less experience with Irish accents.

I am afraid I find the "standard" American accent one of the irritating ones but enjoy a lot of the regional accents, the more eccentric the better!

 

[TheWalkman]

There are a huge number of strong and very different accents in the British Isles.

I am English and brought up in the North, which has a range of quite markedly different accents. I studied in London where a lot of people have cockney accents but there is also widely used "received pronunciation" or accentless English and since I live near Oxford now (Oxford English was the way accentless english used to be described) I have a much less strong accent than I used to, though I can't bring myself to use the long A, ie I can't say "barth" when I say bath or "carsting" for casting.

It is odd but I find some regional accents really irritating but am delighted by others.

My wife is Scottish and had a really strong Aberdonian accent and used a lot of local dialect words. She studied at the Royal College of Music in London as a singer, has a good ear and has largely lost her accent but it is immediately obvious when she is on the 'phone with friends and family since it comes back! It took me a long time to learn a lot of the words they use since they are what is called "the Doric" dialect. "Girls and boys", for example, are "quines and lunes" and there are a lot of other dialect words used.

My daughter has settled in Wales which has a characteristic accent which varies less it seems to me through the country. Welsh is a different language and widely used, in fact in primary school only Welsh is used.

I have less experience with Irish accents.

I am afraid I find the "standard" American accent one of the irritating ones but enjoy a lot of the regional accents, the more eccentric the better!

Frank

As someone who, too, appreciates different accents, listening to the BBC is what clued me in that something was changing with my hearing. I’d listen to an interview with a thick accent and really have a tough time interpreting what was said. Were the ears going or was I losing my mind? I shared with with a friend who is a speech pathologist and she chuckled and convinced it was time to get a hearing test. (As a music lover, and self proclaimed Audi***ile, this is something one never wants to hear!)

She was right!

 

[nathan]

I’m not a hearing expert, but the FDA-approved hearing test that the AirPods Pro 2 performs only tests the ability to hear up to 8 kHz.
In my opinion, this is only done to treat speech-related hearing problems.
In the audio world, we’re looking for the ability to hear sounds up to 20 kHz.
Naturally, people lose the ability to hear the highest frequencies first, and then the hearing loss moves down the lower frequency spectrum.

View attachment 405995

Remember that 90 percent of the audible range of sounds is below 10kHz. And most orchestral instruments top out below 10kHz as well. (Actually they top out below 5kHz in terms of their fundamental tone, but there are overtones, so lets be generous and say that they are producing notable stuff at least a full octave above their highest "note".) I'm not saying stuff above 10kHz doesn't matter at all, it is just proportionally very modest in terms of impact on the overall sound we hear (versus say the bottom two octaves which night account for as much as 50% of a listener's preference score).

I'm not saying that Apple shouldn't measure above 8kHz -- but that is the medical standard, and that addresses most hearing loss issues with the normal range of both human voices and almost all musical instruments.

 

[rcstevensonaz]

FYI: Costco's newest flyer (Nov 20 to Dec 24) has offer of a free Philips TV Adapter with the purchase of a pair of Philips hearing aids. Which works great for me since my fitting / purchase appointment was just set for Nov 25th. And Costco has a 30 day price match, so this should also work for anyone who purchased a pair of from Oct 21st onward.

 

[carbidetooth]

Having had my first taste of hearing aids at Costco yesterday, I have to say I'm disappointed in what I heard versus what I thought I would hear. I told tech the fidelity was dismal which she explained away with "they're for hearing voices better". I get it, but the experience was surprising as it seems like such a trade-off.

They recommended Rexton and assured me that things will get better through the adjustment period. I also did a quick test drive with Jabra which seemed, tone wise, to be more what I expected but had an "in your face" quality they attribute to compression. It left me wondering if it was really something I wanted to spend money on when I run it through my value/cost mind.

Interestingly, I purchased a pair of AirPod Pros when they first introduced. I like most everything about them save one thing. Despite trying all the tips and various positioning, I couldn't get them to stay in my ears! I remember watching videos where people were exercising, and they stayed in place. Wasn't my experience at all. Weirdly shaped ears, I guess. I ended up giving them away, which I kinda regret now.

Any advice from those more experienced than me? I'm back Monday to do a store walk around with the Rextons.

 

[nathan]

While some Costco's may do very well in this regard, for the discerning user, you might find that you need to approach more than one audiologist office/practice to find what you desire.

 

[carbidetooth]

While some Costco's may do very well in this regard, for the discerning user, you might find that you need to approach more than one audiologist office/practice to find what you desire.

You know, I don't mind paying for good service but have difficulty justifying $4700 difference in price tag. I posed this very concern to the audiologist at ENT I visited and she had no clear answer except "you get what you pay for". From a business standpoint, I would think having some clearly defined benefit pitch to consumers would be crucial. That's certainly the case for me.

 

[nathan]

I don't disagree, I'm just pointing out that "I have to say I'm disappointed in what I heard versus what I thought I would hear" may be more about Costco than about hearing aids in general, or even the particular hearing aids you tried. And I don't know that an ENT or an audiologist is a sure bet, either. I would surmise it is possible to get lucky at Costco, and unlucky at a private practice, and unfortunately no way to know for sure ahead of time.

That being said, I've spent way more than $5000 on my gear, so if spending money to fly across the country to go to an audiologist who is well regard in this respect can really make a different, I might do so!

 

[rcstevensonaz]

Having had my first taste of hearing aids at Costco yesterday, ...

They recommended Rexton .... I also did a quick test drive with Jabra ....

I'm curious why they recommended the Rexton for you; and why the other device for the trial was the Jabra instead of the Philips? It does seem that different audiologist have preferred brands.

The audiologist I saw earlier this week had me test the Philips and Rexton — without making any comparison on audio quality or recommendation between the two of them before I did my walk around trial to avoid biasing my evaluation, and without telling me which order I tried them in.

Also, my take away was that the few minutes of "walking around the store" test is insufficient time. Especially since we all know that even a slight difference in the volume calibration of one vs. the other can make a big difference in which one sounds better when doing an A/B test.

Side note: one of the features that the audiologist noted about the Philips is that they have a find-me function built in, which evidently the Rexton does not. I suspect a large part of why this audiologist / store may lean towards the Philips is reduce insurance claims for lost hearing aids.