Do you have mild to moderate hearing loss?

We carried out a survey of our Tinnitus Tunes members and there were two findings relevant to this blog newsletter:

• 24% said one of their biggest challenges was trying to converse in a noisy restaurant, cafe, bar or at a business networking event. As a result, they avoided these situations which can be frustrating for your partner or family. Avoiding business networking opportunities can also limit your career or business growth.

• 21% of survey respondents that did not have a hearing aid already, were actively considering getting one.

Two earbud brands could help if you have mild to moderate hearing loss

You may remember from our previous blog newsletter that mild to moderate hearing loss is in the range of 25 to 54 dB on your audiogram (hearing test). We would recommend traditional hearing aids for loss greater than moderate.

The two brands we will discuss in this review are the Apple AirPod Pro and the Nuheara IQ Buds Max. So what are the main pros & cons of earbuds compared to traditional hearing aids.

Pros of earbuds

• They can amplify speech to help you hear better in a noisy environment.

• Lower cost (typically in the range of US$200 to $300 for each of the earbuds) compared to often several thousand dollars or pounds for good quality blue tooth enabled hearing aids.

• More fashionable although you may feel selfconcious wearing them on social occasions. Your friends and family will quickly get used to you wearing them and be very supportive.

• Better sound quality for listening to music

• Possibly easier to use

Disadvantages of earbuds

• The "occlusion" effect of having your ear canal fiilled makes your own voice sound funny to you and also the noise you perceive from chewing food (not great in a restaurant).

• The limited battery life (around 3 to 5 hours) means you can't wear them all day like traditional hearing aids.

• They may end up being a temporary fix - at some stage you may need to progress to traditional hearing aids.

• Traditional "behind the ear" hearing aids are more likely to help your tinnitus than the earbuds (partly because of the occlusion effect of the earbuds).

How good is the Apple AirPod Pro at helping your hearing?

This is a good balanced review given during an interview with a scientist from the National Audiology Laboratory (NAL) in Australia AirPods as Hearing Aid Substitute? Exploring NAL's Research with Nicky Chong-White, PhD - YouTube

Apple continues to improve the features available with the AirPod Pro and rolling out the availability to different countries including the UK, USA and New Zealand. I have given a link below to a release from Apple in the UK.

Hearing Aid feature available today with AirPods Pro 2 - Apple (UK)

How does the Nuheara IQ Buds 2 Max compare?

The NuHeara IQ Buds are a strong contender in terms of ability to help you with mild to moderate hearing loss. They have many of the same features as the Apple Airpod Pro including the ability to focus the amplification of sound coming from a person, or group of people when you are in a noisy cafe or restaurant.

You can also get an add on device to use when listening to the TV. That way you can hear clearly without others having to put up with a higher volume on the TV iteself.

I have given a link to a review of the Nuheara IQ bud William on Max | Active Professional and Tinnitus Relief | Nuheara

The appearance will come down to personal taste, the IQ Buds are a darker colour and more bulky in your ear. They do come with different bud tip sizes to hep you choose a good fit.

Comparative reviews generally rate the Apple AirPOd Pro as being simpler and more intuitive to use,

Our conclusions

If you are begiining to struggle with hearing conversations, or the TV either the Apple AirPod Pro, or the Nuheara IQ Buds 2 Max are worth considering. You can use them to enjoy llistening to music or podcasts and also use them in situations where you want to hold a conversation in a noisy environment.

We would only recommend them if you have mild or moderate hearing loss.

Choosing between the two earbuds is down to personal preference. Overall we feel the Apple AirPod Pro is the winner because it is simpler to use and more likely to continue to have future enhancements released on a regular basis.

If you have tinnitus and moderate or worse hearing loss, we recommend visiting an audiologist and investing in behind the ear style hearing aids.

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