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Apple intentionally removing hearing accessibility features

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@RobHooft said:

Not sure anyone answered this here. They are only useful for people with (very) modest hearing loss. Looking at the audiograms here, few people (including me) would benefit.

I’ve been using the AirPods with the new hearing aid function for about a month now, and they’re decent enough for my hearing loss. Definitely not as good as my Intents or my Mores (my current backup), but they do help me get by.

In reply to @RobHooft

I’ve seen reports that AirPods Pro go to about 110 and AirPods Max go to just below that. Apple, I think, reduces the maximum volume out of the box with an accessibility feature.

How to make AirPods and AirPods Pro louder | AppleInsider13

Whether it's simply because you want to turn the volume up a bit, or it's because there's a sound level fault on your AirPods, or AirPods Pro, here's how to make them as loud as you need.

And here’s a nice review that I found on this forum for the hearing aid feature: Apple AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aids Expert Review9

I really don’t understand those numbers at all- if max amplification is 110 db then the Airpod feature surely ought to suit all those folks whose show losses over 60 db? If you have such (severe) hearing loss the Airpods don’t even bother to configure themselves as HAs. I faked uniform loss at 60 db but then wasn’t impressed with output at all.

As for increasing their volume when used as earbuds- I mostly use them with my Android phone, so perhaps I just cannot access those settings in the link even after tweaking this on an iPad. And perhaps I cannot do this because my Airpods were bought in the EU…

In reply to @e1405

I’m so happy you posted!

Iwouldlove to try them. However, your post is the first I’ve seen from someone with similar hearing loss.

In reply to @mikail

Best of luck to you, trying to activate an awareness at Apple of hearing needs. From time to time I leave a message to ask could we not even be given basic tone control - bass/ treble, cut/boost. These would benefit even normally hearing people, to compensate for the greatly varying incoming audio from news reports, phonecalls, streamed music.
Only once got an interested response, from a lady director of Accessibilty. Long ago. I have written airmail to Tim Cooke, and fed into Apple’s feedback channel. Zilch.
Sounds as though they’re slipping even further downhill in terms of the user friendliness that built success in Steve Jobs days. Again, all power to you.

Edited
@ellisonvoice said:

activate an awareness at Apple of hearing needs

It would actually be nice if other earbud manufacturers came up with similar software, especially for models that provide far stronger amplification than the Airpods, e.g. the OnePlus Buds Pro 2.
Note also that “Android has a 71.42% market share worldwide”.

Hello Rob. So Android seem much the same! I do note their increasing popularity. I’m rather rooted in Apple because of sound studio work and its software - but may yet migrate. Thanks for your helpful reply.

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