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Ear Buds style hearing aids

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I would like to see/read more contributions in this Forum from -ers who are trying some of the new hearing-help devices that sit IN THE EAR, instead of behind the ear…such as the Jabra Enhance PLUS, Nuheara IQbuds, AirPods2, Eargo, and many others. Although they often claim to be suitable for ‘only mild hearing loss’, I have found that they can work quite well for those with moderate loss. Any one with stories to tell out there?

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I tried the Jabra Enhance PLUS. It had good performance, compared to my 5 year old Resound Fortes, but the closed EarGels caused so much occlusion that I returned them quickly. I see that Jabra now has vented EarGels one their website, which might have solved the problem.

On Friday, I’m ordering the Resound Omnia - earbud style customized. I’ll see how that goes…

Hi and thanks for posting. I, too, tried these Jabras. I didn’t mind the occlusion (forget what type of ear gels it had), but I wasn’t 100% happy with them and also returned them. I have others that serve me very well and it was kind of an experiment. Being able to return if they don’t measure up is a real plus!!

No, definitely not me… I’m talking about new, over the counter styles designed to stream, boost voices (conversation-enhancing)—that is, improve hearing,—connect w/phone, and MUTE when desired.

There’s plenty of discussion on the Airpods elsewhere. Here’s a small anecdote.

I don’t take my aids to the beach because it’s… you know… the beach. I’m down there on the weekend and try my luck at ordering something from the cafe counter. Normally that’s pretty safe. You give your order, they ask if that’s all, you bring out your card. This time, the girl starts talking to me. I get nothing. I ask her to repeat. Still nothing. I explain about the hearing loss and that I don’t have my aids and could we try it one more time. Still nothing and by now I’m seriously embarrassed.

Then I remember I’ve got the Airpod Pros in my pocket. I lunge for them, snap them in, look at the girl hopefully. “Would you like ice-cream or yoghurt with your smoothie?” I hear clear as a bell.

So there you go. They’re a safety net if nothing else.

Good story :+1: Yes, I bought my Bose Hearphones as a “backup” and then have ended up wearing them all the time for 3 years–with much satisfaction.

Your loss, and mine, can be compensated by Hearphones and a lot of the new devices. I can even hear pretty well without aids as long as someone is willing to shout at me. I can hear the TV pretty well without aids as long as I turn it up to levels that would drive others out of the house. But, that is not a strategy that works for many here. Depends upon your specific loss profile.

Thanks for this good comment! I realize isn’t for everyone, but they can work for a lot of folks, and I think it would be useful to include them more often in the discussions here in the Forum–if others wish. My loss is actually called “moderate to severe” by some. Whatever that means. Also, the lifestyle one leads has a lot to do with one’s needs. I’m retired and live alone, and although I’m out and about a lot, I don’t have constant conversations or phone calls. I have occasional conversations and do a lot of streaming.

Has anyone used their AirPod pros with the Apple app Live Listen and their iPhone to hear in a restaurant or hear a speaker in a meeting? My Costco KS 9.0’s are not “live Listen” compatible as were the KS 10.0’s

@lilliegin said:

Has anyone used their AirPod pros with the Apple app Live Listen and their iPhone to hear in a restaurant or hear a speaker in a meeting?

Many people. Use the search function of the forum.

I’ve used the Nuheara IQBuds Boost for a number of years. At the time I bought them (€400) I was being quoted €4,200 for a pair of digital hearing aids that I tried for a bit. Once I tried the IQBuds, I found them very helpful for my situation, and couldn’t see enough difference to warrant the much greater (x10) expense.

Over the years, they’ve worked very well. However, a particular issue is worth noting. They amplify sounds, albeit at different levels to suit their on-board NAL/NAL2 ‘prescription’. This gives rise to a huge problem with often really painful amplification of short, sharp high-freq sounds, such as a closing door, a cup being placed on a hard surface, clinking of glasses in a bar. This issue may well have been resolved in the later product IQBuds2 Max. I haven’t tried those.

For anyone who is , these types of solution are well worth a try, if the alternative is to soldier on in a world of mumbles and “What?”. That said, its likely to not be a long term solution, as for most people whose hearing will disimprove over time, they just wont cut the mustard for serious sound processing.

I note that HP has recently entered into a licencing agreement with Nuheara for the latest version of their product. These have obtained CDC clearance as a medical device in the hearing aid space. I understand they will retail at $699 in the USA.

@HomerSimpson said:

They amplify sounds, albeit at different levels to suit their on-board NAL/NAL2 ‘prescription’. This gives rise to a huge problem with often really painful amplification of short, sharp high-freq sounds, such as a closing door, a cup being placed on a hard surface, clinking of glasses in a bar

This not because of the NAL formula, but more a lack of noise reduction features.

I imagine they are called sound amplifiers mainly due to the fact that they were released long before otc aids were allowed in the US. However, they do seem to have some good uses. I tried them briefly but this was before aids. I didn’t know much and didn’t have any experience so the sounds were not comfortable. However, I did like that they did an in situ hearing test to setup.

In reply to @user490

Yes. They are sound amplifiers, having been brought to market before was approved. However they provide a hearing test (EarID) that informs a NAL-NAL2 based adjustment of amplification across 6 octaves, rather than a blanket amplification of sound across all octaves. The latest iteration (HP Hearing Pro) uses a similar EarID personalisation and is sold as an OTC Hearing Aid.

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