If you are hearing impaired, you may have had a hard time finding high-quality headphones that are right for you.
To help you find the perfect headphones, we have compiled a list of the most popular and best headphones for the hearing impaired, based on ratings, features, comfort, and quality.
There are many different types of headphones on the market today that are very effective for the hearing impaired, including bone-conduction headphones, noise-reducing headphones, and noise-cancelling headphones.
All have their pros and cons, but the right headphones for you will depend on your hearing condition, the location of your hearing aids, and their compatibility with your lifestyle and needs.
Ask your hearing healthcare professional for recommendations to help you find the best headphones for you.
What are the Best Headphones for the Hearing Impaired?
1. Shokz OpenRun Pro
The Shokz OpenRun Pro is considered the best headphones for the hearing impaired due to its form factor and listening experience.
It allows those with hearing impairments to hear decent sound quality without interference from their hearing aids.
Shokz released the first OpenRun in 2021. The OpenRun Pro was built with two bass enhancers to increase the punch of the low frequencies.
These headphones sit right in front of your ears, providing enough room to fit most hearing aids without interference.
So you don’t have to choose between listening to music or wearing your hearing aids. There are two hearing modes available: Standard Mode and Voice Mode.
Standard Mode treats all sound frequencies equally. It’s great when you want to focus on music. Voice Mode, on the other hand, enhances the midrange, which is where the human voice often comes in.
This preset can also be used for movies, voice-centric audio, or even conversations when using the OpenRun Pro as a PSAP.
Shokz has also partnered with Petralex, an app that turns your headphones into a hearing aid replacement.
The Petralex app uses the microphone on the Shokz OpenRun to pick up ambient noise and transmit it as sound through the headphones.
Shokz doesn’t claim that the headphones are hearing aids. However, some users have claimed that using the
OpenRun Pro with the Petralex app has allowed them to hear clearly and almost normally again.
The OpenRun Pro is also IP65 certified, meaning it is water and dust-resistant. So you don’t have to worry about it when you exercise or go outdoors. It also comes with a slim case that’s great for traveling.
Overall, it’s a great pair of headphones, but the Shokz OpenRun Pro isn’t designed to be used at full volume. At full volume, there’s a noticeable vibration that can cause your cheekbones to go numb after a while.
2. Sennheiser RS 195 RF Professional Wired Headphones
The Sennheiser RS 195 RF headphones are wireless over-ear headphones that boast a comfortable fit and a variety of listening modes.
The listening mode is “Voice Mode,” which helps reduce background noise and improve speech intelligibility.
“Music Mode,” on the other hand, plays music with an increased dynamic range to perfectly preserve the sound image.
These headphones will allow you to enjoy any song, TV show, or movie in comfort. They are available online for around $299.95.
3. Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones WH1000XM3
Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones WH1000XM3 are noise-cancelling over-ear headphones that provide users with high-quality sound.
The Smart Listening feature allows the headphones to adjust the volume and ambient sound depending on the user’s activity.
With easy-to-use touch controls and a long battery life, they are easy to carry anywhere. You can also connect to popular voice assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
4. Sony WH-1000XM5
The Sony WH-1000XM5 offers generous leather ear cups with soft padding to minimize pressure on your ears, even when wearing hearing aids.
Combine this with excellent ANC and transparency mode, and the WH-1000XM5 is the perfect pair to wear with your hearing aids.
The ANC on the WH-1000XM5 can help reduce ambient noise that can interfere with your audio. You don’t have to turn up the volume to hear your music clearly.
But if you want to hear the world around you, the WH-1000XM5 has a great Transparency mode for that.
There’s even a handy feature where you can temporarily activate Transparency mode by wrapping your hand around the right earcup.
Another feature that really sets the WH-1000XM5 apart is Conversation mode. In this mode, the headphones seamlessly switch from ANC to Transparency mode when they detect speech.
Conversation mode is very comfortable, but it’s not perfect. It takes a few seconds for the headphones to resume audio after they determine that you’re no longer speaking.
The Sony Headphones Connect app also gives you more control over ANC, Transparency, and Conversation modes.
The app also lets you customize your hearing mode, toggle wear detection, switch the guidance language, and access a variety of other customizations.
If you’re concerned about sound quality, the WH-1000XM5 uses the LDAC codec to play audio over Bluetooth. Every test track I put into these headphones sounded clear and rich with minimal sibilance, even at max volume.
The WH-1000XM5 are a great all-rounder for wearing with hearing aids, but they’re not the cheapest option. Plus, these headphones don’t have an official IP rating.
5. Nuraphone
Claimed to be the world’s smartest headphones, the Nuraphone headphones come packed with a range of features to suit unbalanced hearing.
Pair them with the free Nura app on Apple or Android, and the headphones can automatically create a hearing profile tailored to your hearing loss in less than a minute.
Upon setup, the app instructs the headphones to play different frequencies into your ears.
The headphones then measure the faint sound coming from your ears when you listen to audio using a process called otoacoustic emission.
The Nuraphone also has proper ANC and a natural-sounding Social Mode. Social Mode is a great way to lower the music volume a bit and let in some ambient noise to hear conversations.
But the Nuraphone offers more than just personalized sound, ANC, and Social Mode. It also offers Immersion Mode, a form of EQ that boosts the bass, and up to 20 hours of playtime.
The Nuraphone’s unique design uses both in-ear and over-ear form factors to provide dual noise isolation.
However, this can come with some issues with comfort, especially for long-term use. That means you can’t wear hearing aids underneath the earcups, despite the over-ear design.
6. AfterShokz Titanium Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones
The AfterShokz Titanium Open Ear Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones are highly rated Bluetooth-enabled bone conduction headphones that deliver rich audio through your cheekbones, making them a great option for those with hearing loss.
They deliver a wide sound with rich bass, creating an incredible listening experience. The durable and flexible design makes it extremely comfortable to use for long periods.
7. TV Ears Digital Wireless Headset System
The TV Ears Digital Wireless Headset System is a device specifically designed for television viewing. If you or someone you know has trouble hearing dialogue or speech on TV, this is a must-have.
The speech clarification feature is helpful for anyone who has trouble hearing dialogue, but especially for those with age-related hearing loss (presbycusis), which primarily affects the ability to hear high-pitched sounds.
The proprietary Voice Clarifying Circuitry works by increasing the gain of mid- and high-frequency sounds, comfortably fitting the range of human speech.
It also gets louder up to 120dB, which is quite loud even for someone with moderate hearing loss. However, it is not recommended to be that loud all the time.
Unlike most headsets that are worn behind or above the head, the TV Ears hang in front of the neck. This is because the headset uses infrared connectivity and must be within the line of sight of the adapter.
Compared to the TV Ears Original System, which only supports analog signals, the TV Ears Digital System natively supports both digital and analog TV.
These headsets usually sound very good for their intended purpose. However, content with a lot of dialogue, such as interviews or podcasts, can become tiring over time.
What type of headphones should I choose?
Not all headphones are suitable for people with hearing loss. Most are not designed to be used with hearing aids.
Even if you don’t wear a hearing aid now, your condition may require you to wear one later. Choosing the wrong headphones can be a waste of money in the short term.
However, there are three types of headphones to consider for the hearing impaired. In-ear earbuds are not compatible with any hearing aids because they sit inside your ear.
However, if you are only looking for a PSAP, they can be a good choice.
Bone conduction headphones sit right behind your ear, so they are perfectly compatible with most hearing aids.
And since sound is conducted via bone conduction rather than air, there is no feedback when worn with hearing aids, unlike other types of headphones.
Over-ear headphones can be used with in-ear (ITE) and in-canal (ITC) hearing aids. However, depending on how wide the earcups are, they may interfere with receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) and behind-the-ear (BTE) models.
Conclusion
Enjoy immersive sound and seamless communication with these best headphones for the hearing impaired. Each has been carefully selected to meet the unique needs of the hearing impaired.
Individual preferences and hearing needs may vary, so it is important for the hearing impaired to try out a variety of headphones to find the one that best suits their specific needs.
Consult your local hearing care professional for your needs.
Also read: Best Wireless Earbuds For Hearing Impaired