Hearing-impaired earbuds offer a variety of features that can help people with hearing loss participate in social activities, listen to music, and watch television.
In this article, we’ll look at the different types of earbuds for people with hearing loss, some products to consider, and alternative devices.
Best Wireless Earbuds For Hearing Impaired
1. AirPods Pro
AirPods Pro offers a variety of Transparency and ANC modes. This suite of features can help people with mild hearing loss to communicate without others having to raise their voices.
In addition to the standard ANC and Transparency modes, AirPods’ Smart ANC can also turn on by itself to protect your hearing when it detects loud sounds, such as a passing ambulance or siren.
This allows you to activate Transparency mode without worrying about additional hearing loss from unexpected sounds. Plus, if you’re using a device with iOS 12.0 or later, you’ll also get the Live Listen feature.
Live Listen uses your iOS device as a microphone to relay audio back to your AirPods.
If you have trouble hearing someone across the room, simply activate Live Listen and bring your iPhone or iPad closer to the source to hear everything more clearly with amplified volume.
You can also customize the sound based on your hearing profile in the Apple Health app. The small form factor and charging case make it easy to take with you wherever you go.
AirPods Pro are IPX4-rated and sweat and water-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about getting them wet.
Often considered regular earbuds, AirPods Pro can be a great complementary hearing aid for people with mild hearing loss if they’re adjusted enough.
However, their high price tag may put some people off buying AirPods Pro.
2. Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus
The Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus straddles the line between premium OTC hearing aids and earbuds for music and audio streaming.
This product combines technologies from Sennheiser and its Swiss parent company Sonova, the world’s largest hearing healthcare manufacturer (maker of Phonak and Unitron hearing aids and Advanced Bionics cochlear implants).
It boasts impressive performance and has been named one of the Expert Choice Winners of 2023 by HearAdvisor Labs. It is the only PSAP to receive this recognition.
The Conversation Clear Plus is available online and in stores without a prescription and features speech amplification, beamforming directional microphones, active noise cancellation (ANC), and a great app that optimizes speech clarity.
However, it does not offer the ability to upload or import audiogram data.
The Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus is not an OTC hearing aid. So what is it?
HearingTracker audiologist Matthew Allsop gives an overview of the Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus earbuds.
This video is captioned. If you’re using a mobile phone, click the gear icon to activate subtitles.
The earbuds are comfortable on your ears and can be easily customized with the iOS and Android-compatible Conversation Clear app.
Available at a variety of online retailers for $849.95 per set, they’re in the mid-range price range for OTC hearing aids.
3. TOZO Golden X1
The TOZO Golden X1 focuses on high-resolution audio with dynamic drivers for powerful bass, Bluetooth 5.3, wind reduction, and active noise cancellation, and offers three listening modes (Normal, Noise Canceling, and Transparency).
You can also customize the sound using the EarPrint Technology app to “compensate for hearing deficiencies” for an enhanced sound experience.
4. Sound World Solutions CS50+
The CS50+ is a pair of PSAPs that provide granular control for those who have difficulty hearing different types of sounds.
In addition, the CS50+ has a lightweight design, comfortable fit, and several other powerful features for the hearing impaired.
The CS50+ was designed with hearing loss in mind. The CS Customizer app allows you to enhance certain frequencies or choose from three preset modes based on your preference.
Based on a personalized sound profile obtained through a hearing test within the app.
The Restaurant Mode mode picks up the sounds of people in front of you and isolates them from relatively noisy environments to help with conversation.
You can also create custom presets by adjusting the volume, treble, midrange, and bass volume settings for both earbuds or individually.
For example, if you want to focus on voices, you can increase the treble frequencies. This helps reduce feedback and improve clarity, and you rely less on presets to find the perfect balance.
Sound is the result of air molecules vibrating at different frequencies. For example, the average adult male voice frequency is 85–180 Hz. Tuning into this range will make male voices clearer.
The CS50+ also features Bluetooth 4.2, allowing you to use them as regular earbuds with your phone or laptop.
However, they only use the SBC codec, which is the lowest-quality codec available, so don’t expect a studio-quality audio experience.
5. Jabra Enhance Plus
This new Jabra headset isn’t designed to compete with the growing number of wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation, nor is it designed to be used as an everyday hearing aid.
These earbuds are intended for people with mild to moderate hearing loss who have trouble hearing audio in certain situations, such as during a meeting while watching a TV show, or while walking with family and friends.
There are definitely times when you need an audio device that can enhance your hearing throughout the day.
At $799, they’re on the pricey side compared to other standard wireless earbuds (which you shouldn’t), but they’re actually quite affordable compared to hearing aids.
Hearing aids can range in price from around $1,000 to over $6,000.
Again, the Jabra Enhance Plus is not designed to be worn every day, but it does bridge the gap between using your ears without a hearing aid and using a full hearing aid.
If you have mild hearing loss and need help hearing better in certain situations, you should visit one of the authorized Jabra Enhance centers.
6. Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro and other Galaxy Buds and Gear IconX earbuds can be reconfigured as hearing-enhancing devices using a feature called Ambient Sound, similar to AirPods’ Transparency Mode.
It’s designed for joggers, runners, and others who don’t want to be blocked out by ambient noise or risk getting hit by a car, but it also works pretty well for amplifying voices for people with hearing loss.
The Galaxy Buds Pro uses a feature called Voice Detection to switch from ANC (automatic noise cancellation) to Ambient Sound when it hears a voice.
That means ANC automatically turns off when you speak, while Ambient Sound increases the volume by four levels for better voice clarity.
According to a study published in Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology in March 2021,
“Ambient Sound, a Galaxy Buds Pro feature that can amplify nearby sounds by up to 20 decibels, allows users to adjust and customize how they experience sound to suit their needs.”
But be realistic about your expectations. According to the study, more than half (58%) of study participants reported that the device was helpful in quiet environments, but only a quarter (26%) thought it helped them understand conversations in noisy environments.
A recent study found that the Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds, when combined with the Galaxy Wearable app and Ambient Sound mode, can provide a good boost that most people find useful in quiet conversations.
Still, this represents a “better than nothing” hearing solution. And just like the AirPods, if you already have them (or can use them for music, podcasts, etc.), why not give this feature a try when you need it?
The best way to take advantage of this feature is to use the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, Galaxy Buds 2 or 2 Pro,
Galaxy Buds+, or Gear Icon X earbuds while using the Galaxy Wearable app. These earbuds are available on Amazon for between $75 and $150.
7. Nuheara IQBuds2 MAX
Australia-based Nuheara is a global leader in smart personal hearing aids.
Nuheara’s exclusive, multi-functional intelligent hearable technology augments a person’s natural hearing and allows them to connect to smart devices without cables.
NuHeara IQBuds2 MAX earbuds and TV streamer accessory. Nuheara’s first product, the IQbuds, was released in 2016.
The latest is the third-generation IQbuds2 MAX earbuds, which feature updated active noise cancellation and a number of additional upgrades.
The Max is available on the Nuheara web store for $500 a pair. A useful TV listening device, the IQstream, is also available for $129 and can be attached to a smart TV to stream sound wirelessly.
It’s compatible with both Apple and Android phones.
Although it claims to have more features and is FDA-compliant, the HP Hearing PRO is an OTC hearing aid that is very similar in form and function to the IQbuds2 MAX.
Nuheara makes both products, and they’re both great products. We like the IQBuds2 MAX because it’s $200 cheaper than the HP Hearing PRO.
8. Olive Union
Headquartered in Japan, Olive Union was founded on the premise of transforming traditional hearing aids into more functional, elegant, and stylish wearables that anyone would be happy to wear.
The company has launched three hearing aids through crowdfunding campaigns and just recently announced its first OTC hearing aid, the Olive Max.
The company’s previous product, the Olive SmartEar, looked like a typical pair of in-ear true wireless earbuds and has since been discontinued.
Likewise, the Olive Pro is similar to the Apple AirPods earbuds and features an improved app to customize your hearing profile and track your noise exposure.
The company appears to be phasing out the Olive Pro in favor of newer OTC hearing aids, which are still available on various second-hand marketplaces (eBay, etc.).
Launched in December 2023, Olive Union’s latest product, the Olive Max, is a true OTC hearing aid that boasts a futuristic ear-hook design and is “suitable for severe to profound hearing loss” with 1.5x the volume of the Olive Pro.
HearingTracker has not yet had a chance to review this latest product.
HearingTracker’s audiologist Matthew Allsop gives his take on the Olive Pro. This video has subtitles. If you’re on a mobile phone, click the gear icon to enable subtitles
9. Relaxmm hearing aid with Bluetooth
If you like the Sound World CS50+ but are on a budget, the Relaxmm hearing aid with Bluetooth can be a viable alternative for a fraction of the cost.
Like the CS50+, this PSAP offers four amplification modes: Normal, Outdoor, TV, and Conversation. You can switch between hearing modes by pressing the button on the charging case or double-tapping the sensor on the earbud.
With a maximum volume of 112dB, the Relaxmm hearing aid is plenty loud. This is loud enough to help most cases of mild to moderate hearing loss.
The earbuds can also remember the volume and hearing mode from the last time you used them. So everything will work as you set it, so you won’t be surprised by louder or quieter settings.
The Relaxmm hearing aids also feature active noise reduction, which helps to suppress ambient noise that could interfere with your hearing.
Finally, the Relaxmm uses Bluetooth 5.2, so you can use them as true wireless earbuds with your phone or laptop. However, you can’t use amplification and Bluetooth at the same time. ‘
When you connect the PSAP to your device via Bluetooth, it turns into a regular earbud, with no amplification.
Conclusion
Earbuds for the hearing impaired can help individuals participate in social activities, listen to music, watch television programs, and take phone calls.
These earbuds offer a variety of features that allow people to communicate with others without having to adjust the volume or tone or remove the earbuds.
Some devices filter out unwanted background noise, while others allow ambient sounds to be heard, making them a good choice for people who exercise regularly.
People may want to compare different products and brands before purchasing the device that best suits their budget and lifestyle.
Also read: Best Headphones for Hearing Aids in 2024