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Yes, you can load an audiogram provided by your audiologist, though I'm not sure of the exact steps involved. Hopefully someone else can explain.

A professional audiologist can conduct a more sophisticated test, which might be useful if it turns out you have more severe levels of hearing loss. For people with slight to moderate loss, the test provided by Apple should be fine.

Apple Health can capture and interpret a printed audiogram (as you'd get from a hearing test) through the iPhone's camera, though I'm not sure if it's limited to ones within the same frequency range as the Apple test.
 
How many pairs of AirPods Pro 2 would one have to buy to reach the cost of a single pair of real hearing aids?
This is definitely a good point to make, especially for elderly people and those on fixed incomes. My mom outright lost one of her hearing aids once, and we've had various scares where one goes missing for days, then turns up. Also, she finally got rechargeable ones, but before that she had to replace her batteries often. And her current ones have a proprietary app for control, but it sucks and disconnects sometimes. I'm seeing all this and trying to plan ahead for my own inevitable needs.
 
My hearing aids were $1500 at Costco. Charge in case and last multiple days. they are virtually invisible behind my glasses and I don’t look like a dork with my AirPods in all day.
That's good you have a nice set and use them. It's great to have FDA-approved OTC options now, especially for people who don't have the means to spend $1400 on hearing aids but could manage about $280 (or much less on sale) for AirPods Pro with AC+.
 
9to5mac has reported that the hearing aid functions are only available in the USA and Canada, at this time.
this is an important detail that would have been good to know.

update: there are new reports that apple has received approval to launch in other markets (such as japan) as well.
Works on me in Europe…
 
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True. But there are so many many many features that don’t require red tape missing in international markets. It’s hard to keep finding excuses.
Hearing aids are a medical device so they do require red tape in every country. Only recently could you get over the counter hearing aids in the USA.

If you want to complain about another Apple feature not in your country, that sounds like another topic for another thread. Feel free to make one and maybe it’ll bring enough attention to that particular deficiency. It’s not about making excuses but figuring out what is going on. Sometimes if you just bring enough attention and it’s fixable, then it will get fixed
 
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Apple, please add a crossover feature to send sound from one ear to the other side, with some sort of spacial processing to convey the sound is coming from elsewhere. My son is deaf in one ear and solutions like this would be beneficial in certain situations.
they can be set up to work in mono.. so I would imagine it takes both ear mics and sends the mono-summed signal to both ears.
 
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So bizarre!!!! It said I had 'Mild Loss' at 29/30 dBHL...
BUT at 3k it's at -40 & starts a steep downward slope to -70 at 8k!!!
So, ummm, Mild? I think that's not right!
But regardless of its label, it does seem to work fairly well so far.
 
I just took the hearing test and the results are listed in the iPhone Health App in the Hearing section of course. My first go around was rejected-I think my humming refrigerator was too much. Retired to very quiet room and all went well. Pretty impressive. Now I have to figure out (again) what Adaptive mode is all about.
 
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So bizarre!!!! It said I had 'Mild Loss' at 29/30 dBHL...
BUT at 3k it's at -40 & starts a steep downward slope to -70 at 8k!!!
So, ummm, Mild? I think that's not right!
But regardless of its label, it does seem to work fairly well so far.
But how much 8k sounds do you use irl?
29/30 is a weighted average and apple doesn’t make these test up. Those are FDA approved and heavily researched and scientific discussed protocols.
 
Gave it a shot myself. I always figured my hearing was good, but it’s nice to see it confirmed with technology!
Congrats! Now, to make it stay that way don’t expose yourself to too much sound:


Long for the day when we can fix people’s hearing with bio tech. Hopefully it also helps for other hearing issues such as tinnitus, hyperacusis and dysacusis.

Be really careful with your ears people!
The symptoms you can get from too much sound exposure can be life altering. You don’t want to get there.

We really should talk about it more as I feel most people don't know what's at stake. I certainly didn't. At least not that the symptoms can be so sever.
 
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But how much 8k sounds do you use irl?
29/30 is a weighted average and apple doesn’t make these test up. Those are FDA approved and heavily researched and scientific discussed protocols.
Ummm, a LOT!
Like I don't hear most birds, so major bummer for me.
And though speech doesn't occur in high frequencies, it all adds up to muddy dialog,
(and like I said, even at 3k I'm -40, so things are Moderate - Severe from 3k on up.)
 
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Some real hearing aids have replaceable batteries. Some have rechargeable batteries - my Phonaks have rechargeable, for example. It is not at all clear to me that I will have to replace my airpods more frequently than my hearing aids - modern hearing aids don't last forever either.

There are some very real differences between them. The hearing aids last a lot longer on battery than airpods do. I can wear mine all day. My airpods die in a few hours, then need to be recharged. My hearing aids have more adjustability than my airpods. OTOH, music sounds a lot better on the airpods and they pair more easily with my phone, ipad, macbook, etc.
don't think Apple intended to replace hearing aids yet. this is for some one with minimal hearing loss.
i am sure they will slowly get there.
Apple can't put large battery in AirPods because intended use case is not to use it all day.
Hearing aid is kind of secondary benefit
 
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Say what you will but this feature is pretty spectacular. Especially since it administers the test itself - not everyone can head out to an audiologist!

Also worth considering is how many people will try this and be surprised to learn they have some hearing loss. What this team has accomplished is nothing sort of incredible.
 
Obviously these aren’t designed for 24/7 use
If you have people around you that use hearing aids, you’ll notice that many do not use them 24/7. In my 55+ community, many have and need hearing aids, but half the time I see those who do have them, they are not using them. I think the AirPods will be a fine, cheaper alternative to prescribed hearing aids for those with moderate loss. If you’re in an environment where you know you have problems hearing, put them in, and when you’re not, don’t use them.
 
If you have people around you that use hearing aids, you’ll notice that many do not use them 24/7. In my 55+ community, many have and need hearing aids, but half the time I see those who do have them, they are not using them. I think the AirPods will be a fine, cheaper alternative to prescribed hearing aids for those with moderate loss. If you’re in an environment where you know you have problems hearing, put them in, and when you’re not, don’t use them.
Fair point! My mother is in her mid-70s and doesn’t wear hers 24/7 of course. Obviously she doesn’t wear them to bed, I just mean that as-is the Pros don’t have the battery life for extended use without some case-charging time.

If the Pro 3 can somehow boost it to 12 hours use time in hearing aid mode…that would be MASSIVE.
 
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Yeah the setting is not there in 18.1 RC and the latest APP2 firmware in Canada
Running 18.1 RC. Went and got AirPod pro 2 from Costco today. Software updated to 7a305 but no section for hearing assistance here in Canada for me 🤷🏻‍♂️. Disappointed. Is there anything else I need to do? Or maybe when 18.1 is released?
 
I don't wear hearing aids (getting close to needing some) but have several family members who do. They are a major headache to deal with.

I know others replied, but I want to reiterate the points being made. You could buy 10 or 20 sets of AirPod Pros for the cost of "real" hearing aids worth buying (typically in the range of $2000 - $4000, although you can get some good ones for less than that through Costco or similar stores). Those "real" hearing aids also only last on average about 3 - 7 years.

So let's say someone needs to replace AirPod Pros every 2 years. That person pays a full price of $250. Throw in AppleCare+ and you spend $280. Do that 5x in 10 years (not likely that you will need to buy new ones every 2 years, but I'm being extra liberal with estimates) and the person has spent $1400.

Compare that to $2000 (or $3000 or $4000 or more!) hearing aids that generously last 7 years (5 would be more typical), plus you need to replace batteries (which is hard for many people requiring hearing aids), although the batteries are inexpensive. So in 10 years you are looking at maybe $3000 to $5000 with "real" hearing aids.

There are potential benefits to other hearing aids (size is one), but what's most important is having a set that you will use.

Financially, you will almost always come out ahead with AirPod Pros. They will not be the best option for everyone, but they will be a great option for many people.
The Costco hearing aids need to be totally replaced every 2-3 years?
 
Yes, you can load an audiogram provided by your audiologist, though I'm not sure of the exact steps involved. Hopefully someone else can explain.

A professional audiologist can conduct a more sophisticated test, which might be useful if it turns out you have more severe levels of hearing loss. For people with slight to moderate loss, the test provided by Apple should be fine.
My audiologist sent me my audiogram. In addition to taking the test on the iphone, I was able to save his to my files, and then upload it when prompted to the hearing aid settings. Now I have a choice as to which profile I'd like to use.
 
Hearing aids are OTC items now, as of last year, and can be had for a few hundred. Yes, there are still the custom case audiologist version that costs thousands, but you can by actual hearing aids on Amazon now for about the same price as AirPods.

In addition, you can’t get a full 14 hour day with AirPods in and running, but you can with actual hearing aids.

It’s a nice feature and it’s cool that they are offering it, but it’s not a full replacement for most.
Out of curiosity, what hearing aids (not mere sound boosting earphones) are available for a few hundred dollars? I did a lot of research and bought the Sonys which were about $1000. And those were the least expensive high-quality hearing aids I found.
 
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