Time to Read: 15 minutes
Bluetooth and noise cancelling headphones are nothing new. In fact, the headphone market is flooded with choice.
What makes Audeara unique is that it contains all the technology inside the headphones to test your hearing so that you can program the headphones to your personalised hearing profile.
Everyone hears differently. Everyone experiences listening differently.
Whether you have a hearing loss and need some assistance to hear music and TV clearer, or have normal hearing and want a more personalised sound, Audeara has made it their mission to change the way people care about hearing. It allows you to test your hearing and program the headphones to suit the results, and can also be tailored to your individual listening preferences.
At a glance, Audeara A-01 is a set of circumaural (over the ear) headphones. The earcups are very clearly marked L (left) and R (right). There is soft cushioning on the earcups and on the headband. There are extenders that can be adjusted to fit your head and, generally speaking, the headphones are very comfortable and can be worn for extended periods of time. They have been designed to fit comfortably over hearing aids or cochlear implants without occluding the hearing device microphones and, for the majority, without significant feedback from the hearing devices.
Audeara features outlined
The active noise cancelling (ANC) is fairly standard, and can be turned on and off separately to the main power. There is a low level noise that is audible if the ANC is turned on and there is no audio playing; however, that would be negated in a noisy environment.
It uses a rechargeable battery and can be used wirelessly via Bluetooth (version 4.2) or connected to your device using the supplied cable. The headphones take 6 hours for a full charge (from a completely drained state), with battery life lasting between 35-65 hours, depending on whether you use Bluetooth or the cable, and whether ANC is on or off.
The Audeara A-01 also has an in-built microphone which allows for hands-free calling. There are also some onboard controls (for volume up/down), and a multifunction button (for play/pause, managing phone calls, and managing Bluetooth pairing) located at the base of the left earcup.
There is an optional accessory, the BT-01 Transceiver, which is a Bluetooth dongle that can turn standard audio devices into Bluetooth devices. The BT-01 transmits sounds via Bluetooth to the A-01 headphones. This is designed for anyone wanting to listen to their TV or stereo wirelessly on the headphones and can be paired with 2 pairs of A-01 headphones simultaneously. The Audeara A-01 and BT-01 can be purchased either separately, or as a bundle.
What makes Audeara stand out
Now, onto what sets Audeara apart from the rest of the market.
If you have a Smartphone, you can download the freely available Audeara app to personalise your headphones. In theory, this app lets you hear more of the audio without having to increase the volume.
You can even store multiple profiles (for yourself, or even family and friends). There are 3 different hearing tests you can select when setting up your profile in the app:
- Standard (8 beeps, tests 100-16000 Hz, 3 minute test). This is the most popular option.
- High Detail (16 beeps, tests 100-16000 Hz, 5 minute test).
- Ultimate Precision (32 beeps, tests 100-20000 Hz, 10 minute test). This option is mostly for audiophiles, or those wanting the most out of their headphones - the set up can be a bit tedious.
The testing process is quite simple, preceded by a short tutorial explaining how it works.
It is recommended that you perform the test in a quiet environment with the ANC on for more accurate results; however, it should be noted that this doesn’t replace a hearing test performed by a hearing specialist - a point Audeara makes at the end of the testing process prior to revealing the test results.
How to conduct the test
During the test, the app plays repetitive beeps that you can respond to by pressing a “can hear” or “can’t hear” button. When the beep is barely audible, you select the “barely audible” button and the app will proceed to the next test frequency.
You can also adjust the volume of the frequency by moving the slider with your finger until the sound is barely audible and then selecting the “barely audible” button. The volume control of your device is disabled during testing, so that the volume levels you hear are consistent. The app only tests up to 60 dB, so if you have a moderately-severe hearing loss or greater, it is recommended that you use the headphones and perform the test while wearing your hearing devices.
A couple of glitches with the current version of the app: the volume change when you select the “can/can’t hear” buttons isn’t instantaneous - there is some lag involved, which can be confusing initially. Additionally, if you neglect to select “barely audible” before moving onto the next test frequency, then the test won’t finish and you need to go back through and reconfirm those frequencies, which may confuse some people.
Once the test is completed for both ears and saved as a profile, you are shown a graph of your results. Note that you won’t be able to go back and alter a profile once saved, but this will also let you save and track your test results over time.
The hearing profile will then give you the option to “Experience Audeara,” which will take a minute or so to load your profile. You then have the option of selecting the strength of the effect to apply, from 0% (no effect, i.e. no audio equaliser), then increasing in 25% increments to 100% (full effect, i.e. audio equaliser applied for your hearing results). In general, the 0% sound quality is very flat, with no high frequencies applied at all.
For most users with normal hearing, or perhaps a mild loss, a setting of 25-50% tends to provide the most balanced sound. However, those with a moderate loss or greater will tend to prefer 75-100% effect. Note that just like hearing aids, you acclimatise to hearing more sounds over time. So for anyone with a hearing loss, you may find that you start with a lower effect and need to increase it towards 100% to maintain clarity over time as your brain adapts. Once a setting is loaded into the headphones, it is saved until a new profile is uploaded.
For those who aren’t confident setting up the hearing profile themselves, or perhaps don’t own a Smartphone, a profile can be pre-programmed by a hearing specialist for you; however, this means that you won’t be able to personalise the strength of the Audeara effect. You can also set up your own profile via the Audeara app at any stage.
How to get the best out of Audeara
Audeara places the user at the heart of the listening experience by focusing on what really matters - what you can hear - regardless of the hearing capabilities. It fits comfortably over hearing aids and cochlear implants, and can be used with or without your hearing devices (you can set up different profiles for these instances).
Another obvious advantage of being able to personalise the headphones is that those with asymmetrical hearing losses can now use headphones and experience balanced sound, which will assist in improving overall clarity of hearing.
The concept of measuring your hearing profile and using these results to personalise the headphones is an industry-first; one that will hopefully get more people interested in learning about their hearing. In its current version, it holds a lot of potential to assist those struggling to hear TV, phone, and/or music clearly without having to continually adjust the volume so that they can fully appreciate the sound.
The glitches mentioned appear to be more app-related, so could be refined in future updates.
Audeara A-01 is reasonably easy to set-up on your own; although those who aren’t as confident can opt to have the headphones set-up for their hearing profile by their hearing specialist as well.
Audeara are also currently working on an updated headphone (A-02) which promises larger buttons for those with dexterity problems, and more features to assist those who suffer from tinnitus.
So in terms of Bluetooth and noise cancelling headphones for the hearing impaired, Audeara is certainly worth considering.