AirPods Pro 2 as Hearing Aids
I have hearing loss in my left ear from a viral infection. I sometimes wear a in-canal hearing aid in my left ear to help me with understanding speech and to hear general life in (better) stereo. When listening to audio with headphones, I use Equalizer APO on Windows and SpotEQ31 on Android to adjust left side frequencies to make my listening experience more enjoyable. With those tweaks, I can sometimes feel almost normal again.
https://equalizerapo.com
https://play.google.com/store/apps/detailsid=com.leanderoid.spoteq_15equalizerbands&hl=en_US
There are audio products that proclaim to help tune music to your hearing profile. I've tried Nuraphone (now Denon) and found that also the sound was better with the tuning, it didn't do much for my left side imbalance. I found that Sonarworks SoundID (https://www.sonarworks.com/soundid) worked fairly well and for a while I gravitated toward products that incorporated it fully, such as the Grell TWS and the Monoprice TWS that had the software built into the earphones so my tailored profile would be available no matter which device I paired them with. But the Grell didn't sound ideal even though the left-right balance was pretty good and the Monoprice always seemed to have a day where at least one of the buds would just not work at all. Some other products have claimed to have SoundID built in, but they were just using the sound preference profile and not the results from a full hearing test in the app.
I also have a few Bluetooth DACS such as the Qudelix 5K, Fiio BTR7, and EarStudio ES 100. Each of these has an app (Qudelix and EarStudio have the best) where you can control left-right balance for the DAC, so any headphones you plug into its 3.5mm jack or any BT headphones you pair to it will use the left-right balance you've set in the DAC. It's nice to be able to use wired headphones and still be disconnected from the phone, all while having a good audio experience.
But sometimes I just want to put on headphones or put in earphones and not have to think too much about whether my EQ app is running or where my DAC is. When apple added hearing aid functionality to the AirPods Pro, I was interested, but I didn't take any action because I don't have an iPhone and I did not intend to acquire one just for that feature. But eventually I learned that you could do the hearing test with an iPad, and I own an iPad. So, I used some Best Buy certificates I'd earned by spending way too much money there to buy an open-box "Excellent" pair of AirPods Pro 2.
Setting up the AirPods was as easy as I expected and going through the hearing test was also a smooth experience. It's very similar to the hearing tests I took for my OTC Sony and Eargo hearing aids. You listen to a variety of tones and varying audio levels for both ears and it determines the best audio settings based on your hearing. As expected, it detected moderate hearing loss in my left ear and normal hearing in my right hear. I did notice that it didn't warn me about imbalanced hearing as the other products did as an imbalance can suggest other health issues. But I've been tested by and have consulted with an audiologist, so I know where I stand.
As hearing aids, they work more or less as expected. Audio is pumped up in my left ear and I feel more balanced in my hearing. If I also wear the right ear bud with transparency on, I notice much more white noise even in my quiet living room with no noise except a small heater that lives by my feet under my desk. This actually surprised me as I've spent the last few years watching tech reviews of earphones and every time the reviewer will say the transparency on that product isn't as good as on the AirPods, which sound like wearing nothing. I'd say perhaps they do sound like nothing if there is no noise, but as soon as there is any noise - my central heat kicking on or the sound of my fingers tapping at the keyboard - that noise sounds distinct to me. I suspect it's the digital transformation of analog sound, sound that I know very well as I spend a lot of time in the winter listening to my heat turn on and I know what the others sounds in my house sound like. They sound different and artificially amplified with the AirPods in both ears. If I wear just the left AirPod, this is moderated as the right ear plants you in reality and left ear can then just feel like it is being augmented without totally changing the sound environment.
I would not use the AirPods as every day hearing aids, even for just the left side. It isn't as comfortable as wearing my in-canal hearing aid (once you find a good position, you forget they're there) and the battery life isn't sufficient for all-day use. It also doesn't help that I'm not a fan of the stem-style ear bud and I especially don't like white ear buds. I do wish the AirPods came in black, or even better, those skin tone colors Kim Kardashian was pushing a while back. Anything that can be used as a hearing aid should aim for colors that fade away instead of standing out. I realize it's the Apple aesthetic, but I've also known for many years that I'm not a person for whom that aesthetic appeals. I have an iPad Pro because I feel I need to be aware of what Apple is doing and I want to be conversant with iOS/iPadOS as a person who is constantly asked about technology. But it's not my primary OS and I'm not deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem.
As earphones for audio, the AirPods strike me as bright and a little bit treble heavy. However, I'm on record for being a person who prefers her music warm with bass present, so that is my bias. I think the AirPods sound very good, and the noise cancellation is really as good as all the reviewers have said it is. They are very strong overall performers and I'd recommend them to Apple device owners with no hesitation. However, I have some other earphones I've been comparing against and I wouldn't pick the AirPods as my go-to pick for listening to music critically and intentionally.
It's important to understand my perspective here as a musician. I'm a pianist and I have played in church with choirs and praise teams for most of my life. I learn to play songs starting with bass lines and primary chords and go from there with the extras. So, I do prioritize hearing bass lines clearly, but I also need to hear keyboards and vocals. Any audio product that hinders me ability to hear these things clearly is going to be an audio product I won't use for music. I also listen primarily to jazz when I'm listening to music simply for the enjoyment, and in that genre, I want to hear all the other instruments as well. So, I definitely value clear and present treble, but I need the midrange to be present, but I want the bass to be present for the most well-rounded presentation. I want to be able to identify the various instruments. I want to hear the high-hats and want the bass to rumble when it should. But I don't want the treble to be so sharp is cuts nor do I want the bass so heavy it muddies up the midrange. The AirPods do a really good job, but I find myself wanting just a little bit more low-end and just a little more instrument separation for my serious music listening sessions. But if they were all I had with me, I could absolutely use them.
I feel generally the same about them both as hearing aids and as listening devices. They're good, but not the best options for me. But around the house, when I don't have my hearing aid in and I want a better stereo experience, I wouldn't mind reaching for the AirPods.
But I think Apple can do more here. I think they could own this market if they wanted to with just a few tweaks.
