Hearables and Hearing Wearables Technology Guide

Hearing loss has been described as a growing epidemic—and for good reason. An estimated 1 in 7 American adults report some degree of difficulty hearing. Worse yet, 80% of those who could benefit from hearing aids don’t seek help. The good news? A new class of devices—hearables—are well positioned to help a big chunk of those who haven’t yet taken action.

What are hearables?

Hearables are essentially “smart” earbuds and are a subset of wearables. Wikipedia defines hearables and smart earbuds as “technically advanced, electronic in-ear-devices designed for multiple purposes ranging from wireless transmission to communication objectives, medical monitoring, and fitness tracking.” There are currently five main categories of hearables:

• Sports true wireless earbuds
• Voice-focused true wireless earbuds
• Commodity true wireless earbuds
• Hearing enhancement earbuds & PSAPs
• Hearing aid hearables

On this page, we’ll be focusing specifically on hearing enhancement earbuds that are not registered with the FDA as over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. You may wish to check out our top-10 best picks for OTC hearing aids. For more information on the general true wireless earbud category, check out this article from our friends at audio xpress. And for more information about “hearing aid hearables” (hearing aids that have been branded as hearables), check out Phonak Virto, Starkey Genesis AI and Evolv AI, Signia Silk IX, Signia Insio AX, and Custom Made by ReSound.

Hearing-enhancement earbuds and PSAPs

Hearing-enhancement earbuds are a cross between smart wireless earbuds and traditional hearing aids. In fact, several products that were previously listed in this hearables / wearables category—including Jabra Enhance Plus and the Lexie B1 and B2 Hearing Aids Powered by Bose—are now officially registered by the FDA as OTC hearing aids.

Companies like Apple have been continuously adding amplification features to their wireless earbuds to provide hearing assistance in difficult listening situations (like restaurants). Active noise cancellation, feedback cancellation, directional microphones, etc., are other traditional hearing aid technologies that are now being made available in direct-to-consumer hearing-enhancement earbuds, usually in the "transparency mode" of these hearable / hearing wearable devices.

Hearing-enhancement earbuds are sometimes referred to as personal sound amplification products (PSAPs). According to the FDA, PSAPs cannot be marketed as a solution for even mild hearing loss, and they are intended only as a solution for situational hearing issues; not as an alternative to a hearing aid. So, for example, you might see these advertised as being good devices for bird watching or hunting. However, the reality is that many people are using PSAPs / hearables to assist with mild hearing loss, especially in challenging listening situations.

Hearables offer a meaningful alternative for those who are not quite ready for the cost and stigma attached to traditional hearing aids or even OTC hearing aids. HearingTracker has even speculated that hearables / hearing wearables may end up disrupting hearing healthcare even more than OTC hearing aids because they effectively address the two primary reasons that the FDA created the OTC hearing aid category: affordability and accessibility.

We think it's inevitable you'll see more hearing-improvement features becoming "standard" in higher-end hearing wearables (e.g., see the Apple and Samsung products below). The cost of most hearables / wearables is less than $200 a pair, with some offered for under $100, which is less than the $300 to $1,700 for currently available OTC hearing aids. Hearables also help alleviate the stigma attached to hearing aids: most look and function like ordinary wireless earbuds and you can buy them at Best Buy, Walmart, and dozens of online retailers.

How do hearables enhance hearing?

To enhance hearing, hearables collect sound using a microphone, amplify and process it using advanced digital signal processing technologies, and then provide amplified and/or processed sound to the ear through a tiny speaker. The sound processing components of hearables are made up of four primary parts:

1. The microphone - The microphone picks up acoustic sounds from the environment and converts those sounds into an electronic signal. The electronic signal from the microphone is sent to the sound processor.
2. The sound processor - The sound processor takes the analog electronic signal from the microphone and converts it to a digital format. Digitally-represented sound is enhanced and amplified by the processor and converted back to an analog signal before being sent to the speaker.
3. The speaker - Sometimes referred to as the “receiver,” the speaker is the part that creates the sound waves that enter your ear and vibrate your eardrum.
4. The battery - A power source of some kind is required to enable the functionality of the microphone, sound processor, and speaker.

Additionally, hearables often feature additional components for Bluetooth connectivity, tap-touch controls, noise cancellation technologies, directional microphones, movement and health sensors, and more.

Note: If you use hearing aids that lack Bluetooth or active nose cancelling, know that you can use your hearing aids with regular headphones to access those features.

How much do hearables cost?

Hearables typically cost the same as premium wireless earbuds. Industry-leading hearing-enhancement devices from companies such as Olive Union, Sennheiser, and Alango, typically cost anywhere from $200 to $850. This represents a substantial savings when compared to the average price of hearing aids. A recent HearingTracker survey of over 2,000 consumers found that the average price of a single hearing aid is $2,372.

Hearables are “self-fitting”

Hearables provide a convenient at-home do-it-yourself solution. A self-guided online hearing screening app is often used to assess hearing issues, with the results used to personalize the sound amplification provided by hearables. In the wake of COVID-19 and a growing need for in-home and affordable hearing solutions, this self-fitting aspect of hearables has become increasingly appealing.

Many hearable devices offer built-in or online hearing assessments. While not as thorough as a professionally-administered audiogram, such tests are certainly better than nothing. Having more individuals develop awareness of their hearing health challenges at an earlier stage is a clear benefit of the emerging hearables sector, a sentiment echoed by Dr Nicholas Reed, a Johns Hopkins researcher.

Hearing-enhancement hearables and hearing wearables

The hearables sector is one of rapid growth and change. Companies offering hearing-enhancement hearables run the gamut from nascent startups to established giants expanding to a new niche. Below are some of the top brands and products offering legitimate hearables and wearables for hearing enhancement at this time.

Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus

Higher-end option for both Android and iPhone users

Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus straddles the line between a higher-end OTC hearing aid and an earbud for listening to music and streaming audio. The product is a melding of technologies from Sennheiser and its Swiss parent company Sonova which is the largest hearing healthcare manufacturer in the world (maker of Phonak and Unitron hearing aids and Advanced Bionics cochlear implants). The product features impressive performance and was honored by the HearAdvisor Lab as one of its 2023 Expert Choice Winners—the only PSAP to gain this recognition.

Conversation Clear Plus is available for purchase online and in stores today—without a prescription—and offers speech amplification, beamforming directional microphones, active noise cancellation (ANC), and a slick app for optimizing speech clarity. However, they do not provide you with an opportunity to upload or import audiogram data.

The earbuds are also comfortable in the ear and easily customizable with the iOS- and Android-compatible Conversation Clear app. They can be purchased through various online retailers for $849.95 per set which puts them within the mid-range price of OTC hearing aids.

Apple AirPods

A case study in transformation from hearable to OTC hearing aid

Since Apple entered the hearing amplification space with "Headphone Accommodations” in iOS 14, the company has gradually added many more accessibility features to help people with hearing loss, including “Conversation Boost,” “Sound Recognition,” “Live Listen,” and “Mono Audio.” With Apple's massive brand recognition and reach, these features have brought hearing help to millions—to the few people who knew about them.

HearingTracker has long speculated on the prospect of Apple making an OTC hearing aid. In September 2024, Apple announced that it was making the leap into OTC hearing aids with new software updates to its AirPods Pro 2 hearing aids. A few days later, the FDA reported that it had approved the new software. The resulting “clinical grade” hearing aid mode—which we expect Apple to implement before the end of 2024—will allow users to enhance their hearing capabilities using the same AirPods they may already own.

At this writing, we don't know if Apple is making any major changes with its hearing aid mode, other than inserting a new hearing test into the process.

AirPods Pro 2 earbuds were (and still are) one of the better hearables / wearables solutions for people who "want a little help" but don't want to invest in OTC or tradition prescription hearing aids. The company's Headphone Accommodations was the key amplification feature included with AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and Powerbeats Pro. After adding your hearing test results to Apple Health on your iPhone or iPad, supported earbuds and headphones act just like hearing aids by applying personalized amplification to help you hear the sounds you’re missing. Conversation Boost arrived later, delivering beamforming directional microphones for AirPods Pro.

At Amazon, a pair of Apple AirPods Pro 2 will set you back about $250, while the AirPods Pro (first generation) costs around $160. You'll soon be able to get the OTC hearing aid mode as a free update for AirPods Pro 2.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

Nice option for those with Android phones

Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro and other Galaxy Buds and Gear IconX earbuds can be reconfigured as hearing enhancement devices using a feature called Ambient Sound, which is similar to the Transparency Mode in AirPods. While designed for runners and others who don't want to be cut off from environmental noises or risk getting run over while jogging, etc., they also happen to do a pretty good job of amplifying speech for people with hearing loss.

Galaxy Buds Pro uses a feature called Voice Detect, which switches from Automatic Noise Cancellation (ANC) to Ambient sound when it hears your voice. So, when you speak, the ANC automatically turns off; meanwhile, the Ambient sound raises the volume in four levels, providing you with better speech clarity.

A March 2021 study published in Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology showed that with the “Galaxy Buds Pro feature, Ambient Sound, which can amplify nearby sounds by up to 20 decibels...users are able to adjust and customize how they experience sound according to their needs.” But you do need to have realistic expectations: while the study revealed over half (58%) of study participants reported the device was beneficial in a quiet situation, only a quarter (26%) thought that it was helpful in understanding conversations in a noisy environment.

Still, this represents a "better-than-nothing" hearing solution. And, as with AirPods, if you already have them (or can use them for music, podcasts, etc.), then why not use the feature when needed?

The best way to take advantage of this feature is with Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, Galaxy Buds 2 or 2 Pro, Galaxy Buds+, and Gear Icon X earbuds while using the Galaxy Wearable app. These earbuds are priced from about $75 to $150 on Amazon.

Nuheara IQBuds2 MAX

Less-expensive alternative to HP Hearing PRO OTC hearing aid

Australia-based Nuheara positioned themselves as a global leader in smart personal hearing devices. Nuheara’s proprietary and multi-functional intelligent hearable technology augments a person’s natural hearing and enables cable-free connections to smart devices. Unfortunately, NuHeara ran into legal and financial problems with its major chip supplier and now, after 2 years of struggling, entered voluntary administration after failing to renegotiate its debt obligations. 

This is really too bad, because Nuheara made good products.

Nuheara’s first product offering, IQbuds, debuted in 2016. Their most recent offering is the 3rd-generation IQbuds2 MAX earbuds, updated with active noise cancellation and several additional upgrades. Max is available for $500 per pair on Nuheara’s web shop. A useful TV listening device, the IQstream, is also offered for $129, which attaches to your smart TV and allows for streaming sound wirelessly. It is compatible with both Apple and Android phones.

Although it is said to have more features and conform to FDA standards, the HP Hearing PRO is an OTC hearing aid that bears a very strong resemblance to the IQbuds2 MAX in both form and function. Nuheara makes both, and both are good devices. We liked the IQBuds2 MAX because it's $200 cheaper than the HP Hearing PRO.

Currently, the fate of IQbuds2 MAX and HP Hearing PRO is unclear.

Alango

Tirat Carmel, Israel

Israel-based Alango Technologies manufactures the Wear&Hear series of products. The group of products is described by the company as a “line of concept, future-forward wearable audio devices.” Their mainstay hearable for hearing enhancement is the BeHear Access assistive hearing headset.

BeHear is intended to control and augment ambient noise, enhance speech, and/or utilize noise cancellation technology depending on the wearer’s environment. It features an excellent hearing customization feature in its app (which isn't necessary for operation) and comes with large buttons for those struggling with dexterity issues, and hearing loop access. The 2nd version of Access was launched in March 2022. It provides more amplification than the original model, and adds Bluetooth 5.0 and a new tinnitus relief feature. It’s available for $249 on Amazon.

The company also has released a newer product called BeHear SMARTO, a hand-held or body worn hearing amplifier with Bluetooth connectivity for people with mild to severe hearing problems. SMARTO features technology that enhances hearing and reduces background noise to clarify speech in live conversations, cell phone and video calls, and TV programs. SMARTO is currently available for $189.

HearThat App and Remote Microphone Kit

Vancouver, BC

The HeardThat app and remote microphone system essentially turns your smartphone into a sophisticated hearing device so you get clearer speech in noisy environments. The app uses the computing power of a smartphone to separate speech from noisy backgrounds using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning software. The AI was trained on thousands of hours of recorded speech in noise to “learn” how to differentiate between the two.

HeardThat also offers an optional Remote Mic Kit that works in tandem with the app. It comes with two small, rechargeable, clip-on microphones that connect to the phone via Bluetooth. These mics can then transmit sound from anyone wearing them—a method of speech-in-noise enhancement that is continually proven to be extremely effective. They can also be set, for example, in front of a TV speaker, at the far end of a table, or on the podium of a presenter.

HearingTracker's independent reviewer, Digby Cook, recently published a review about the HearThat system. You can try out the app for free for 30 days and if you like it, you can opt for the $9.99-per-month or an annual $99.99 subscription (see the HeardThat website for details). The HeardThat Microphone kit costs $34.99 with a one-year subscription to the app ($99.99), or $69.99 if you buy it separately.

Olive Union

Tokyo, Japan

Japan-based Olive Union was founded on the premise of transforming the traditional hearing aid into hearing a more functional, elegant, sleek wearable that anyone would be happy to wear. The company has launched three hearable products using crowdfunding campaigns, and has only recently announced its first OTC hearing aid, Olive Max.

The company’s previous product, Olive SmartEar, looked like a typical in-ear true-wireless earbud, and has been discontinued. Similarly, Olive Pro resembles Apple AirPods earbuds and features an enhanced app for customizing your hearing profile and tracking noise exposure. The company appears to be phasing out Olive Pro in favor of its new OTC hearing aid, although these products are still available in various second-hand markets (eBay, etc).

Released in December 2023, Olive Union’s latest product, Olive Max, is a true OTC hearing aid and sports a futuristic earhook design and is “suitable for up to severe hearing loss” with 1.5x more volume than Olive Pro. HearingTracker has not yet had an opportunity to review this latest product.

SoundWorld solutions

Park Ridge, IL, USA

SoundWorld Solutions was the brainchild of two social entrepreneurs who set up the company to create a globally affordable hearing aid that would provide decent inexpensive amplification. The result is a range of FDA-approved SoundWorld hearing aids, along with the company's Personal Sound Amplifier CS50+ which is intended to look like a Bluetooth headset (which, in part, it is).

The CS50+ has been used in Johns Hopkins research that has demonstrated successful self-fitting amplification approaches, and it features an optional Customizer App for a personalized hearing profile (it also has presets if you can't or don't want to use the app) and a recharging case. The device also has integrated Bluetooth for taking phone calls and streaming music for Android or iPhone. The CS50+ is intended for situational use, has been problematic in high humidity or moisture environments, and the earpiece resembles a Bluetooth phone headset (they are sold individually for $349).

Personalized listening in headphones and earbuds

There are also some headphones and earbuds with integrated hearing tests, but in general most do not offer external amplification of sounds:

Nura and DENON

Australia-based Nura markets innovative headsets and earbuds. The Nuraphone has two external and internal microphones located on each side of the headset, and reportedly evaluates otoacoustic emissions—sounds that your inner ear (cochlea) naturally emit themselves—for personalization. It offers effective noise cancellation and has a “social mode” so you can use the external microphones, with the music reduced slightly and external noises transmitted to the ear. The company also has released DENON PerL, its latest-generation wireless earbuds, which offer personalized sound, adaptive noise cancellation, and the ability to play lossless audio without a hardwired connection.

Skullcandy Grind and Rail

In 2021, Utah-based Skullcandy made waves with two new partnerships: Bragi, an AI-powered software platform for wireless headphones, and Mimi Hearing Technologies, a provider of digital hearing tests and sound personalization. Mimi’s technology is available with the Grind Fuel Earbuds, Rail ANC, and Rail True Wireless Earbuds, allowing users to create personal sound profiles based on their hearing. The earbuds don’t, however, amplify external sound.

Jaybird Vista 2

Logitech-owned Jaybird has integrated a basic hearing test into its earbud companion app. After pairing the Jaybird Vista or Jaybird Vista 2 earbuds with the app, you can create a Personal EQ profile, which involves adjusting sliders until you can hear each of the six test tones. The preset sound profile is automatically applied to all streaming audio.

TOZO Golden X1

The TOZO Golden X1 focuses on hi-res audio with a dynamic driver for powerful bass, Bluetooth 5.3, wind reduction, and active noise cancellation, with a choice of three listening modes (Normal, Noise Cancellation, and Transparency). It also uses its EarPrint Technology app to customize the sound to "compensate for hearing deficiencies" for improved sound experiences.

Sonarworks

Sonarworks is a maker of professional audio software used by over 50 Grammy-Award winning sound engineers. While the company doesn’t produce hearables, Sonarworks has developed SoundID, an app used by various headphone manufacturers. After pairing with a compatible set of headphones, the app guides users through a hearing test and sound preference selection, both of which feed into a custom sound profile. Users can further optimize their headphones’ sound using SoundID’s Parametric EQ.

Anker Liberty 4

Anker is a Chinese electronics company best-known for its line of battery and charging products. In recent years, they also entered the premium audio market. Anker uses the Soundcore app for a range of its headphones and earbuds, including the Soundcore Liberty 4NC. The app integrates HearID, a hearing test that generates a sound profile tailored to your hearing abilities.

OnePlus and Oppo

Like most smartphone brands, Chinese manufacturers OnePlus and Oppo offer earphones to go with their flagships. Earbuds from both companies use the HeyMelody app to support remote customization. While the app doesn’t include an equalizer, it does offer Audio ID, a hearing test that creates an optimized sound profile. The HeyMelody app works with the OnePlus Buds Pro and several Oppo earbuds.

What’s coming next?

The FDA’s new regulations for over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids were finalized and published on August 19, 2022, and the law took effect in mid-October. But, as demonstrated with the above products, there are numerous hearable options available that, for whatever reason, are not in the OTC category but make for good situational listening devices. We can guarantee you there will be many more hearables and hearing wearables to come. Bookmark this article; we'll update it as the new hearables become available.