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FDA Authorizes First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Software

fda.gov

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Re: FDA Authorizes First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Software

#111

Post by rmccue »

righthand wrote: post #109
car wrote: post #66

With the AirPods now officially becoming hearing aids, it will hopefully reduce the stigma and attitude towards hearing aids and allow many more people to realize how bad their hearing actually is. I have been wearing hearing aids for a few years now (Phonak). I've also used the AirPods Pro with the accessibility audiogram feature (basically making them hearing aids), which is really good and has also been around for…

Most people don’t wear hearing aids because they don’t like how it looks and think their hearing isn’t bad enough to warrant social stigma from it. I don’t see how Airpods solve that problem as they are very unsightly, no matter how much pundits say they love them. In fact you mentioning how they are like hearing aids has made me justify never wanting a pair.

The advantage of AirPods for social stigma is they aren't solely hearing aids, so you have a type of (casual) plausible deniability about why you're wearing them. They won't draw people's attention in the way that hearing aids (because they're different/unique) do.

Re: FDA Authorizes First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Software

#112

Post by korhojoa »

Terretta wrote: post #105
freedomben wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In contrast, the AirPods run out after a few hours and are also destined to become landfill due to their built in battery. Also will entrench the user in a walled garden ecosystem from a very specific giant tech company that isn't big on making their products compatible with other companies.

> will entrench the user in a walled garden ecosystem from a very specific giant tech company that isn't big on making their products compatible with other companies Are you suggesting AirPods aren't Bluetooth 5.3 and aren't compatible with Bluetooth audio sources? Or that it doesn't play AAC, MP3, and FLAC? The proprietary capabilities (such as instant smart switching between active devices) are all incremental, tak…

Seems like a rage bait post but: how do you update the firmware without an apple device?

Re: FDA Authorizes First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Software

#113

Post by wintermutestwin »

HumblyTossed wrote: post #95
_fat_santa wrote: post #92

This is huge. Previously if you were hard of hearing, a pair of hearing aids could cost upwards of $2,000. Now Apple just brought that price down to ~$250. Even if you use them everyday and assume a shelf life of 1.5yrs (which is roughly mine and others' experience with AirPods), you would be replacing your Airpods for 12 years before the cost caught up with a single pair of hearing aids. Even if you think Airpods ar…

> This is huge. Previously if you were hard of hearing, a pair of hearing aids could cost upwards of $2,000. Now Apple just brought that price down to ~$250. Woah there fella. Hearing aids last a very long time before needing a new battery. AirPods needs to be charged several times a day. That's a bit of an inconvenience. As is some hearing aids are made to fit one's ear. Where as AirPods are 3 sizes fits all.

Airpods don’t fit in my tiny ear canals. I even bought a smaller aftermarket tip and still no luck.

Re: FDA Authorizes First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Software

#114

Post by whiterknight »

freedomben wrote: post #98
car wrote: post #66

With the AirPods now officially becoming hearing aids, it will hopefully reduce the stigma and attitude towards hearing aids and allow many more people to realize how bad their hearing actually is. I have been wearing hearing aids for a few years now (Phonak). I've also used the AirPods Pro with the accessibility audiogram feature (basically making them hearing aids), which is really good and has also been around for…

> In contrast, the AirPods run out after a few hours and are also destined to become landfill due to their built in battery. Also will entrench the user in a walled garden ecosystem from a very specific giant tech company that isn't big on making their products compatible with other companies.

Is the hearing aid market big on modularity and compatibility?

isn’t it good to have multiple options so consumers can pick what they value?

Re: FDA Authorizes First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Software

#116

Post by steve1977 »

car wrote: post #66

With the AirPods now officially becoming hearing aids, it will hopefully reduce the stigma and attitude towards hearing aids and allow many more people to realize how bad their hearing actually is. I have been wearing hearing aids for a few years now (Phonak). I've also used the AirPods Pro with the accessibility audiogram feature (basically making them hearing aids), which is really good and has also been around for…

Sonova (Phonak) is Swiss by the way, not Danish.

They also own the consumer of Sennheiser since a couple of years.

Re: FDA Authorizes First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Software

#117

Post by righthand »

rmccue wrote: post #111
righthand wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people don’t wear hearing aids because they don’t like how it looks and think their hearing isn’t bad enough to warrant social stigma from it. I don’t see how Airpods solve that problem as they are very unsightly, no matter how much pundits say they love them. In fact you mentioning how they are like hearing aids has made me justify never wanting a pair.

The advantage of AirPods for social stigma is they aren't solely hearing aids, so you have a type of (casual) plausible deniability about why you're wearing them. They won't draw people's attention in the way that hearing aids (because they're different/unique) do.

But a lot of people don’t wear Airpods because they look dorky and look like something is growing out of your ears. This is what I’m saying, coolness doesn’t trump looks even if pundits say “I love my Airpods”. A lot of people do not like wearing headphones for a similar reason.

If i see someone wearing AirPods or headphones my initial reaction is they don’t want to be talked to or interacted with. Even if that’s not true and they have passive throughput.

Re: FDA Authorizes First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Software

#118

Post by theshackleford »

sneak wrote: post #49

Hearing aids are neither food nor drugs. Same goes for glasses and contact lenses, and CPAP machines. These should never have required approval or prescriptions in the first place. So many people are kept from getting what they need by these arbitrary restrictions.

I’d prefer more oversight of things like CPP, preferably it would been before I spent years inhaling cancerous chemicals.

Re: FDA Authorizes First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Software

#119

Post by mitemte »

righthand wrote: post #110
_fat_santa wrote: post #92

This is huge. Previously if you were hard of hearing, a pair of hearing aids could cost upwards of $2,000. Now Apple just brought that price down to ~$250. Even if you use them everyday and assume a shelf life of 1.5yrs (which is roughly mine and others' experience with AirPods), you would be replacing your Airpods for 12 years before the cost caught up with a single pair of hearing aids. Even if you think Airpods ar…

[flagged]

If iPhone owners can improve their hearing for $250, that’s a win for a large number of people. Sure, it doesn’t solve the problem for everyone, but neither does a $2000 pair of hearing aids.

Re: FDA Authorizes First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Software

#120

Post by vel0city »

josefresco wrote: post #91
car wrote: post #66

With the AirPods now officially becoming hearing aids, it will hopefully reduce the stigma and attitude towards hearing aids and allow many more people to realize how bad their hearing actually is. I have been wearing hearing aids for a few years now (Phonak). I've also used the AirPods Pro with the accessibility audiogram feature (basically making them hearing aids), which is really good and has also been around for…

You're certainly not alone in resisting hearing aids. My dad just got some from Costco (most affordable) and really likes them. He probably waited 5-10 years too long. My father-in-law however doesn't like hearing aids because he feels they amplify things he doesn't want to hear. Granted he's never been fitted to actual hearing aids. I understand his concern, but he's told me multiple times his hearing loss leaves hi…

> he feels they amplify things he doesn't want to hear.

I mean that's kind of the whole point of having them adjusted with an audiologist. They're tuned to your specific needs.

It's too bad so many people think they're just mics and amplifiers. Modern hearing aids do a lot of signal processing.

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