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Bose Hearphones

hearphones.bose.com

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Re: Bose Hearphones

#211

Post by j2bax »

randlet wrote: post #110

For what it's worth, this tech has been available in hearing aids for a long time already. I carry a remote that can: * switch my hearing aids between 5 different programs depending on the environment. * play "fractal" like tones to combat my tinnitus * adjust the volume including muting the outside world * play music from anything with a 3.5mm jack (bluetooth also available) * hear calls from my phone * probably mor…

My dad has tinnitus and pretty bad hearing (was a rock drummer in the 70's) but he found the hearing aids he got (they were at least a few thousand $ or more) made everything sound very digital/tinny and it was unnatural enough that he stopped wearing them. I wonder if these will sound any more or less natural than a nice set of hearing aids.

Re: Bose Hearphones

#212

Post by twothamendment »

mey wrote: post #197
manyxcxi wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I went to an audiologist a few years back because I could hear certain things that would drive me up the wall. I thought it might be tinnitus or something like that- I ride motorcycles, am on the water in boats, use power tools, etc. Turns out I have exceptional hearing as well, and much better high frequency responses than an average 30 year old. Certain cheap lights and power transformers can drive me absolutely fr…

What you are most likely hearing are switched-mode power supplies, the cheaper the nosier. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switched-mode_power_supply "The operating frequency of an unloaded SMPS is sometimes in the audible human range, and may sound subjectively quite loud for people whose hearing is very sensitive to the relevant frequency range." Even analog power supplies will generate a 50/60hz hum (depending on wh…

Yes, the one that came with my Amazon Echo is the worst. I can hear it from 15 feet away. If I walk up to it and push on it it stops. I don't think pushing on it really makes the difference, I was guessing that it has to do with grounding it or something electrical changes when I touch it.

Re: Bose Hearphones

#213

Post by cvigoe »

This reminds me strongly of when cigarette companies started to produce nicotine patches. Without sounding too cynical (it does look like a product that could be useful for people who just happen to be in noisey environments a lot) , I can't help but think Bose are trying to position themselves at the top of a new product line: hearing aids for people who damaged their own hearing through excessively loud earphone music but rebranded to not be considered so obviously as "hearing aids" in the current sense. Not that that's necessary all that bad, it makes sense for a top consumer audio company to tackle this "problem" if it is a thing; I'm by no means an ear expert but I wouldn't be surprised if a surge in hearing aid demand is due as the effects of prolonged earphone usage starts to surface.

Re: Bose Hearphones

#214

Post by kumaraman »

boobsbr wrote: post #77

Wow, this address a major problem I have. I have decent hearing, but when I'm in a noisy environment like a bar, I can hear but can't understand what other people are saying. It's why I don't like going to bars/pubs with live performances or ambient music. People think I'm bored or brooding because I'm not talking to anyone, but I just can't understand anything anyone says, so I can't participate in a conversation.

Auditory processing disorder sums up a lot of what you are describing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auditory_processing_disorder

Re: Bose Hearphones

#215

Post by Cakez0r »

nilkn wrote: post #138
boobsbr wrote: post #77

Wow, this address a major problem I have. I have decent hearing, but when I'm in a noisy environment like a bar, I can hear but can't understand what other people are saying. It's why I don't like going to bars/pubs with live performances or ambient music. People think I'm bored or brooding because I'm not talking to anyone, but I just can't understand anything anyone says, so I can't participate in a conversation.

I have the opposite problem. I can understand people fine in noisy environments, but I can't speak loudly enough for other people to understand me. The end result is pretty much the same, though. I end up not really talking to people much in super noisy environments because it's too much of a struggle for me to try to talk loudly enough.

Do you have a low voice? I think that's why I have the same problem. Lower voices don't seem to cut through noise as well as higher voices.

Re: Bose Hearphones

#216

Post by bryanlarsen »

randlet wrote: post #110

For what it's worth, this tech has been available in hearing aids for a long time already. I carry a remote that can: * switch my hearing aids between 5 different programs depending on the environment. * play "fractal" like tones to combat my tinnitus * adjust the volume including muting the outside world * play music from anything with a 3.5mm jack (bluetooth also available) * hear calls from my phone * probably mor…

Are those hearing aids linked together like the hearphones are? It seems to me that a large part of being able to cut down on ambient noise and boost local conversation is because local conversation is more directional than ambient noise.

Do you think they'd be worth getting just for the ambient noise cutting abilities alone? My daughter has complete hearing loss in one ear and normal functionality in the other. Normally she's fine, but in a crowd she's completely lost.

Re: Bose Hearphones

#217

Post by Benofiniquity »

mey wrote: post #197
manyxcxi wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I went to an audiologist a few years back because I could hear certain things that would drive me up the wall. I thought it might be tinnitus or something like that- I ride motorcycles, am on the water in boats, use power tools, etc. Turns out I have exceptional hearing as well, and much better high frequency responses than an average 30 year old. Certain cheap lights and power transformers can drive me absolutely fr…

What you are most likely hearing are switched-mode power supplies, the cheaper the nosier. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switched-mode_power_supply "The operating frequency of an unloaded SMPS is sometimes in the audible human range, and may sound subjectively quite loud for people whose hearing is very sensitive to the relevant frequency range." Even analog power supplies will generate a 50/60hz hum (depending on wh…

The hum you hear is actually double the mains frequency (100/120 Hz) with emphasis on odd harmonics going up. Magnetostriction gives you two expansion/contraction events per wavelength, effectively doubling the frequency. (If everything is perfect, spherical cow in a vacuum, &c.)

Re: Bose Hearphones

#218

Post by victorhooi »

burntwater wrote: post #135
BurningFrog wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The bartender API is very limited. The customer is either ordering one of a few enumerated things, or asking one of 3 questions.

This. As a severely hearing-impaired individual, context is EVERYTHING in a conversation. Or, like, 95%. In all but the best environments, I'm not actually hearing what you're saying, I'm pattern matching your garbled sounds to the closet logical words my brain can think of. The narrower the context, the better and faster I can do this. This is why, for example, I don't answer unexpected phone calls. If I don't know…

burntwater is absolutely correct.

The human brain is remarkably good at filling in the blanks.

I rely on context, plus lip-reading, plus the sounds I do hear to figure out the rest.

For context - I'm not severely hearing impaired - I only have a mild-to-moderate loss in both ears, but it's enough to hamper me in normal conversations, particularly in group settings or noisy environments. I use Siemens hearing aids at work, at church etc. - basically, anything that's not 1:1, or where I can't easily ask them to repeat things constantly.

Re: Bose Hearphones

#219

Post by pluglus »

I am totally bothered by noise in the bars. Or the fact that you go to sports bar, but you cannot hear the audio. I was thinking of building on Pi something that would plug to TVs audio output, and then broadcast that to local Wifi in the bar. So that smartphone that's connected to same wifi could receive the audio and you could listen to it on your smartphone. Turns out there is someone already doing it: http://www.limeonair.com

Re: Bose Hearphones

#220

Post by randlet »

bryanlarsen wrote: post #216
randlet wrote: post #110

For what it's worth, this tech has been available in hearing aids for a long time already. I carry a remote that can: * switch my hearing aids between 5 different programs depending on the environment. * play "fractal" like tones to combat my tinnitus * adjust the volume including muting the outside world * play music from anything with a 3.5mm jack (bluetooth also available) * hear calls from my phone * probably mor…

Are those hearing aids linked together like the hearphones are? It seems to me that a large part of being able to cut down on ambient noise and boost local conversation is because local conversation is more directional than ambient noise. Do you think they'd be worth getting just for the ambient noise cutting abilities alone? My daughter has complete hearing loss in one ear and normal functionality in the other. Norm…

Mine are not linked and don't have real direction control but you can definitely get aids with that capability. It's certainly worth a shot. I'm not sure if she's wearing ha's yet, but many places will let you try a pair for 30 or 60 days to see if she likes them.

I would probably find it annoying to swap out my ha's for the hearphones regularly, but might be worth the annoyance if it allows here to converse more normally!

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