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Bose Hearphones

hearphones.bose.com

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Re: Bose Hearphones

#221

Post by newman314 »

jseliger wrote: post #102
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.

Try these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0044DEESS . I keep a pair in my pocket. They're shockingly good, and unless someone is looking closely for them they're not real noticeable. They're also cheap enough that a lost pair is not catastrophic.

I'll have to try them out. I love Etymotic earphones and their support so far has been nothing short of fantastic.

Re: Bose Hearphones

#222

Post by newman314 »

_fs wrote: post #9

I really wish someone was working to solve the problem of tinnitus. Would it be possible to generate anti phase wave out of these things to cancel out tinnitus? I would pay anything and/or wear any goofy device in my ears to live life tinnitus free.

There was some discussion (on HN I think) a while ago where basically you flick/drum fingers at the base of your skull about 10 times.

I've tried it and it seems to work at least for a while for me. YMMV.

Re: Bose Hearphones

#224

Post by 0xCMP »

ZenoArrow wrote: post #85
0xCMP wrote: post #72

How is this on the top of HN? It's barely clear what these actually be like or how they work? Am I missing something?

The technology behind them isn't groundbreaking, but I can think of some good uses for devices like this. Basically it appears to be a combination of noise cancelling and directional microphones so that you hear more of what you're pointed towards. If you want to get a better feel for how these devices could work, I'd recommend taking a look into directional microphones.

I'm not saying the technology isn't useful, but this has been done before. It hasn't worked before, so when it appears at the top of HN I assumed (given the higher standards we usually apply here) there was a reason beyond an okay marketing website with vague details. Which I didn't expect from Bose (which in my mind == quality and the website wasn't) nor the top of HN.

Re: Bose Hearphones

#225

Post by randlet »

j2bax wrote: post #211
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.

The older you get, probably the tougher it is to adapt too. Wearing hearing aids is very strange for the first little while since you're hearing all kinds of strange things again. For me everything seemed sharper/harsher initially but that's just because it all had been so muted for so long! It took me months of continuous wearing to get used to the sound so that it now sounds unatural to not be wearing them. He really needs to put them in when he wakes up and take them out for the shower/going to bed and thats it. If he only wears them occassionally, he'll probably never get used to them (my dad/grandpa had the same problem).

His audiologist can also set him up with a "training" program in his hearing aids that softens the amplification while he's getting used to them and after a few months go back to a more normal program. If he's not happy, have him talk to his audiologist...high end devices are highly tunable!

Re: Bose Hearphones

#226

Post by vgrafe »

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.

Happy to see (with your comment and subs) that I am not alone. For my case, it is explained by the fact my right ear is deaf (I was born like that). The left one has perfect hearing, but I guess missing stereoscopic sound totally changes the game.

Re: Bose Hearphones

#227

Post by KaiserPro »

owlninja wrote: post #210
KaiserPro wrote: post #191

I'm a drummer. Fortunately before I destroyed my hearing my dad forced me to wear ear defenders. since then it's been a habit. These look nice and all, but basically all you really need are ear plugs. http://www.thesafetysupplycompany.co.uk/p/449062/howard-leig... comfy, snug and 32db (depending on version) of attenuation. That means that you can go to a loud gigs (95db) without the risk of tinitus. same goes for bar…

These are not just earplugs...they can enhance conversation in loud places as well.

Don't get me wrong, for those of us who have to use hearing aids this is a godsend, it allows directionality that previously was impossible.

However, for people with "normal" hearing, this will be a step down in usability.

The earlobe is shaped like they are to allow your brain to pickout and isolate sound in three dimensions+. Firstly this is automatic, you've been doing it since before you were born.

Secondly, the design of the era plugs completely remove the "shaping" sound of the earlobe (for want of a better term. This is why stereo records still sound flat, they don't have the extra metadata the deformities of the earlobe provide. hence binaural recordings.)

Yes that means you can remove the background noise completely, and replace it with the "what's in front of you" but that is a 2d (if you're lucky) image, so good luck differentiating between two people close together. Ear plugs _shouldnt_ mess with the "metadata" because they should be in the earcanal. All they are doing is attenuating the signal, not re-writing it.

However I can't state enough how much this is going to improve people who are dependant in earphone's lives. For the rest of us, ear plugs are most likely far superior

+ Experiment: Stereo is sort of 2d. However, its complicated. you can describe a horizontal circle of noise, crudely by altering the two channels. However depth is replaced by loudness. (in the same way size of an object for 2d photos) Now, you know that in real life you can differentiate vertical sounds as well.

edit: ex sound engineer, so none of this is scientific. Please research binaural, and 3D sound. Criticism welcome

Re: Bose Hearphones

#228

Post by acjohnson55 »

manyxcxi wrote: post #153
tibbon wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a similar problem in loud spaces. Given my activities (motorcycling, guitar playing, powertools, etc) I had assumed my hearing was bad, but when I went to an ENT/audiologist for unrelated things I had them give me a good test on a whim. For me, the results were that I have hearing ability on-par with a ~5 year old, and they only see adults like me every 18 months or so. I've got a printoff of the chart around…

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…

This is me too. Also, treble-heavy noises like squeaks drive me insane.

Re: Bose Hearphones

#229

Post by jwr »

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.

There is a lot more to hearing than just your ear. Signals have to be processed by the brain and that's often where the problem is. A good example are children with sensory integration problems: a child will often go through phases when it will have trouble "hearing", but the actual problem will be with processing. You then have to repeat things several times so that the child "hears" you, but at the same time the child will have no problem with hearing quiet sounds. Kids are especially interesting because as they grow (and with therapy) you can observe as these things change over time.

Re: Bose Hearphones

#230

Post by cellularmitosis »

Certified wrote: post #64
_fs wrote: post #9

I really wish someone was working to solve the problem of tinnitus. Would it be possible to generate anti phase wave out of these things to cancel out tinnitus? I would pay anything and/or wear any goofy device in my ears to live life tinnitus free.

A project I worked on suggests vibrating the bone just under the earlobe at around 50kHz with a piezoelectric stack might help. 8 years or so ago I helped make a pocket sized and rechargeable medical device that operates on this principle. Last I checked it was still in FDA hell but helping the majority of sufferers in the trials. The theory of operation is that is breaks up tiny air bubbles stuck to the hairs in the…

I wonder if you are hearing a "beat" tone (a third tone which is heard when two tones of different frequency are played. Playing tones at 500 and 600 Hz will also cause a tone at 100 Hz to be heard). This is how 3D positional audio systems work -- they beam two ultrasonic tones, and the difference tone appears to emanate from where the ultrasonic beams intersect.

Sending 50kHz vibrations into the earn should interact with a 49kHz tone to cause the listener to hear a 1kHz tone.

(This is all from an acoustics course I took over a decade ago, so take it with a grain of salt!)

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