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I<\/span> didn\u2019t think much about it when I asked my partner to repeat herself. But then I did it again. And again. And one day, my audiologist delivered the verdict: after years in war zones standing too close to things that went boom, I had moderate high-frequency hearing loss. I needed hearing aids. The option she showed me cost $7,000.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Guardian\u2019s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.\u00a0Learn more.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n The sticker shock hit harder than the diagnosis. In the US, insurance typically won\u2019t cover hearing aids, which meant I was on the hook for the full cost, out of pocket. I found a compromise at Costco: the Jabra Enhance Pro 20s for $1,600. I spent the next month acclimating to their digital processing until it finally sounded normal.<\/p>\n Today, there\u2019s another option: Apple\u2019s AirPods Pro 3. At $249, they promise to help the 28.8 million Americans who need hearing assistance but for reasons of cost, stigma or just plain stubbornness, are not using any. The FDA first approved their predecessor, the AirPods Pro 2, for use as over-the-counter hearing aids in September 2024, but the newer version is supposed to boast even better fidelity. When a friend gave me a pair for my birthday, I had the perfect opportunity to see how they perform in real life.<\/p>\n Apple\u2019s AirPods Pro 3<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/span> Photograph: Courtesy of Amazon$249 at Amazon$249 at Walmart<\/p>\n Nearly 50 million Americans have some form of hearing loss, but only 16% of adults aged 20 to 69 who could benefit have ever used hearing aids. The consequences cascade: adults with hearing loss face 58% higher odds of unemployment and earn 25% less when employed. Untreated hearing loss is the single largest modifiable risk factor for dementia, according to the 2020 Lancet Commission.<\/p>\n The average American waits seven to 10 years after noticing symptoms before seeking help. Cost is the primary barrier, with traditional hearing aids running between $2,000 and $7,000. The other barrier is stigma; nobody wants to look old.<\/p>\n <\/span> Photograph: clubfoto\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Before you can use AirPods as hearing aids, you can either complete a 10-minute self-test to identify where you have hearing loss, or upload the results of a professional audiogram performed by an audiologist. Since I just completed one of those 18 months ago, I compared the lab results with what Apple could accomplish.<\/p>\n My clinical test showed classic noise-induced damage: mild to moderately-severe sensorineural hearing loss, worst in the high frequencies where consonants live. The iPhone test, conducted in my quiet home office, nailed the pattern but softened the severity. It measured my loss at 33-34dBHL (decibels hearing level) average, versus my audiologist\u2019s 35-45dBHL.<\/p>\n \u201cThe AirPods are not going to be as good as going into a booth and having calibrated equipment, but I have to admit \u2013 it\u2019s pretty darn good,\u201d said Dr David Zapala, president of the American Academy of Audiology. \u201cMuch better than earlier iterations and other devices \u2026 Normal audiograms have plus or minus 5dB, so a 10dB decibel difference is within the range of test variation.\u201d<\/p>\n Switching between my professional audiogram and Apple\u2019s self-generated profile for a full day revealed some differences. The iPhone settings made sibilants slightly muddier: sibilant \u201cs\u201d sounds lost their edge and hard consonants like \u201ck\u201d and \u201cd\u201d sounded a bit percussive. But conversations remained clear. My partner didn\u2019t seem to notice whether I was hearing her any differently regardless of which devices I used.<\/p>\n <\/span> Photograph: Christopher Allbritton\/The Guardian<\/p>\n Sound quality:<\/strong> The Jabras aim for \u201cacoustic transparency\u201d, meaning the hear-through sound is nearly identical to listening with the open ear. And they more or less deliver after the adjustment period. They handle restaurants moderately well, isolating conversation from the background clanks and clatters.<\/p>\n The AirPods create what I\u2019d call \u201camplified reality\u201d. They sound crisp and clear, but a digital sheen never quite disappeared.<\/p>\n Battery life:<\/strong> This was no contest: my Jabras run 24 to 30 hours per charge, the AirPods hit maybe 10 hours max. That\u2019s not necessarily a dealbreaker, as you can pop them into the charging case and get about three more hours from a 15-minute charge-up, but it\u2019s a major caveat to keep in mind if you don\u2019t have convenient charging opportunities within your schedule.<\/p>\n The occlusion effect:<\/strong> This is that annoying muffled sound that happens when you have a blocked, or \u201coccluded\u201d, ear canal, and it can make your voice sound really weird as it resonates in your skull. Both devices try to address this, but they handle it differently.<\/p>\n The Jabras don\u2019t fully close your ears and allow outside sound to blend in with the amplified sound, so voices and other noises sound more natural. The AirPods, though, seal your ear canal, so any outside sound \u2013 including your own voice \u2013 has to be processed digitally. It sometimes makes your own voice sound unnaturally loud.<\/p>\n <\/span> Photograph: Christopher Allbritton\/The Guardian<\/p>\n Social perception:<\/strong> The Jabras are nearly invisible. Just a tiny clear wire snakes down into my ear from the bodies hanging behind my ears. My partner says you really have to know what you\u2019re looking for to notice them.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/p>\n A guide to buying fewer, better products.<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: <\/strong>Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.<\/span><\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n The AirPods, on the other hand, are obvious. People generally assume I\u2019m listening to music, and there have been times where people seemed reluctant to speak to me, thinking I wasn\u2019t listening to them, or was on a call. But once I explained that I was using them as hearing aids, the conversation proceeded normally. (They usually expressed some surprise that AirPods can do that.)<\/p>\n In a crowd:<\/strong> At a dinner party or at a bar, the Jabras can manage overlapping conversations. The AirPods struggle, however, sometimes amplifying the wrong voice or creating confusing audio soup when multiple people speak.<\/p>\n Music:<\/strong> Naturally, the AirPods demolish the Jabras. In addition to amplifying voices and conversation, the AirPods will use the same audiogram to improve media streaming. Listening to Miles Davis\u2019s Kind of Blue, every instrument sparkled. The Jabras rendered music but sounded like a tiny AM radio in my ears. No, thanks. But then, they are not really designed for high-fidelity music.<\/p>\n My $1,600 Jabras included three years of unlimited adjustments, cleanings and support. The AirPods ($249) offer no professional support. If you can\u2019t fine-tune the amplification for your specific hearing loss pattern, there is no expert to help, just Apple\u2019s algorithms and trial-and-error.<\/p>\n <\/span> Photograph: Christopher Allbritton\/The Guardian<\/p>\n Consider AirPods Pro if you:<\/strong><\/p>\n Have mild to moderate hearing loss<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Need situational rather than all-day assistance<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Already use an iPhone or AirPods regularly<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Want to test whether hearing aids help before making a bigger investment<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Stick with traditional hearing aids if you:<\/strong><\/p>\n Have moderate to severe loss<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Need all-day battery<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Can afford the higher cost<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Want professional support<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The AirPods Pro 3 are not perfect hearing aids, but for $249, they\u2019re an excellent first stop for the 28 million Americans with untreated hearing loss. They\u2019re affordable and accessible, and their ubiquity is helping to dissolve stigma.<\/p>\n I still mostly wear my Jabras, which are purpose-built tools built for a single job. But I keep AirPods in my pocket for music, calls and those times I just don\u2019t feel like dealing with something stuck deep inside my ear canal. Sometimes, 80% of the performance for 15% of the cost is fine.<\/p>\n If you suspect you might benefit from them, give them a try. They may just unlock that distant conversation with your grandchild or punchline you missed at dinner.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I encourage people to use them, I\u2019m pretty much telling them, look, try the simple thing first,\u201d says Zapala. \u201cTry the AirPods. You\u2019re not risking a lot of money and not risking a lot of time. If it doesn\u2019t work, you\u2019re still going to like listening to music through them.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I didn\u2019t think much about it when I asked my partner to repeat herself. But then I did it again. And again. And one day, my audiologist delivered the verdict: after years in war zones standing too close to things that went boom, I had moderate high-frequency hearing loss. I needed hearing aids. The option<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31889,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[453,7166,5707,9404,452,337,4382,356,891,76],"class_list":{"0":"post-31888","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-aids","9":"tag-airpods","10":"tag-apples","11":"tag-compare","12":"tag-hearing","13":"tag-life","14":"tag-pro","15":"tag-put","16":"tag-style","17":"tag-test"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31888"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31888\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Measuring your hearing loss<\/h2>\n
Can AirPods really compete with hearing aids?<\/h2>\n
Real-world failures<\/h2>\n
Cost<\/h2>\n
Who should buy what<\/h2>\n
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If you\u2019re on the fence, try them<\/h2>\n