This is from a year ago.
Here's a website that lets you compare over-the-counter hearing aids:
Here's a website that lets you compare over-the-counter hearing aids:
I wonder what mind of hardware is packed in here. Bigger battery, bigger microphone, how miniatiruzes are the chips, how much DSP processing is there... Interesting times.
The reviews on that website don't say much about the mobile apps, though. Even for the high-end hearing aids I bought, the app was finicky and difficult to even get connected, and the controls are dumbed down. If you check the Play Store, you'll see lots of bad reviews. Fortunately the app isn't needed day-to-day.
I'm a bit surprised Apple hasn't done something; they could really clean up here.
https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(22)01708-4 (their current devices are almost there)
My guess is they do enter the OTC space within the next year or so or in true Tim Cook fashion just sell a higher binned version of airpod with OTC hearing aid capability. Their watch series 4 already has FDA medical device certifications.
As for the rest of the market, the amount of margin has been insane for hearing aids. I say look at IEM market which uses same balanced armature technology: They charge at a minimum 20x what Knowles charges for the drivers. Chinese sellers figured it out and sell IEM's with the same drivers and only 3-4x markup. It's killed all but the highest custom end of IEM markets (most of the companies merged).
Hearing aids once again have the same balanced armature drivers and mark up at least 200-500x the driver cost. There is of course some cost to the DSP and paying someone to customize it but most of it is pure regulatory capture to get the FDA approval.
That is comparable to a pair of glasses.
I can also play music using the bluetooth support on my hearing aids, but the sound isn't as good, since they're optimized for voice and have little bass. (They let some sound through, so that's normally not a problem.)
Also, hearing aid algorithms are tuned to maximize voice comprehension rather than to make music sound good. The default setting on mine makes a piano sound like a toy piano due to boosting the treble so much. I have another setting for live music.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211218
It’s bloody amazing.
A thousand blessings, health, and happiness to EVERYONE at Apple’s accessibility team for this!
Audiologists will loudly complain that they're not as effective as once custom fitted and tuned but for literally 1/10 the price and no expensive tuning sessions it will be a no brainer.