Time to read: 12 minutes
Hearing conversations with family and friends, hearing in social situations, hearing the TV, and now, thanks to COVID-19, hearing through face masks while social distancing. All of these can be challenging, for some more than others.
Hearing aids are designed to give you access to the sounds you otherwise wouldn’t hear due to your hearing loss. However, hearing aids aren’t perfect.
Sometimes a hearing aid isn’t enough.
Sometimes, you may need some extra assistance.
Hearing aid accessories such as FM systems and remote microphones can be used to supplement the hearing aid for those times you need a little extra assistance to hear. An FM system has always been the best option for hearing in noise, but can be costly to set up. A remote microphone offers good sound quality, but is limited in how well it can work in challenging noise environments, so works best for meetings and small group conversations.
These accessories also mean that you have extra items to carry around, keep track of, and manage. For those with made for iPhone hearing aids, there is an in-built feature in your phone called Live Listen that uses the iPhone microphone to stream to the hearing aids. However, it is limited in sound quality and works best in quiet environments. So what other options are there?
New options for noisy environments
Until recently, not much else that showed consistent results.
However, in May 2020, hearing assistance app, ChatableApps, was launched. It can be used with earbuds (for best results, Airpod Pros, Bose QuietComfort 20 or AfterShockz are recommended), OR with existing hearing aids (hearing aids must be paired to the phone either directly or via an accessory and Hearing Aid Streaming Mode selected in the app settings), OR with a cochlear implant.
What is it?
ChatableApps boasts it is “the world’s first universal hearing aid, using neuroscience-led artificial intelligence to enable those suffering from hearing loss to hear one-to-one conversations clearly, using an everyday smartphone and a standard pair of earbuds.” In other words, the Smartphone app uses complex science and artificial intelligence to assist people in hearing conversations in quiet and in noise. It can be used anywhere, anytime.
How does it work?
It uses an artificial intelligence system, VOXimity, to boost voice volume and remove background noise, thereby reducing listening effort. It doesn’t require a hearing test or any set-up (apart from pairing with headphones/hearing aids/cochlear implant). While a hearing test is important to diagnose hearing loss, ChatableApps recognises that you don’t need a hearing loss to struggle to hear in noise.
VOXimity is designed to identify the voice you want to hear (the direction you point your phone), create a new, identical voice track which sounds similar to the original but without background sounds. This is different to hearing aids, which can reduce background noise, but not eliminate it (for a more natural/realistic hearing picture). There are 2 sliders in the app - the yellow slider controls Volume Boost (if using earbuds) or Hearing Aid Volume (if using hearing aids or a cochlear implant) and the purple slider for adjusting Background Noise.
Does it really work?
Surprisingly, yes.
What the app really does is improve the signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR), or how loud the voice you want to hear is, compared to the background noise levels. Pre-clinical trial results revealed that 76% of users reported that conversation was easier because of the background noise slider. 80% said conversation was easier because of the volume boost. 86% reported the app was better for conversation than their hearing aid alone.
So why bother with hearing aids at all?
Unless you plan to constantly wear earbuds and have your phone out when having conversations, hearing aids are still necessary. Not to mention, wearing earbuds when talking can make your own voice sound echoey (this is called occlusion).
While the app has a setting to hear less of your own voice, it’s still not a natural sound. The app helps improve the SNR, but hearing aids are programmed specifically for each ear’s individual hearing loss. Like an FM system or a remote microphone, consider the app an assistive listening device - for situations where you need a little extra help to hear.
Who can use the app?
Simply put - anyone. Whether you wear hearing aids or a cochlear implant or not, ChatableApps can be used by those who suffer from any degree of hearing loss, glue ear, auditory processing disorder, ADHD, hyperacusis, and autism, and tinnitus. While not a substitute for a hearing aid, the app can be used as an emergency stand-by hearing aid.
What can the app be used for?
ChatableApps can be used anytime, anywhere, for anything. Use it for conversations in quiet, conversations in noisier situations, hearing the TV better, listening to the radio or stereo, and more. Basically, anytime you need a little extra assistance to hear.
What are the pros and cons?
The Pros
The benefits of improving the level of the sound you want to hear over other extraneous sounds speak for themselves - improved listening effort, less stress, more active participation in conversation.
The Cons
However, there are a few cons. Depending on the earbuds used, there can be a small or large delay in the sound. If possible, use the earbuds recommended by ChatableApps for the least amount of delay. The small delay is not a deal-breaker; however, the larger delay is quite off-putting, and will interfere with lip-reading cues, and potentially make hearing more difficult.
When using the app with hearing aids, there is a small sound delay for Made for iPhone (MFi) hearing aids (Oticon, Starkey, Widex, Resound, Signia, Bernafon, Sonic), but quite a noticeable delay for Phonak and Unitron hearing aids.
In light of this, the app is definitely usable for MFi hearing aids, but isn’t recommended if you use the hearing aids from Phonak or Unitron. In these instances, you’re better off using the wireless accessories that are available from the manufacturer if you need additional assistance.
How much does the app cost?
The app itself is free to download from the App Store (iPhone) or Play Store (Android). There is a free, somewhat limited, version, as well as the option to subscribe ($19.99/month or $129.99/year), which unlocks maximum voice amplification and background noise reduction.
The conclusion
ChatableApps offers an affordable solution to assist hearing in challenging situations. It can be used in conjunction with existing hearing devices, and comes with an easy user interface which makes it accessible for anyone with a smartphone. In the current COVID-19 climate, it also offers a great solution for hearing while maintaining social distancing - you can place your phone next to the person talking and use the Bluetooth streaming via your earbuds or hearing devices to hear someone up to 10 metres away clearly.
