Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 hearing test is now available for US and Canada users alongside iOS 18.1. While some journalists have made the test and experienced AirPods as hearing aid devices and how great they were for that, I have a less optimistic view of that function.
I’m 29 years old, and in the past 15 hours, I have performed the AirPods Pro 2 hearing test twice. I last did a similar test when I left a job at a TV station three years ago. If I remember correctly, I had a hearing loss of around 15 dBHL. Now, I’m around 25 dBHL.
To be honest, that concerns me. I know that I’ve never had the best hearing capabilities. But noticing it has declined this much in just three years made me worried. On one hand, I praise Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 hearing test for giving me a simple way to see how my hearing is. On the other hand, I think Apple helped create this issue.
I’m part of that generation that always had headphones on. I would blast Apple’s EarPods in my ears for hours, listening to The Academy Is…, Linkin Park, The All American Rejects, and so on. And I was used to listening to my mom telling me I should turn the volume down. Well, I didn’t.
AirPods hurt my hearing, but they also helped
By the time Apple released the first AirPods, I was 21. These earbuds were more practical than ever, but they also let so much noise inside that the only way to listen to my favorite songs on the street or while commuting was almost at the maximum level.
When Apple finally launched AirPods Pro and eventually added Spatial Audio capabilities, I would listen to songs at higher volume because I wanted to hear the nuances of that technology. It is ironic to lose some of my hearing capability trying to hear better.
To be fair, it’s been quite a while since Apple offered tools to prevent users from misusing headphones by having a maximum noise limit. But I always felt it was like those terms and conditions that everyone should read, but they never do, you know?
Fortunately, with this rollout, I feel like the AirPods hearing test could raise awareness of a problem Apple also helped create. As more people take those hearing tests, they might become more concerned and conscious about their hearing habits.
I also have to praise Apple for another feature: loud-environment notifications. By combining Apple Watch notifications with AirPods Pro 2, I have started to improve my hearing capabilities at concerts and in loud environments. However, I only use them when the loud sound makes me uncomfortable. Now I feel I’ll be using my AirPods more often, even when a band I like plays at full blast.
Wrap up
Ultimately, I still have most of my hearing capabilities intact. I’m not one of the people who actually need a hearing aid device, but it turned on a yellow light that I might need in the near future if I don’t take care of myself.
Well, it seems Apple’s approach to prevention, awareness, and assistance is really working. That said, it seems the answer is to lower the volume and keep buying new AirPods Pro models to maintain my hearing capabilities.
How does your future sound like?
