I demoed the new AirPods Pro 2 hearing test — and here's how it went
In case you missed it, the AirPods Pro 2, alongside a new hearing protection perk (a noise reduction feature that's great for concert goers), now supports a new hearing test experience.
Mashable was on the ground for the "Glowtime" Apple Event in Cupertino, so I had a chance to demo the new hearing test feature on the AirPods Pro 2.
Hearing Test on AirPods Pro 2: How does it work?
Launching the hearing test was super easy. All I had to do was, of course, pop in the AirPods Pro 2 into my ears. Next, on an iPhone, I had to tap on "[Name] AirPods Pro 2" in the Settings app followed by the "Take a Hearing Test" option.
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I provided some details such as my age and whether I had a cold or an infection. The preliminary questions also inquired about whether I was in a loud environment like a loud concert or a construction site within the last 24 hours.
I hit "Next," and suddenly, I felt the active noise cancellation (ANC) feature kick in. The hearing test requires a quiet room, but even so, the ANC helps to cancel out any white noise that may affect the test.
After going through a few more prompts, the test (based on pure-tone audiometry) launched and asked me to tap on the screen if I heard a tone. After about two minutes of tapping, I got my results — and it's not looking good for me.
My hearing test results: Moderate hearing loss
As it turns out, according to the AirPods Pro 2 hearing test, I have "moderate hearing loss."
To be clear, these were not my real results. It's just a demo that showcases what users will see when they go through with this hearing test from start to finish.
In the demo, which, again, are not my real results, I got the following:
Left Ear - 41 dB HL (decibels hearing level)
Right Ear - 44 dB HL
In other words, if I received these results in real life, it would mean that I need sounds to be 41 decibels louder for my left ear and 44 decibels louder for my right ear compared to normal hearing levels in order to detect them.
According to a chart from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, here is a table that classifies hearing loss:
"Users [can share their] results with their healthcare providers for more informed conversations," Apple said in a press release.
I can't wait to tell my fiancé that I have "moderate hearing loss"; He doesn't need to know that this was just a demo. I can now get away with using "selective hearing" on him — and get away with it, too.
It's worth noting that the AirPods Pro 2 also doubles as over-the-counter (OTC), clinical-grade hearing aids. Since I apparently have "moderate hearing loss," I'm going to need 'em.
Both the hearing test and hearing aids feature are expected to roll out in the fall to over 100 countries, including the United States. The Apple AirPods Pro 2 start at $249 via the official Apple Store, but as of this writing, you can snag 'em for just $199 via Amazon.
UPDATE: Sep. 10, 2024, 4:51 p.m. EDT This article was updated to specify that this demo did not generate real results.
Kimberly Gedeon, at Mashable since 2023, is a tech explorer who enjoys doing deep dives into the most popular gadgets, from the latest iPhones to the most immersive VR headsets. She's drawn to strange, avant-garde, bizarre tech, whether it's a 3D laptop, a gaming rig that can transform into a briefcase, or smart glasses that can capture video. Her journalism career kicked off about a decade ago at MadameNoire where she covered tech and business before landing as a tech editor at Laptop Mag in 2020.
