you don't have Must be almost deaf to use hearing aids. Many doctors recommend that patients start using devices early, before hearing loss becomes severe. Olive Union's Olive Max is the first hearing aid I've seen designed for this specific purpose, and is made for users with “mild to moderate” hearing loss, which the company defines as a loss of 26 to 55 decibels. . It was exactly in line with my diagnosis and I thought I was the perfect candidate for these new devices.
When we first saw Olive Max right out of the box, I and those around me would have immediately said, “Wow! “It's definitely big.” It's really big. Each one looks like an early 2000s Bluetooth headset, except you have to wear two of them. At least the unit looks sporty, with its two-tone white and gray design, including wrap-around earhooks to help hold it in place. It also has IPX7 waterproof performance. However, at over 12 grams each, they are four to five times heavier than typical over-the-counter hearing aids. A total of 8 different ear tips in 3 different styles are included in the kit to ensure a secure fit.
Photo: Olive Union
As a hearing aid, the Olive Max unit works pretty much as advertised, and casual users can start using it with minimal effort once it's out of the box and in their ears. However, getting them to hang properly over your ears can be difficult, especially if you're wearing them. glasses. Controls on the back of each aid adjust the volume (separately for each ear) and allow him to choose one of four environmental modes (TV, conference room, outdoor, or restaurant). You can also toggle “Hear-Thru mode” using the button. This allows you to completely turn off ambient audio processing if you simply want to use Olive Max as his Bluetooth earphones.
You can fine-tune your listening experience with the My Olive app, but strangely, the hearing aid manual doesn't mention the app's existence or even that the hearing aids can be used as Bluetooth earbuds. (Requires the My Olive app (Android, iOS) and not the incompatible Olive Smart Ear app.) This app allows you to make the same adjustments as the physical controls, but with noise reduction and It also offers feedback cancellation (pro tip: max both of these out) and includes a more detailed graphic equalizer that allows you to further fine-tune the frequency response.
You can't test your hearing directly within the app, but a short questionnaire will show you various “AI recommended presets” based on your age and a few other basic inputs. If you want something even more sophisticated, you'll have to dig into the equalizer manually, but this is mostly a trial-and-error situation. It's also worth noting that the My Olive app includes an audio therapy system designed to help people suffering from tinnitus. I don't suffer from tinnitus, so I wasn't qualified to test this feature.
Photo: Olive Union
