- Olive Union's new Olive Pro earbuds aim to blur the lines between real radio buds and hearing aids.
- They were developed to amplify and clarify voices, but still offer a pleasant music experience.
- The crowdfunded buds are available on a pledge of $ 149 ahead of an expected release in early 2021.
If you are hard of hearing and still want earbuds to trace your life, you may have a viable option. Olive Union has launched a crowdfunding campaign for true Olive Pro wireless earbuds that supposedly serve as hearing aids - just without the high price tag and the trip to the audiologist.
While the Buds Plus case design will sound familiar to anyone who has seen a pair of AirPods, the Olive Pro can "distinguish and amplify" voices while calibrating frequencies to match your personal hearing profile. This can be more than just marketing hype - the FDA regards the Pro as a Class II medical device.
In addition to serving as hearing aids, the wireless buds also have active noise cancellation to cut out unwanted background noise. They also promise low latency, support for voice assistants, and workout-friendly IPX4 water resistance.
In terms of battery life, however, these are not comparable to conventional hearing aids. Olive estimates that with the Pro-Buds yourself, you can hear for about six hours, and over 18 hours total if you include the battery compartment. In this case, while wireless and fast wired charging is supported, you will not get the days associated with traditional hearing aids. Then maybe don't leave these in your ears all day.
Pricing could help. Olive is offering its wireless hearing aid and earbud combo for backers for $ 149, or half the later price of $ 299. If everything goes according to plan, they should reach the first users in the first quarter of 2021. So these aren't the cheapest real radio buds, and they are significantly more noticeable than dedicated hearing aids. However, the company is clearly betting that the price and flexibility translate into better overall value.
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