Hearing aids: No only for the almost deaf? We’ve already seen a product in the emerging category of hearing aids designed for users with relatively mild hearing loss – the Olive Union Olive Max. Now there’s Elehears Alpha Pro, another affordable over-the-counter product aimed at getting users up to speed to get used to hearing aids… before a crisis occurs.
Elehear’s Alpha Pro doesn’t break any new ground when it comes to design, offering a traditional behind-the-ear design with a receiver connected to the main unit via a thin cable – perhaps just a little longer than most. The devices are only available in a dark gray color, which I find more aesthetically pleasing and unobtrusive than the more common silver or beige colors (yech).
Photo: Elehear
The devices come unconfigured, but new users receive a free 30-minute online session with an audiologist if they need help setting up and getting started. If this is your first time wearing a hearing aid, this is a good idea as the audiologist can guide you through the settings and ear tips that are likely to work best for you, as well as give you general usage and cleaning tips. The audiologist (there is only one at Elehear) can also help later on an ad hoc basis by telephone and email.
The Alpha Pro’s hardware controls are simple, with an individual volume rocker on the back of each device. They work out of the box without the Elehear app, but you’ll need to learn the app if you want to get the most out of the hearing aids. While the app is simple on the surface, there is much more to it. Of course, individual volume controls dominate the main screen, with choices for controlling the amount of ambient noise cancellation, as well as the ability to choose between a front-facing voice focus or a 360-degree listening mode. I also found the mute button useful here, which turns off all amplification and allows you to work in peace when you need some peace and quiet.
You can drill down further on the Customize tab. There you’ll find four presets that correspond to different levels of hearing loss, from mild to moderate II. Elehear’s audiologist told me that these are all tuned to common hearing loss patterns—boosting high frequencies more than lower frequencies—but you can tweak them even further by tapping the edit icon, which opens a rudimentary equalizer that lets you adjust levels for ocean wave, world sounds, and birdsong (e.g. lows, mids, and highs). All settings on this screen can be adjusted globally or per ear. There are also four environment modes – General, Restaurant, Outdoor and TV – which are pretty self-explanatory. According to Elehear, the only real difference between them is the strength of the noise reduction along with the use of directional focus mode.
Photo: Elehear