You don’t have to be almost deaf to make use of a listening to support. Many docs urge sufferers to get began with the units early, earlier than listening to loss turns into vital. Olive Union’s Olive Max is the primary listening to support I’ve encountered designed for this particular function, constructed for customers with “gentle to average” listening to loss, which the corporate defines as 26 to 55 decibels of loss. That’s proper in step with my prognosis, so I figured I’d be an ideal candidate for these new units.
Out of the field, you’re more likely to say what I—and everybody I’ve been round—instantly stated once I first laid eyes on the Olive Max: They positive are large. Like, actually large. Every seems to be like a Bluetooth headset from the early 2000s, besides it’s important to put on two. No less than the items, in a two-tone white and grey design, look sporty, together with a wrap-around ear hook that helps maintain them in place. In addition they carry an IPX7 water-resistance score. However at greater than 12 grams every, they’re a strong 4 or 5 instances the load of a typical over-the-counter listening to support. A complete of eight totally different ear suggestions, in three totally different types, are included within the equipment to make sure you get a very good match.
{Photograph}: Olive Union
As listening to aids, the Olive Max items work roughly as marketed, and informal customers can pop them out of the field and into their ears to get began with minimal fuss, although getting them hooked over your ear correctly may be tough, particularly in case you put on glasses. Controls on the again of every support deal with quantity (independently for every ear) and let you choose certainly one of 4 environmental modes (TV, Assembly Room, Out of doors, or Restaurant). You may as well use the buttons to toggle “Hear-Via mode,” which helps you to flip off environmental audio processing altogether in case you merely wish to use the Olive Max as Bluetooth earbuds.
You’ll be able to fine-tune your listening expertise within the My Olive app—although, bizarrely, the listening to support handbook doesn’t point out that an app exists, and even that you should utilize the listening to aids as Bluetooth earbuds. (You need the My Olive app (Android, iOS), not the incompatible Olive Good Ear app.) The app lets you make the identical changes because the bodily controls, nevertheless it additionally gives a noise-reduction and feedback-cancellation characteristic (professional tip: max out each of those), and it features a extra detailed graphic equalizer that permits you to fine-tune frequency response additional.
You’ll be able to’t take a look at your listening to instantly inside the app, though a brief questionnaire will hook you up with numerous “AI-recommended presets” primarily based in your age and some different primary inputs. In order for you something extra refined, you’ll have to delve into the equalizer by hand, however that is principally a trial-and-error scenario. It’s additionally value noting that the My Olive app consists of an audio remedy system designed to assist folks with tinnitus. I don’t endure from tinnitus so I wasn’t certified to check this characteristic.
{Photograph}: Olive Union
