AirPods Pro as hearing assistive technology
Use of Airpod Pros as Assistive Technology
This test will see if AirPods Pro help adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss understand speech in noisy places compared with hearing aids and wireless remote microphones.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 24 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 60 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | The University of Texas at Dallas Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Richardson, Texas) |
| Trial ID | NCT06840015 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This single-site interventional study will recruit 24 adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss for a single ~3-hour laboratory visit to compare four assistive-device conditions: prescription hearing aids, AirPods Pro (2nd and 3rd generation), a dedicated wireless remote microphone, and a smartphone-connected remote microphone. Devices will be fitted bilaterally, programmed to the participant's audiogram, and verified with real-ear measurements to meet NAL-NL2 targets. Speech recognition thresholds in noise will be measured using an adaptive HINT procedure, while listening effort will be indexed by dual-task reaction times and pupil-size changes; participants will also rate ease of understanding and overall satisfaction. The protocol uses standardized presentation (KEMAR mouth simulator, fixed angles for noise sources) and within-subject comparisons to determine relative benefit across devices.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults aged 18–60 with mild-to-moderate hearing loss who are fluent in English and have not used hearing aids within the past year are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with normal hearing, hearing loss worse than moderate, neurological/psychiatric/ophthalmological conditions that affect pupil responses, or substantial prior hearing-aid experience are unlikely to benefit from this test.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, AirPods Pro could offer a lower-cost, widely available option that improves speech understanding and reduces listening effort for some people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have shown consumer earbuds can give modest speech-in-noise benefit for some listeners but typically do not match the performance of properly fit prescription hearing aids, whereas remote microphones reliably improve speech understanding in noise.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 to 60 years. * Fluent English speakers. * Mild-to-moderate hearing loss confirmed by a pure-tone hearing test (average hearing threshold screening 25 to 55 dB HL across octave frequencies from 250 to 8000 Hz). * Individuals with no prior hearing aid experience for a year. Exclusion Criteria: * Normal hearing. * Hearing loss worse than moderate. * Neurological, psychiatric, or ophthalmological conditions that might alter the pupil response. * Non-fluent English speakers. * Individuals with prior hearing aid experience more than a year.
Where this trial is running
Richardson, Texas
- Callier Center for Communication Disorders — Richardson, Texas, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Seeon Kim, Ph.D. — Callier Center for Communication Disorders
- Study coordinator: Linda Thibodeau, Ph.D.
- Email: thib@utdallas.edu
- Phone: 972-883-3108
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.