May 13, 2021

Imagine a pair of earbuds that combine with two speakers that can sit comfortably on your shoulders. Add a great microphone and some assistive listening tech and you’ve got the BeHear PROXY Shoulder Speaker and Earphones from Alango Technologies. Tech expert Dave Taylor of www.AskDaveTaylor.com checks out the BeHear PROXY and finds that there really is a lot to like in this slick integration of assistive hearing tech, hearing aid circuitry, a Bluetooth speaker, and much more.

Summary of review points – pros and cons:

This is the BeHear PROXY shoulder speaker from Alango Technologies. At its most obvious, it’s a pair of speakers that you can put around your neck, and you can listen to content. But, there’s lots of hidden features:

Let’s start out with just the music.

I’ve paired, via Bluetooth, with my smartphone, and I’ll just put on some music. And there are controls on this side to let me go to next and previous track and pause and play. All those features are really great, and obviously it’s super convenient to have this here, particularly when you can go up to 10 meters (or 33 feet) away from your Bluetooth source device.

Built-in ear buds for private listening and hearing amplification mode
I can put those in my ears, so then I’m going to turn the music back on, and then there’s a little switch on the side that lets you choose which audio output you want. I got to say, it sounds really good. All of a sudden, there’s way more bass. The ear buds come with a lot of ear tips, which is great. Different shapes, different sizes. As always, take the time to figure out exactly the ones you need to get the best sound.

And there’s little buttons you push, and they retract these back up, and I can obviously switch it back to speakers. And you can also get into, “hearing mode” and it will amplify the sound around you, so these are also, like a hearing aid device. Really cool!

Pairing BeHear PROXY with a Bluetooth device

You can pair PROXY with your mobile phone and then you can take a phone call… It sounds really good. Now, remember, I’m about a foot away from my phone, but I could be up to 33 feet away, so I could be outside gardening or something, and still be chatting with someone, I’d hear them through the speakers, and I’d be talking to them through the microphone. Pretty slick design.

The BeHear PROXY speakers are also tuned for TV dialogue. There’s a big mid-range boost here. They aren’t designed to really be simulating a discotheque or night club, so you you’re not going to get all that full, rich sound (you do with the earbuds – that’s another story) but again it’s really great if you have a TV with a Bluetooth transmitter. This will do a great job of bringing up that mid-range, that center channel, that ability for you to hear what the heck people are actually saying, and that’s what’s weirdly hard on modern TVs now. You can use these with or without your own hearing aids, if you have them. It’s Bluetooth 4.2 pairing with your Android or iPhone, or other Bluetooth device. It is a multi-point connection, so if you have it paired with your Bluetooth on your TV, you can also simultaneously have it paired with your phone, so if you get a phone call you can just take it without having to disconnect and reconnect and mess around…

It supports aptx Low Latency, so if you want to use these while you’re watching TV or something, then the words and the voices are not out of sync with what you’re actually seeing, whether it’s on your phone, or your tablet, or obviously your television.

It charges via a micro USB

Points off for micro USB, I really much prefer USB C, because then you don’t have to worry about the orientation of the plug.

Battery life: it is 1050mAh which means if you use this as a loudspeaker, you get about 10 hours of playback on it. Switch to the earbuds, and you get 40 hours of playback. If you want to make phone calls with this, using the earbuds, then you’re going to get 45 hours, and if you want to use that sound amplification, where it’s basically using the microphone, boosting the voice and audio, and then putting it through your earbuds, then for that you can get 50 hours on a charge.

BeHear PROXY control buttons

On the outer right-hand side there’s pause, play, louder, softer, next track, previous track – all of those multi-function buttons. On the inside of the right side is a retract button for the ear buds, and then there’s the power charging spot. And then power itself, which is kind of like a funky little button which is not an off/off slider – it’s a slider when you put it into the other position, and then hold it for a couple of seconds, and then it will say “power off” or it will say “power on” or similar. On the the inner left side, is the simplest of all, it has the retract button, and then on the outside of the left, is the speakers vs earphones button. Most of it’s on your right-hand side, sorry if you’re left-handed, you’re probably already used to this, but the good news is, as with all of these devices, if you want to, you can just control everything from your source device, and it’s really easy. And really all you need to remember is pause/play. So, pretty darn easy. It also comes with a really good guide, it will help you get up to speed.

Conclusion: I’m actually pretty impressed with BeHear PROXY

I’m pretty impressed with the speakers, the microphone, the ear buds quality and everything. Really good, rich sound range, really good presence for the ear buds. And I tried listening and chatting, like I said, on a Clubhouse call, and that was perfect. So, that’s a lot of people talking all at the same time, and then I could add my two cents too. And that worked out really well. So I could listen, and enjoy the conversation, and when it was my turn to talk, I could just unmute on my phone and talk, not having to worry about having my phone really close to my mouth, or anything like that. Really, really convenient, and since Clubhouse is the kind of service, like podcasts, where you’re mostly listening, if not almost exclusively listening, having it come out of these speakers while I was walking around, or doing housework, or cleaning up, or doing garden work, or yard work or something – all of that, super convenient. Really, really cool.

They’re a little “spendy” because they are on the assistive hearing side, they’re not just Bluetooth speakers. They are $189 and you can pick them up at www.WearAndHear.com. If you are just looking for a pair of Bluetooth speakers these might be a little overkill, but if you have someone in your family that needs the voice, needs the audio to be a little bit louder for them to be able to fully participate, these are a great option, because – among other things – they give you so many other features. Hearing aids are super expensive. And for some people, it’s not really what they need yet. So, something like this is a really great transitional hearing device, hearing assistive device (got to get the right phrase). So, definitely worth checking out.

May 03, 2021

Seema uses BeHear PROXY neck speaker to reduce listening fatigue at work, when receiving travel requirements from clients on the go, and at home, to enjoy TV without disturbing the other family members.

With BeHear PROXY I can hear all the details…

My name is Seema, and I’m a travel consultant. I mostly deal with business travel clients. My clients typically call me in the middle of the day, often from very noisy spaces.

The success of my work totally depends on my not missing any details while receiving travel requirements. Sometimes, even the tone which is used when relaying details will determine the type of services I choose to offer.

I have a small hearing loss in one ear. I do not wear hearing aids, I’m not quite there yet, but I thought it would be really interesting to try the PROXY. I have completely fallen in love with this product. It’s a dream come true.

The BeHear PROXY neck speaker is comfortable and convenient

It’s very light and comfortable on my shoulders, around my neck. Its features are very accessible – the volume, turning it off and on, moving from earphones, which are very comfortable and stay in my ear, they do not fall out. And they are put away very easily.

BeHear PROXY enables me to work hands free, which is incredibly important. I can get up, I can move around, I can write, I can copy, I can research, while I’m listening. The clarity and the sharpness of the sound is incredible. I don’t miss a single word of any conversation.

When I’m in the office, I use earphones, for privacy. And when I’m alone, at home, I work without them. Since having PROXY I have not gone one single day without using it.

“I never imagined I would love BeHear PROXY more than my Dyson!”

I have to say that I also noticed that I feel so much less tired at the end of the day since I apparently am exerting so much less energy focusing and concentrating on hearing. The BeHear PROXY neck speaker reduces listening fatigue.

Watching TV has also become a pleasure. I can hear at my own volume. I do not bother anybody, no one else disturbs me. And no one hears me saying “shush” anymore. Thank you so much BeHear PROXY for this incredible experience!

April 25, 2021

In this blog post we’re sharing comments from Beth, a singer and music teacher who explains how PROXY helps her hear better with hearing aids. She started using the BeHear PROXY neck speaker a few weeks ago and was amazed by the sound quality, comfort, ease-of-use, and flexibility of the multi-functional hearing amplifier. She uses BeHear PROXY to listen to music and podcasts while exercising, speak hands-free in mobile calls, and tutor students over Zoom.

I decided to get hearing aids when I realized I was becoming a burden

My name is Beth, and I’m a cantor, which means that I chant religious services, and I also prepare young people to chant and sing religious text. And this means that I really need my ears.

About 4-4.5 years ago, I noticed a drop in the hearing in my right ear. I noticed this because if I held my phone to my right ear I couldn’t hear so well, but if I moved it to my left ear, I suddenly heard very clearly.

So I went to an audiologist and I was diagnosed with a hearing loss. They told me I wasn’t quite a candidate for hearing aids yet, so I waited a while, and I wondered about it, and asked myself “do I want hearing aids?”

Eventually, there really wasn’t a choice; when you’re going “what, what, what?” every other sentence, you realize you’re becoming a burden to the people around you.

So then I took on the process of researching hearing aids, because there are so many kinds, and which one do I buy, and it’s a big investment. And I finally settled on a brand, and I’ve been wearing hearing aids now for about three years, and I enjoy them very much, they’ve made a huge difference in my quality of life.

With PROXY I don’t always need my hearing aids in to hear better

Then I heard about the BeHear PROXY. When I first looked at the videos online I became intrigued, because it seemed like it was offering a middle ground; I didn’t always need to have my hearing aids in to hear well!

My hearing aids are comfortable, but because of my work, and because of my active lifestyle, I have to have them in from early in the morning until late at night. I can’t be in front of the TV or the computer without them, and my ears get a bit tired wearing hearing aids for 12-15 hours. They also don’t always make my sound 100% clear. My hearing is definitely better with the hearing aids, but there are still certain things that I don’t hear clearly.

When I first put on the BeHear PROXY I discovered that there’s another “space” in this hearing world, and that is one that I can use in my home very comfortably. The ear pieces are extremely comfortable, they’re soft and they fit very easily.

The BeHear PROXY is very light on my neck. That was another thing: when I opened the box, I loved the design. It’s attractive, it’s easy to wear, and the retractors for the ear pieces work so beautifully, and are so simple to use.

So, when I’m walking outside, and I do walk about 3-5 miles every day, they’re really comfortable to wear and to use, and to listen to my music, or my podcasts, and I don’t have to have my phone in my hand, and I don’t have the headphones on, which get tight and bulky, after a while, when you’re walking for an hour and a half, that’s what happens.

The amazing speakers are fabulous for Zoom calls

My favorite, my absolute favorite feature, are the amazing speakers. The sound is so clear, and so crisp, when it comes into my ears, that it’s unlike anything I’ve heard for a long, long time, even with my fabulous hearing aids. So I really really appreciate that, particularly when I’m teaching children on Zoom, or when I’m in classes on Zoom. I have a 3-hour writing class that I’m taking, and that’s a long time to be listening. The BeHear is just a fabulous thing to be using for that purpose.

I also like that I can adjust the volume easily, with the BeHear, and that I have the app that I can do that through as well. Your hearing aids have a set position, and it’s a really good position, but sometimes I feel like I’d like to be able to turn up the volume as well, and I can do that with my BeHear PROXY.

I wish I knew about PROXY before I got my hearing aid

One thing that happened for me, when I found out that I needed hearing aids, was a little bit of difficulty with this change in my self-image. And I was a bit uncomfortable with the idea of having hearing aids. For me, BeHear PROXY would have been, if I had had it at the time I was considering hearing aids, a great way to ease into the transition. BeHear PROXY gives me flexibility; it gives me a really comfortable way to experience hearing amplification.

I think in retrospect, if this had been available to me when I was in my search for hearing aids, and debating, I would totally have bought this. BeHear PROXY is very reasonably priced and would have been a great way to have an experience with hearing amplification without having to invest a lot of money, and get involved, and worry about all of the implications. This is a really comfortable, easy to use instrument, that gives me what I need.

If I had known about BeHear PROXY when I was first dealing with getting hearing aids, I think it would have been a great help in navigating my issues of self-image as I came to terms with the fact that I was going to need hearing aids.

Bottom line: the sound quality of BeHear PROXY goes above and beyond any expectation

I love the sound quality of BeHear PROXY. It goes above and beyond anything I could have expected. While I have good hearing aids, this gives me good flexibility and options that I didn’t have before. I love using BeHear PROXY with my computer, I love using it with my television, I love using it when I exercise, and listening to my cell phone, to my podcasts, to my music. I love being able to answer the phone, when I’m in the house, and it’s completely hands-free. And the sound quality when I speak to people, is good as well. They hear me very clearly, and I hear other people more clearly as well. And so, it’s a great, great product. I’ve really enjoyed using it and I’m so grateful that I have it now. I can’t imagine having just my hearing aids, anymore. I will definitely be using the BeHear PROXY in the years to come.

April 20, 2021

Before buying the BeHear ACCESS, I had NHS behind-the-ear hearing aids for five years and needed them to be readjusted after three. This required waiting for an appointment with the audiologist.  Luckily that was before Covid and the lockdowns. One of the great things about the BeHear hearables is that if I feel my hearing has deteriorated, I can just use the built-in hearing assessment any time I like (lockdown or not) and save the settings in the App’s library.

My original reason for moving on from my hearing aids, was I wanted to use Bluetooth.  My hobby is Family History and our U3A group face to face meetings had had to be cancelled during lockdown, so we trialed Zoom meetings with great success.  Unfortunately, my laptop sound is not of sufficient quality or level for my hearing, and I was losing a lot of the conversation. 

I researched a number of available Bluetooth adapters such as neck loops as well as hearables products, and although there are other hearables that also have a self-assessment feature, the BeHear wearables looked to be the only ones that could offer the range of features I was looking for and the level of audio gain that my high frequency hearing loss required.

When I had my NHS (National Health Service) hearing aids readjusted previously I had also had the Telecoil feature enabled as I had found theatre acoustics and reverberation a problem. The BeHear ACCESS provided the perfect solution with the in-built Telecoil.

Having had the BeHear ACCESS for a while now, I have been very pleased with the purchase. There are a number of activities that have improved that I had not considered originally; for example, I can listen to a podcast whilst mowing the lawn or adjust the sound settings on the fly for a difficult sound situation.  The wind noise (with or without the supplied wind mufflers) is much less of a problem than with the BTE. 

With the extra boost these give to my high frequency hearing, I can appreciate bird song again.

Finally, my BTE hearing aids pick up unwanted noise from behind.  This is particularly bothersome in a restaurant.  Sitting with my back to a wall doesn’t solve the problem as the hard surface reflects the sound onto the hearing aids.  With lockdown coming to an end I am looking forward to enjoying restaurants and theatre shows.

Negatives are few and small. The NHS hearing aids are more comfortable; I did find the earbuds a little difficult to get used to and had to use the smallest size (perhaps I have small ear canals) and they can make my ears sore if I have them in all day. The Bluetooth range would be better if it was version 5.0 rather than Version 4.2, but connection can be made to two devices e.g., laptop and phone concurrently, which is really useful.

April 07, 2021

Suhail explains his journey and how BeHear hearing technology bridges the gap between audiology and smartphone technology with an app that gives the user control over their hearing.

When the first iPhone was released, back in 2007, I envisioned a revolution in my field of audiology. If it would be possible to connect between the mobile phone and hearing aids, this could create new hearing technology and empower hearing aid users in a completely new way – instead of being completely dependent on the audiologist to tune their device, users could access some of the technological features and control their own hearing definitions.

The smartphone industry began to flourish, and it was obvious to me that, as a result, hearing rehabilitation and the hearing aid industry would forever change.

My name is Suhail Habib Allah and I am an audiologist. I am also an electrical engineer with a specialty in software programming. My dream was to bridge the gap between audiology and technology and develop a device that empowers the user with more control over their hearing while providing high-fidelity sound.

Enter, BeHear.

In 2015, I joined Alango Technologies and took a leading role in the development of the BeHear product line: hearables that provide cutting edge hearing technology at minimal effort for the user. BeHear hearing amplifiers are powerful, professional hearing enhancement solutions.

BeHear devices are a combination of a hearing amplification headset and a dedicated app that enables user control over sound definitions. The app walks the user through the set up and fine tuning of what he or she hears. Front end algorithms were incorporated to improve the SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) in complex listening situations. Hearing mode presets were designed to help the user switch between different modes in real time.

The core of the app and the element on which the sound customization is based is our hearing test. Accurate hearing screening has always been the foundation of successful rehabilitation and device fitting, it’s no different for BeHear. Our innovation is putting a professional quality screening tool in the hands of the user. We knew that the customization capabilities would differentiate our offering. That’s why we invested a lot of time developing the hearing test, putting it through extensive field testing and fine tuning of capabilities before its release.

In the second stage of BeHear development, we worked on the fitting formula. Our goal was to deliver crystal clear, sharp sound, providing users a comfortable sound range, thus reducing listening strain and enabling comfortable use for extended periods of time.

We developed a fitting formula based on equalization of the of the loudness dynamic range across the frequency spectrum, giving more weight and emphasizing the high frequencies – especially in the region 2-4 KHz.  This formula, combined with some of the company’s proprietary technology, resulted in an industry-disruptive assistive hearing device with clear advantages:

• high end sound enhancement features – the quality of a hearing aid in the form of an easy to adopt hearable;

• disrupting the process of getting a hearing rehabilitation device – reducing the timeframe between when a person recognizes that he or she needs hearing help and getting a device can be significant in preventing further hearing degradation, in addition to maintaining quality of life. The old, complex and prolonged process is replaced with a new streamlined option;

• gives the users more independence and control – this is important for emotional wellbeing!

• affordable – cost is known to be one of the significant barriers in adopting hearing aids. BeHear makes quality hearing accessible to all.

It’s been over a decade since I first began this journey. Learning to be an engineer as well as an audiologist enabled me to realize my vision of leveraging technology to create a new hearing experience. It also provided me the opportunity to play a significant role in the development of BeHear, which is making life sound better for people, worldwide.

---

Written by Suhail Habib Allah, BeHear Chief Audiologist

Let’s talk on LinkedIn

Follow us on social media

• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube

April 06, 2021

I am standing in my kitchen now, listening to “Abraham, Martin and John” through the device’s speakers (stereo enhancement turned on). It sounds AWESOME, and yet if I take it off, it is certainly not loud enough to bother my next door neighbors, like my TV used to…

The sound fidelity is crystal clear, the tonal qualities are just right, I can hear fine nuances in the music, it is comfortable to wear and it is so easy to use. I love the fact that I do not have to use the earbuds. I don’t want to stop listening.

Now I’m mellowing out to the sound of Barbra Streisand singing “What’s it All About, Alfie?” I am in music heaven!

A few weeks ago I had created a personalized hearing profile in the BeHear app when I reviewed the BeHear ACCESS. Is it possible to copy that hearing profile over to the BeHear PROXY, or will I need to get my hearing tested again?

I really love listening to my music library, while I wear the BeHear PROXY. It lets me consistently listen to pleasing, high fidelity audio, without the need to use earbuds or headphones. When walking, driving and engaging in other activities, the BeHear PROXY hearing amplifier should enable users to clearly hear, and be aware of, all that is going on around them.

Now, finally, I can enjoy my music at a volume that is loud enough for me to hear it, without bothering anyone. Life is good. You’ve really hit a home run with BeHear PROXY.

March 18, 2021

Our goal is to democratize hearing and help make everyone’s life sound better. That’s why we make cutting edge hearing technology accessible to everyone who needs it. BUT, since prevention is the best cure, we’ve decided to share 3 easy hearing tips that will help protect you and the people you love from hearing loss in the future:

Hearing tip № 1

Love to spend time at restaurants and bars with loud music? How about rock concerts? Prepare to be our customer! The outbreak of Covid19 made it difficult to do many of the things we most enjoy. The good news is that, as vaccinations become more prevalent and quarantines are opened, we are going back to our old routines. The bad news is that loud music creates a dangerous level of sound which damages your ears.
Avoid being close to loudspeakers, especially for extended periods of time. Prepare in advance and use earplugs or give your ears a rest by going outside from time to time.

Hearing tip № 2

Working in a loud place without hearing protection? Welcome to our club!
Many people are exposed the sounds generated by machinery during their working hours. That means extended exposure, day after day, for years. Hearing loss occurs slowly, over time and so, for example, a construction worker might not notice there is a problem until it is too late. This is a case of better safe than sorry! Your employer should supply you with ear protection in the form of noise cancelling headphones, or at least earplugs. If they don’t, it’s worth purchasing your own earplugs. The expense is small but the benefit in avoiding accumulative damage is large. 

Hearing tip № 3

Are you a parent to a teenager? It’s important to check whether or not they are blasting their eardrums, paving the way to a future of hearing loss.
Teenagers commonly prefer listening to music at the highest possible volume to lose themselves in the beat. If you can hear the music “spilling out” of their room or headset, it is too loud – but that also means you are in luck! It’s highly probable that your teenager is blasting his or her ears via their headphones and, unless you actively check, you will never know. Be active in teaching hearing health awareness. Your kids might think you are annoying now (they will for a million other things anyway), but they will thank you in the future. 

Whenever possible, it is best to prevent difficulties, but if you are currently experiencing hearing loss, no worries! Our hearables offer a simple and accessible hearing enhancement solution that make life sound better. There is no reason to miss out on the activities and interactions that you love!

February 28, 2021

Did you know that hearing health impacts not only your physical, but also your emotional and mental wellbeing?  Most people don’t realize how important, or how complex hearing is. It’s the one sense we just don’t think about.

We experience the richness of life through our ears and don’t even notice. If a grilled cheese sandwich doesn’t sizzle, it doesn’t arouse our appetite in the same way. When we want to describe a city as exciting, we tend to focus on the bustling crowd and the urban beat. For nature it’s the bubbling of a brook, chirping birds or rustling leaves. 

Sound injects feeling into experiences that would otherwise be mute, flat, and distant.

When we truly understand how complex the hearing mechanism is, it is easier to understand why it is a good idea to make hearing health part of our self-care anti-aging regimen, to maintain mental and physical wellness.  

Hearing loss and cognitive function are related. The correlation between untreated hearing loss and cognitive decline is well documented. Hearing loss makes social interaction more difficult, reduces the ability to connect with others, and often leads to isolation and decreased physical activity. This results in a marked decline in physical and even mental health. Recent research has uncovered that untreated hearing loss in mid-life is the most significant factor in the later onset of dementia(!).

This discovery is shocking, but it is also good news. Awareness of the significance of hearing health, coupled with the realization that hearing degradation is a natural part of life, is the first step to implementing mitigatory care.

The challenge is in overcoming the psychological and financial barriers to seeking care. 15% of the general population experience some level of hearing loss but because degradation is gradual, many don’t recognize the decline until it becomes serious. On average it takes 7 years from the moment a person accepts that he or she is experiencing hearing loss to the point where they start to seek treatment.

When hearing loss is ignored and left untreated, the auditory system is deprived of sound, resulting in subsequent atrophy of the auditory nerves and speech processing areas of the brain. In other words, untreated hearing loss goes beyond the ears to affect the brain itself. Unfortunately, technological solutions cannot fully compensate for the physical and mental capabilities which are lost when ears go untreated. Severe hearing loss needs to be treated with hearing aids or surgery, solutions that are both expensive and complicated.

So how can we attain the best possible hearing health and maintain a high quality of life, for as long as possible?

Step 1: Awareness

Understanding that hearing matters can help us protect ourselves and those we love. Try to notice if you or someone close to you frequently asks people to repeat themselves, has trouble making out conversations in noisy places, or gets frustrated trying to understand dialogue on TV.

Step 2: Prevention

Age-related hearing loss is something most of us will eventually experience ourselves or in someone close to us. Preventative care can help delay onset so it is a good idea to protect the ears whenever possible. Avoid environments that are extremely loud, especially when the volume remains intense over extended periods of time. But what if you are a factory worker? Or work in a bar? Prepare in advance! Use protective gear, a headset or earplugs. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

Step 3: Get hearing help early!

Implementing assistive hearing solutions sooner, rather than later, addresses hearing challenges when the problem is mild to moderate. This is a way to keep the ears young and the mind sharp and help avoid worse problems in the future. BeHear hearables for example, are hearing enhancement solutions that provide the audio quality of hearing aids at the price of competing hearables. BeHear’s sophisticated technology provides a customizable solution that enables the wearer to self-tune and control his or her own hearing without having to go through the complex and expensive process of getting a hearing aid.

February 04, 2021

Hear loud and clear in your virtual meetings and mobile phone calls with BeHear headsets

Video calls are a workday staple while we shelter in place, and hearing clearly is essential to performing well in these sessions. You’ll appreciate how effortless it is to communicate using a BeHear headset, which is specifically designed to help you hear your colleagues, clients, and classroom clearly.

All BeHear Bluetooth headsets pair simultaneously with your computer and smartphone. Get the full benefit of working remotely, whether via mobile calls or conference platforms such as Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, etc., as you enjoy these great BeHear features:

• Customization: Using the integrated smartphone app you can automatically program the headset to suit your unique hearing profile.
  
• Amplification: Get a volume boost when you need it: about 20% greater than your mobile phone gives you!
  
• Comprehension: Our proprietary EasyListen technology imperceptibly slows down incoming speech to improve understanding.
  
• Loudspeaker: The BeHear PROXY can rest on your shoulders, or on a table to deliver clear dialogue to your unencumbered ears.
  
• Multi-functional: Our Bluetooth headsets can be used for live conversations as well as streamed audio.

Which BeHear is Right for You?

All are great for Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, etc., mobile calls, and face-to-face conversations!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

January 28, 2021

Rodney’s Story

Now, it took me a while to realize that I actually needed any help with my hearing. The family really pushed me into it. And when I eventually got the hearing aids, after much discussion about the high costs, I found them OK, but then I found that batteries are expensive, so in the long term I stopped wearing them, which really was a very silly thing to do, but that’s what happened. So this led me to look for another solution.

I was actually looking for hearing aids that are rechargeable.

But when I was looking I found this interesting company called Wear & Hear and after some searching with Frequently Asked Questions and listening to people who had actually used the device I decided to take a plunge and go ahead and buy the BeHear NOW. It was of course very very very much cheaper than the headphones I was looking at and so I bought it and I’m very pleased with the results so far. And of course, particularly in the family they’ve stopped sort of saying “why can’t you hear?”, “why’d you ask me to say that again?”

So, it’s changed quite a lot in the house, because my wife particularly is benefiting from not having the television absolutely blasting out.

The situation I find now is that when I’m particularly listening to a conversation on a mobile phone, this is dramatic improvement for me because I was finding it very difficult to hear conversations either on the actual phone itself (holding it to my ear) or in fact through the speaker. This has made a dramatic difference, it is really very very clear, and that’s a great help. The other thing I find is that, it’s rather interesting, if somebody’s on the line, and absolutely gabbling away to me, I press the speech “slow down” button and that really helps also!

Advice for Others Starting Their Journey to Improved Hearing

I would say that anybody who’s looking for hearing aids, or some solution to help their hearing, I would certainly say try one of the Wear & Hear headsets because, first of all, there is a tremendous saving from the economical point of view but also from the actual quality of hearing.

People think you’re listening to music and people don’t realize you have a hearing problem.

Thoughts About Usability: Simple as A-B-C

I love playing with gadgets, and this to me was a new gadget. It took me a very short time, I read the instructions.  There are also very helpful videos, which I watched as well. And, to set it up and do the hearing test, really very simple, absolutely A,B,C. And got it up and running very quickly.  And then after that, of course, I found out there were other little tweaks that you can do. And so, really it was not a problem at all.  Anybody who isn’t sort of “tech” — no problem at all.

Understanding People Wearing Masks is No Longer a Problem

One of the things I do find very useful is when I’m outside the house is when shopping, and particularly at the checkout counter, it’s very helpful to hear first of all, what they’re saying, and nowadays with the Perspex screen in front of the cashier and the masks on, it’s very difficult sometimes to hear what people say and now I have no problem at all with that.

Spreading the Love & Well-Being

I noticed one particular person always asking me the same questions: “how easy is it to use?”, “is it comfortable?” and I said, yeah, yeah, why? “Well, I actually have a little bit of trouble hearing.” And to cut a long story short, they went out and bought one and are forever grateful. Every time we talk she says “oh, thank you so much, thank you so much.” She says to people: “Rodney’s changed my life!”

Watch Rodney’s full video testimonial below:

October 22, 2020

General Comments About BeHear NOW

Fast delivery and good support.

The unit looks very nice and includes a sturdy case. Feels like quality is there!

Documentation is very good and I appreciate the YouTube demos.

I like the neckband form factor and the ear hook design very much. I can wear it all time even when not using earbuds and never worry about losing them or even searching for them.

Most hearing aids come with one side only, I like very much having the two earbuds. Less listening efforts, less fatigue. After all, we don’t wear eyeglasses with only one lens…

The self fitting (personalization) works very well and is quite accurate. I like the sound tuning platform for finer adjustment.

Working Performance of the BeHear NOW Headset

The sound from the Bluetooth is very nice, I can hear all the ssss and other consonants. Also, there is plenty of gain, and low delay when listening to TV. ListenThrough is a nice feature when watching TV with others.

For me, Personal Hearing mode performs best with the volume below mid-level, especially for Indoor mode; at a higher volume, the microphones are overly sensitive to room acoustics (reverberation), especially with noise that is in close proximity. Personally, I prefer using the Personal Hearing in ‘Crowd mode’. It feels less sensitive to room acoustics and and the microphones seem to be more directional.

My Conclusions

 I am a satisfied BeHear customer. I like the form factor and the features, but most important it helps a lot with speech comprehension.

August 20, 2020

I received my new hearing device about 10 days ago.  The first time I put it on I exclaimed to my carer “amazing! I didn’t know how much my hearing has deteriorated.”

Shayna Orbaum, satisfied BeHear ACCESS customer

Before I was able to use the device I had to do the set-up, which included performing my own assessment of how each ear received the different sounds and tones.  And also pairing it with the Bluetooth on my smartphone.
The accompanying instructions are very clear with pictures and big writing.  Very easy to follow. 

I am able to enjoy TV so much more. 

I found myself tuning in more and more to Netflix because there I could read the subtitles. I still love Netflix, but now am able to pick out movies from the VOD library and hear every word loud and clear. 

I used to have the volume up to about 45, when now I don’t need to raise the volume to more than 28, which is comfortable for my carer.

Phone calls: what a pleasure to be able to hear so well.  I don’t even have to hold the phone to my ear.  The phone sits on the table or desk and I just speak normally as though I am speaking to someone nearby. I still have to try out the slow speaking mode.

I have tried medical hearing aids about 3 years ago.  I just could not adjust, always hearing an echo or other noises.  I went back to the audiologist about 6 or 7 times and it was determined that my ear canals are small and hearing aids are not suitable for me. I was refunded the 8,000 shekels without any problems. 

I thank Hillel Fuld for his article in the Jerusalem Post about Wear & Hear. 

August 18, 2020

The measure of the BeHear Access’s capability was my wife’s request that I put it on any time she could tell I wasn’t wearing it.

Bruce Brown, editor at HealthTech Insider, recently reviewed the BeHear ACCESS personalizable hearing amplifier. With his moderately severe mid-to-high-frequency loss in both ears, Mr. Brown was well-positioned to benefit from the assistive hearing headset, which has a fitting range of mild-to-moderately severe.

He reports:

“The BeHear Access hearables improved my ability to understand what my wife was saying without always asking her to repeat herself. We could both watch TV at a reasonable audio volume as I could just crank it up a bit with the hearable’s volume control.”

The COVID-19 pandemic is disturbing lifestyles for most, if not all, of us. Those with hearing loss may feel particularly affected due to social distancing, which exacerbates hearing difficulty, increasing frustration during communication attempts. Mr. Brown was able to appreciate the Wear & Hear BeHear technology in these situations. He writes:

I used the hearables’ Bluetooth connection successfully for smartphone calls and video conferences. Still, in these days of self-imposed residential sequestering, the most telling benefit for me was in conversation and watching television.”

Read the full article here.

August 03, 2020

Brenda Guy, a middle school teacher in the Midwest, lately shared her experiences with Wear & Hear products in a video:

Here’s Brenda’s story:

If there’s any kind of a silver lining to the current pandemic we find ourselves in across the world, it’s me finding the Alango BeHear ACCESS and BeHear NOW. I’m a schoolteacher and I started noticed issues with having to ask my kids to repeat themselves. I would think “they are just mumbling”.

You really don’t realize what you’re missing.

There were some other things I realized I was missing, but it’s hard to know what you’re missing! You really don’t realize what you’re missing. One day, actually over a year ago, I was in another teacher’s classroom and people were talking about this annoying noise, and I kept standing there thinking, “I can’t hear it”. And so finally I actually asked “what do you mean, what noise are you hearing?” Apparently it was a high-pitched noise that was just out of my hearing range, and I had not realized there were so many things that I was not hearing.

I did find myself asking other people “what” more often, to repeat themselves, Sometimes it would just take me a second to figure out what somebody had said. It would take me a second to process it. I would hear it, but I was missing some of those quieter sounds in the language, and so it would take me a second for my brain to kind of put together the missing pieces to figure out the whole message. So I finally, in a visit to my doctor, we talked about it. She sent me for audiology. I went in over my winter break from school, and actually found that my right ear, was mild-to-moderate hearing loss. My left ear: moderate-to-severe. So, then they wanted to send me for an MRI, because of the imbalance of the hearing issue. They were concerned there may be a medical issue. So that was in Feb., I went for the MRI. Everything came back fine, medically.

So just about the time I was thinking I was going out to start looking for hearing aids, and thinking I’m going to spend anywhere from $5000 – $7000 for hearing aids, that’s when we completely shut down everything: schools closed, businesses closed, so I was kind of at a standstill with it. So during that time I was home, after I had been home for a while, I started looking for something online. I realized there were some other hearing assistive devices out there and I started looking into some of those, and looking at reviews. And in my looking I found Bose Hearphones, and that’s of course a well-known brand and it sounded wonderful and it was I think around $600, $700, so it was cheaper than hearing aids, but I did start looking at other reviews of the Hearphones, because I wanted to know what it actually did. And in doing that, I ran across a comparison of the Hearphones and the Alango BeHear.

It appeared that the Alango had more features and was less money.

It appeared that the Alango had more features and was less money. So, I did as much research as I could online, I read what was on their Web site, I looked for things outside of their Web site on the company. I found things about the founder, found things about the company that the impressed me and I signed up on the Web site to receive news from the company.

I was impressed with the personal service of it.

Within just a short time, I mean hours, I had a reply, not a robo-reply, an automatic reply to my e-mail request, but I had an e-mail from someone from the company saying they would be pleased to answer questions that I may have. I was impressed with the personal service of it.

Over the next about 2 weeks or so questions went back & forth, were answered very patiently and again, reading all kinds of things that I could find about it, and when I did decide to purchase and it was much cheaper than the Hearphones. In fact, I made the decision to buy both a BeHear NOW and a BeHear ACCESS. Part of that was because some of the reviews I’d seen online said that people had bought a second set just to make sure they had one in backup charging. It does have about a 12-13 hour charge on it, depending on what you’re doing with it. Either people that already bought one were saying they wish they had, and they were planning to. So I actually got both the ACCESS and the BeHear NOW. The ACCESS has the T-coil capability, which I’m not sure I’ll need very often, but it does have it. It also has larger buttons, it’s a little bit easier to control, and I actually do like it a little better than the BeHear NOW. But I like both of them, they work very well.

I can hear better when I’m watching TV, I hear better in conversation, I hear better when I’m talking to people on the phone.

As far as the hearing, they both do the same. I can hear better when I’m watching TV, I hear better in conversation, I hear better when I’m talking to people on the phone. It has Bluetooth capability so I can connect it to my phone, I can connect it to my computer (which I did for virtual meetings). Since schools have been shut and communicating with kids it’s made it much easier for me to hear. I like that even if I’m just listening to music on my computer, or video on my computer, I can still hear what’s going on around me. I’m not completely blocked like I am with over-the-ear headphones. And while the sound is clear and it’s great. I do like to know what’s going on around me and not be completely closed off. I recently ended up going in for a training at school, which was socially distanced, with masks, but it’s in a room in the school where I work, where I normally have a great deal of trouble hearing. The acoustics are not good in the room to begin with, and with my hearing issue it makes it even harder.

I was sitting in the back of the room and I had no trouble at all hearing what was going on or following the training.

And it was the first time I’d had a chance to have the BeHear in that room. And I have to say that I had no trouble at all. I was sitting in the back of the room and I had no trouble at all hearing what was going on or following the training. So that was very nice.

I don’t say “what?” to my husband nearly as often. I can hear the alarm when it goes off on the microwave when it dings.

I can hear the timer on my stove in the kitchen which I normally before could not hear unless I was in the kitchen and it’s a very loud sound, so even if I leave and go to another part of the house I can still hear it, which is kind of a safety thing — it’s nice to know I can hear that timer.

Since I’ve been using this I don’t feel like I need to look for hearing aids.

I didn’t try any other solutions before this. Since I’ve been using this I don’t feel like I need to look for hearing aids. This has taken care of my issue at this point. It may be in the future that my hearing gets to the point where I need something else but as far as now I don’t. I like a lot of things about it. The phone app is easy to use.

One of the things I like about is that I’m kind of in charge of setting it and controlling it, and I can adjust it and modify according to what I need without going and making an appointment, which is really great since I wouldn’t have been able to make an appointment for anywhere at this point, had I gotten something just before we all shut down.

I did the “Advanced” hearing assessment. It automatically programs the device according to the frequencies you need. It’s not just an overall volume is louder; it actually does adjust for the frequencies, so you’re not hearing things that you normally can hear at a much higher volume level, but it does enhance the frequencies that you are weak with…It does have a capability of me going in and actually inputting the values from my audiology report. I haven’t done that, I haven’t felt the need to do it. I feel like it’s good as it is. I like the fact that you can go in and kind of adjust it, if you want to, save it in the Library, and then you can compare the settings. You can actually save it; it’s easy to change from one to the other. So, if you change something and go “well, it was better before”, then you can go back to the one that you had before.

I kind of forget that I have it on.

I have told people about this. Most people don’t even notice that I have it on when I’m in a virtual meeting. Sometimes I have, at the end, kind of raised up the controls and said “hey, these are my bionic ears, these are my magic ears” because a lot of people I work with knew that I was having a hearing issue. In fact, they actually knew to come stand on my right side when they talked to me. So it is unobtrusive, it’s not that noticeable, especially since a lot of my colleagues have also been wearing some sort of earbuds in the virtual meetings just to have the sound directly from the computer, and maybe not disturb people around them, if they’re working in a shared space. When I did go the training there was no one who asked about it at all.  There were quite a few people there, a lot of people that knew me, people I hadn’t seen in a long time. Not one person said anything about it. I kind of forget that I have it on. I thought it might bother me; the earbuds, I typically don’t like to wear earbuds, they bother me. The fact that these come with adjustable buds that you can put on the ear piece of make it easy.

There are different size hooks, so you can put whatever type of earbuds you like and what size hook works best. So, it’s very easy use, and very easy to put on. Working at a middle school, I think the kids will just think I’m wearing earbuds, when we’re always telling them not to…and I also work with kids with disabilities. And I have a couple of kids that are coming in this year who have hearing issues and they will be on my case load, and I think it will help them know that I also have issues to help build a relationship with those kids.

What I like about it? I like so much about it. If someone were to need hearing aids I would really encourage them to try something like this, just because of the expense. Like I say, the customer service has been wonderful from the company. No problems that had to be taken care of. Even when I ordered this in the middle of the pandemic, I was a little bit impressed because I ordered it I think on a Wednesday or Thursday, and I had it at my house by Monday. I also ordered the HearLink PLUS, which you can use with the TV. It plugs directly in the TV and then you can then connect through Bluetooth.

I think the main thing I like about it so much is it actually does do what I need it to do. To be able to hear effectively, that power of being in control to change it, modify it, adjust it — to make it work on a personal level. To make it work, literally for you, for what you need.

Like I say, the only differences between NOW and the ACCESS: I like the ACCESS, that you can just pop it on the charger, and it charges. The BeHear NOW, you do have to plug in, not a huge deal. The On/Off button is actually in the back of the headset. It’s much easier and larger to find, on the ACCESS. It’s up high, in the middle. The one on the NOW is a bit smaller, and underneath. Once you know where it is, it’s easy. You can, although I typically don’t, you can also control phone calls. If you’re connected to your phone, you can take phone calls directly from the headset. You can adjust, you have volume control, you have adjustment automatically in the headset for indoor, outdoor, live music. There are several things that it will cycle through. If you’re outside sometimes you have some of that wind noise. If you’re in an area where it’s crowded, it kind of filters out some of that noise. I haven’t been able to use all of those things yet, because we’ve typically been in lockdown, trying to stay well at our house.

I’ve been very happy with it!

I am not sure what else to say about it. I’ve been very happy with it and like I say, if someone were to think they need hearing aids it was also quite helpful. I asked about how, if I really were a candidate for this. I sent a copy of my audiology report and did get back from the company that it should work for me with what I showed as hearing deficiencies, and that was before I purchased the headsets. I think that’s it!

July 11, 2020

If you have a hearing problem but don’t think you’re ready for a hearing aid, the BeHear NOW headset is a great halfway house.

So writes Mark Sparrow, Senior Contributor of Consumer Tech for Forbes. Mr. Sparrow is a technology journalist specializing in audio, computing and photography, and he has written a detailed review of the BeHear NOW assistive hearing headset.

In summary, Mr. Sparrow writes: “The BeHear NOW headset is a very clever device that really can help with hearing problems. It’s ideal for TV, cinema, lectures and even social occasions if you can bear chatting while wearing earphones. The product is well made, and a lot of thought has gone into it and the app. The audio quality is very good thanks to the large driver units in each earpiece.”

Read the full article here.

April 03, 2020

by Dr. Alexander Goldin

♦ Social isolation is a fundamental health-related problem. This excellent article gives a lot of information about how social isolation may be related to hearing loss.

In these turbulent times brought on by the COVID-19 virus, lives of people with disabilities may be even more difficult than usual. Hearing loss greatly limits our ability to communicate. People with hearing loss often utilize other channels of information, such as lip reading, body language, and other visual cues, or even the sense of touch, to compensate for the lack of information typically received from a healthy auditory system. These days, such people may require live, face-to-face interaction with others much more than people with normal hearing. Isolation caused by preventive measures against spreading the virus deprives them of those additional information channels. While some of them can live almost normal lives in good times, compulsory physical isolation may significantly and disproportionately exacerbate their problems. It is a well-known scientific fact that hearing loss is a major health factor leading to social isolation, depression, cognitive decline, and premature dementia. If the hearing loss is not addressed in a proper and timely fashion this process of decline can accelerate rapidly.

Traditionally, hearing loss has been treated through the use of hearing aids. However, with less than 20% of hearing-impaired people in the U.S. using hearing aids, we can surely say that hearing aids have failed to provide a comprehensive solution. This is, mainly, due to 4 main factors:

1. Price: Hearing aids are extremely expensive

2. Social stigma: People don’t like hearing aids, thinking they make them look older or handicapped.

3. Limited functionality: Basic hearing aids provide hearing amplification only. Today, the most expensive, top-of-the-line hearing aids allow the wearer to make phone calls, but the quality of sound and the frequency range is still far from perfect.

4. Time to set up and tune: Hearing aids are distributed and tuned by professionals, requiring between 4-7 visits to get them adjusted properly.

In today’s reality of limited mobility and closed or restricted access to audiology services, the fourth factor is becoming a real bottleneck, even if the first three problems are somehow resolved (e.g., if high end hearing aids are distributed for free and people don’t care about how they look). For many people there is simply no way to get help. Hearing loss is not considered a life-threatening condition. Of course, it is not, but the consequences of not treating it are. The situation may become critical as cognitive decline may happen quickly and irreversibly for elderly people. We’d better not wait until too late and try to get them help ASAP.

We feel that our BeHear line of Personalized Hearing Headsets provides a good, comprehensive, and timely solution for quickly getting help for hearing loss these days. These hearables provide an advanced, no compromise, yet affordable, easily-to-operate, and fully personalizable hearing solution. And the great news is that personalization of our hearing amplification headsets does not require any professional service. It can be done easily by the user or his/her friends or relatives through a simple, intuitive, and free smartphone application.

Our BeHear hearing amplification headsets address all aspects of voice communication:

1. These hearables resolve difficulties of face-to-face communication between people confined inside their homes. Being able to communicate with a hearing-impaired person without raising your voice or, from the impaired side, without asking the speaker to talk louder, clearer, etc., may greatly reduce otherwise quickly accelerating stress and mutual antagonism. BeHear hearing amplification headsets can be a family peace saving option in many such cases.

2. Many seniors are prevented from communicating in person with their families and are relying on phone conversations to stay in touch. For those with hearing loss it is more difficult to understand phone speech because they do not have the visual cues afforded by in-person conversation. Also, phone amplification options and the sound quality of modern phones are limited. The sound options of mobile phones may also not allow suitable personalization. BeHear hearing amplification headsets resolve these problems by enabling mobile phone calls with high quality sound which is optimized for the user’s specific hearing loss. They can even slow down the voices of fast talkers, making them more intelligible, without asking them to do so.

3. People are watching more television these days. Being able to comprehend TV dialogue at normal volumes will be appreciated by other house dwellers / neighbors. When used with HearLink PLUS transmitters, BeHear hearing amplification headsets work as top-quality TV listening systems with personalized sound.

4. Stress is a big problem for people confined to a small space. Quiet, calm music is a great relaxation tool when you can hear it as it was meant to be heard. Unfortunately, hearing impaired people are often deprived of this. Listening and enjoying quiet music requires good hearing. Otherwise, people either cannot hear it, or it is too loud. There is simply no comfortable listening level. BeHear hearing amplification headsets can help resolve this difficulty, allowing people to reduce their stress.

5. Hearing better with BeHear hearing amplification headsets can help people avoid panic (typically the physical representation of fear, which is a result of feeling helpless or lacking self-confidence). When a person can hear and understand the guidelines for keeping safe they will be calmer, overall.

Last but not least, things may be getting worse in some cases and people may need to rush to hospitals. Even people actively using hearing aids rarely take them to hospitals as they are afraid of losing or damaging their very expensive devices. People without hearing help will experience difficulties in communication with the hospital staff, thus receiving unclear or inadequate treatment. The communication challenges are compounded if the staff are wearing face masks, concealing the physical clues that are useful for comprehension, and taking into account the general background noise which characterizes emergency rooms and hospital wards during a pandemic.

This situation may further increase mental stress and eventually lead or contribute to a well-known disorder called “delirium”, an acute disturbance of mental abilities. We believe that hearables from Alango BeHear can provide a hearing enhancement solution that is affordable, durable, and easy-to-use in hospital conditions.

The earlier people get help, the faster they recover, and the less it costs us as individuals and society in general.

To get our stories sent directly to your inbox, register here.