Hearing loss impacts relationships – with BeHear NOW I can hear my wife
May 16, 2021
Hearing loss negatively impacts relationships, creating strain between husband and wife, making it harder to connect and enjoy each other’s company. Nobby uses BeHear NOW when he is with his wife and to listen to music while doing other activities he enjoys.
My name is Norman Elliott Smith, although people refer to me as “Nobby”. I’ve been called Nobby for at least the last 70 years so that was since I was 10 years old. I’ve practiced here in Israel both as a pharmacist and as an optometrist.
My wife complained many times that she’s repeating things once, twice, or three times. I suggested that she actually was mumbling, which didn’t go down very well. And so I ended up having a hearing test, which is very similar, believe it or not, to what the test this machine [BeHear] offers. In fact, I can’t see really any difference. I use it obviously, when I’m near my wife, which is most of the time, and it certainly helps.
I use it with the Bluetooth particularly to listen to music. And it works very well when I’m working out in a gym, on a treadmill. BeHear NOW easy to wear, and I’ve enjoyed using it up to now, and hopefully will continue to.
According to research discussed in Healthy Hearing, hearing loss impacts relationships in a number of ways and can be a major source of stress: “Both the hearing-impaired participants and their close partners bemoaned the loss of spontaneity and the difficulties of sharing small unexpected incidents, observations and small talk in their everyday interactions.”
If you or someone you love is experiencing hearing loss, don’t let it negatively impact your relationships! BeHear is an easy to implement solution to make life sound better. Here are some useful tips on how to talk to your partner about hearing loss.
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.
Robin Choularton – satisfied BeHear ACCESS customer
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.
Phone Conversations Are Now Clear for Both Parties
May 27, 2020
“I also find this to greatly help with TV listening.”
Neil sporting his BeHear NOW headset. Note how it doesn’t interfere with his glasses!
♦ We love hearing back from our customers about their experiences with our products. Of course, it is always wonderful to learn that your efforts have led to an improved quality of life for someone, but constructive feedback about how to improve our products is also welcome!
Neil Nedrow is a relatively new customer who shared his thoughts with us by completing our customer survey, and then adding comments in e-mail correspondence.
Neil wrote:
“In the past, I’ve had trouble understanding people in phone conversations. But BeHear Now has completely eliminated that problem. And everyone has been able to hear me clearly. This is something I highly value. It works excellently. I also find this to greatly help with TV listening. I use the transmitter with headphones and the comprehension is quite good.”
It works excellently. – Neil Nedrow, Satisfied Customer
He suggested:
Run the earpiece wires from the back part of the device on each side below and slightly behind the ears. That would keep them away from the face.
Put a magnet at the bottom of each controller piece (where the earpiece wires are currently located) so it would be easier to find at you throat. I’ve taped magnets there and it’s helpful as it keeps everything in place.
He added:
“I also think there is a market for people who have some hearing loss who love listening to music and would like a device that would compensate for their hearing loss. Just for listening to music and not as a ‘hearing aid’.”
“Even when I was facing the computer instead of her, she could hear me!”
“I’ll never forget the day I put BeHear NOW in her ears. She immediately liked them. She could hear me clearly and the headset was so comfortable in her ears.”
♦ Although Lori Cunningham, an editor at the WellConnectedMom.com Web site, doesn’t have hearing loss, her mother-in-law does.
Lori decided to review the BeHear NOW personalizable hearing amplifier, testing this “hearable” out on her mother-in-law.
Lori reports “I wasn’t sure if the BeHear NOW hearable would work with my mother-in-law. She already has hearing aids and yet we still struggle in our attempts for her to hear us.”
“As BeHear NOW is designed for those with mild-to-moderate hearing, I had my doubts. But I thought, if perhaps this hearable could work, it would be a blessing for both her and my family!”
I’ll never forget the day I put BeHear NOW in her ears. She immediately liked them. She could hear me clearly and the headset was so comfortable in her ears. – Lori Cunningham, Editor at WellConnectedMom.com
Lori continues:
“Even when I was facing the computer instead of her, she could hear me! It was truly amazing.
And with the convenience factor built into BeHear NOW, she can wear the headset around her neck to have the earpieces close by.
If she’s at home, she doesn’t need them in her ears, but she can easily tuck the earpieces in her hears when the phone rings or when she goes outside and sees her neighbors.
It’s a convenience she’s never had before because she doesn’t do this with her $4,000 hearing aids that most often sit in their case.
Her hearing aids are uncomfortable, so she doesn’t wear them much. And sometimes, she’ll only wear one.”
“I’m 90 years old and completely deaf in my right ear. My hearing loss in my left ear is rated as ‘moderate’ in the low frequency range and ‘severe’ in the higher frequencies, not unusual for a person my age.
When my 3-year-old Resound Hearing Aid stopped working I decided to search for a lower cost alternative. After many hours of research I zeroed in on the ‘BeHear Now’ device. Attracted by its reviews and apparent versatility, I ordered it through Amazon and received it 24 hours later.
‘BeHear Now’ is a viable and functional alternative to conventional $3000-$7000 hearing aids. It certainly is for me. – Ed Cornachio, Satisfied Customer
I read through the manual and watched each of the online tutorials. That was five days ago. Now I can honestly say it exceeds all my expectations.
Pair your headset to a smartphone and download the W&H BeHear app to set up your new hearing baseline. Hear what you want to hear!
I strongly recommend, however, that you download the W&H BeHear app and pair it with your cell phone via Bluetooth. The app allows for individual customization, adaptable to your specific hearing problem. For me, the app is more than just a convenient accessory. It’s a necessary addition to adapting to environmental differences.”
“Two weeks ago, with great satisfaction, I received my second BeHear NOW set (the first one for forgetting I left it in another city where I have not been able to return because of the restrictions of Covid-19).
I am 75 years old and about 20 using hearing aids because my current hearing loss is profound. Also, I am an electronics engineer, so I can say that I have good experience in the handling and evaluation of hearing aids from the patient’s point of view.
For example, about the last two years I have been looking, analyzing, and testing (when the few distributors allow it) various brands and ranges of hearing aids to replace my old pair that has about 7 years of use. The result is that I have not found one that meets my personal needs more than BeHear NOW. So, my honest review and conclusions about this product are as follows:
PROS
PRICE: There is a huge price difference between most conventional brands, that are above the US$3600 for a mid-range hearing aid pair, and my BeHear NOW (they cost me US$200 plus shipping costs each set).
DELIVERY TIME: 7 days in total, from the moment I placed the order and the product was ready to deliver to my door. Extraordinary, since it was sent from Israel to Bogota, Colombia, and considering the delays and problems in transport and customs generated by Covid 19 and the commercial inactivity of Easter week in my country. If I had made the purchase from a local dealer, I am sure that I had not yet received them and would not have a date of receipt, or less, of an appointment with a hearing care professional to adapt it.
Check your own hearing with the simple assessment in the W&H BeHear app.ADAPTATION: With all my respect to hearing professionals, the process of adaptation with the test-and-error method used, in my case, has been traumatic and inefficient, perhaps due to the difficulty of accurately explaining what characteristics and defects the patient perceives with a particular graduation of his hearing aids. And when you go out to “the real world”, it’s a totally different situation! So, you must request another appointment for a new review and the time is passing and patience is running out and the famous and expensive hearing aids can end up in the drawer of a desk. Very different is the adaptation and adjustment process used by the BeHear NOW because the patient hearing evaluation and device graduation is made direct and easily by the patient himself using the application installed in his smartphone, in real time, for different environments and as many times and places he wants to do them, achieving the quality that often does not reach through an audiologist, regardless of his experience. Surely, this direct method will be the trend in the next future hearing aids if there are no contrary pressures to do it.
LIVE CONVERSATIONS QUALITY: In my case, the quality and clarity of voice received directly from my BeHear NOW it´s not perfect, but does not have to envy anything to those of elegant brands. Specifically, I spent more than 10 months (all 2019) trying to get a decent understanding with my hearing aids from a famous and expensive brand, but I never got it; now they’re in the desk drawer.
AUDIO FROM SMARTPHONE: Although some brands and ranges of hearing aids can now be connected by Bluetooth with iPhone smartphones, and very few with Android, my experience with BeHear NOW has been very satisfactory. After many years, now I can have phone conversations quite successfully (until now I used only WhatsApp written) and mainly, I have again listened stereo Bluetooth music with an extraordinary richness of sounds and tones. Switching among different devices or modes is smart and smooth. Besides, using the “HearLink” I can now directly listen to the TV with superior quality than with my heavy and uncomfortable Sennheiser HD 175 “over ears” system.
DEVICE CONTROLS: I can control my BeHear directly from the headset controls, or with the app from my smartphone. Although initially it may seem uncomfortable to use the headset with cables at the back of the neck, with a week of use I easily manage the different controls, when it is not possible to use the smartphone app. Many models and brands only use one of the two control methods which is impractical as you don’t always have your phone handy or the manual controls are very confusing to use.
BUDS COMFORT: With BeHear NOW you do not need to take molds to fit each hearset to your ears. Your BeHear package contents a variety of types and sizes of “ear buds” that easily adapts to the shape of your ear giving you total safety and comfort. You will not have surprise losses, discomfort or hassles due use them for long periods.
WHAT I’D LIKE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL
REMOTE MICROPHONE: For conferences and presentations cases (and even in family or friendly meetings) it would be extremely useful to be able to use the smartphone as a remote microphone, or an external remote microphone. As I noted earlier, the quality of the audio coming from a smartphone is quite good. [Our remote microphone, called “YONA”, is already under development. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on its release. – Ed.]
EXTRA 5 DBs OUTPUT. In my case of deep loss only the “Indoor” mode is useful, with the other 3 modes I hardly hear them. Somebody from Alango Technologies Customers Service informed me that “this extra power could be implemented in some weeks” (I suppose that by some software trick). Welcome this function.
LONGER BATTERY AUTONOMY. With my BeHear the maximum battery duration is about 8 hours, which is not enough in a normal journey. That’s a pity.”
I want to thank and congratulate Alango on this extraordinary product. IT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YEARS. – Jesus Campos M.
BeHear ACCESS Reviewed as Up-and-Coming Technology Solution for Better Hearing
♦ Following the CES tradeshow in Las Vegas earlier this year, Brian P. Dunleavy published an article for Everyday Health reviewing the latest hearing products introduced there. He asked Beth Humphrey, a doctor of audiology in the department of audiology and speech pathology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Knoxville, to provide her professional opinion of each product he reviewed.
BeHear ACCESS has been named a CES 2020 Innovation Awards Honoree in two categories: “Tech for a Better World”, and “Accessibility”.
BeHear ACCESS headed the list of Personal Sound Amplification Products (PSAPs). In addition to mentioning the product’s unique features (self-administered hearing assessment for optimum personalization, self-tuned real-time customization capability for live listening, Bluetooth connectivity for mobile calls and audio streaming, built-in Telecoil receivers for use in facilities equipped with hearing loops) Dunleavy noted that BeHear ACCESS was recognized in the CES 2020 Innovation Awards in both the Accessibility and Tech for a Better World categories.
The bottom line:
“This is a flexible PSAP with a range of connectivity options for people with difficulty listening in specific situations” – Beth Humphrey, AuD.
“I previously listened to my TV at a volume level 45, now I comfortably have it set at 17.”
The BeHear NOW + HearLink Bundle includes one headset and one assistive listening transmitter.
♦ The following are excerpts from a review posted by a customer on Amazon:
“After trying many personal hearing amplifiers with lots of disappointment, I am thrilled with this product, it exceeded my expectations.
The app which sets your frequencies is fantastic. It personalizes your hearing needs at frequencies we tend to lose as we age.
I previously listened to my TV at a volume level 45, now I comfortably have it set at 17.
Setup is a breeze, and the different modes it offers is a major plus. Indoor, outdoor, crowd, live music. I absolutely love this product and would recommend it to anyone who is having any hearing difficulties.
No more awkward “what was that” during conversations. I only wish I had discovered this 2-3 years ago. I’ve shared my experience with friends and neighbors who can not wait to get their own.”
The bottom line:
“Truly an affordable solution to hearing difficulties.”
Former Military and Current Commercial Pilot Thrilled with BeHear
November 05, 2019
“I’m hearing things I didn’t know were missing.”
BeHear NOW is an assistive hearing headset that can be personalized to match the hearing profile of the wearer.
♦ The following texts are excerpts from a review posted on Amazon by Greg K. Hoggatt, a 63-year-old former military pilot and currently a commercial international captain:
“My high frequency hearing is severely limited. An audiologist didn’t think hearing aids were warranted and suggested that I use a wax remover every couple of months.”
“I’ve tried other hearing aids from KickStarter but didn’t really see a significant difference. But the BeHear NOW is simply incredible. I’m hearing things I didn’t know were missing.”
The bottom line:
“The BeHear NOW is simply incredible. I’m amazed at the difference in my hearing.”
“No other device I have used has worked this well in being able to separate the voice from other sounds and make out what another person is clearly saying.”
“I don’t want people to believe that this is going to give you back perfect hearing, it is not. Nothing can do that. So a person has to be careful to not get false expectations. So far it has made a huge improvement for me. I probably will never wear my hearing aids again. This is so much easier to put on (wear), control, and tune and is rechargeable.”
The bottom line:
“I have to say this is a device that can dramatically improve what we have
unfortunately lost. And with a little bit of learning and patience, I think it is easy
enough for almost anyone to use.”
“You wear the earbuds and people think you are listening to music – which you may or may not be, as this setting does not require your phone even to be turned on – you just hear more. When I first tested these I had the TV on in the next room something I could not hear from that distance without the earbuds and I could hear tennis balls being hit and landing yes it was during Wimbledon…”
The bottom line:
“The App has settings for a number of situations including noisy places which for me were previously almost intolerable. These earbuds are ideal for those who wear glasses as no part of the bud touches the outside of the ear.”
I bought these after doing about a years research on assistive hearing products.
I spent too many years saying ‘huh’ to people that were talking to me.
I performed the built in hearing assessment test, saved the info and I was amazed at what I have been missing out on for so many years. I may buy another set just so I won’t have to be without them if the battery is charging.
My wife says I don’t ‘yell’ anymore when talking to her and she can talk in a normal voice and I can hear her clearly from the next room. When at a restaurant the background noise does not interfere with conversations anymore. I can also hear my grandchildren clearly!
They are very comfortable, I don’t even realize that I am wearing them other than being able to hear clearly again.
The quality seems to be very good for sound reproduction and build quality. The phone app makes it easy to set up and control all the functions on the device. I also like being able to answer my phone with a press on the neckband button, with my phone being in my pocket or next room. With the way I have my settings saved there has been no annoying sounds or surprises.
The bottom line:
“So far I am completely pleased with everything about the BeHear headset. I don’t listen to music through my phone, so I cannot address that, but for everyday conversations I am completely pleased.”
“Now we have a technology that provides hearing assistance with the connections of phone, tablet, desktop computers, laptop computers and TV’s. What more could you want from an electronic assisted hearing device.
With the amplification tailored to the 6 important frequencies and noise cancellation. Control of listening mode along with crowd mode, outdoor mode, music mode and indoor modes you have a more perfect hearing experience than $8000.00 hearing aids at your friendly audiologist downtown.
Of course someone will think of some other mode to add to this system but the only thing BeHear could improve on is the battery life and moving the on/off button down to the other controls on the “pendants” and providing for the use of an external battery pack at the same time as using the device. For now BeHear Now is the best system for the men/women/children on the street and the price makes it possible for families to afford this system and give everyone the quality of life that the gift of hearing provides.
Bless you BeHear and all the little helpers from beginning to end in make this wonderful Product available to the world.”
The bottom line:
“For now BeHear NOW is the best system for the men/women/children on the street and the price makes it possible for families to afford this system and give everyone the quality of life that the gift of hearing provides.”
User Assessment of BeHear NOW Personalizable Hearing Amplifier
♦ The following is a review submitted by Katie Robertson, active in the HLAA (Hearing Loss Association of America) Kentucky chapters
I have tested out the BeHear Now Personal Hearing Product Wear&Hear for a week or so and have found it both advantageous and frustrating for me, a 70-year-old female who has been hard of hearing with increasing increments since the year 1999. My hearing loss is hereditary, as well as due to life’s noises throughout my lifetime (head knocks, loud concerts, etc).
I have thoroughly enjoyed how clearly this product has given me the ability to hear during the “indoor” mode, while conversing in a calm quiet atmosphere. This product produced clearer quality hearing, more so than my RIC hearing aids have done at any time. During a trial of wearing the Wear & Hear apparatus in a noisy restaurant, I put it on the “crowd” mode and found it actually did dampen the background noise enough for me to hear the person talking to me, and enabled me to ignore all the different noises around (clattering silverware, loud children right next to our table, music piped in, and other conversations). I also tried the “music” mode in the car as I listened to a cd and enjoyed hearing the music because the earphones allowed me to hear some of the different parts of the music I often miss with my hearing aids.
What I didn’t like were the rubber “wires” that were easily yanked from the clips that kept them up near my ears. I found them more frustrating than helpful. Additionally, they got caught in my small dangling earrings I wore, and being a jewelry lover, that hampered my normal lifestyle. I know this is a small thing and could be gotten used to, but it is a feature that, if eliminated by a different product, might sway my purchase of one over the other.
One other thing that I also didn’t know how to handle was this: I am by heredity a person who profoundly perspires, and it happens not only when I labor, but during emotion, when flustered and in too much heat. The Wear&Hear reacted to the perspiration since it sits on the neck, and the earphones crackled some, then it turned off. I’m not sure if I could wear it for long at the times I have a lot of perspiration.
In conclusion of my evaluation of the Wear & Hear, I would probably love to be on the lookout for one of the newer models to see what has been changed in the way of improvement. It would definitely be something that I might use alternatively rather than replacing my hearing aids though. Some things about it I liked more than my hearing aids, I definitely liked it more than my PockeTalker, yet I still like my hearing aids on a day in/day out basis since they enable me to wear the jewelry I like to wear.
Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to try this product. I think it was worth it both for my experience, and for your enlightenment by the experiences from a user.
The bottom line:
“This product produced clearer quality hearing, more so than my RIC hearing aids have done at any time.”
Technical Assessment of BeHear NOW Personal Hearing Product
♦ The following is a review submitted by Dave Robertson, active in the HLAA (Hearing Loss Association of America) Kentucky chapters
Packaging
This device is a Bluetooth enabled stereo headset that provides an audio enhancement that you can customize to all your hearing needs.
Neat and well-organized, with good quality protective case. The Quick Install Guide was clear.
The Smartphone App
Software is attractive and very intuitive. It works with no bugs! Bluetooth connection was easy to make.
The Headset
The design is awkward. The control buttons are awkward to use while wearing. The solution to use cable clips to take up excess cable is very basic and not entirely satisfactory. For example, suspended ear-rings get easily trapped between the cable and the headset frame.
The Technology Used
This is definitely no ‘ordinary’ headset device. The ability for the user to make his/her own audiogram profile using the smartphone app gives the user the control that is much needed by hearing device users. Also the ability for the user to be able to program separate listening profiles to suit their needs. The surprising outcome of the assessment was to find that everything relating to what was left to the user to program (audiogram and profiles) actually worked well and to a higher quality than for the expensive RIC hearing aids the user was used to wearing. This demonstrated that good quality technology had been utilized in the design and manufacture, along with a lot of thought and research into the needs of the user. As mentioned earlier, the weakest part is the physical design of the headset.
Conclusion
The fact that the headset is similar in style to those used by portable music player listeners, the user does not feel the same stigma as many people who wear hearing aids do. Also, to experience a better control of setting up the device to suit a user’s specific requirements and to also to experience a higher quality of hearing, make this device very attractive to use over standard RIC hearing aids, especially when the price point is so low comparatively.
For the user to not have to worry about battery changes and for the manufacturer to be able to take advantage of the larger physical size of the equipment to provide good battery storage and more powerful electronic components to improve hearing quality, makes this device ‘stand out in the crowd’ compared to similar devices on the market.
Apart from having a rethink about cable management and control button ergonomics, I think as a future initiative it would be useful to have an automated facility where the device can identify the environment it is being used in and be able to auto switch onto the respective profile without user intervention. This could be an option given to the user in the smart app to choose manual or auto for the selection of profiles. The parameter to decide on switch over could be set by the user using a sliding button with the app. I would also like to see T-coil implemented.
The bottom line:
“The surprising outcome of the assessment was to find that everything relating to what was left to the user to program (audiogram and profiles) actually worked well and to a higher quality than for the expensive RIC hearing aids the user was used to wearing.”
“First, some background. I have a hearing problem. I have hearing aids but they don’t work well in multiple situations such as in a restaurant, movie, watching tv (alone or with my wife). I have tried numerous other modalities. For TV Sennheiser headphones were good. But you need Bluetooth as well and the Bose Hearphones are excellent (and $499). I bought the IQboost (again $499 but got on special at $399) and these would be ok IF they didn’t fall out. The IQboost is to me a joke.”
The bottom line:
“I saw these at $279 and felt worth a gamble. Well, these are the best out there. Try them. If you have a hearing problem you should try these.”
Read more about how BeHear NOW compares to BOSE Hearphones in this article.
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♦ The following are excerpts from a review posted by a customer on Amazon:
♦ The following is a review posted by a reviewer on GadgetSpeak:
