Personal Review-Sennheiser Conversation Clear +.

[PimTac]

I purchased a pair of these just over two weeks ago and thought I would share my experience as there have been a couple of hearing aid threads recently.

First off, these are not classified as hearing aids by the FDA under the new rules that were started in 2017 and recently passed so Sennheiser cannot call them that. They are advertised to a portion of the public that knows they need help with hearing but are not ready for aids. I fall into this group. I use them as the attached video explains like “reading glasses for my ears”. It sounds odd at first but it makes sense.

After an easy and quick setup I tried them around the house for a few days just to get used to them. Watching television is much easier. Wearing them in the car helps me to hear conversations much better. Walking outside lets me hear sounds I had trouble hearing before like approaching cars. I had the chance to wear them this past weekend in a busy restaurant. This is where these really shined. They tone down the surrounding noise and talk while letting me concentrate on the conversation at the table which was enhanced. This combination of speech enhancing plus noise cancellation seems counterintuitive but it worked very well.

These can also stream and another mode lets you dial down ambient sound all the way to zero thus making these active noise cancelling earbuds.

So, I am happy with this product. The battery life has been excellent so far. On the restaurant day I wore them for 6.5 hours and the battery life was down to 90% which makes me think it’s not linear. Battery life is stated at up to 9 hours with two full charges in the case.

Below are the links to the website and a YouTube video from the recent CES show.

Conversation Clear Plus | Sennheiser US

Explore the ultimate hearing solution for clear conversation in every environment with Conversation Clear Plus from Sennheiser. Check Online now!

www.sennheiser-hearing.com

 

[SaberOne]

I have the AirPods PRO from Apple but they’re just so so. I was planning to upgrade to the AirPods Pro 2, but held off. I’d be interested to know how these compare in order to determine if the price difference is worth it.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I've always liked Sennheiser products

 

[PimTac]

I have the AirPods PRO from Apple but they’re just so so. I was planning to upgrade to the AirPods Pro 2, but held off. I’d be interested to know how these compare in order to determine if the price difference is worth it.

That’s the unknown here. It’s not like you can try them on and compare. The return policy is a key point.

Crutchfield was selling these and they have a good return policy. Sennheiser however offered me a 10% reduction if I signed up for email updates which seemed pretty generous in this case so I took them up on their deal.

A lot of it has to do with the settings. Have you checked out the different ways you can adjust your AirPods Pro like using your audio gram?

 

[PimTac]

An update here, one thing that was brought up to me is that I tend to talk softer when in busy environments with these earbuds in my ears. I think the combination of speech enhancement plus the ANC and what Sennheiser calls Scene Detection makes me think I am too loud but in fact lowering my voice makes it harder for everyone else to hear me. This happens in a busy restaurant for example. Yesterday I was in a restaurant that wasn’t so bad so I asked everyone at the table about it. They were fine but a couple who were in the previous meeting stated that I talked too softly.

Do hearing aid users run into this same situation? I would suppose it depends on the aids and what features they have?

 

[k1xv]

There was a man who spent all day calling 900 number sex chat lines.

He wound up with hearing AIDS.

 

[Pew]

An update here, one thing that was brought up to me is that I tend to talk softer when in busy environments with these earbuds in my ears. I think the combination of speech enhancement plus the ANC and what Sennheiser calls Scene Detection makes me think I am too loud but in fact lowering my voice makes it harder for everyone else to hear me. This happens in a busy restaurant for example. Yesterday I was in a restaurant that wasn’t so bad so I asked everyone at the table about it. They were fine but a couple who were in the previous meeting stated that I talked too softly.

Do hearing aid users run into this same situation? I would suppose it depends on the aids and what features they have?

No hearing aids here but IME what you're experiencing is exactly what happens with ANC/hear-thru devices.

 

[John105]

I've always liked Sennheiser products

Their mics were the choice of tapers and even in the 80’s well over a thousand a pair…

I was actually given a Sennheiser wireless headset for a desk phone and it wasn’t that good. Figured the name was licensing or something.

 

[Pew]

Their mics were the choice of tapers and even in the 80’s well over a thousand a pair…

I was actually given a Sennheiser wireless headset for a desk phone and it wasn’t that good. Figured the name was licensing or something.

I'm a big Sennheiser fan but I hate their wireless products and connectivity.

 

[PimTac]

No hearing aids here but IME what you're experiencing is exactly what happens with ANC/hear-thru devices.

That has to be in part because of the mics locations?

I'm a big Sennheiser fan but I hate their wireless products and connectivity.

This is my first Sennheiser product but I’ve known the brand and they were highly regarded. This is their first product since Sonova bought their consumer division. They just came out with two more heating devices, both are FDA approved.

The trend seems to be shifting to a less traditional hearing aid. Earbuds and app customization are taking over.

In the end these earbuds do help me a lot. I can hear conversations clearly and when I don’t need them I pop them out and put them in the charging case.

 

[97prizm]

An update here, one thing that was brought up to me is that I tend to talk softer when in busy environments with these earbuds in my ears. I think the combination of speech enhancement plus the ANC and what Sennheiser calls Scene Detection makes me think I am too loud but in fact lowering my voice makes it harder for everyone else to hear me. This happens in a busy restaurant for example. Yesterday I was in a restaurant that wasn’t so bad so I asked everyone at the table about it. They were fine but a couple who were in the previous meeting stated that I talked too softly.

Do hearing aid users run into this same situation? I would suppose it depends on the aids and what features they have?

Yes I was finally fitting with Sonos hearing aids in 2019 at 37 years old. I was repeatedly told to stop yelling but didn't know I spoke so loud. They are noise cancelling and I'm seeing 12-14 hours of charge. I did have to get the batteries replaced under warranty as after 4 years I was down to 8-10 hours of battery life. A huge difference and way less frustration.

 

[alarmguy]

That has to be in part because of the mics locations?




This is my first Sennheiser product but I’ve known the brand and they were highly regarded. This is their first product since Sonova bought their consumer division. They just came out with two more heating devices, both are FDA approved.

The trend seems to be shifting to a less traditional hearing aid. Earbuds and app customization are taking over.

In the end these earbuds do help me a lot. I can hear conversations clearly and when I don’t need them I pop them out and put them in the charging case.

Yes, I am sure you know this is all because the Feds are now allowing devices to be sold to the general public without a prescription.
It's about time.
I find your thread interesting, Im about to tell my brother about it. I wonder if insurance companies will allow the purchase (pay for it) or will they still require a prescription? I suspect a prescription which ties it to the insured.

 

[PimTac]

Yes, I am sure you know this is all because the Feds are now allowing devices to be sold to the general public without a prescription.
It's about time.
I find your thread interesting, Im about to tell my brother about it. I wonder if insurance companies will allow the purchase (pay for it) or will they still require a prescription? I suspect a prescription which ties it to the insured.

I don’t think insurance will pay for these. If your brother has insurance that pays for aids then that is probably restricted to audiology supplied ones with a prescription.

It’s a real dynamic situation. There are some who will definitely need the full support of an audiologist. For others, they will be comfortable with using an app on a smartphone and taking the test. Some of these tests are really intricate now.

 

[Pew]

That has to be in part because of the mics locations?

This is my first Sennheiser product but I’ve known the brand and they were highly regarded. This is their first product since Sonova bought their consumer division. They just came out with two more heating devices, both are FDA approved.

The trend seems to be shifting to a less traditional hearing aid. Earbuds and app customization are taking over.

In the end these earbuds do help me a lot. I can hear conversations clearly and when I don’t need them I pop them out and put them in the charging case.

I think it has to do with certain frequencies that will get boosted by the earbuds. As far as my understanding goes, ANC will play certain frequencies to cancel out ambient noise so modern hear-thru/hearing aid devices will boost certain frequencies according to ambient noise as well as frequencies that human voices will normally be around - much like comtac shooting earmuffs. I can ask my cousin at her wedding next weekend; she received her doctorate in audiology and works with hearing aids.

 

[PimTac]

I think it has to do with certain frequencies that will get boosted by the earbuds. As far as my understanding goes, ANC will play certain frequencies to cancel out ambient noise so modern hear-thru/hearing aid devices will boost certain frequencies according to ambient noise as well as frequencies that human voices will normally be around - much like comtac shooting earmuffs. I can ask my cousin at her wedding next weekend; she received her doctorate in audiology and works with hearing aids.

Sounds plausible. Today I wore them while shopping. The store we go to is Fred Meyer which is a one stop shop style of store. A lot of stocking today but the noise of the boxes getting opened was muted. Same for the key machine as I walked by yet I could hear the people nearby talking.

That’s the benefit of either merging or working with hearing aid companies for these OTC devices. Sennheiser has Sonova. Sony has WS. Jabra has GN. So some of the technology that these companies have developed are being included in the devices.

Another benefit which most aid wearers want is the ability to stream, take phone calls, get alerts and even use digital assistants like Siri.

 

[PimTac]

A week ago I met with a few friends at a restaurant for breakfast. This place was very busy and the acoustics were bad. The volume of everyone talking and the background noises made for a good test for these buds. My app told me that I was in a loud environment. I was still able to hear the conversation at the table but since the restaurant had their tables set up close together it was challenging. Without the buds I would not have been able to carry a conversation.

This is where the beam forming microphones came in. As I faced the person I talked to I could hear them clearly. This meant of course that I had to keep turning my head in order to have the best results. Not a bad thing. I think that before I didn’t turn my head and just relied on my ears.

I did get told again that I was not talking loud enough. The noise factor in the restaurant coupled with the real possibility that some of the group may not be hearing well combined for good feedback. Most of the session went well without complaints.

 

[alarmguy]

A week ago I met with a few friends at a restaurant for breakfast. This place was very busy and the acoustics were bad. The volume of everyone talking and the background noises made for a good test for these buds. My app told me that I was in a loud environment. I was still able to hear the conversation at the table but since the restaurant had their tables set up close together it was challenging. Without the buds I would not have been able to carry a conversation.

This is where the beam forming microphones came in. As I faced the person I talked to I could hear them clearly. This meant of course that I had to keep turning my head in order to have the best results. Not a bad thing. I think that before I didn’t turn my head and just relied on my ears.

I did get told again that I was not talking loud enough. The noise factor in the restaurant coupled with the real possibility that some of the group may not be hearing well combined for good feedback. Most of the session went well without complaints.

This is great feedback. Nice to "hear" Might try to recommend to a stubborn family member again.

 

[PimTac]

This is great feedback. Nice to "hear" Might try to recommend to a stubborn family member again.

I agree that there is a denial phase we all go through in many situations. I think hearing aids carry a stigma and that’s where products like these can help.

Back in July Sennheiser introduced these new products. These are FDA approved hearing aids.

Sennheiser All-Day Clear Hearing Aids

Sennheiser All-Day Clear are over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.

otc.sennheiser-hearing.com

 

[spackard]

These are now $649.95 on Amazon.
Price history on camelcamelcamel.

 

[alarmguy]

Sony also offers them -

Amazon.com