Going into CES 2020, we predicted that smart headphones would be a big trend at this year's show. Don't blow our own trumpet too much, but we were absolutely, without a doubt, hitting the money. We're not talking about your latest pair of Sennheisers, but true wireless steroid headphones; those that go beyond bass and treble and into the territory of smart functionality and even assistive listening. In 2017, a new law was passed allowing hearing aid-type devices to be sold instead of having to go through a licensed healthcare professional. This opened the door for tech companies to start and market headphones that act as hearing enhancers and stream music. And at CES, they came in droves. We wrapped our hands (and ears) around some of the most exciting smart tech at CES 2020. Here are the ones that stood out for us.
Nuheara IQbuds2 Max
At CES, smart hearing company Nuheara unveiled its latest creation, a pair of headphones that use AI to calibrate sound according to your personal profile (pictured above). During setup, you will be asked to take a NAL-NL2 listening test to test your hearing and determine how the headphones should fit. Noise cancellation is active and Nuheara implements its Speech in Noise Control feature to improve speech in noisy environments, with three microphones to analyze sound inside and outside the room. 39; ear. Finally, Nuheara boasts that it's also perfect for listening to music, and after testing its previous headphones, we're inclined to believe it.
Olive Smart Ear X
Olive Smart Ear currently exists in the form of a single earphone, but at CES the company revealed that it is working on a pair of earphones called the Smart Ear X, which is expected to launch later in l & # 39; years. Olive is designed to help the hard of hearing while removing the stigma that comes with hearing aids, but it can also benefit people who might not otherwise be using any form of aid. The headset will filter out disturbing background noise, while the app lets you switch between different modes, one for talking and one for watching TV. The existing Smart Ear can also be used to take calls, but the Ear X will have two earbuds so you can also listen to music.
Amazfit zenbuds
Huami announced two pairs of headphones at CES. The first were PowerBuds, which provide heart rate monitoring and, as Huami says, stellar sound. But we're more interested in the Zenbuds that will try to succeed where Bose sleep-masking headphones have failed. With a comfortable in-ear design, Zenbuds block outside noise and emit soft sounds to soothe you while you sleep. Huami says the earphones will stop playing sounds once you've walked away, which he'll likely know by using the heart rate sensor. This sensor will continue to track your heart rate throughout the night, while the sleep position monitor does exactly what you think. Oh, and once it's all over, there's a sweet alarm to wake you up. They will be available later this year and expect them to arrive at a good price.
LiZn
Another hearing enhancement company, Lizn, is for everyone. His "headphones" are designed to "improve your face-to-face communications" by filtering out background noise and clarifying conversations. On top of that, they can play music and give you access to Siri/Google Assistant. The earphones are quite discreet and are available in black, red or "Caffe Latte" color variants. We could see them working in the showroom, so they are well beyond the concept phase. In fact, the company is now taking pre-orders with an estimated delivery time of February or March of this year. They cost €149, which is not bad at all.
Mobvoi TicPods 2
One of the less "smart" devices on our list, the TicPods 2 always tries to go beyond the average earphone. They're very similar to Apple's AirPods and are also available in Pro and non-Pro variants. We got to test drive the new Pro model at the show, and most of the smarts are in the assistant and gesture controls. Tico, Mobvoi's assistant who can be awakened with a "Hey Tico", is pretty scrappy when it comes to assistants; good for answering calls and other little things, but not smart in the same way as Alexa. However, it also works as a direct line to your phone's smart assistant. iPhone owners need to say "Hello Tico" and Siri will wake up. Yeah, it's a bit confusing. There are also gesture commands: shake your head twice to answer a call or shake your head twice to reject it. It sounds a bit silly, but Mobvoi says that Tico can also be called to answer calls. The best part is the price: €99 for the TicPods 2 and €139 for the TicPods Pro.