New Bose Hearphones Can Augment User Hearing Ability

A new type of product was quietly launched by Bose called the “Hearphones” which are designed to amplify the wearer’s hearing ability in a crowded area such as a restaurant or a busy night club. The technology is not just a matter of increasing the volume of environmental sounds but users can actually focus and adjust what they are hearing so that certain sounds are isolated while some are prioritized such as conversations, etc. This is done through the Bose Hear app which showed up on the Apple iStore last month.

The actual “hearphones” themselves look very similar to the Bose QuietComfort QC30 released earlier but have different features including compatibility with the Bose Hear app. Bose is inviting people to their Corporate Center facility in Framingham, Massachusetts until December 16 to try out these new hearphones in person.

Inside the Bose hearphones are directional microphones which can be variably adjusted. The BoseQuietComfort QC30 earphones themselves have active noise cancellation controls, so the hearphones most likely implement are more advanced version of that same technology. For ease of use, the Bose Hear software includes presets for certain environments like “airplane” or “gym”, but it also allows users to minimize external noise to manageable levels such as a live concert or turn up the volume on a TV in a crowded room such as a sports bar.

There is no pricing information or availability information yet aside from the trial preview at Bose headquarters, but it is most likely going to be launched right on time for Christmas and New Year.