BeHear

BeHear Review

An International Journal of Audiology study cites several reasons why people who would benefit from hearing aids don’t wear them. Many don’t like how the devices fit, the social stigma attached to the aids and the loud background noises they can produce. Many can’t afford hearing aids.

You’ve seen people wearing stereo headsets with earbuds in stores, walking outside and in many other settings. The BeHear line of hearing amplifiers uses the same headset style to help overcome the stigma attached to hearing aids. The devices are affordable, comfortable and customizable.

BeHear headsets enhance conversations, mobile phone calls, nature walks, meetings, streaming music and watching TV shows. You complete a hearing assessment using the mobile app and don’t need to see a health care professional.

Pros

• Stylish, affordable stereo headphones
• Self-fit for personalized amplification
• Easily accessed online product manuals, quick start guides and other “how to” videos
• Mobile app fine-tunes what you hear in various settings
• 30-day return policy and 1-year guarantee
• 12 to 13 hours of use on one charge

Cons

• Not for severe-to-profound hearing loss

BeHear Patented Hearing Amplifier Technology

BeHear personal sound amplifiers offer two unique features developed by Alango Technologies. The company is a leading supplier of voice and audio technologies for the communication and entertainment markets.

1. ListenThrough blocks ambient noise while allowing you to hear important sounds, like sirens, alarms, and the voices of colleagues or companions. Music through the earbuds sounds crisp and clear when you’re outdoors, but you will hear a car horn or barking dog. ListenThrough technology enhances hearing without altogether canceling out your surrounding environment. The Intelligent Mixer ensures the sounds are not too loud.
2. Activate EasyListen technology during cell phone conversations to slow the speech you hear. EasyListen shortens natural pauses in the discussion to compensate for the delay, so your conversation remains spontaneous. The BeHear headset performs a sophisticated speech analysis to only slow some parts of speech, as necessary for understanding. You’ll understand the conversation with ease but the other person will hear no difference.

BeHear headset technology goes beyond improving hearing to assisting with comprehending what you hear.

BeHear Hearing Amplifier Models

BeHear offers various hearing amplifier models. The BeHear ACCESS hardware includes a telecoil, a feature typically found in high-end hearing aids.

BeHear PROXY wraps around the shoulders close to the neck and includes Alango’s SonicVibrance technology. This model features speakers near the ear, so individuals who wear hearing aids can benefit from sound amplification. BeHear PROXY includes earbuds for private phone conversations, watching TV or listening to music without disturbing others.

HearLink PLUS transmits distortion-free music and television audio. This transmitter can stream analog and digital TV signals to a BeHear Bluetooth device.

How to Use BeHear Amplifiers

When you receive your BeHear headset, download the W&H BeHear mobile app to your Android or iOS phone or tablet. The app has a hearing assessment used to generate your custom hearing profiles for indoors, outdoors, crowds and live music. The profiles automatically adjust audio to suit your hearing levels, and you can fine-tune profiles anytime using the mobile app.

You can update BeHear devices to install technology updates when they become available. Use the W&H BeHear app to set the Headset Update Check to “auto” to get firmware update notifications. You can also check for and install updates manually at any time.

BeHear Costs, Warranties and Returns

BeHear hearing amplifiers range from $189 to $349 with free shipping. The HearLink PLUS TV receiver adds $69 to the cost unless you buy it packaged with BeHear ACCESS for $399. BeHear products are warranted for one year from date of purchase against defective materials and workmanship. The company may repair a defective device, exchange it or refund the cost.

You have 30 calendar days from the date you receive your order to decide if BeHear amplifiers work for you. Hold on to your receipt and the original packaging, as you’ll need both to return the devices. You pay for return shipping. When Alango receives your return order and inspects the item, your refund will be in the original form of payment, like your credit card.

Where to Buy BeHear Amplifiers

You can purchase BeHear hearing amplifiers on the Wear & Hear website. The company also lists on its site other online and physical location retailers carrying the products.

BeHear Complaints

We found no complaints about BeHear or Alango Technologies online. We found no Better Business Bureau profile for the brands, but this also means no complaints have been filed with the BBB.

A Hearing Tracker review put BeHear headsets to the test against Bose Hearphones. The BeHear met or exceeded the Bose hearing amplifiers for all but two of 28 compared features. The BeHear device was missing active noise cancelation and NFC support, but it offers custom programs, EasyListen, longer battery life and other features at half the cost.

Serious Insights’ BeHear review says the personalized settings, ambient sound amplification and EasyListen technology are great features. The reviewer didn’t care for the control button placement on the NOW model.

A Hearables reviewer wore a BeHear headset for five months. He found the device comfortable and especially appreciated the EasyListen feature. The reviewer would have preferred less noise reduction but used the Music profile to overcome this issue.

BeHear FAQ

• How do BeHear amplifiers filter out background noise?
  BeHear hearing amplifiers selectively filter the background sounds you hear. It’s generally not safe to completely block all sounds. For example, you want to hear some traffic noise while you’re walking near a road or riding a bike.

  BeHear hearing amplifiers distinguish between sounds you need to hear while blocking distant noises. The headsets modulate background sounds so they aren’t too loud.

• Does Alango sell hearing aids?
  No. BeHear advanced hearing amplifiers were developed using Alango’s over 20 years of digital signal processing experience. The devices are classified as consumer electronics, while hearing aids are medical devices requiring a prescription.

• What is the difference between using a BeHear headset and the HearLink PLUS transmitter for watching TV?
  A BeHear headset used in Personal Hearing mode may be sufficient for your TV viewing needs. The HearLink PLUS transmits TV audio directly to your BeHear headset with no background noises for better sound quality.

• Can I wear glasses with BeHear hearing amplifiers?
  Yes. Since you wear nothing over your ears, there’s no discomfort while wearing glasses with BeHear headsets.

• Do BeHear Bluetooth headsets make Zoom meetings easier to understand?
  Yes. The EasyListen technology can slow the conversations you hear on Zoom and other cloud platforms. However, you will notice the speaker’s lips don’t always sync with their words during video calls. Others attending the Zoom meeting will not know you are using the EasyListen feature since it’s undetectable to others over the phone.

Conclusion

Alango’s EasyListen and ListenThrough technologies make BeHear hearing amplifiers worth considering. The product goes beyond making sounds louder to enhancing mobile phone conversations and discussions using Zoom and similar platforms. The comfortable Bluetooth headsets stream music while safely keeping you aware of your surroundings. BeHear hearing amplifiers cost half the price of a high-end competitor while offering many more features.