Hong Kong invention that can stop earphone users going deaf
Aumeo adjusts sound for earphone users' left and right ears by filling in missing frequencies, 'like glasses for your ears'. It means you hear clearly at a lower volume
If you head to your local electronics store and take a peek around the audio section, you're bound to find a wide range of headphones and earphones. It's easy to find a pair that matches your style, but it's more difficult to find a pair that sounds just right because everyone hears sounds differently.
Aumeo is like glasses for your ears. We allow you to hear all the music as it should be heard
Not only are the shapes of our ear canals and our eardrums different on a physiological level, but the listening ability can vary between our left and right ear. Hong Kong-based start-up Aumeo wants to bring real customisation to the way we hear music - while still allowing us to wear the headphones of our choice. Its plug-and-play solution not only makes music sound better, but it could also save your hearing.
"Ears, like any part of our body, differ from person to person," says Aumeo co-founder and CEO Paul Lee. "We just don't notice the uniqueness of our hearing sensitivity as it can be hard to quantify."
Aumeo comes in the form of a small silver or black box, a little less than half the size of an iPhone 6 but about twice as thick. It connects to a user's smartphone, computer or audio equipment via Bluetooth or a 3.5mm jack cable, then hooks up to headphones via a second 3.5mm jack. It charges via micro USB and features a volume wheel, an LED indicator light, and a WT32i Bluetooth module. On a full charge, it can run for about eight hours on Bluetooth or 10 hours on a jack.
With the companion AumeoPlayer app, users can map out a customised sound profile for each of their ears. It then optimises that baseline by filling in missing frequencies that might have gone unheard otherwise.
"Aumeo is like glasses for your ears," Lee says. "We allow you to hear all the music as it should be heard."
