Music for your ears: Hong Kong start-up says Aumeo pocket device first to customise listening to people’s unique aural signature
Gadget explodes the myth that everyone hears exactly the same sounds, gets rid of distortion and missed frequencies while aslo protecting people’s hearing, company says
A start-up in Hong Kong claims to have built the world’s first tailored audio device: a pocket-sized box that can map sensitivity to different sounds and adjust the songs on your mobile jukebox to create a customised audio profile.
This can prevent damage to hearing while also clearing up distortion and filter back in missed sounds, said Aumeo Audio, the company behind the product.
Called simply Aumeo, the slim device can boost bass levels for listeners insensitive to lower frequencies or lower high-pitched sounds for those who are sensitive to this bandwidth. It is expected to retail later this year for around US$130.
It connects to a smartphone via bluetooth and stores the listener’s profile after a one-time test during which the subject listens to a set of sounds at different frequencies and adjusts the volume controls until each one disappears. Earphones or headphones must be purchased separately.
Scientists have long known that people hear sounds differently depending on the size of their brain and ear drums, and even relating to the size and number of the hairs in their ears, among other factors.
This makes for a listening experience as unique as a person’s fingerprint, they claim, and technologists have been trying to accommodate this in recent years by designing increasingly sensitive audio listening equipment.
