Doro HearingBuds: Fine-tuning sound for a unique listening experience
Doro HearingBuds. Picture: Doro.
The Swedish brand Doro has been synonymous with user-friendly mobile phones tailored for seniors. With the release of the Doro HearingBuds, Doro has entered a new market to expand the variety of products it offers. I’ve reviewed several Doro phones over the years and have found them easy to recommend for their ease of use and accessibility for those who find using a mainstream touch-screen smartphone difficult, so I was intrigued to learn more about their new in-ear headphones, which are intended to improve sound for those who are hard of hearing but who don’t need medical hearing aids.
The physical design of the Doro HearingBuds, including the charging case, is uninspiring, but they’re all about function over form. The large rectangular case has a Doro logo debossed on the top lid, with no distinguishing accents. The charging case features a USB-C charging port on the front and a Bluetooth connection button upon opening the lid. Support for wireless charging would have been nice for elders' convenience and usability.
The HeadingBuds include three different sizes of silicone ear tips to accommodate various ear shapes, and each pair is a different colour to make them easy to identify. You don’t need to worry about which HearingBud to put in which ear because of the automated left/right detection technology that allows them to identify which ear they are placed in and adjust the sound accordingly.
The buds also feature a simple double-tap for pause/play or answer/end call and an optional long press to launch a voice assistant. There’s no way to customise the controls; they can’t be used to switch between hearing profiles; instead, the app must be used.
True to the brand's ethos, Doro ensures a seamless and user-friendly experience. The headphones effortlessly connect to various devices, including iOS, Android (Fast Pair support), and other Bluetooth-enabled devices. While I tested it on a few other devices, I focused all my testing on an iPhone for this review.
The associated Doro HearingBuds app, a crucial component of the Doro HearingBuds experience, comes with a unique feature I’ve never seen on any other earbuds — a hearing test. It works similarly to a classic hospital hearing test, allowing users to personalise the sound profile. This innovative approach sets the Doro HearingBuds apart from the competition by offering a tailored and unique auditory experience. However, I did the test ten times with various results. During the test, which has to be done in a quiet place, you will hear white noise until you hear a tone. As soon as you hear the tone, you press a confirmation button in the app. After doing the test several times, you start to think you hear things because the sounds are so hidden in the white noise. The longer you wait to press the confirm button, the louder and clearer the tone will get. The difference in my results might be attributed to my concentration level, the quietness of the surroundings, or how rapidly I pressed the button. The tests confirmed that my hearing is within the acceptable range and that I’m not the best candidate for these hearing buds. Ultimately, this made reviewing the HearingBuds more difficult for me. So, I did more testing with five other people aged 50 to 75. It was impossible to do extensive testing with each individual. However, opinions varied, with some saying it made little difference and others saying it made it easier to distinguish between different people's voices.
The commendable sound quality shines when listening to music, phone calls, and TV shows. However, limitations emerge in face-to-face conversations and noisy environments, highlighting areas for potential enhancement. I also found the sound enhancement elevated high-frequency sounds, adding an echo. Still, again, I would caveat this by saying my hearing is in the normal range, and those who are hard of hearing should see a more significant improvement.
A feature I would love to see added to the app is the ability to save personalised hearing profiles. This would allow you to return to a previous profile you know works or switch profiles for different people. This would be handy for couples who want to share their buds.
The Doro app is excellent and easy to use. It takes customisation to the next level by providing a range of sound profiles for diverse activities. Whether it's enhancing speech clarity, promoting environmental awareness, or optimising media consumption with profiles for TV and music, users can fine-tune their preferences.
Of course, you can use the HearingBuds like regular earphones; the sound quality is excellent. It should provide a more accurate sound signature if used with a custom hearing sound profile for your hearing.
The Doro HearingBuds, while not perfect, offer an effective solution catering to individuals with varying degrees of hearing loss. The enhanced clarity in media consumption and amplified conversations are commendable. However, the artificial tone in face-to-face conversations and the susceptibility to picking up minor sounds reveal areas for improvement.
The Doro HearingBuds offer a viable solution for individuals seeking an enhanced auditory experience. The brand's dedication to simplicity, customisation, and addressing the unique needs of users with hearing impairments positions these in-ear headphones as a noteworthy contender in the competitive audio device market. It’s important to note that the HearingBuds are not medically approved hearing aids and their effectiveness will depend on your hearing loss. They look like ordinary earbuds and don’t come with the potential stigma associated with hearing aids for those with mild hearing loss.
Doro HearingBuds €400 Doro
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