Magic Ear is a compact audio unit that boosts language within a 100-foot range while canceling out background sounds. Does it really work? Here is my Magic Ear review.
About Magic Ear
Magic Ear is a battery powered hearing booster that neutralizes atmospheric noise and makes speech clearer to understand. The official product website is getmagicear.com, which was registered in November 2017.
Claims & Features
- Boosts voices within a range of 100 feet
- Eliminates environmental noise
- Detects sounds beyond the normal range of hearing
- Ideal for watching TV or movies
- Design is compact
- Batteries required (2 AAA batteries)
Cost
Magic Ear costs $19.99 on the Bulbhead website. There are several other offers on the website including an optional double offer ($29.98), a deluxe offer ($29.98), and a double deluxe offer ($49.96).
Magic Ear Review
Magic Ear is an electronic audio device with a set of earbuds that amplifies audio while filtering out noise from the environment. Considering the exorbitant price of hearing aids, it is not surprising that products like Magic Ear are becoming increasingly popular. However, this product should not be considered an alternative to a higher-end hearing aid, but merely a basic sound amplifier.
To use Magic Ear, you simply plug in the included earphones, press the on/off button, and select your volume. I was surprised that selecting the volume results in a rather loud beep upon each press of the button. Moreover, touching or handling the unit while in use will produce a rather loud sound in the earphones, as those sounds are amplified as well.
Magic Ear does amplify sound, but seems to work best in quiet locations. Although it is a compact and discreet unit, Magic Ear will still be visible, unlike more expensive hearing aids. In addition, these kinds of audio amplifiers boost all sounds, which often generates undesirable static and indirect noise. This problem mainly occurs in louder environments than in a quieter place where there are minimal sources of sound.
As you can see (and hear) in the video below, Magic Ear tends to raise background noises in the process of amplifying sound. In a crowded room or noisy car, for example, I don’t feel like the benefits would outweigh the distraction of static and other ambient noises which will also be amplified. In a quiet room, however, a television can be heard more clearly while using Magic Ear.
Another observation, which is neither positive nor negative, is that sound amplified by Magic Ear tends to be mostly midrange in the audio spectrum, with far less bass and treble than the ears naturally hear. That gives it a sort of “old radio” sound, which is not unpleasant, but probably worth mentioning.
I don’t think Magic Ear is completely without merit, but I do feel that ambient sound conditions can greatly affect your satisfaction with the product. Be sure to watch the video below in which you can hear audio samples taken directly from the Magic Ear, and compared with that of a normal microphone.
Alternatives
Perhaps the closest in design to Magic Ear is the much more expensive Williams Sound Pocketalker, which currently boasts a 4.3-star rating among nearly 200 reviews. For a hearing aid-like amplifier, you may want to check out this $40 set, which is not technically a hearing aid, but does look like one.
Your Magic Ear Reviews
Have you used Magic Ear or something like it? Tell me your thoughts in the comments below!
The bulb head magic ear doesn’t work that good . We bought one for mom it work have of the time, the batteries drain really fast. It a terrible product .
I just bought two of them and they do not pick up any sound at all. I can turn them on and raise the volume and still no sound coming in at all.