Apple AirPods Pro 2 Live Listen as an Assistive Listening Device

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the benefit of the Apple AirPods Pro 2 Live Listen feature on speech recognition and recall in noise among older adults in a controlled laboratory setting. Method: Twenty adults aged 60–90+ years completed a modified speech-in-noise task with and without AirPods using the Live Listen feature. A Quick Speech-in-Noise Test–derived task measured recognition and recall under both conditions. Participants also completed audiometric screening, working memory assessment, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) loss estimation. Paired t tests and multiple regression analyses were used to assess performance differences and predictors. Results: Participants demonstrated significantly higher speech recognition ( p < .00001) and recall ( p = .00023) when using Live Listen. Recognition improvements were predicted by age, SNR loss, and sex, while recall improvements showed no significant predictors. Conclusions: The Live Listen feature of the Apple AirPods Pro 2 significantly improved speech-in-noise performance in older adults. These preliminary findings support its potential as an affordable assistive tool in noisy environments, such as hospitals, where traditional hearing aids may be unavailable.