Designed to help augment hearing during various conditions such as watching TV, conversing, listening to music and even just relaxing. The Personal Audio Enhancer PEA-300 ($399) is one of the new health-focused gadgets that's designed to help anyone hear better.
The PEA-300 isn't a hearing aid but the company says it is is best suited for users with mild-to-moderate hearing loss (pre-hearing aid market). So anyone with weaker than normal hearing will supposedly experience the benefit.
In the box, users get the actual enhancer module, which is the size of a pager. They also get a pair of earphones, a charging dock and various wires for connecting to TVs and other devices. The kit has the following features.
- Four selectable Neural EQ Modes for different levels of audio enhancement
- Digital noise reduction and feedback suppression
- Full stereo sound
- Four volume settings selectable by a push button switch
- Handset dimensions: 110.2mm x 60mm x 19.1mm
- Built-in microphone with the earphones
- Operating time: 12-14 hours (6-8 hours TV mode)
- Charging time: 4-5 hours
- Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Set-up is relatively easy and instructions are straightforward. I first tested the PEA-300 for regular conversations. This was a bit finicky at first and had some static and buzzing but was easily remedied.
The result was clearer overall sound with voices sounding much more defined. In a way, it is like an audio filter, leaving out the noise.
The PAE-300 connects wirelessly to TVs, allowing users to enjoy clear and crisp sound, in full stereo within a 33 foot (10 meter) range with no line-of-sight requirements. This for me was the best use of the PAE-300 since it delivered excellent sound without me having to crank up the volume, specially for movies where there was a lot of dialogue combined with background music and sound effects.
The relaxation mode, plays various soothing nature sounds that do help chill you out and put you in in a more relaxed state. Used this feature while trying to wind down while reading and I fell asleep a lot sooner than I expected.
The Vistasound PEA-300 worked as advertised and while it isn't something I would personally use all the time, it does improve the quality of audio in various conditions and for people struggling with decreased hearing it can rely on the PEA-300 to get better all around sound.
Again, this isn't a substitute for a proper hearing aid and it doesn't present itself to be.
It is a product that, if used as specified, can enrich the quality of life of any user that needs to hear better and clearer without necessarily needing to hear and louder.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5