Customer Ratings & Reviews

The Neheara IQbuds 2 Max are an interesting example of a great idea with only good execution. I few tweaks would have made these a strong five-star review. As it is, the excellent sound quality and strong amplification features merit a 4-star review despite the weak app, bulky size, and lack of USB-C or wireless charging options. The first thing that leaps out when you unbox these buds is how large they are. Despite their obvious heft, they manage to sit comfortably in my ears. Unlike other wireless earbuds, the IQbuds do not have comfort tips preinstalled, so you choose which size to install and take it from there. Fro some reason, the small tips always fit me best even though I'm a fairly average-sized guy. Like the buds themselves, the charging case is also pretty chunky. I was disappointed it used the older micro USB cable, but at least the cable included a charging brick. The buds are pulled into place inside the case by magnets, which make it relatively easy to ensure they are in the case securely. When setting up the buds, they offer an extensive hearing diagnostic to tailor the external soundfield to your hearing capabilities. Note, this is not to set up your music; it is to determine which external sounds to amplify. In my experience, this set-up process worked flawlessly. You can also choose how the amplification works, at least to a degree. You can chose for the amplification to focus on sounds in front of you or all around you. In front of you is good for conversation in a crowded area. All around is helpful when you're simply out walking in public. And, of course, you have the option for noise canceling. One major deficit is that you do NOT have access to EQ settings for different sound experiences - in fact, you don't even get the standard "bass boost" setting that seems almost mandatory on earbuds these days. But you do get very rich sound and a few limited options, such as settings tailored to your physical setting (like "street" or "home"). And you have some limited configuration options for the touch controls on each bud. I am a 55-year-old male with no substantial hearing impairment. However, I found using the IQbuds to be very helpful in various situations. They can help keep my focus on a conversation in a crowd. They also help me hear and detect various things - such as oncoming cars, bikers, or joggers - while outside. The amplification is simple and clear; you don't garbled sound or anything that sounds manufactured. It's a bit like having super-hearing. Where the sound does break down a little, IMO, is phone calls. While the call quality is good, voices do sound a bit digitized. It's not bad, but it's not great. Overall, these are helpful earbuds in terms of sound amplification and they feature good sound quality for music and such. I'd like to see a more well-rounded app and better charging options, especially this price point. I do not think they would offer much benefit for someone with significant hearing loss, but they can be helpful for many people.

Unfortunately I needed a product that could be louder. I was looking for a cheaper alternative to expensive hearing aids. I’m sure these are a great product for someone who doesn’t have as bad hearing loss.

Work great. I can hear better and my tinnitus improves a bit when I used them.

The best product out there. Everything you need in a small package.

I would not have returned them to Best Buy if they were actually a "free" offer, as stated.

A real game changer for hearing aid options. These are really good.

Was unable to power these up, even after charging them. Couldn’t connect to Bluetooth. Not easy to use. Directions suck. Overall the execution of these was not good. Especially for an older person like my mother in law who doesn’t know how to use technology very well. - returned them

Bought this as a backup pair for my 87 year old mother. All set up and adjustments are through the app. I had a difficult time with setting and adjustments.

Returned them. Difficult to set up, and not worth the trouble. Since I kept getting feedback, I assume I did something wrong. Maybe it requires a specialized degree. LOL

They are easy to wear and fit very comfortable. Operation is simple and controlled by different tap sequences on the outside of the earbuds. Pairing was quick and easy by pressing on both earbuds for a few seconds. The mobile application is easy to use, but doesn't have as much options as I though it would. There are precise controls over the noise cancellation features and it blocks outside noise very well. You can select to blend outside noise so you can still hear your environment while listing to music. Unfortunately, you can't really change music attributes such as base, treble, etc., however music sounds really good. What really sets these apart is the hearing calibration amplification to your specific hearing. I have some hearing lose in my left ear due to being around aircraft on a frequent basis for part of my career. The mobile hearing test was very accurate and illustrated where I have hearing lose. I can tell difference with listening to to noise outside and through the device. I can hear music better and outside noises are amplified very good. Battery life seems in line with similar products and they charge fast inside the case. In addition, they come with a nice carry pouch as well. The only reason I gave 4 stars, instead of 5, is because they are very expensive. If you are just listening to music, I suggest going with a cheaper alternative. If you have minor hearing lose, they are very beneficial and worth the cost.

I was really hoping for the earbud version of Bose' Hearphones, but these fell short. Perhaps the third version will be the winner? The earbuds are huge and the case is about three quarters the size of a Macbook Air power brick. Aesthetically they look like something I bought at the dollar store (because of how big they are and the non-premium materials). --- That being said, the sound quality is really good and the companion app is crucial to optimizing their operation. The ear ID test is a little bit frustrating if you struggle to hear certain frequencies. The app displays an error that you missed a certain frequency possibly due to the eartips not fitting, and then asks you to proceed to the next test. Not everything about the earbuds [or app] are bad though. I can wear these for a few hours without getting the same mild headache that I get with the Hearphones and the amplification and ability to focus direction really do improve the ability to hear/follow conversations much better. They also help with watching TV instead of relying on closed captioning to fill in the gaps. Version 3 will hopefully improve the case and earbud materials, reduce the case size, and refine the app a bit more. There are quite a few people out there who don't want hearing aids but could really benefit from occasional amplification, especially in conversation settings.

They do not work as hearing amps, Zero support! Just plain junk

My husband has some hearing loss due to playing in a band. He is constantly asking to have words repeated, turns the tv up very loud, has tinnitus & sometimes can only hear if someone is speaking facing him. He is not ready for hearing aids & this was the perfect opportunity to try these out. They look like ear buds so you really can’t tell they’re amplifiers. They come with 6 different tip sizes for a perfect fit, they are a bit large though & stick out of the ear. He was able to hear everything around him & while using the focus setting only had the tv on 8 volume instead of 22. A separate device is needed if you want to tune in directly to your tv, he was fine without it. Phone calls can be taken hands free but we haven’t figured out that feature yet. They can be used as ear buds to play music & he said it sounded good. EQ can be set but depending on the volume a hissing sound occurred at high volume. EQ controls can be set & adjusted in the app. They come in a small usb charging case & the case charges as well as charging the ear buds, battery power was good. You can tap the buds to hear everything or cancel noise. A drawstring bag is included for travel. He said he really likes them & I'm happy because I don’t have to repeat myself as often!

While I have not been diagnosed with any hearing loss, as my age advances I seem to have a harder time hearing in busy, noisy, distracting environments. Restaurants, in particular, are a challenge, and why go for a nice dinner with friends if you're going to miss every other word? This seemed like a natural. It's tricky, though. The touch interface in the earbuds themselves is pretty intuitive, but the phone app was a bit confusing and learning to navigate both was a bit challenging. First off, the earbuds are pretty large for earbuds, and not as comfortable as many. For the most part, they do stay in place better than I thought they would. Their charging box is a bit of a pain, though, and even with fairly nimble fingers, I have a hard time pulling the buds out from their charging cradles. Really, that's my biggest complaint. The user interface on the earbuds themselves is pretty simple, easy to understand, and easy to modify. It can also interface with my phone assistant in a way that I appreciate. The app is fairly well thought out, with only an avoidable portion devoted to upselling related devices. I used the app to give myself a hearing test, which was interesting, though I probably wouldn't trust it over a test given to me by a professional. The sensitivity settings are easy to adjust, though I get a bit dizzy when I adjust them too quickly. And, as it turns out, they really do help me understand what my friends are saying when we're in loud settings. I haven't tried them everywhere, but I am looking forward to doing so. They help me be more social.

These hearing amplifiers are similar to ear buds so people really do not know you are wearing them for hearing aids. They are easy to setup and have different sizes to fit all types of ears. The charging case is not that large and can store them as well as charge them. I haven't tried to see how many hours it can charge but it did charge once so far. There is a program that you can adjust to your hearing which works really well. It does cancel noise out which is also worked really well. I like that it can pair to your cell phone and you can use them to talk on as well. I am really happy with these and will recommend them to anyone that needs help hearing as well as reducing surrounding noise. The packaging is well done and the instructions were very detailed. The fit is very well as I do have issues with ear buds and my one ear gets sore after wearing buds for a long time but these after 8 hours didn't seem to affect that ear. The charing of the case seems to be fairly quick but it is supposed to hold charge for two times. I would purchase another one of these for a relative that needs hearing assistance.

I am continuing to try on both OTC hearing devices and wireless ear buds that are designed for or can be used by folks with hearing loss. My wife called these Nuhearas my "Frankenstein Bolts" (!). Suffice to say they are big. I couldn't achieve a fit, so I had constant whistling--and I did not like that they picked up my voice better than environmental sounds. Pros: as a hearing device, fantastic for music, good for phone calls. I used them in Barcelona and they worked as advertised in a noisy urban environment. Another company HP is now marketing these devices, don't know if that means there have been changes. Ultimately, no keepers because of size and only mediocre sound enhancement for hearing loss. However, because of poor fit, I was never able to complete the hearing assessment that comes with the devices.

This is probably the hardest product I ever reviewed. The Nuheara - IQbuds 2 MAX Personal Hearing Amplifier is a truly amazing device but I am having a hard time figuring out who the target audience is. Think of the IQbuds 2 a highly advanced wireless earbud that has some hearing aid features. However, to be clear, this is not a hearing aid nor should be considered a medical device – it simply is designed to help with hearing issues in different types of environments. In review: Setup – Setting up the IQbuds 2 MAX starts with a hearing test. The test assesses your hearing at different frequencies and then uses results to adjust the settings of the earbuds. Nuheara calls the test “Ear ID” and it is impressive. The test does take about 10 minutes and truly puts you through a top-quality audio professional test. Be warned, make sure you are in quiet room and have the earbuds properly inserted. I failed to follow those instructions and the test did not go well at all. Even if you have everything properly set, if you are not giving the test your undivided attention or the tone sounds exactly during a breath; you can easily miss the tones. I cannot emphasize how important a good fit is, what a difference it made. Regardless, the test is impressive and does a great job. Features – SINC mode I found this feature to be the most impressive, SINC allows the IQbuds2 Max to focus on voices by filtering out sounds and frequencies that are not necessary. Words are sharper and easier to understand while other sounds are dampened. To test this, I ran my wall air conditioner and had the TV on and compared the voice with SINC on and off. It is shockingly good, I would say the air conditioner sound was reduced by half and the vocals were much clearer. ANC (active noise canceling) The IQbuds 2 MAX noise cancellation is the best I have ever I heard. Conversations were clear and uninterrupted by air cleaners and similar sound that I had in my room. Focus mode This allows you to pick to hear amplified sound from directly in front of you or from all around you. I noticed a significant difference for television sound when I focused the sound amplification to the front. World On This interesting feature allows you to adjust audio focus through a sliding scale and minimize ambient sounds that are set to a specific environment. Those environments are restaurant, office, home, street , driving, workout and plane. For example, an office environment would have typing sounds, the low hum of computer fans, drawers closing etc You would want to minimize those sounds but increase vocals. Very cool. Build quality, controls and fit – Top notch, great fit and finish. Exactly what you expect from a high end earbud - high quality plastic, charging case, responsive controls multiple selections for ear pieces. Works with Siri and Google Assistant. In conclusion, the Nuheara - IQbuds 2 MAX is advanced piece of technology looking for the perfect customer. Since my hearing is pretty good, I would not have any need for this product. People who are truly hard of hearing would need true hearing aids. The question is how someone would fit into the goldilock zone in between. That is going to be the challenge for a lot of people and is what I was talking about in my opening paragraph.. Luckily, Nuheara offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can be rest assured it works for you. At minimum, the Nuheara IQbuds 2 MAX earbuds provide great stereo quality sound and allow wireless connectivity to multiple devices while serving as an entry level hearing assistance device.

Uncomfortable and did not connect well with my iPhone. The app was challenged to retain the Bluetooth connection.

These are pretty amazing. Very good construction, case and buds have a nice solid weight and feel. Includes carry pouch. Packed with features in the app. I let them charge over night before using. When first turned on and looking through the app, a firmware Update appeared so I allowed for the update before proceeding. I started with ear ID and found that I had the correct size ear bud tips already. I really felt the process took the correct amount of time to ID my particular hearing needs. Included are a large selection of ear tip sizes in tray. I was more interested in the music listening aspect so I tried that First. It is great! Had a pure, noncolored sound. What I mean is most buds/speakers add an ambiance that colors the sound a certain way as they feel this will enhance the listening experience. The 9.2mm drivers do make a difference providing enough power To drive the speakers and the stereo separation is good. I then proceeded to try the hearing aspect of the buds. Tried world on and off and location settings. Could not use airplane, not traveling. I only noticed a slight change between the choices when using for Voice conversations and also noticed high pitches or trebled sound when volume turned up. The noise cancelling however, is excellent. Could not hear my wife when I was listening to music so she was getting quite annoyed with me. The tap controls are customizable and very responsive when using. I had no trouble using google assistant, worked quite well. To recap: So many features including World noise control, Pure sound fidelity, Personalized listening, Focus, Conversation boost, location settings, Voice assistants for IOS or Android. See all details on their website! The only cons for me personally are some brands are still producing products with USB Micro A when USB C has been around since 2014 and upgraded to 3.1 in 2016, now becoming the standard in 2021. This still comes with USB Micro A which means slower charging time. This is still a good choice when considering these types of buds.

The ear buds come with six sets of ear tips, USB charging cable, carrying case, bag for case and two ear buds. The ear bud’s battery will last up to eight and a half hours (depending upon use). The carry case will recharge up to another three full charges before requiring a plug in. As with most products you need to download the application for your phone. Installing the Nuheara IQbuds by following the prompts within the application is the easiest way. Follow the tutorial within the application is the quickest way to learn how to control and modify each earpiece. Next you should take the Ear ID test to get a base line and learn what adjustments are required. You can setup locations in the application, these can be downloaded to the earpiece for each environment you find yourself in. You can save four locations within the earpieces. The Advanced Noise Cancelling works quite well. With other adjustments and the noise cancelling you can customize your experience for the best results. The ear buds are large and bulky, they can be noticed easily. The do however resemble other ear buds. As with most other ear buds you can stream audio from Bluetooth devices to the Nuheara IQbuds 2. Streaming via Bluetooth cuts the battery life to about five hours. On the downside the device is compatible with Siri, and Google. There is currently no connection to Alexa. The playing of audio files has only a five hour battery life. This has to be the worst I have seen.