Make Life One Click Louder – The BEAN

You know those funny quirks that your spouse has that you’ve tried to get used to? Maybe it’s something that was annoying for a while, but eventually you get used to it and just laugh it off.

For me and my husband, that quirk is his need for noise.

When he comes into a room, he wants to turn the tv or some music on. As he’s falling asleep, he prefers to have the tv on. And when he’s in the car, he loves the music to be playing.

The problem is that he likes all of the things to be playing loud. Too loud.

It’s something that we’ve talked about many times over our years together. He says his hearing was checked in the past and was always fine, and he just likes things loud. But now that we have children, it’s a concern again for me. I’ve turned on my car too many times to find the radio BLASTING. And knowing that he was last in the car driving all of our kids, that worries me. I don’t want them to end up like him because their hearing is damaged from loud noise.

When I found out about The BEAN from Etymotic Research, I thought that it might be perfect for my husband.

The BEAN is ideal for people who want amplification in some situations but not all of the time. It’s helpful for hearing the tv, following conversations and for hearing someone from a distance, like in a classroom or church service. 

Since my husband doesn’t need a full time device and only needs quiet sounds amplified, I thought it might be exactly what he needed.

When we got his starter kit, the BEAN was ready to use right out of the box without any set-up needed. Just put in one of the included batteries and fit it into the ear.

It took a little playing with for my husband to figure out which eartip fit the best. At first, he thought it was a little uncomfortable and said he was hearing a hollow sound. Once he figured out how to get the BEAN twisted back horizontally and more deeply seated in his ear, he said it was comfortable and the hollow sounds stopped.

My husband has been wearing The BEAN for over a week now on and off. He doesn’t wear it when he’s working alone and doesn’t need it, but when he’s interacting with others on the phone, in person and in crowds, he says it’s made a big difference in what he hears clearly.

He’s happy to be able to hear more clearly and I’m thrilled too. I’ve already noticed that I’m not having to repeat myself as often when we’re talking and now we’re not having to watch the TV on blast so he can hear what’s being said.

Do you know someone who has a hard time hearing in some situations?

5 Clues The BEAN Can Help:

1. If you ask others to repeat themselves or ask “what?” frequently
2. If you need to watch people’s faces carefully when they speak 
3. If you turn up the  TV or radio up louder than others
4. If you avoid or social situation because of difficulty following conversations
5. If you have a hard time hearing women’s and children’s voices, understanding speech in noisy places like restaurants or meeting rooms, hearing in worship services or lectures or if you have difficulty Following a conversation, especially when more than one person is talking.

If you’re like me, you had NO idea this even existed. I had resigned myself to waiting until my husband was much older and finally needed a hearing aid. But The BEAN is exactly what he needed.

Life, just one click louder.

Learn more about The BEAN online.  Follow Etymotic on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and product updates.