Forget earphones, Bose launches HEARPHONES with built in smart microphones to give wearers 'superhearing' in noisy places

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While wearing headphones generally signifies someone isn’t in the mood to talk, Bose has revealed a pair that is actually used to help people participate in conversations.

Called Hearphones, the wireless earbuds combine active noise cancellation and directional microphones to let wearer's hear far more clearly in noisy environments.

They even come with an app to tune the hearing for everything from live music to cocktail parties.  

Hearphones are wireless earbuds that combine active noise cancellation and directional microphones to help wearer's hear better. Paired with the Bose Hear app, users can customize what they want hear by selecting which directions to focus on or cancel out

'Directional microphones help you focus on conversations in noisy places,' Bose said.

'Focus, amplify or reduce real-world sounds to the level you want.'

It even boasts the headphones can help with everyday chats.

'Active Noise Reduction improves the listening comfort of conversations and takes the edge off the background noise.'

Users can customize what they want hear by selecting which directions to focus on or cancel out.

Electronic hearing aids came into play at the beginning of the 20th century, which were based on the telephone principle.

The carbon microphone reproduced sound by using sound waves to compress carbon against a diaphragm – however, these carbon models were ineffective for serious hearing loss.

Fast forward to the present, and the form factor has significantly shrunk to a piece that slides into the user’s ear.

And Bose developed a new set that they say helps people focus, amplify or reduce real-world sounds to the level they want - allowing them to stay involved in conversations around them.

The Massachusetts firm is known for its noise-cancellation technology, but with Hearphones, users can pick and choose what outside noises they want to hear - instead of block everything out entirely.

Hearphones is designed with directional microphones, which are found hearing aids or in an Assistive Listening Device (ALD), because it can be used to enhance some sound that you need to hear and to diminish background noise. 

This technology is also used to block out ambient noise while you listen to music.

The earphones are equip with ‘Active Noise Reduction’, which ‘improves the listening comfort of conversations and takes the edge off the background noise’, Bose says on its official website.

The Bose Hear app lets users customize sounds and create presets for various environments.

Here, users can tap to change directions, volumes and ambient sound levels, instead of fussing with the controls on the remote.  

However, to quickly change levels a remote located below the right earbud that controls the Hearphones features.

The Bose Hear app lets users customize sounds and create presets for various environments. Here, users can tap to change directions, volumes and ambient sound levels, instead of fussing with the controls on the remote

Users can mute sounds coming in to both ears or just one ear for a single earbud use, according to the user manual Bose submitted to the FCC.

There is an option that lets wearers increase the high frequency emphasis with various ‘Boost’ settings for listening to phone calls, podcasts or music. 

These settings includes ‘television', ‘airplane', ‘doctor’s office’ and ‘gym’, reports The Verge.

And you can adjust Hearphones to pick up sounds in different directions. 

Focused is designed for one-on-one conversation, front is for talking with a group and everywhere lets you hear sounds in all directions, for example, crossing the street or watching television.

In order to focus on sounds coming in from a specific area, simply press the 'World Volume' buttons, there are two on the side of the controller, at the same time.

Focused is designed for one-on-one conversation, front is for talking with a group and everywhere lets you hear sounds in all directions, for example, crossing the street or watching television. Presets like ‘airplane', ‘doctor’s office’ and ‘gym’ help cancel out certain noises 

‘As you increase World Volume, quiet sounds in the environment are amplified more than loud sounds so that all sounds can be heard comfortably, Bose explains in the user manual.

‘As you decrease World Volume, sounds in the environment are reduced, enabling you to focus on your activity, for example, listening to music or podcasts, reading or using your mobile device’. 

The earbuds are connected to a reverse collar, the same found on most wireless sets. 

Hearphones is designed like traditional wireless headphones - two earbuds attached to a collar. Inside the collar is a 10-hour rechargeable battery, device power button an Bluetooth connection and battery level indicators

Inside the collar is a 10-hour rechargable batter, device power button an Bluetooth connection and battery level indicators. 

These Hearphones can be paired with mobile devices, allowing users to hear music or make phone calls.

Bose has also noted that the app is not compatible with the QC 30 earbuds.

The device is not yet on general sale, and only available to try at a series of ‘exclusive events’ at the company’s HQ at Framingham, to the west of Boston.