(801) A Prospective Validation Study of Apple Airpod Pros' Native Hearing Test

Introduction: Hearing loss is highly prevalent yet frequently underdiagnosed due to limited access to conventional sound-booth audiometry. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and diagnostic accuracy of Apple Airpod Pros' Hearing Test compared with standard pure-tone audiometry in adults.

Methods: A Prospective validation study (January and June 2025) at a tertiary academic otolaryngology clinic. 60 participants (mean age: 52 ± 15 years; 35 female) consulting for an audiological test were enrolled.
On the same day, all participants underwent both standard sound-booth audiometry (by an audiologist) and the Apple hearing test in a quiet consultation room using the AirPods Pro 2 and an iPhone 14.
Air conduction thresholds at 6 frequencies (500–8000 Hz) measured in decibels were compared between both tests. An agreement within ±10 dB was considered clinically acceptable. The diagnostic performance to detect hearing loss (pure tone average (PTA) >25 dB and >40 dB) was evaluated using sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV.

Results: Among 120 tested ears, 82.9% of thresholds obtained via Apple’s test were within ±10 dB of conventional audiometry. Significant differences were observed at 1000 Hz and 2000 Hz, with the Apple test underestimating thresholds. The test showed high specificity (98.8%) and good sensitivity (82.2%) for detecting hearing loss (pure tone average >25 dB). Sensitivity dropped to 52.9% for moderate to profound loss (pure tone average >40 dB).

Conclusions: This is the first external validation of Apple’s hearing test. It was shown to be reliable for pure-tone audiometry and detecting mild hearing loss. While it cannot be used as a diagnostic tool due to limitations such as lack of bone conduction, it is valuable for initial screening or self-monitoring.