MARCH 2020 MACWORLD 121The optional BT-01
Bluetooth transceiver
lets you connect the
output from a TV or other
audio gear and send that
signal wirelessly to the
A-01. Interestingly, it can
also receive Bluetooth
signals and convert them
to physical connections.
A handy little gizmo!against my head. On the plus side, this
makes for a good seal, which is important
for sound quality, noise isolation, and
obtaining a good result from the app’s
hearing test.
USER INTERFACE AND
HEARING TEST
The onboard controls include a main
power switch at the bottom of the left
earcup and an ANC on/off switch on the
bottom of the right earcup, each with a tiny
LED to indicate its status. The only other
controls are three small buttons on the
back of the left earcup. The central button
is multifunction: play/pause music and
answer/hang up phone call with a single
tap, skip forward with a double tap, skip
back with a triple tap, enter Bluetooth
pairing mode with a long hold. The
flanking buttons increase and decrease
the volume.
After pairing the A-01 with my iPhone
XS, I downloaded the Audeara app and
ran the hearing test. There are three tests
to choose from: Standard (eight
frequencies), High Detail (16 frequencies),
and Ultimate Precision (32 frequencies).
Standard and High Detail test frequencies
from 100Hz to 16kHz, while Ultimate
Precision extends from 100Hz to 20kHz.
The process begins with a short tutorial on
how to perform the test, which is simple
yet informative.
Once the test begins, the app plays
repeating beeps in each ear at different
frequencies, and you adjust the volume of
the beeps at each frequency until you can
just barely hear them. This requires a quiet
environment so that extraneous noise
does not interfere with the test.
The test display looks like a graphic
EQ. You can drag the slider for each
frequency up and down, but the volume