Olive Union has started taking pre-orders for Olive Max, its new pair of hearing aids that doubles as a pair of ordinary wireless earbuds. The company says the model was built-on top of the success of Olive Pro, the 2-in-1 hearing aids/earbuds it released back in 2020. While Olive Pro looks like a pair of Apple AirPods, Max uses a custom-built design that wraps around the top the wearer's ear for a "more stable listening experience." The new model also serves as a the debut product for Olive's adaptive hearing technology, which is apparently its most requested feature.
Olive's adaptive hearing tech is powered by an AI that learns and improves the feature the more a user wears the device. It then uses machine learning tech to automatically customize Max's sound settings to suit the wearer's current environment. The new model also comes with a new voice auto-focus feature and a new sound engine that give it the capability to detect voices better, as well as to more effectively reduce and filter background noise. Olive claims Max is capable of separating voices from noises with such "incredible accuracy" that it won't distort the user's own voice while it's filtering out ambient sounds.
The Olive Max is an FDA Class 2 hearing aid that works for people with mild to severe hearing loss. It can last for up to 8 hours on a single charge, though its charging case can extend its battery life for up to 18 hours. It also only takes five minutes to set up using its accompanying iOS or Android app. The model is now available for pre-order for $299 and will start shipping in the fourth quarter of 2022. After the promo ends, Olive Max will be sold for $549.