SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA — Over 62 million Americans have difficulty following conversations in environments with background noise1. Tech startup Noopl addresses this problem with its acclaimed iPhone-compatible hearing device, which has just been upgraded to support USB audio.
Noopl is the first MFi (Made for iPhone) accessory with directionality and AI-based noise reduction to facilitate conversation in noisy environments.
“Socializing is a crucial part of the human experience. Noopl allows people to reengage in situations and environments from which they may have previously retreated due to the frustrations of not being able to hear and participate in conversations. This has a tremendous impact on their overall wellbeing as well as their mental and emotional health.”
–Dr. Tim Trine, Noopl CEO
Noopl’s three-microphone array forms a steerable beam that focuses on individual voices at a turn of the user’s head. The accompanying Listen app features Chatable AI 2.0 technology to reduce “ambient noise and deliver crisper speech” to users’ ears via AirPods Pro or MFi hearing aids.
The device’s low price point, combined with its use of tech devices that many people already own and use, makes it appealing to those who are not yet ready for expensive hearing aids and an affordable extra layer of hearing assistance for those who already do.
Noopl 2.0
Noopl’s new USB version offers significant improvements to the company’s introductory product, including:
- More consistent, higher fidelity sound at a wide range of audible frequencies
- Better noise reduction and low frequency sound reproduction
- USB audio via the Lightning connector for compatibility with a wider range of phone cases and iOS devices
- More flexibility to personalize the acoustic response based on the individual’s hearing needs
- User interface improvements based on feedback from customers to make the experience even more simple and intuitive
“With Noopl 2.0, audio is sent via USB over the Lightning connector, instead of the iPhone microphone, which significantly improves audio fidelity,” explains Dr. Trine. “It also eliminates the need for audio coupling and makes Noopl compatible with more iPhone cases. Additionally, we have made improvements to our software by further optimizing the noise reduction algorithm and adding bass and treble controls to the app, allowing users to adjust the sound to their preferences.”
Noopl’s innovative technology was created and driven by audiology and medical tech experts, including a team from the National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) in Sydney, Australia, who invented the best-in-class beamforming technology. The technology has been widely recognized by the press and in industry newsletters for its versatility and innovation, with Forbes calling it, “The iPhone Accessory That Could Super-Charge Your Hearing” and Newsweek naming it one of its “Best of CES 2021.”
Noopl costs $249.00 and is available on the company’s website www.Noopl.com. Currently the device is compatible with iPhone 7 and newer and requires AirPods Pro for the auto-steering feature. It also works with all MFi compatible hearing aids and cochlear implants. The company plans to release a version for Android later this year.
https://youtu.be/KmrMNBgk7Pk
1 https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/public_health_scientific_info.html
About Noopl
Noopl is a Sacramento-based startup focused on breakthrough innovation and technology integration in the consumer audio space. Founded by Steven Verdooner and Kevin Snow, Noopl’s patented technology and initial consumer product, which leverages best-in class multi-microphone beamforming technology, is the first MFi smartphone accessory designed to improve a user’s ability to filter out background noise and hear conversations more clearly in noisy situations. Noopl plugs into the Lightning port of an iPhone and combines advanced aspects of smartphone technology, digital MEMS microphones, low-latency audio signal processing, head tracking, and Noopl’s deep expertise in audiology. The company’s device augments the entire listening experience and allows users to never miss a moment.
Source: Noopl
