Indiegogo-Backed Audio Device With Frequency Compensation Due to Ship After CES

Indiegogo-backed Aumeo Audio showed at CES its “tailored” audio device, a module that connects between headphones and a smartphone to customize sound to a user’s own hearing sensitivity. Because each ear is sensitive to different frequencies, audio should not be “one size fits all,” Aumeo CEO Paul Lee said. Aumeo maps a consumer’s “hearing print” for each ear and then tailors the sound by filling in the missing frequencies and bringing hearing to the optimal level, Lee said. Users map their hearing prints using an app that creates audio profiles using a series of tones. When an individual connects music, the playback is optimized for that person's hearing, the company said. Aumeo is pitching the $149 device as a way to prevent hearing damage from ear-damaging headphone volume. When consumers try to compensate for frequencies they can’t hear by ramping up the volume, that damages hearing and can be permanent, the company said. The company missed its November shipping date due to manufacturing delays, a spokeswoman said. Shipping is to begin right after CES, she said.