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What type of headphones or earbuds should I use?

Guidance on choosing the right headphones for an accurate Sound Scouts test.

This guidance applies to the Triple Factor Hearing Screener, Automatic Audiometer, APD Suite and Soundiverse.

Good-quality adult headphones or snugly fitting earbuds. Do not use surround-sound, gaming or audiological headphones — they may interfere with how sound is delivered in the game and the results may not accurately reflect the individual’s hearing ability. Do not use headphones with an external microphone. Wired headphones are preferable. Turn off Active Noise Cancelling if possible.

Recommended headphones include the Sennheiser HD 400S and Sennheiser HD 300.

Automatic Audiometer

Only the headphones below can currently be used with the Automatic Audiometer. Results will not be valid with other headphones.

  • Sennheiser HD 400S
  • Sennheiser HD 300
  • Telephonics TDH39
  • RadioEar DD65V2
  • Apple AirPods Pro (A2698)

Approved headphones and earbuds

  • Sennheiser HD 300
  • Adult Moki
  • Apple AirPods / earbuds
  • Sennheiser HD 100
  • Sennheiser HD 350
  • Sennheiser HD 400S
  • Liquid Ears
  • SonicB noise isolating earphones
  • Beats
  • Bose
  • Audeara (set to their base setting)
  • Verbatim Urban Sound V100C
  • Sennheiser PXC 550-11
  • JBL Harman Live 460NC
  • BackBeat Pro 2
  • Sony MDR-ZX110NC
  • Sennheiser HD 450BT — ideally with cable plugged in
  • Qudo
  • Sennheiser HD 215
  • ANKO ANC JLR77483 Bluetooth headphones (hardwired)
  • Gorsun GS-778
  • Sennheiser HD 201
  • BlueAnt Pump earbuds
  • KOSS

If you need an adaptor, use a branded adaptor (e.g. Apple for iOS devices). Do not use a splitter.

  • Children’s Moki
  • Little Sun
  • Sennheiser HD 500A
  • Keji
  • Motorola GD
  • Audiological headphones
  • Presto
  • Shokz
  • Shintaro
  • Logitech H390
  • Polaris
  • Sennheiser PC 5
  • JBL Kids
  • UrbanSounds
  • Verbatim Classic Wired Over-Ear Binaural
  • JBL Tune 500
  • Sennheiser GSP 600
  • Yealink BH70