Personal hearing test
A guided, per-ear test finds the softest tone you can hear at four pitches — plus an optional comfort-limit check that sets how loud things are ever allowed to get.
Hear life clearly again.
HEI turns your phone and a pair of earphones into a personal sound amplifier. Take a quick hearing test, and HEI amplifies exactly the frequencies your ears need — differently for each ear — while automatically keeping loud sounds safe.
From R25 a month (ZAR) for the base package.
- Per-ear correction
- Works fully offline
- Built-in loudness safety
2ears measured independently
4test pitches per ear
3compression bands, tuned live
30 dBdefault comfort ceiling (UCL) above your threshold
Features
Everything you need to hear better.
Everything you need to hear better.
Nothing you don't need.
HEI runs a real-time audio engine on your device — measuring, amplifying and protecting sound, one ear at a time.
Per-ear amplification
Each ear gets its own wide-dynamic-range compression prescription across three bands, applied independently to the left and right channel in real time.
Noise reduction
Steady background hiss — fans, traffic, fridge hum — is softened at four strengths, from Off to Strong, so speech stays forward without turning muffled.
Comfort mode
Because HEI boosts soft sounds, quiet rooms can get noisy. Comfort mode pulls amplification below a gentle threshold — peaceful stays peaceful, speech stays clear.
Impulse protection
Sudden loud sounds — a dropped plate, a slamming door — are pulled down instantly and released slowly, so a bang never reaches your ear at full force.
Frequency cuts
Trim rumble with a low-frequency cut or tame harshness with a high-frequency cut — exact cutoffs in hertz, or let HEI use its safe defaults.
Limitations of HEI
Being honest about what HEI does not do:
- Not a medical device. HEI does not diagnose, treat or cure hearing loss, and it cannot replace a clinical test, an audiologist or a hearing aid.
- Your test is not a booth test. Results depend on your own responses, the room, your phone and your earphones — they are a guide, not a diagnosis.
- One microphone, no beamforming. HEI uses your phone's microphone — unlike multi-microphone hearing aids, it cannot point at the person you are talking to or cancel noise from one direction.
- No sound localization. With a single microphone you will not be able to tell where sounds are coming from — a voice behind you or traffic to your side loses its direction.
- Earphones required, Android only. Sound plays through any earphones or headphones on Android 7.0 or newer — the phone speaker is not amplified.
- Phone quality matters. Your phone's microphone and headphone output set the ceiling for what HEI can measure and reproduce.
If you can get clinic-fitted hearing aids, they remain the strongly recommended option.
How it works
From silence to sound in three steps
No cloud, no sign-up — just a quiet room and your earphones. For hearing loss, a clinic check-up still comes first.
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1
Test your ears
Answer a few simple yes/no questions as quiet beeps play, one ear at a time. Optional louder beeps find your comfort limit — the safety ceiling HEI never crosses.
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2
HEI builds your profile
Your results become a personal fitting: how much gain each ear needs at each frequency, capped at a level you told us is still comfortable.
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3
Start your HEI
Press start and hear the difference immediately. Fine-tune noise reduction, comfort mode and impulse protection any time.
Screened before you begin
Before the test, HEI asks a short set of medical red-flag questions — sudden hearing change, pain, dizziness, pulsing sounds, one-sided loss. If any apply, HEI recommends seeing a doctor first. You stay in control either way.
Recommended setup guide
For the safest, most accurate first session:
- Pick your gear. Wired earphones are ideal for the test — no battery, no latency. Any headphones or bone-conduction headphones work for listening.
- Install HEI. Everything runs on your device, offline.
- Find a quiet spot. Testing at night, when the house and street are still, works well. So does sitting in your car with all the windows and doors closed — a small soft space with almost no background noise. Avoid rooms with echo, like bathrooms or empty halls: sound bounces around and skews the test and your first impression of the sound.
- Open HEI (and allow the microphone if not already done). If the permission prompt appears, allow it now — HEI can't measure or amplify sound without it.
- Answer the screening honestly. Sudden hearing change, pain, dizziness or one-sided loss? Stop and see a doctor first.
- Set your phone volume to maximum first. The test starts from the quietest setting and works upwards. Maximum phone volume is recommended — the microphone is normally very sensitive, so starting at max means you can always turn it down rather than not hear the softest beeps. Then run the per-ear test: four soft beeps per ear, plus the optional comfort-limit check that sets the hard ceiling HEI never crosses.
- Start low, tune slowly. Keep your phone volume at maximum and control loudness from inside HEI. Begin with the app at a low level, then adjust noise reduction, comfort mode and impulse protection one control at a time.
- Keep it comfortable — and retest. If anything sounds harsh, turn down. Retest whenever your hearing changes. For hearing loss, a clinic-fitted hearing aid remains the strongly recommended option.
Safety first
Amplification with a conscience
Making quiet sounds audible is easy. Doing it responsibly is the hard part. HEI was built so it can never surprise your ears:
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A ceiling you set yourselfThe comfort-limit test sets your UCL — amplification never passes levels you confirmed are safe, or an estimated threshold + 30 dB if you skip it.
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Long-term loudness monitoringIf you listen at very loud levels for too long, HEI asks you to turn it down.
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Red-flag health screeningSymptoms that may signal a medical cause prompt a clear “see a professional” notice before testing.
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One tap to a real audiologistFind a nearby audiologist directly from the app when you want a professional opinion.
Pricing
One base package.
Everything HEI does today lives in the base package — the hearing test, per-ear amplification and every safety control. More packages are in production.
R25ZAR / month
Full access, billed every month.
- Personal hearing test
- Per-ear amplification
- Noise, comfort & impulse controls
- No ads · works fully offline
More packages are in production right now — new tiers are on the way.
Compare
Where HEI fits
Hearing support comes in four flavours. Here's how they actually differ — so you can pick the right one for your situation.
| Audiologist-Fitted Hearing Aid Clinic · Medical device | OTC Hearing Aid Retail · Self-fit hearing aid | HEI Your phone · Consumer tool | Personal Sound Amplifier Retail · Body-worn & pocket | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Regulated medical device | Regulated hearing aid for mild-to-moderate hearing loss | Consumer sound-amplification & hearing-screening tool | Consumer sound amplifier — pocket, clip-on, body-worn pack or earbud styles |
| Size | Tiny — in-canal, in-the-ear or behind-the-ear; a few grams | Same shells as clinic aids — in-ear or behind-the-ear | No extra device — the phone in your pocket | Body-worn pack with wires, clip-on or pocket unit, plus earbud styles |
| Fitting | Programmed by an audiologist to a clinical audiogram | Self-fitted with an app or by hand — no clinic visit needed | Your guided test builds a personal per-ear profile | One generic profile — volume and tone dials set by hand |
| Hearing Test | Full clinical pure-tone test in a booth | Optional in-app screening — not a clinical booth test | Self-test at 4 pitches per ear, plus an optional comfort-limit check | None |
| Per-Ear Correction | Yes — programmed ear by ear | Often yes via the app — many models are one-size-fits-all | Yes — independent left/right gain across 3 bands (1, 2 & 4 kHz) | No — the same boost for both ears |
| Loudness Safety | Set and verified by the professional | Fixed output limits set by the manufacturer | Your comfort limit is a hard ceiling, plus impulse protection and loudness warnings | Fixed limits or simple volume — not tailored to you |
| Sound Controls | Usually via a companion app or in-clinic | App or button controls: volume and basic presets | Noise reduction, comfort mode, impulse protection, low & high-frequency cuts | Volume and tone dials, or a single volume control |
| Where You Get It | Audiology clinic | Pharmacy, hearing-care retail or online — no prescription | Your Android phone with any earphones, headphones or bone-conduction headphones | Shop, pharmacy or online |
| Time to Start | Weeks — tests, ordering, fitting visits | Minutes to days — buy off the shelf or order online | Minutes — install, test, start | Minutes — clip it on and plug in |
| Typical Cost | Highest of the four: device plus appointments | Mid-range: more than an app, less than a clinic aid | R25/month (base package) | Low to mid one-off purchase |
| Adjustments & Follow-Up | In-clinic follow-ups and reprogramming | App tweaks yourself; limited or mail-in support | Retest and retune any time | Dials you turn yourself — no profiles |
| Medical Oversight | Full — screening, ENT referrals, aftercare | None required — a self-check questionnaire is common | Red-flag screening that directs you to a professional; not a substitute for care | None |
| Best For | Diagnosed or complex hearing loss; anyone wanting clinical care | Mild-to-moderate loss without clinic visits | Affordable per-ear amplification you can set up today | A simple, dedicated boost — body-worn pack or earbud style |
Scroll sideways to compare all four →
Our clear recommendation: if you can get clinic-fitted hearing aids, do — nothing above matches them, HEI included. They are programmed ear by ear to a clinical audiogram, with real follow-up care. HEI is the fallback for when that isn't an option — personal amplification through your own earphones on the phone you already own, with a per-ear test and a hard loudness ceiling. It is still a consumer sound-amplification tool, not a medical device. For diagnosed hearing loss, or if your hearing changed suddenly, see a professional first.
Compare
Which should you listen with?
HEI works with all of them — earphones, headphones and bone-conduction headphones, wired or wireless. Here are the four main styles side by side.
In-ear earphones
Seal your ear canal- Best outside-noise isolation of the four
- Tiny and light — wired or true wireless
- Silicone or foam tips set the fit and seal
On-ear headphones
Rest on your ears- Pads sit directly on the ears
- Lighter and more portable than over-ear
- Can feel pressy in very long sessions
Over-ear headphones
Surround your ears- Cushions ring the ear — most comfortable
- Strong passive noise blocking
- Bigger, but ideal for long listening
Bone-conduction headphones
Rest on your cheekbones- Sound travels through bone — ear canals stay open
- Works with blocked ears and ear infections — sound bypasses the ear canal entirely
- You hear HEI and the world around you at once
Wired
- Plug in and sound is instant — no pairing, no battery in the earphones
- No audio delay: what the mic picks up is what you hear right away
- Keeps working even with the phone in airplane mode
- Downside: the cable can tug or get in the way
Wireless
- No cable — total freedom to move around
- Pair once; most devices reconnect on their own afterwards
- Small Bluetooth delay can be noticeable in live amplification
- Downside: earphones and phone both need battery
Whatever you pick, HEI sends a separate signal to each ear — any stereo pair works. Sealed styles block outside noise best; open styles like bone conduction keep you aware of your surroundings too.
FAQ
Questions, answered
How much does HEI cost?
The base package is R25 (ZAR) a month. One price includes every current feature: the hearing test, per-ear amplification and all safety controls, with no ads. More packages are in production.
Do I really need earphones?
Yes. HEI sends a different sound to each ear, and the phone speaker physically cannot do that — it plays one sound for both sides and feeds back into the microphone. Any earphones, headphones or bone-conduction headphones you already own will work — wired or wireless.
Is HEI a hearing aid or a medical device?
No — HEI is a personal sound amplifier with a built-in hearing screening. It is not a hearing aid, not a medical device, and it does not replace an audiologist, an ENT examination or a clinical hearing test. If you have hearing loss, we strongly recommend clinic-fitted hearing aids over any other device — HEI included. Think of HEI as a way to hear better today — and a first step towards seeing a professional tomorrow.
What happens to my audio — is anything uploaded?
No. Sound is captured from your microphone, processed on your device and played straight to your earphones. HEI works fully offline, and your hearing profile stays on your phone.
Can it make sounds uncomfortably loud?
Amplification is capped by your UCL — the comfort limit you set during the test (or an estimated threshold + 30 dB if you skip it), impulse protection softens sudden loud sounds, and a loudness monitor warns you during long loud listening. You can also reduce gain at any moment from Settings.
What do I need to run it?
An Android phone running Android 7.0 or newer, any earphones, headphones or bone-conduction headphones, and microphone permission. HEI has no ads, works offline, and the base package costs R25 (ZAR) a month.
My hearing changed suddenly — should I use HEI?
Please see a doctor first. Sudden hearing change, one-sided loss, ear pain or discharge, dizziness and pulsing sounds can point to a medical cause. HEI's own safety screen will tell you the same thing before you start the test.
Hear what you've been missing
HEI 1.0.0 for Android · Base package R25 (ZAR)/month · No ads, no internet required.
HEI — Hearing in your pocket
Android 7.0+ · v1.0.0
APK download link is coming soon — check back shortly.
HEI is a sound-amplification tool, not a medical device. Not a substitute for professional hearing care.