Hearing is a niche market, o(h)r?
I’ve observed a few audio companies now which are treating hearing enhancement as a niche market—a vertical tied to audiology, aging, or assistive tech. But from a consumer perspective, hearing loss isn’t a lifestyle or identity. It’s a spectrum—gradual, often unnoticed at first, and more common than we think.
So why does the industry still segment hearing-related features away from mainstream product development?
Hearing loss affects everyone—eventually
Around 1.5 billion people experience some form of hearing loss, and that number is expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050. Most of these cases begin as mild to moderate loss—harder to catch, but highly impactful in daily life. Consumers navigating this middle space—those who struggle to follow dialogue, miss phone notifications, or constantly adjust volume—are often underserved. They're offered either medical-grade solutions designed for severe cases, or consumer audio products that don't address mild hearing impairments at all.
In my humble opinion, this gap represents not just a usability issue—but a missed opportunity for product innovation.
Is this a structural blind spot?
There are a some patterns that prevent the industry from addressing this more inclusive middle ground:
Outdated assumptions: Many brands still link hearing loss with age and tech aversion. But today’s older adults are digital natives. They’ve lived through the Walkman and iPod eras. They care deeply about product quality, design, and personalization.
Over-simplified product thinking: The binary model—clinical versus consumer—no longer holds. There’s a growing need for audio products that offer both performance and subtle forms of hearing support, without the medical framing.
Narrow representation: Most consumer brands focus on Gen Z. Advertising rarely shows older adults, let alone those navigating hearing changes, using premium audio gear. This reinforces a narrow view of who audio is “for.”
Fragmented development: Even within companies that make both consumer and assistive products, development teams often operate in silos. There is no free flow of insight, ideas and technology across the product portfolios.
Fear of stigma: Some brands hesitate to highlight hearing-related features, worried it might “age” the product. But reframing these features as personalization tools—like Apple does—changes the narrative from deficiency to control.
Universal design as new perspective
Don’t think “audiology”. Think universal design, accessibility, inclusion. Universal design isn’t about building “accessible” products in a separate category. It’s about designing core experiences to be usable by more people, across more contexts. In the audio space, this could mean:
Adaptive sound profiles that subtly adjust based on hearing thresholds
Customizable controls that match different physical or perceptual preferences
Speech enhancement for better dialogue clarity in everyday use
Multi-sensory cues—like haptics or visual indicators—to support audio-based feedback
Seamless support for compatibility with optional hearing support devices
These aren’t accessibility "extras"—they’re experience features that benefit everyone.
Some best practices
A few brands are starting to blur the lines between premium audio and hearing support:
Apple includes features like Headphone Accommodations and Live Listen as part of the AirPods experience. They're presented as smart, user-friendly tools—not assistive tech.
Nuheara offers earbuds that combine rich sound with environmental tuning, bridging the gap between enhancement and entertainment.
Sonos includes speech clarity features in their products without framing them around hearing loss—just better, clearer audio for everyone.
These examples show how features designed with accessibility in mind often become broadly appreciated.
Practical steps forward
For teams working on the next generation of audio products, a few key shifts can make a big impact:
Start with an audit: Where are current products falling short for users with mild hearing loss? What small changes could improve their experience?
Embed hearing features into mainstream products—not special editions.
Diversify personas: Include older adults and users with mild impairments in product testing and marketing.
Promote internal collaboration: Break down the barriers between consumer and hearing tech teams.
Explore partnerships: Work with specialists in hearing enhancement tech to integrate proven approaches.
Designing for change
I think there is a strong business case here: a larger market, stronger differentiation, longer customer lifecycles, and reduced regulatory risk. But more importantly, it’s a chance to improve the daily experiences of millions of people navigating a common human challenge.
Most users won’t identify as having “hearing loss”—but they will notice when a product makes their experience easier, clearer, or more comfortable.
It’s time to design for them, too, or?