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For people who have conductive hearing loss, a hearing aid may be the only solution. But high-tech company Max Virtual LLC, based in Greensboro, N.C. and Shenzhen, China, offers another option. The Cynaps Enhance hat is a self-contained hearing device that amplifies and directs sound to the inner ear through bone conduction (vibration), and requires no earpiece. Dual microphones in the bill provide awareness, allowing the user to pinpoint the location of amplified sounds, such as oncoming traffic or voices which aren’t necessarily in the user’s direct line of sight. Cynaps Enhance is also Bluetooth enabled, allowing phone calls and audio streaming from any mobile phone or Bluetooth device.
Enhance follows the company’s original product, the Cynaps Bluetooth, which is touted as the world’s first Bluetooth, bone conduction headset in a hat. The wearer can answer calls and listen to music on a smart phone without earphones. A new feature adds voice commands for iPhone and Android, by pressing the bill of the hat and speaking the command.
The hats are made from a polyester blend that draws sweat away from the body to keep the wearer cool and dry. The hats’ soft, neutral colors convert less sunlight into heat than solid black and are recommended for outdoor activities.
