Comparison

HEARING AID APP | Live listen vs Head Shadow

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

HEARING AID APP | Live listen

This app amplifies sound for clearer listening and offers personalized hearing correction. It includes a hearing test, live transcription, and various amplification modes to enhance your auditory experience. Premium features provide advanced sound boosting and noise suppression.

Highlights
  • 11x Sound Boost
  • Live Listen & Amplify
  • Personalized Hearing Correction
  • In-situ Hearing Test
  • Live Transcriber (Speech-to-Text)
  • Bluetooth Device Support
  • Apple HealthKit Integration
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

◆ HEARING AID APP WITH 11× SOUND BOOST ◆ LIVE LISTEN & AMPLIFY ◆ TEST HEARING & SAVE TO APPLE HEALTHKIT ◆ MUSIC VOLUME BOOST — LIVE LISTEN ◆ START HEARING CLEARLY WITH SOUND AMPLIFICATION ● Award-Winning: ◦ Recognized as the Microsoft Inspire P2P Contest Winner in 2017 & 2018 ◦ PC Magazine – Best Soft of 2014 ◦ Lern Award – The Best Learning Program 2018 ◦ Science About Us: 55+ research publications FREE Features: ● Personalized hearing correction for each ear ● in-situ (built-in) hearing test ● Dynamic compression to amplify quiet sounds ● 4 sound amplification modes ● Live Transcriber - speech-to-text for conversations & lectures ● Supports Bluetooth devices & wireless headphones, including AirPods ● Apple HealthKit integration: monitor and track hearing changes ● Built-in Music Player ● Tinnitus Pitch Matching Test PREMIUM LISTENING Features: ● Built-in music player with amplified sound for hearing-impaired users ● Super Boost: Boost sound up to 1000% with standard headphones ● Adaptive 4-week course to help your hearing adjust to hearing aid ● Unlimited sound profiles for various sound environments ● Noise suppression for clearer speech ● Advanced amplification modes: “Super Boost” & Dectone ● Tinnitus-friendly quiet sound amplification ● Recorder with speech-to-text ... and much more! Subscription Details: ► Unlock ALL premium features ► Choose from weekly, monthly, annual, or lifetime access plans ► Manage or cancel anytime from your App Store account settings ► Auto-renewals can be turned off 24 hours before the current period ends ⁕⁕⁕ IMPORTANT TIPS: ⁕⁕⁕ Adapting to a hearing aid can take weeks to months. You'll notice sounds previously unheard. Use noise reduction for comfort. Familiar sounds might seem different initially. MAKE THE MOST OF THE BUILT-IN 4-WEEK ADAPTIVE COURSE! Did You Know? ◆ Using a hearing aid can reduce the risk of dementia by 75% ◆ 1 in 3 adults over 65 needs hearing support ◆ Untreated hearing loss increases cognitive decline risk by 40% Bluetooth note: Using a Bluetooth headset might introduce a slight delay and potential echoing. Disclaimer: Petralex® is not a certified medical device. Always consult with a professional for audiological needs. The app's audiometric test aids in adjustment and isn't a professional evaluation substitute. Questions or Feedback? We're here to help. Contact us at support@petralex.pro - Terms of service: https://petralex.pro/terms.html - Privacy policy: https://petralex.pro/privacy-policy.html

About

Head Shadow

This app acts as a hearing aid for individuals with single-sided deafness or mild bilateral hearing loss. It utilizes your iPhone or AirPods microphone to capture ambient sounds, then amplifies and outputs them through wired headphones or AirPods.

Highlights
  • Single-sided deafness aid
  • Mild hearing loss amplification
  • 10-band audio equalizer
  • Reverb options
  • Works with AirPods and wired headphones
  • 30-day free trial
Features
Read full description

Head Shadow is a hearing aid iPhone app for people with single-sided deafness or mild hearing loss in both ears. The app captures nearby sound with the iPhone or AirPods microphone, enhances it with a 10-band equalizer, and plays it in real time through wired headphones, AirPods, or AirPods Pro. FOR SINGLE-SIDED DEAFNESS When using AirPods, activate the microphone on your deaf side. Place that AirPod in your deaf ear and the other AirPod in your hearing ear. Head Shadow captures sound from your deaf side, enhances it, and plays it in your hearing ear, providing a CROS-like listening experience. FOR MILD HEARING LOSS If you have mild hearing loss in both ears, connect your wired or wireless headphones and play the app. Head Shadow captures sound with the iPhone microphone, enhances it, and plays it through your headphones. SOUND CONTROLS The 10-band equalizer lets you adjust the frequencies used in a standard audiogram. Reverb options let you hear how sound changes in different spaces. TRY FREE, THEN BUY ONCE Try all features free. Continue with a one-time purchase. There are no ads and no subscriptions. FINAL PLANNED FEATURE RELEASE Head Shadow was first published on the App Store in 2019. This is its final planned feature release, and the app will remain available and supported. Head Shadow AI, our next-generation app for people with single-sided deafness, is now available separately on the App Store and will receive future feature development.

Screenshots

HEARING AID APP | Live listen4 screens
Head Shadow4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: HEARING AID APP | Live listen at 2.1K against Head Shadow's 13. HEARING AID APP | Live listen also leads on monetization model (freemium vs paid) and chart position (#144 vs unranked). Head Shadow's advantage is review sentiment (83% vs 70%). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. HEARING AID APP | Live listen sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per 7 days and Head Shadow sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Head Shadow holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HEARING AID APP | Live listen has 2.1K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of HEARING AID APP | Live listen's written reviews are positive against 83% of Head Shadow's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HEARING AID APP | Live listen ships an update every 5 weeks, Head Shadow every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
HEARING AID APP | Live listen versus Head Shadow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHEARING AID APP | Live listenHead Shadow
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (2.1K ratings)4.3 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews69.5% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.1K — better13
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium — betterPaid
Best chart rank#144 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHearing Aid App Solutions LLCIsa Asudeh

Customer experience

HEARING AID APP | Live listen

All ratings2,097 ratings
Positive78.3%
Neutral8.5%
Negative13.2%
Written reviews640 reviews
Positive69.5%
Neutral8.9%
Negative21.6%

Head Shadow

All ratings13 ratings
Positive76.9%
Neutral7.7%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

Bugs and requests

HEARING AID APP | Live listen

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inconsistent performance across devices
  • Hearing test issues with single-sided hearing loss
  • Unexpected subscription charges

Requested features

3 requests
  • Support for wireless bone conduction headphones
  • Ability to bypass hearing test
  • More granular volume/EQ controls

Head Shadow

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

9 purchases

HEARING AID APP | Live listen

Subscriptions8
  • Weekly Access$4.497 Days
  • Hearing Aid App, Super Hearing$12.991 Month
  • Three Months Access$14.993 Months
Show 5 more
  • One Month Access$14.991 Month
  • Three Months Access$19.993 Months
  • Annual Access$34.991 Year
  • Six Months Access3 Days trial$49.996 Months
  • Annual Access3 Days trial$79.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium LifeTime$89.99
2 purchases

Head Shadow

One-time2
  • Free 30-Day TrialFree
  • One time purchase$3.99

Questions

Is HEARING AID APP | Live listen free?
HEARING AID APP | Live listen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Head Shadow free?
Head Shadow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HEARING AID APP | Live listen or Head Shadow?
Head Shadow is rated higher. HEARING AID APP | Live listen averages 4.1 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Head Shadow averages 4.3 from 13 ratings.
Do HEARING AID APP | Live listen or Head Shadow have ads?
Neither HEARING AID APP | Live listen nor Head Shadow shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HEARING AID APP | Live listen or Head Shadow?
HEARING AID APP | Live listen ships an update every 5 weeks, and Head Shadow every 3 weeks. Most recently, HEARING AID APP | Live listen was updated on November 6, 2026 and Head Shadow on November 2, 2026.

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