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Audio-Technica takes aim at AirPods Pro with new hearing-health earbuds and speakers
- Mimio is the new hearing-health sub-brand from Audio-Technica
- Mimio AirPods-rival earbuds and a TV speaker will launch on August 1
- The tech could challenge AirPods Pro’s HAF – but they won’t come cheap
Say the name ‘Audio-Technica’ and hi-fi purists’ minds will doubtless spin over to turntable cartridges, but alongside a winsome glowing, floating turntable and a totally transparent deck in 2025, the Japanese audio specialist has been carving out quite the niche for itself in the wireless earbuds market, releasing an option with seriously impressive stamina and even a cartilage conduction set of headphones to name but a few, this year.
The thing is, AirPods be AirPods, and Audio-Technica gets it. How to challenge the hearing aid mode Apple added to its top-tier AirPods Pro 2, which was announced and launched in the US last year, then finally came to the UK in February 2025 – but only following a regulatory change that allowed the tech to be made available across the pond? Release your own set, under a totally new sub-brand called Mimio – oh, and while you’re at it, offer a handheld speaker option for assistive hearing while watching TV too.
The principle is largely the same: AirPods Pro 2 are able to help with mild to moderate hearing loss thanks to their hearing aid mode, which is designed to boost particular frequencies that may make it hard for wearers to hear (conversations in loud rooms, for example), in conjunction with Apple’s noise-management tech. Mimio products are also targeted at those who may have started noticing their hearing isn’t quite as good as it was, but don’t need doctor-prescribed hearing aids. As noted by Notebookcheck, the new Mimio buds fall into the category of personal sound amplification devices as described by the FDA and won’t require a prescription – in Japan and the US, at least. You’ll simply be able to buy over-the-counter, as it were.
So let’s meet ’em!
Mimio Assist One earbuds and Mimio Sound Move speakers: key specs and pricing
Earbuds aren’t just earbuds any more. These days, your portable headgear can harness AI to transcribe your meetings or translate conversations in real-time (also via a bit of artificial intelligence), and even help you focus by reading your mind.
Tough competition, no? But Audio-Technica knows humans are typically living longer now, which means we’re noticing our ability to hear conversations gradually declining, especially in bars, restaurants or other crowded spaces.
Enter the Mimio Assist One earbuds (ATMM-SHD1), wireless buds with a similar design to the company’s high-stamina ATH-CKS50TW. The Assist One can be used as regular Bluetooth earbuds if you don’t have hearing issues, but their hearing mode is immediately active straight from the box, (even without pairing to an external audio source) which could be a massive plus for the target user.
The buds also come with three assistive modes (Conversation, TV, and Outdoors), and you’ll also be able to suppress your own voice to help increase the intelligibility of the voices around you. There’s a companion app and unusually, the earbuds carry a robust IP55 rating against dust intrusion and water jets aimed directly at them.
The Mimio Sound Move speaker (ATMM-SP780TV) is billed as a “wireless speaker that allows you to enjoy sound comfortably at your fingertips without turning up the volume of the TV too much”.
The speaker is meant to be placed close to the user and up to 30m (98 ft) from your TV, with a transmitter/charging dock connected to the TV set. Audio-Techica lists “Clear Sound” software to increase the intelligibility of speech, plus a new “voice guidance” function to notify you of the battery status and other communications by voice. The Sound Move is also IPX2-rated, which means it’ll survive a brief spell in the rain, but it shouldn’t be considered an outdoor speaker.
The Assist One earbuds are slated to hit shelves starting August 1 in Japan, while the Sound Move should be available from August 8. Prices? Yes, but brace yourselves for the buds. The Mimi Assist One earbuds are priced at 49,500 yen (which is around $340, £250 or AU$515 – ie a lot pricier than AirPods Pro 2) while the Sound Move speaker is more keenly priced against some of the best Bluetooth speakers and best wireless speakers around, at 21,780 yen (so roughly $150, £110 or AU$228).
But here’s a fun idea! Mimio is offering two rental options for either 20 nights (3,980 yen, which is around $27), or three months (for 13,440 yen or roughly $92, although it’s unclear whether they’ll even be available in these regions), to allow users to try before they commit to buy. Sounds reasonable, no?
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