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Nuheara's latest hearing assistance earbuds are both cheaper and more powerful

The IQbuds2 MAX are more accurate and pack more processing power.

If it wasn't already apparent that assistive hearing tech is thriving, it is now. Nuheara has followed up last year's IQbuds MAX with the IQbuds2 MAX, a new set of true wireless buds that represent an improvement across the board -- including the price. They still use EarID technology to automatically calibrate the sound to fit your hearing, but they now have larger 9.2mm drivers that improve sound quality, particularly bass. The design also fits "more processing power" into a similarly small design (Nuheara hasn't said what that means in practice) and Bluetooth 5 for a faster and longer-ranged wireless link to your phone.

You can expect the familiar features that made the original IQbuds MAX intriguing. On top of EarID, you'll find hybrid active noise cancellation, controls to filter noise at varying levels and water resistance that makes them useful for workouts. You can expect 32 hours of hearing assistance (20 hours for plain audio streaming) with the help of the charging case.

As we hinted earler, though, the price may be the hook. The IQbuds2 MAX are available for pre-order at $399, or well below the original $500-plus price for their now-discontinued predecessors. While they're still not trivial purchases, they're considerably easier to justify if you want hearing help that doubles as a solid set of earbuds.