An apparatus for a hearing instrument, the hearing instrument being configured to be at least partially placed in an ear canal of a wearer of the hearing instrument, the apparatus comprising: a sealing element configured to seal off the ear canal when the hearing instrument with the apparatus is at least partially positioned in the ear canal, wherein operation of the sealing element is controlled by an electric control signal, the sealing element being at least partially made from an electroactive material.

A hearing device may include a housing configured to be at least partially inserted into an ear canal of a user and comprising a venting channel, wherein the venting channel is configured to provide for venting between an inner region of the ear canal and an ambient environment outside the ear canal through the venting channel; an acoustic valve comprising a valve member moveable relative to the venting channel between different positions; a sound detector configured to provide an audio signal representative of a detected sound; a processor configured to determine a characteristic from the audio signal and to classify the audio signal by assigning the audio signal to a class from a plurality of predetermined classes depending on the determined characteristic; and an output transducer configured to be acoustically coupled to the inner region of the ear canal.

An ear tip apparatus for use with a hearing device is provided and comprises a malleable structure. The malleable structure is sized and configured for placement in an ear canal of a user. The malleable structure is deformable to allow an adjustable venting of the ear canal, thereby minimizing the occlusion effect. Methodology for adjusting a degree of venting of the ear canal is also provided, including the automatic adjustments. Adjusting the degree of venting may be done in response to one or more of detected feedback or an environmental cue.

Favorable recognizability of audio output from a sound output device and external sound is secured, and discomfort caused in a mounted state is reduced. The sound output device includes: a housing in which a speaker is arranged; and a sound introduction hook in which an internal space is provided as a sound introduction space for introducing audio output from the speaker, one end portion is connected to the housing, and audio introduced through the sound introduction space is emitted through an opening of the other end portion, the sound introduction hook is mounted on a root portion of an auricle, and the other end portion of the sound introduction hook is not in contact with an ear. With this, audio output from the speaker is transmitted to a user via the sound introduction hook, and the sound introduction hook is mounted in a state in which the other end portion having the opening through which audio is emitted is not in contact with the ear. Therefore, it is possible to secure favorable recognizability of audio output from the sound output device and external sound and reduce discomfort caused in a mounted state.

A hearing device includes: an earphone that is adapted to be worn in a concha auriculae or an external auditory canal of an ear; and a cord that is adapted to extend so as to pass through an upper portion of a root of the ear from a back side of an auricle of the ear when the earphone is worn, and that is connected to the earphone, the cord that is adapted to abut against a cymba conchae of the ear when the earphone is worn.

An audio system for a headset includes a plurality of speakers and an audio controller. The plurality of speakers may be in a dipole configuration that cancel sound leakage into a local area of the headset. The controller filters audio content presented by the plurality of speakers to further mitigate leakage of audio content into the local area. The audio determines sound filters based on environmental conditions, such as ambient noise levels, as well as based on the audio content being presented.

An open-air type earphone with a bracket forming a bass pipe is provided. The open-air type earphone includes: a housing configured to be worn on an ear and having a sound-emitting hole and a back hole; an acoustic transducer mounted within the housing and configured to emit sound to the sound-emitting hole; and one or more brackets mounted between the acoustic transducer and the housing and capable of tuning acoustic characteristics.

To provide an excellent sound output device which is worn on an ear of a user and used. The sound output device includes a sound generation part and a holding part that has an opening portion and holds the sound generation part in the vicinity of an entrance of an ear canal of a user. The holding part includes a ring body having the opening portion, and a housing of the sound generation part is integrated with a part of the ring body. The sound generation part includes a sound generation element having a dynamic type driver, and has a hollow exhaust part joining with a rear surface of the housing of the sound generation part. The exhaust part extends from a rear surface side of the housing across an intertragic notch and has an exhaust hole outside an auricle.

An earphone includes a housing, a first eartip, and a second eartip. The housing defines a vent hole therein. The first eartip is configured to be mounted on the housing and cover the vent hole. The second eartip is configured to be mounted on the housing and exposing the vent hole. The housing selectively cooperates with one of the first eartip and the second eartip.

There is provided a sound device used while being worn on the listener's ears.

The sound device includes a main body installed on a medial surface of an auricle, a holding portion having an annular hollow structure arranged to be coupled to an intertragic notch of an ear near an entrance of an ear canal, a sound guide portion formed as a pipe structure having one end communicating with the main body and another end communicating with the holding portion, an open/close operation unit configured to open or close an earhole, and a control unit configured to control driving of the open/close operation unit. The earhole open/close state is set for each user. The earhole open/close state can be switched depending on the type of application or content to be played, ambient noise level, user behavior, position information, or the like.