Have you seen the commercial for ListenUp? Let's go through it. First, an elderly man is watching tv in bed, annoying his wife with the volume. ListenUp solves all of his problems! Not really. The very sound of the man's breathing would interfere with the continuous use of the device. The man must also remain perfectly still, as the device must be 'aimed' at the sound to be amplified. Also, moving or shifting your fingers as you hold the device will annoy you. How about the woman listening to birds in the park? Sure, it can work for this. Birds noises are picked up wonderfully by the device, if you have the patience to breathe carefully and not move for as long as you wish to listen.
Listening in on the neighbor's conversation from across the street? Sure, you can do that. But I would not recommend wearing the device as you would a walkman or mp3 player. Your own footsteps and other such noises would annoy and interfere with the performance to no end.
Just insert the earplugs? The earplugs are cheap. They will not last, but you can replace them with more cheapies from Wal-Mart.
Perfect for church, lectures, movies, shows? NOPE. Too much noise from the rest of the audience seat shuffling, bumping, coughing, throat clearing and chatting to give you an un-annoyed, clear sound amplification.
How about the two mothers in the park listening to the children as they play? And all the while they are having a conversation. No way. You cannot have a conversation while wearing this device and listening to a faraway sound. Your own breathing will interfere with it, let alone close talking.
What is ListenUp good for? It does serve a purpose. It's good for when the cops go across the street to your neighbor's and you want to hear. It's good when you have the patience to remain still, breathe softly and aim the device. It is not versatile. I bought mine at Wal-Mart, I don't regret the purchase, but it certainly does not deliver on the claims it makes in the commercial. Do not have high expectations for this device.
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