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• Nov 26, 2007 6:28 pm US/Eastern
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  Does It Really Do That: Listen Up

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Does It Really Do That: Listen Up

Reporting
Yvonne Zanos

A new product claims to turn ordinary hearing into extraordinary hearing… but does it really do that?

KDKA's Yvonne Zanos and her special tester put the "Listen Up" to the test.

The commercial for the Listen up says: "It's smaller than a credit card but so powerful you can hear a pin drop from across the room or listen in on a conversation from across the street."

Our tester, Doris Fisher, unpacked the amplifier and the ear buds.

Our first surprise is something we read in the directions.

The packaging says Listen Up is not intended to be used as a hearing aid.

Listen Up says all we have to do is plug in the ear phones and adjust the volume. 

Almost immediately we hear a problem: feedback.

Then, Doris finds out that she can hear herself better but nothing else.

"Is that the way I sound," asked Doris.

We decided to see if Listen Up works better in a larger room.

The commercial claims you can hear what people are talking about across the room.

We put it to the test in Doris' nursing home.

The verdict – it didn't work at all.

All in all, Listen Up doesn't perform as promised in any capacity.

Doris sums it up this way: "Just forget it.  Don't send for Listen Up," she said.

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