Final Correct Answer Rate of Only 0.05%. Revealing the Answers to the 'Audio Challenge' that Spawned Numerous Misheard Theories
Audio-Technica's hearing support brand 'MIMIO' announced the final results of its 'Audio Challenge'. Out of approximately 14,600 participants, only 7 answered correctly (0.05% correct rate). The campaign aimed to raise awareness of the easily ignored changes in people's hearing.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 30, 2026 at 20:30
- 🔍 Collected: March 30, 2026 at 22:56 (2h 25m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 06:06 (583h 10m after Collected)
Audio-Technica Corporation (Headquarters: Machida City, Tokyo, President & CEO: Kazuo Matsushita) has released the final results of the "Audio Challenge," an experiential project launched on March 3rd, "Ear Day," by its hearing support brand, "audio-technica MIMIO."
**Correct answers are now available on the "Audio Challenge" special website:** https://audio-technica-mimio-chounanmon.com
A total of approximately 14,600 people attempted this campaign through outdoor advertisements at Hongo Sanchome Station and various other promotions, but the final result was only 7 correct guessers (a correct answer rate of 0.05%).
Today, March 30th, along with revealing the correct answers to the campaign on the special website, we are explaining the background and our intentions behind presenting an "unsolvable mystery."
### Aiming for the Experience of "Hearing but Not Being Able to Solve"
In recent years, an increasing number of people, regardless of age, are feeling something is off with their hearing. However, these changes are often hard to recognize, and in many cases, people do not take any action.
In response to this background, audio-technica MIMIO planned the "Audio Challenge." This project is not merely a quiz campaign but an initiative to make people think experientially about how much attention they pay to their own hearing in their daily lives.
We hear various sounds in our daily lives, but we let most of them slip by unconsciously. Furthermore, there is an aspect where it's hard to notice changes in hearing due to the assumption that "my ears can hear just fine."
Therefore, in this project, we adopted the entertainment format of a "mystery-solving" game with the goal of making people conscious of their hearing through play. Furthermore, we designed it with a difficulty level that cannot be solved just by listening once, prompting people to unintentionally replay it over and over.
As a result, a wide circle of deduction spread among participants, with various misheard theories posted on social media, such as "It sounded like someone running a marathon in a nature-rich place with a pleasant breeze," "I can hear animal-like cries, but it also sounds like a train," and "It sounds like Morse code."
The moment participants feel they "can hear it but can't solve it," they naturally listen closely, trying to confirm the sounds they are missing. That experience of confronting their own hearing leads to an awareness of their "listening power."
audio-technica MIMIO believes that through the Audio Challenge, we were able to provide an opportunity for many people to face their own hearing.
### Revealing the "Hearing Ignore Problem" Where People Overlook Hearing Discomfort
In conjunction with this initiative, men and women in their teens to 30s nationwide...
**Correct answers are now available on the "Audio Challenge" special website:** https://audio-technica-mimio-chounanmon.com
A total of approximately 14,600 people attempted this campaign through outdoor advertisements at Hongo Sanchome Station and various other promotions, but the final result was only 7 correct guessers (a correct answer rate of 0.05%).
Today, March 30th, along with revealing the correct answers to the campaign on the special website, we are explaining the background and our intentions behind presenting an "unsolvable mystery."
### Aiming for the Experience of "Hearing but Not Being Able to Solve"
In recent years, an increasing number of people, regardless of age, are feeling something is off with their hearing. However, these changes are often hard to recognize, and in many cases, people do not take any action.
In response to this background, audio-technica MIMIO planned the "Audio Challenge." This project is not merely a quiz campaign but an initiative to make people think experientially about how much attention they pay to their own hearing in their daily lives.
We hear various sounds in our daily lives, but we let most of them slip by unconsciously. Furthermore, there is an aspect where it's hard to notice changes in hearing due to the assumption that "my ears can hear just fine."
Therefore, in this project, we adopted the entertainment format of a "mystery-solving" game with the goal of making people conscious of their hearing through play. Furthermore, we designed it with a difficulty level that cannot be solved just by listening once, prompting people to unintentionally replay it over and over.
As a result, a wide circle of deduction spread among participants, with various misheard theories posted on social media, such as "It sounded like someone running a marathon in a nature-rich place with a pleasant breeze," "I can hear animal-like cries, but it also sounds like a train," and "It sounds like Morse code."
The moment participants feel they "can hear it but can't solve it," they naturally listen closely, trying to confirm the sounds they are missing. That experience of confronting their own hearing leads to an awareness of their "listening power."
audio-technica MIMIO believes that through the Audio Challenge, we were able to provide an opportunity for many people to face their own hearing.
### Revealing the "Hearing Ignore Problem" Where People Overlook Hearing Discomfort
In conjunction with this initiative, men and women in their teens to 30s nationwide...