Hearing Aids

I’ve using a hearing aid since 2020.  My left ear was damaged by a virus, so it wasn’t just high frequencies I was missing.  It really affected my enjoyment of my system, live music, tv, plays and all conversations. Before wearing it, I got really adept at reading lips.

So, I wore a behind the ear aid until recently.  During my recent visit to my ENT and audiologist, they recommended that I get aids for both ears.  I won’t do the technology justice, but having two devices enables them to talk to one another and make adjustments on the fly for loud restaurants, high ceilings, theaters, concert halls, etc.  I tried them out for 45 days risking only a restocking fee if I walked away.

Well, I haven’t heard this well since my 30’s. I’m 65 now. Everything is crystal clear perfect.  Music details, instruments, whispers in a Broadway theater, etc., were all just perfect.

My test tracks for music were The Rover by Led Zeppelin, Aja by Steely Dan, He Loved Him Madly by Miles Davis, and Yesterday Once More, Aimee Mann’s cover of The Carpenters.  

I had been listening to these tracks for decades, and knew how they should sound.  After my audiologist loaded in my hearing test, she first customized them for speech, then music, and finally live music in a small theater on Broadway, and Madison Square Garden.  I am a happy camper.

The models I went with were Signia’s Silk Charge & Go IX. Cost was $2,000 each, with three years of support and supplies.  A bit pricey, yes, but I couldn’t be any happier.  I also have the ability to adjust volume, tone (sharp to soft), and environment (normal to noisy) on the fly.

Best part besides hearing munch better, it that you really can’t see them.

Good luck.

I currently use a pair of Oticons with 48 channels of equalization. I have had two other generations of hearing aids. These aren’t bad at all for audiophile listening. Now if you don’t know this by now, most technicians use a 6 or 8 point selection to equalize your hearing focusing on speech. If you push them a little, they help extend testing a little to help with music. Now these devices weren’t intended to be used for music and some major adjustments can overload their capabilities. Good luck with your choices.

If one were to stop and think about the possibility of hearing loss or hearing deficiencies and how much that can impact life then obviously getting a proper hearing test and professional guidance should lead to more fulfillment in all facets of life where an individual needs to hear well. School, the workplace, in the car, in the woods walking, understanding a waiter at a restaurant, hearing friends and family, etc. Having this benefit is far more impactful than listening to one’s music system and buying a specific brand or model with that particular purpose in mind. Being able to hear better is the end goal…. in all situations. I am certainly not knocking OTC solutions and DIY options but the fact remains that professional audiologists can give the best testing, accurate adjustments and overall reasonable advice much like a trained physician would do. In my case, hearing damage was done in the military by air defense artillery and field artillery rounds going off while I was too close. There is a narrow band of frequencies I don’t hear well. My hearing aids help with that band. They are not adjusted for me to hear the entire frequency range of my personal stereo setup. But they do help me hear what I am missing in that high middle to low high range. That’s how the hearing aids are adjusted to help with that dip.

I got the Widex Moment hearing aids about a year ago, and I am very happy with them. I found them recommended on a lot of on-line audio forums as well as a few reviews focused on music listening. 

Unfortunately, they are not inexpensive. On the plus side, it was like making a major upgrade to my audio systems. 

The biggest benefit has been that they have helped with my tinnitus. I find that I have more quiet days than noisy days. I'd estimate that I went from 40/60 (quiet/noisy) to 60/40. I also find it easier to listen through to the music on days when the tinnitus is present. But be forewarned, there is no guarantee hearing aids will help your tinnitus, so I consider myself lucky.

A friend has tinnitus, as I do, and found a hearing aid that helped.  So I decided to try the Widex Moment also.  During my hearing test, I found that I had “severe” hearing loss above 3,000 hz in my left ear.  I’ve only had the aid (I only have one and it only addresses frequencies above 3,000 hz) a few weeks but my tinnitus seems to be improving on some days (expectation bias?) although my audiologist said it will take time to improve.

What really surprised me was the soundstage on my system.  Female vocalists are in the center of the soundstage rather than off to the right.  Same with cymbals and other higher-pitched instruments.  The point is that I didn’t realize what I wasn’t hearing.  I wish I had had a hearing test years ago.