A revolution is afoot in the hearing aid industry. The stale as well as stagnant hearing aid companies have a little of new competition e.g. Zounds who have launched with revolutionary approaches and technologies aiming to help their customers hear better while not breaking their wallets in the process.
Whether we realize it or not, we live in a world which is very much shaped by past revolutions. Regardless of the example, revolutions are bound to happen, especially when something is inherently wrong in the first place. Our founding fathers and their fellow colonists began to move away from the European monarchist ideals held by their British brethren, eventually standing firm on a new amalgam of republican beliefs of which can best be described as simply and uniquely "American".
Business monarchies still exist, but innovation is an ever-present revolutionary force. Kings of industry fall at the feet of innovators with a better idea. For well over a hundred years, Eastman Kodak dominated the consumer photography market and for much of this time, Kodak was the innovator. Kodachrome film, instamatics and disposable cameras were all the best ideas of their time and helped cement Kodak's dominance, its monarchy. But Kodak became complacent. They ignored the trends of the very industry it created and ruled. By the late 1990s, digital photography began taking a large market share away from Kodak, which remained steadfast in its belief that film photography was the only good idea. Photography customers wanted a new, better idea and Kodak wasn't responding. In what seemed like an instant, Kodak became an afterthought in consumer photography.
The hearing aid industry has been operating the same way for decades and is not paying attention to the cries of change demanded by its customers. Hearing aid companies annually release sub-par products, which add to the overwhelming and confusing arsenal of products already offered. Additionally, these hearing aids are typically a repackaging of last year's model with a new name and branded features which aim at deflecting attention to the over promised and under delivered elements such as noise and feedback cancellation. And what does the average customer pay for a high-end hearing aid? $2,500 to $4,000 per aid. And they still don't work well.
The new hearing aid companies are aware of the industry's shortcomings and are revolutionizing the way hearing aids are manufactured and sold.
There are 10 key challenges to choosing today's hearing aids:
#1: Hearing Speech with Mechanical Noise Any previous hearing aid wearer'll tell you that despite how much he paid for that "revolutionary" technology, he still cannot hear conversations at his own table in a noisy restaurant. Look for noise canceling technology, which isolates unwanted mechanical noises, such as a fan or road noise, and electronically eliminates them. This is different than noise reducing hearing aids that lessen wanted and unwanted noise at the same time.
#2: Hearing Speech with Human Noise The background "babble" noise of a busy restaurant can be enough to avoid eating out entirely. Yet, those suffering from a hearing loss often feel that they must avoid noisy environments such as restaurants, family gatherings, and social events. Look for a hearing aid with directional microphones that form a "cone of listening", suppressing unwanted human noises and other sounds from behind and focuses on the sounds in front.
#3: High Fidelity Sound Traditional hearing aids on the market are only programmed up to 5,000 Hertz. The range from 5,000Hz to 8,000Hz is considered the high frequency range and is where most hearing loss begins. It is also where the important consonants of speech, such as "t", "ch," and "s" are found. Be sure your hearing aid is programmed to cover the entire hearing spectrum, up to 8,000Hz, so you can hear all critical speech consonants.
#4: Eliminating Feedback We all know what feedback sounds like. We've been around your friends or family members when their hearing aids squeal. It's embarrassing and painful. This all too common issue of hearing aids whistling or squealing is a because of feedback. Just like a poorly-tuned microphone at open-mic night, amplified sounds leak back into a hearing aid's microphone and create a vicious cycle where noise is re-amplified again and again. Current hearing aids try to avoid feedback using a crude mechanical solution-shaping the hearing aid shell to form a tight fit in the ear canal, sealing off the ear. New hearing aids utilize sophisticated feedback technology that electronically isolates and cancels the leaked sound, thus eliminating feedback.
#5: Comfortable Fit the vast most of today's hearing aids require a mold to be taken of the ear and ear canal. A silicon-based, taffy-like substance is poured into the ear canal. It hardens and then is sent to an offsite factory where the hearing aid is laboriously fabricated. The result is an expensive hearing aid that is uncomfortable to wear, causing perspiration and ear itch. New hearing aids use soft foam sleeves, which expand comfortably to contour the ear canal, absorb moisture and help eliminate ear itch.
#6: Using The Phone Objects that are brought up to the ear caused an acoustic reflection. Too many of today's hearing aids still squeal when a phone is close to the hearing aid, causing wearers to take out their hearing aids when using the phone. This is like taking your teeth out to eat. Look for feedback cancellation technology that electronically eliminates the acoustic reflection caused by a phone and allows owners to use a phone as it was meant to, up to the ear. In most instances, a telescopic (wired device connected from hearing aid to telephone) is not needed.
#7: Reducing Occlusion A common complaint of hearing aid wearers is occlusion- the "plugged up" feeling resulting from the sound of your own voice vibrating within your head. The tight shells of today's hearing aids are specifically designed to seal off the ear canal in an attempt to manage feedback. Occlusion is the unpleasant result of this approach. Hearing aids that use soft foam sleeves reduce occlusion.
#8: Accurate Programming Conventional hearing exams are conducted using headphones, which have different acoustical properties than the hearing aids. In addition, they may only test 6 to 10 frequencies. New hearing aids use the hearing aids themselves as headphones and test and program the full 16 frequency band range, resulting in less translation and programming errors and fewer return visits.
#9: Remote Controllable Traditional hearing aids offer their owners limited control over their devices. Wearers must struggle with little knobs on the hearing aid faceplate. The knobs are difficult to adjust and typically only control volume. The newest hearing aids are controlled by a handheld remote control. Sophisticated remote controls even allow users to adjust the volume, bass, and treble and chose among different listening environment presets.
#10: Rechargeable Batteries Traditional hearing aids require replacement batteries. Those tiny batteries can cost over a dollar a piece and last anywhere from 4 to 6 days. Look for rechargeable batteries. Not only do these batteries provide more power to the hearing aid, they last all day and can be recharged in a complimentary charging station each night.
#11: Virtually Invisible Hearing aids in the past were bulky, clunky, and frankly, ugly. New hearing aids are miniature, cosmetically appealing, and virtually invisible to others. They aren't Grandpa's old hearing aids anymore.
#12: Reasonable Price Higher price does not equal higher performance. Traditional hearing aids can cost between $2,500 and $4,000 per hearing aid. New hearing aids that use a combination of foam sleeves and sophisticated feedback cancellation allow significant manufacturing cost savings, which are passed on to the consumer. New hearing aids with this technology can retail for under $2000 per hearing per pair.
Complacent hearing aid companies have pulled the wool over the collective eyes of their customers for too long. The mob has formed and shouted for change. These new hearing aid companies are producing sure that these cries do not go unanswered. They are approaching the hearing aid industry with revolutionary approaches, technology and pricing, much to the delight of those who currently suffer from a hearing loss.
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