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The purchase of hearing aids is a critical health and financial decision. Many people do research on topics like “Best Hearing Aids, Latest technology” or “Bluetooth hearing aids for iPhones”. The results can be very confusing. Although the 5 leading manufacturers all produce extremely similar hearing aids, they have dozens of different names for the same features. We are going to try to simplify it for you so you can be a more educated shopper. Here is a list of some of the latest hearing aid technologies and what they might mean for you.
Hearing aid manufactures spend a massive amount of their R&D budgets trying to find better ways to help the wearer understand conversation in noisy places like restaurants and big family events. Here are a few features to look for to get the best results.
Getting a hearing test is not complicated but programming hearing aids is. In the best hearing aids, in addition to being able to program up to 20 frequency bands separately, there are over 15 different other items that can be adjusted. An experienced Audiologist knows how to manipulate all of these to be sure you are getting the best possible results. Some hearing aids have apps that enable you to make minor tweaks to the programming and this is great. But beware of hearing aids that are not programmed or expect you to program them yourself - you can’t possibly expect to match the experience and capability of a Doctor of Audiology.
Programmable bands are not new, but they are critically important. These are frequency bands that the audiologist uses to custom program your hearing aids. Up to a point, the more bands you have, the more accurate the programming, the better the clarity and ability to deal with background noise. Very basic hearing aids might have 4-8 bands. The very best models will have 20 bands for optimal performance.
Basic hearing aids assume that what it most important to you is directly in front of you – like you are looking at someone you are talking to or watching TV. This is called fixed directionality. But when you are with a group of people or in a car, the person speaking at any given time might be beside or even behind you. The latest technology is sometimes called Speech Focus or ‘open/omni’ directionality. With this feature, the hearing aids are able to focus on the dominant speaker in your immediate vicinity regardless of where they are.
Until recently, hearing aids were equipped with ‘manual programs’ that you could select for better performance in certain settings (eg. Restaurant, Music). Not many people used this because it was inconvenient to be constantly changing the program. The latest hearing aid technology is now able to do this automatically. The hearing aids constantly listen and adapt automatically to your environment. For example, if you move from a quiet car to a noisy restaurant, the hearing aids recognize the change and automatically adjust for it – you might be able to still do this manually, but you don’t have to. The higher end models are better at this than more basic systems. The higher end models can identify, and automatically adjust to, up to 7 unique environments.
The better hearing aids come with an IP rating of 68. The “8” means they are 100% dust proof. The “6” means that they have been immersed in water for 30 minutes and still function. Look for an IP68 rating.
One of the most popular new technologies on hearing aids is Bluetooth. This enables you to connect your phone to your hearing aids wirelessly so that the sound of you phone comes directly into your hearing aids. Here are a few features to look for to get the best results.
Be sure that not only does the sound of your phone come into your hearing aids but also, that your voice is carried back to the phone through the hearing aids so you can do completely hands-free calls.
Be sure your hearing aids are compatible with the specific brand of phone you have.
A TV Streamer is a device that plugs into your TV and sends the sound directly to your hearing aids allowing you to adjust your personal TV volume without affecting the sound for other people watching.
On the best Bluetooth hearing aids, it is possible for the Audiologist to adjust the programming remotely. If you get a new hearing test, the programming can be updated without you, or your hearing aids, ever leaving your home.
Most people prefer rechargeable hearing aids today. This means you will never have to change batteries or worry about having them on hand. Here are a few features to look for to get the best results.
There are 3 or 4 battery technologies available. Lithium Ion is by far the best and most reliable. Don’t be tempted by ‘deals’ on other technologies
The best rechargeables will give you 24 hours of power from a single, 3 hour charge. That is more than enough to get you through a whole day.
On the best hearing aids the batteries will be covered by your 3-Year warranty. In addition, on the best hearing aids you will be able to replace the battery after your warranty for a charge ($150-$300).
There are many other technology gimmicks that might sound interesting, but we believe will have very little practical impact out the performance of the hearing aids.
I'm very happy with the quality of the aids, the customer service is fast and fantastic, and the price is very very competitive! When I went to the audiologist for the required testing she couldn't help herself and asked me, if I wouldn't mind telling her, what I was getting and what the price was. After hearing she said "oh, no way, I couldn't come close to that". My advice? Embrace Embrace...you won't be sorry!
I have had my Embrace C-940 hearing aids for 6 months. From the first week I have been completely satisfied. I put them in when I awake in the morning and leave them in until bed time. So comfortable that I forget that I am wearing them. I now can hear what people are saying without asking them to repeat. Good company. Great hearing aids.
I have a moderate hearing loss and before these hearing aids I went through 2 trials with other suppliers ( an audiologist and an online shop). I found a great difference in the quality of the product at Embrace Hearing and very importantly the service exceeded all expectations plus all my questions were answered to my satisfaction. Now I hear very well without the need of repetition. I am a very happy satisfied customer and I recommend Embrace Hearing for your purchase of hearing aids.
