This is the second part of my review of my new GN ReSound LiNX 3D 9 hearing aids– this discusses the sound quality and ability to hear.

A Natural Sound Experience

You shouldn’t really notice that a good hearing aid is in your ear. By that I mean: if a hearing aid is working really well you should be hearing comfortably in all situations and you shouldn’t notice the hearing aid doing anything other than delivering a natural sound to you.

Ignoring all other features of a hearing aid, the core thing it needs to get right is giving you speech recognition and sound quality when you need it, so that’s what this part of the review is about, I’ve tested my new LiNX 3D hearing aids in my normal everyday environments and here’s what I thought:

Annoying background noise……gone

This was a bit of an eye-opener for me, the LiNX 3Ds fixed a problem that I never realised I had: being bothered and not understanding speech so well due to background noise. And by background noise I don’t mean obvious noise problems like the din in a noisy restaurant, I mean everyday ambient noise like the humming of a computer fan, people’s shoes clacking on the floor, cars going down the road. It wasn’t till I started wearing the LiNX 3Ds that I realised I was being bothered by these sounds before, I was hearing them quite loudly in some situations and that was affecting my ability to hear speech.

Now, my everyday environments just seem so much more peaceful and relaxed – I’m hearing clearly things I want to hear and am not constantly getting an annoying low-level background of noise like I used to. A couple of times during the first few days of switching to the ReSound aids I had to click my fingers near my ear just to make sure they were still switched on!

I used to really enjoy taking my hearing aids out for a few hours during a day just to have a break from listening and get a bit of peace and quiet – I don’t really feel like I need to do that anymore. 

Confused About The Right Hearing Aid For You? 

Our buying guide, easing the confusion with clear easy to understand info, we guarantee it will help you pick the right hearing aid for you.

Discerning who is talking in a group

Working out which direction a sound is coming from is a classic problem for the hard of hearing and hearing aid wearers. In group situations I often found myself hearing some words fine but not being 100% sure who said it – so I’d be quickly looking around the group to see whose mouth was moving.

The LiNX does a good job here, it’s directionality features do a great job of focusing on sounds right in front of me but also giving me good hearing ability from all directions. This means that if I am looking at the person speaking to me then they are coming through loud and clear – but also if someone behind or to the side of me talks then I can pick them up and I know where they are. The hearing aids seem to deliver fantastic spatial awareness, again something I didn’t really realise I was missing out on. 

Speech quality and recognition (in noise)

It’s quite a bit better than before, not a massive change but better. Voices sound similar to how they did before but I can now pick up some accents, which due to my severe hearing loss is not something I have been able to do for a while. Seems like an odd thing to write but since I haven’t been picking up accents for so long it is kind of cool to suddenly hear them. I’m also able to listen in on other conversations now! Great for anyone who is nosey. I’m writing this from a Costa and the guy on the next table is (probably) from Holland and is having a job interview for a sales position – I would never have been able to tell you that before.

Male voices sound a bit less gruff now – they used to sometimes be a bit muffled, deep and gravely. It’s not like men now sound like a Disney princess but the mid-to-high tones in their voices are definitely more prominent now – which makes them easier to understand.

Fantastic Speech in Noise Quality

Hearing and understanding speech in noisy situations, like a bar or restaurant, has been troublesome for me for many years – back when I had only a minor hearing loss it was pretty easy but as my hearing has got worse the problem of speech in noise has got worse. The ReSounds are giving me the best speech in noise ability I’ve had for years, it is still difficult to concentrate on people, but with a loss as bad as mine I always expect that – the directionality helps a lot, the noisy crowd fades away just about enough and the person in front of me gets the focus. I could probably do even better here if I switched to a programme that focused purely on the sound right in front of me and blocked out more from other directions – I will ask to get that added and try it out.

One situation that is vastly improved for me is being in the car. I cannot overstate what a difference there is for me here. I used to have a lot of trouble hearing people over the road noise and if a window was open or the stereo was on, the conversation was a no-go. Road noise is now a thing of the past, even with the window open it is reduced to a faint background noise that I can easily hear words over – I’m comfortable now talking to people whilst travelling. That is important to me because my time spent in the car with my family is no longer dead time, I can actually have a chat. 

Noise reduction, in general, has been excellent, it works seamlessly and even with something really noisy, e.g. lawn mower, I can still hear other things, so the noise cancelling is cutting out the loud sounds but still letting voices and other things tones be heard. This is quite a step up in noise-cancelling tech, I’ve worn a few aids over the years where the loud sounds would be reduced enough to be comfortable but voices and everything else would be reduced too.

Music

As my hearing loss progressed I more or less gave up with music as it mostly sounded pretty awful and anything busier than Brandt Brauer Frick quickly gave me a headache.

Having My Music Back

LiNX 3D is giving me the music back. Busier and noisier tracks do not sound garbled like they used to and don’t give me a headache (although some of the guff my daughter listens to would give anyone a headache). I can now pick up most of what is being said on the radio and listening to music is enjoyable again. 

The real game-changer when listening to music was using GN Resound’s streamer to transmit tunes straight into my hearing aids, more on this in the next review. This stuff rocks!
    

Summary

The ReSound LiNX 3Ds are delivering a great quality of sound across the board. Speech sounds natural to me but also clearer, sharper and easier to understand. Hearing in very noisy environments is still a challenge for me due to my severe hearing loss but they are definitely the best performing hearing aids I have had.

Our readers like to keep us on our toes here, test our knowledge. A while ago we wrote a post about the best invisible hearing devices, but we didn’t really speak about power output. Recently one of them asked which was the most powerful IIC (Invisible In Canal) or invisible hearing aid. To be honest, I couldn’t tell him off the bat because I don’t have much interest in these hearing instrument types. So, I had to do some research, I love research!

Hearing Aid Prices

Just to be clear, we don’t set prices here and they differ from Practice to Practice across the World so our expectations aren’t binding, they are just a guess and some research. Always remember, we all like to shop around, but always be clear about what is being delivered. You will need care and support, make sure you will get it. You will also need your hearing aid validated or verified to get the best experience, paying a little more to ensure your experience is good, is not wasted money. That’s our price rant for the day over, let’s talk about the devices.

The Most Powerful IIC is

To be honest with you I had a sneaky suspicion that Starkey would be the winner in this race. However, I was wrong, (oh my God Geoff, hang your head in shame!) in the case of this particular question, our reader was actually asking me which invisible hearing aid covered the most or largest hearing loss. That honour seems to go to the Insio Primax IIC from Signia (formerly Siemens). 

An IIC For Severe Hearing Loss

The numbers on the Insio Primax mean that it is an invisible hearing aid that comfortably covers severe hearing loss. It covers from 90 dB (HL) in the low frequencies down to 110 dB (HL) in the high frequencies. That is pretty amazing coverage for something this small. It is rated at 65 dB gain topping out at 124 dB which means that it can deliver a lot of sound.

Those numbers though are on the outside edge of it’s ability and the coverage can only be taken into account for someone with a sensorineural hearing loss. Conductive losses need much more power to achieve results. In other words, if you had a conductive loss that fell within the hearing aids fitting range, because of the extra power needs the hearing aid may still not be suitable for you. Let’s take a deeper look at the Insio Primax IIC and how much you might pay for it

Signia

Insio Primax IIC

Signia Insio IIC Prices

We would expect the range depending on technology level, to be sold at prices from £1200.00 to £2200.00 in the UK depending on the Practice and location. We would expect the range to be sold at prices from €1200.00 to €3000.00 in Ireland. We would expect the range to be sold at prices from $1200.00 to $3200.00 in the USA.

Looking For an Invisible Hearing Aid? Visit Your Local Hearing Pro

Arrange a consultation with a trusted Independent hearing healthcare professional in your area

As I said, the Insio has bragging rights for the being the most powerful invisible hearing aid. Siemens / Signia introduced the Insio Primax IIC last year as part of the Primax introduction. It is rated to cover hearing losses well into the severe range which is quite unusual for an invisible hearing aid. It is available in three levels of technology the 7px, the 5px and the 3px. The Primax technology has been exceptionally well received around the world and there seems to be fantastic user feedback on the devices.

Wireless Invisible Hearing Aid

The Insio Primax is also a wireless invisible hearing aid.

The invisible hearing aids are pretty decent hearing aids, but they have their pros and cons. We have general details about hearing aid types including the hidden hearing aids and other types of devices in our consumer hering aid buying guide. It also details technology levels and features of hearing instruments in clear and easy to understand language.

Moderate Levels of Hearing Loss For Others

Most invisible hearing aids will only cover down to a moderate hearing loss, it is a function of their size and placement. However, some are powerful enough to cover some losses into severe like the Starkey SoundLens Synergy. Even that really only covers down to 80 dB (HL) in the low frequencies and 100 dB (HL) in the high frequencies. Those numbers are the outside edge of the devices ability and the same rules apply for conductive hearing losses as before. 

Comfortable With Fitting Them

The fitting range is not always the whole story here though, as you can probably guess from my comments about conductive hearing loss. Most providers would like to keep you well within the fitting range of a hearing aid. This strategy is designed to protect you, it means that there is plenty of wiggle room if your hearing loss progresses over the life of the hearing aid. 

Protecting Your Customer’s Investment

Many years ago when I first started fitting hearing aids the rule of thumb was keep the hearing loss in the centre of the fitting range. Generally though we would be happy if the actual hearing loss was anything between 50 and 75% of the fitting range. Again this allowed us that all important wiggle room. Generally hearing loss doesn’t suddenly get worse from year to year or progress more than 10 to 15 dB over a few years. But hell, you never know so you protected your customer’s investment. 

Choosing The Right Hearing Aid For You

So, the answer to the burning question has been given, however, I wouldn’t be happy until I gave my two cents. When you are choosing a hearing aid that is right for you, you need to balance up more than the fitting range. You need to think about a couple of things like:

• Dexterity, have you got the dexterity to manipulate it and put the batteries in?
• Clean and Care, do you have the discipline to ensure you follow a good clean and care routine?
• Reliability, do you understand that some hearing aids types are more reliable than others?
• Longevity, if the aid is running on max power are you happy that it may not be suitable for long?
• Discretion, do you know that absolutely no one gives a toss that you are wearing a hearing aid except you?

Hey, if you answer yes to all of those questions then you are making an educated choice and my work is done here. I am still sticking to the advice buy your ass a BTE! As usual, any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us, even better buy our book! It really is a great guide to hearing aid types and technology, don’t believe me, someone even left a review!

If you like what you see, share it so others can benefit

I really enjoy going to watch live comedy shows but they are a tough environment for someone with hearing loss. 

I’ve been to see Jimmy Carr, Ross Noble and others at Oxford’s New Theatre in the last couple of years. I struggled to hear through most of them, I probably picked up maybe 60% of the jokes, but even then it was worth it for the jokes I did hear.

It’s a tough environment for hearing aids – I want to hear one person’s voice, who is being amplified over speakers and I don’t want to have my ear drums assaulted by the laughter of the crowd. So I’m dealing with short bursts of loud noise interspersed with the comedian’s voice. The aids need to be quick as comedian’s are pretty rapid-fire with their jokes, if I’m a second or two behind because noise-reduction is still dapenning the laughter then I’ve missed the start of the next gag.

The most recent show I went to was James Acaster, which I was looking forward to because he’s a great comedian, but also because I’d just got my new ReSound Linx 3D hearing aids and I knew this would be a tough work out for them and a real test of their quality.

We were sat fairly far back at the Acaster gig and also a bit too close to a speaker for my liking, I was worried that it was going to be too loud. 

I was well impressed with the Linx’s performance. I coud hear James superbly throughout the gig, I maybe missed one or two jokes but I missed far less than I had done at previous shows. The noise of the crowd’s laughter was reduced to a very comfortable level and even though the aids were working hard to reduce that noise they never dampened out the voice I wanted to hear. 

One downside (or was it?) was that the ReSound’s were super-focused on the comedian’s voice and a couple of times I realised the person I was with had said something to me but I didn’t hear them. But hey, I came out of the gig having heard 95% of the jokes and had absolutely no wories about being over-exposed to the loud noise of the crowd. My aids passed this tough test with flying colours.

Back To Part One

Changing Wax filters on Receiver In The Ear hearing aids is a similar process as the custom devices. Sometimes however, the wax guards may be a different type. Always try to make sure you buy the same wax guards that came with your hearing aids. Let’s take a look at it.

Changing Wax Filters on RITE Devices is Important

It is particularly important that you take care to change the wax guard on your RITE hearing aid. It is more sensitive than the receiver in a custom hearing aid and more likely to fail if you don’t care for it. The wax guards for Oticon RITE hearing aids tend to be different than the ones for their custom devices. Make sure you buy the same one as came with your hearing aids.

When To Change Them?

It is similar as before, if the wax guard looks blocked, it is time to remove it. The process is similar, here is how you do it. 

Step 1. As I said, the wax filters come on a circular holder with Oticon. Remove the tool from the shell. The tool has two pins, one empty for removal and one with the new wax filter.

Step 2. Push the empty pin into the old wax filter in the speaker, you will feel it click and then just pull it straight out.

Step 3. Insert the new wax filter using the other pin, remove the tool by rolling it off and throw it away.

Again, Oticon have a handy video showing you the process which you can see below. 

If you like what you see, share it so others can benefit

One of the many things I get asked by new users of custom and RIC hearing aids is about changing the wax guards on their hearing aids. Most new users realise that maintenance and cleaning of their hearing aids is an important part of caring for their investment. Changing the wax guard on a hearing aid when needed will save you real money and here is why.

What The Hell Are Wax Guards?

Glad you asked me that, wax guards are little white fiddly plastic yokes sent by the devil to irritate you. Actually, that isn’t true, however it sounded funny in my head. Wax guards are designed to protect the receiver (speaker part) of your hearing aid from wax and in the case of advanced wax guards, moisture as well.

Why Geoff Why?

Receivers don’t like wax or moisture, if wax or moisture gets into the reciever of your hearing aid it will die an early and horrible death. More importantly, you will now be the proud owner of a piece of plastic that isn’t even any use as a paper weight. Until, that is, you have it repaired. Which, depending on whether your hearing aids are still in warranty, may cost you real money (anything over 50 notes is real money to me).

It Pays To Protect Those Hearing Aids

So, it pays to protect your hearing aids, cleaning and caring for them like the huge investment they are. So that means a regular drying, cleaning and care routine and, changing the wax guards.

When To Change The Wax Guards?

Here is where it gets muddy, I am afraid, the answer is how long is a piece of string. Some people have to change the wax guards on an almost monthly basis. Some people can get months out of a wax guard. It really depends on the the amount of ear wax in your ear canal. Which is relatively different from person to person.

How You Will Know The Wax Guard Needs Changing

During your regular clean and care routine (let’s pretend you have one) take a good look at the speaker end of your hearing aid. Check your wax guard carefully and see if it has a lot of wax in it. Most wax guards have a series of holes in the cup part of them that are visible to a good eye. If they are blocked, or if you can’t see them at all. It is time to change your wax guard. Don’t wait for the sound to go dead or weaken, sometimes, that just won’t happen until the wax has invaded the speaker part itself.

Let’s Talk About Oticon Wax Guards

So there are a range of Oticon was guards available for both their in ear and RITE hearing aids. Both are in essence similar in nature. Let’s take a look at changing them on a custom hearing aid. First get your wax guard pack out, most Oticon packs are circular.

Step 1. Remove the tool from the shell. The tool has two pins, one empty for removal and one with the new wax filter.

Step 2. As I said, on the tool will be an empty pin and a pin loaded with a new wax guard. Push the empty pin into the old wax filter in the speaker and pull it out.

Step 3. Insert the new wax filter using the other pin, remove the tool (best way to do this is to kind of roll it off) and throw it away.

If you like what you see, share it so others can benefit

Widex Introduces The Beyond

The march to direct  iPhone connectivity continues with yet another hearing aid manufacturer joining the fray. Widex introduced a new device called the Beyond which falls under the umbrella term of Made For iPhone. Widex has for the first time added direct smart phone connectivity on top of its now famous wireless connectivity platform, Widex Link. Updated 07/06/17, we have learned of some problems with the Beyond Fusion and connection to iPhone.

Four Made For iPhone Hearing Aid Manufacturers

That is now four hearing device manufacturers with a made for iPhone capability, Oticon, Widex and of course GN Resound and Starkey. Widex has based the device on their Fusion model and FCC licencing surfaced in June for the device. AT EUHA (International Hearing Aid Conference in Germany) they introduced both the Beyond hearing aid and the Beyond app for smartphone. Every manufacturer is going down this route, but it is interesting to see Widex do it now as opposed to sometime in the future. 

While Widex have now introduced a 2.4ghz BlueTooth radio to the Beyond, it has retained both the WidexLink and a telecoil on the devices. 

Widex Link

Retaining the Widex Link makes sense for several reasons. The first being, that it is still without doubt, the single best system available for streaming high quality audio. The second is that it will mean that any Widex users who upgrade their devices to the Beyond will still be able to use their Dex accessories. Retaining a T-Coil also makes some sense, the T-Coil system is making a huge resurgence in the United States and many in the UK and Ireland are used to using the T-Coil in public places. 

Another reason which is hugely valid and was pointed out to me by someone from Widex was the fact that keeping WidexLink allowed the inter ear features of the hearing aids continue to work even if you were streaming audio to the devices. You know I was a bit taken aback by that because I hadn’t actually thought about it. However, the question it raises is, do the other manufacturers ear to ear features continue to work when there is audio being streamed? I will find out that if I can.

Widex

Beyond Hearing Aids

So what do we know about the Beyond? It is a Fusion device based on the Unique technology, however it is not a Fusion, it is longer and thinner than the original Fusion with a new button. As we said it also has three radios onboard, the one for Widex Link, a telecoil and the new radio for direct iPhone connection making it possible to stream music and conduct phone calls directly to the hearing aid without any intermediary device.

Widex Products are famous for their sound quality, now it appears that sound quality extends to the best sound Made for iPhone. The device seems to have been launched as a style as opposed to a platform. By that I mean the Beyond appears to fit into the Unique family in the same way the Fusion or CIC does. It is available in the usual four levels of technology, the 440, 330, 220 and 110. 

The Beyond App

User Fine Tuning?

The Beyond app seems to have the usual features, you can set geo locations for different sound programmes and make changes to how the hearing aids are working on the go. However, there also seems to be an element of self fine tuning on the app, whereby users can change the frequency response of the hearing aids. They are calling this feature the Preference Control and it seems to break down frequencies into three bands, Bass, Middle and Treble. It is interesting to see manufacturers begin to hand over this type of control to users. 

The Beyond at present appears to be only a Fusion type hearing aid, however, it will be interesting to see how and if Widex will expand the Made For iPhone range. It is a little unusual that Widex has just delivered one device as opposed to a full range.However, it probably makes perfect sense if Widex has just considered it a style or type of hearing aid rather than a platform or family. 

Widex has always introduced a full range of device types with every platform. The only time before now it hasn’t was during the Clear launch. They delayed the launch of the custom devices then because of technical issues. So I would wonder why they have not introduced a full range. I think it may be that the Beyond is just a hearing aid type that they are going to fit into their Unique range, and this does appear to be what they are doing. 

Although in fairness to Widex, most of their competitors, except for GN Resound with the Linx2, have done something similar. I have a feeling though that Widex will not leave it at just one device. Only God and Widex know what is in their current product road map, but I wouldn’t bet against a new Super Power device, a wider range of made for iPhone devices and probably rechargeable devices.

Although I think that depends on who is steering the ship, Widex has changed over the last couple of years. While the engineers are still a strong component of the business, they no longer make the decisions about product road maps. The business is now far more driven by the market demands, which makes sense, but may in essence weaken the famous Widex innovation. 

I think they will base the next device on the market demands, just as the Beyond has been. Although a recent patent filing for a custom tip for a hearing aid with a sensor set that records body vitals made me more than a little excited. I thought Widex may have returned to the halcyon days of driving the technology rather than responding to it.

But hey, you never know, the engineers might win and they could deliver a hearing device next year that can be part of a deeper integrated health environment. We will keep you posted on the Beyond and the Beyond App as details come to us.

Update: Widex have today 30/03/2017 released an accompanying app for the Beyond on Android. So Android phone users can now avail of all of the functionality of the devices. 

We have general details about the different types of devices in our hearing aid advice guide. It also details technology levels and features of hearing instruments in clear and easy to understand language.

If you like what you see, share it so others can benefit

I love the Aussies, they are quite a direct race, quite open people who generally call a spade, a spade. Bit like the Irish really. I have seen Aussie advertising for hearing aids before and have to say enjoyed it. They have no real issue with facing risque subjects often interspersing the adverts with humour. Generally though, they get the message across quite directly. I came across a recent advert that had been condemned by the Advertising Watchdog. While I understand the sensitivities around the argument, it is a brave advert that raises the issues clearly. 

What Your Mum Wants For Mother’s Day

I noticed the report on Mumbrella.com.au, it outlined how the advertising watchdog had denounced the television commercial as “menacing and threatening” for its depiction of domestic violence towards men. The campaign was called ‘What your mum wants for Mother’s Day’ and is a 15-second TV ad. In fact, I think the advert is great, i realise the sensitivities but I think the advert addresses something that is often forgotten, the impact of hearing loss on the wider family of people who suffer with it. 

It features a woman trying to open a jar while yelling at her husband for help. When her husband fails to reply because he cannot hear, the ad freezes while she insinuates she is going to throw the jar in his direction. The advert finishes with the slogan “Get your mum what she really wants for Mother’s Day, a hearing test for your dad”. Before I go on, take a look at the advert:

Clarity Hearing Solutions stood by the Mother’s Day advertisement saying, “We find it incredulous that someone could take offence at this ad” and the script had light-hearted intentions. “When scripting and work-shopping it within our team, and sharing the script and even the final product, not one person raised an issue thinking that this in any way depicted domestic violence either as a depiction or as a suggestion. “The woman, while being seen to lift her hand to throw the jar, is not seen throwing the jar. There is no injury inflicted. Nor is the threat made to the man in the ad itself either. It’s a visual show of frustration behind his back. The movement illustrates and reflects the frustration often felt by significant others,” the company rebutted.

I spoke to the company over the last couple of days, a chap named Casper Schougaard asked me to pass this on “We do take this complaint very seriously. Domestic violence is a big issue in Australia and we certainly did not intend in any way to make light or take advantage of it. Some commentators have stated that we did it to get attention or to be renegade. We hope anyone who has seen the ad can tell that was not the intent. Depicting the frustration felt by the loved ones of people with hearing loss is difficult but important in allowing all parties to understand that hearing loss not only affects the person with the loss but also the people around them. In this instance the ASB feels we got it wrong and we will certainly abide by that decision. During the run of the ad it drove over 600 people to our landing page educating people about the warning signs of hearing loss. We have posted the ad and our complete response in the news section of our website.”

Hearing Loss Affects Everyone

Australia at present, like many other nations is taking serious steps to tackle domestic violence, so I can understand the sensitivities. I think the advert could have been ended slightly differently. Perhaps instead of freezing on the raised arm, it could have shown the arm drop and the woman shake her fist at him, or even scream in frustration. Anyway, the advert did one thing very well, it got people talking and I have no doubt that many people are going to remember Clarity Hearing Solutions. 

Hearing loss is a team sport!

I applaud the advert, because I think it does address the frustration of loved ones when dealing with hearing loss. Hearing loss affects everyone around the person who has it, it’s a team sport! It can be exceptionally frustrating when the person with hearing loss is in complete denial. I think the advert raises this issue, an issue that is often forgotten. 

If you like what you see, share it so others can benefit

Find An Independent Hearing Aid Centre in Your Area

Arrange a consultation with a trusted Independent hearing healthcare professional in your area

What should you consider when buying hearing aids if you have an active lifestyle?

So, you need hearing aids, but you aren’t quite ready for a pipe and slippers! I don’t see why having a hearing loss should change your life, in fact, I believe a well fitted set of modern hearing aids will ensure that it doesn’t. The answer to the question is really how active are you and what do you like to do?

Like sports? Well then choose hearing aids carefully

Do you like sports, play some tennis, maybe a little golf? Maybe you like to run, whether indoors or outdoors? Maybe you like to sail, or participate in water sports? Maybe it is just long hikes in the wilderness. If so, your ability to hear is often an integral part of these activities. Even just going to the gym to do a little cardio and throw some weights around is more often than not a social activity, so it would be nice to be able to hear well.

Anyone who likes to partake in these types of active lifestyles needs to think carefully when they are buying hearing aids. Your needs are slightly different than just hearing better, you want to hear better in tough situations that are physically tough on hearing aids. We all know that many runners like to listen to a run play-list while they are out, but more often than not still need to be able to hear. So what do you need to think about?

Waterproof hearing aids?

All of the activities I spoke about involve differing levels of sweat and moisture. They also include varying levels of movement from the sedate to the frenetic. So there are a few things that are important, the first is the waterproof rating of the hearing aids you chooses. The thing you need to be aware of is the IP rating of the devices you are thinking about.

Most of the hearing aid manufacturers have hearing devices with an IP68 rating which is supposed to be good enough for thirty minutes under three feet of water. However, having said that, many of the same manufacturers do not claim the devices to be waterproof, they claim them to be water resistant. The same manufacturers advise that the hearing aids should not be used during sailing or boating. Two of the manufacturers though advise that their devices can be used. Both Signia and GN Resound advise that their IP68 rated hearing aids should be fine for Boating or sailing.

Like to get sweaty? We really don’t want to know how, IP68 is your friend!

The issue for most is that when the devices leave the factory they are waterproof. However, as you open and close the battery door every day, you reduce the integrity of the seal. It seems that Resound and Signia are pretty confident with the seal on their battery doors. No matter what, if you like to exercise or get sweaty, any hearing aid with an IP68 rating should be good for your needs. While many of them are BTE or RIC devices, there are some ITE devices with an IP68 rating, so if discretion is what you are after, it might be available. 

The outdoors life, wind, dust and sweat

Again, anyone who exercises outside, or works outside, maybe construction, landscaping etc has certain needs. Outside can be rainy, it can be dusty and it can be windy. None of these things are the hearing aid wearer’s friend. Again, rain and wind is handled well by IP68 rated devices, these type of devices should not let you down. However, just because they are IP68 does not mean they will handle wind well. Wind can be really irritating for hearing aid users, as it blows across the microphones it causes cavitation which can sound really loud in the ear.

Many of the same manufacturers have been making excellent strides in an effort to deal with it. Widex say they have the industry leading wind noise management system. I would tend to believe them as they don’t make claims lightly. However, many of the other manufacturers have some sort of system to deal with it. Most of the cutting edge wind noise reduction systems are only available in the top level of technology though, so you will pay for it.

Go wireless, you will never go back!

Music and phone calls

As I alluded to earlier, many people who lead active lifestyles like to listen to music on the go. If you are one of these people, well then your ideal hearing aid needs to be a Made For iPhone or a wireless hearing aid. Listen, even if you don’t like to listen to music on the go, your ideal hearing aid should be wireless. While the wireless systems are great for streaming audio, they are actually doing so much more to help you hear better. Go wireless my friends, you will never go back!

In my last article, So Why Would You Want Made For iPhone Hearing Aids? I spoke about the benefits of Made For iPhone hearing aids and how they differ from Wireless hearing aids. Take a look there for a deeper understanding of the benefits and differences. In essence, wireless or Bluetooth hearing aids will make your life easier, give you more control and introduce you to crystal clear music and audio direct to your hearing aids.

So, in synopsis, you busy active people! Need:

• IP68
• Wind Noise Management
• Wireless Hearing Aids

Think carefully about what you want, spell out your lifestyle to your professional, get good advice. If you make the purchase having considered all of the preceding carefully, you should be fine.  

If you like what you see, share it so others can benefit

Find An Independent Hearing Aid Centre in Your Area

Arrange a consultation with a trusted Independent hearing healthcare professional in your area

Tinnitus is a very difficult condition for many of the people who live with it. While there is no cure for the condition, there can be relief from it through therapy and management. One of our Associates has dedicated a lot of his professional life to bringing relief from Tinnitus in Glasgow. 

Alan Hopkirk owns and manages the Invisible Hearing Clinic in Glasgow. He has been involved in the hearing profession for over 20 years and a Fellow of the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists for 15 years. Based in Glasgow, he has been helping patients from Stornoway to Newcastle and Carlisle since setting up his independent audiology clinic in 2000. Many years ago Alan had an experience with a Tinnitus Patient that changed his view on the condition and spurred him to learn everything he could about it and its treatment.

The Patient had a debilitating case of Tinnitus that was having a dramatic effect on their life. Alan undertook some research into the treatment of the condition and he tried Sound Therapy as a treatment. The change in the Patient’s life and outlook was amazing. Alan realised he was hooked and needed to know more.

Since then Alan has dedicated a huge amount of time and energy to undertaking the latest training both in the United Kingdom and internationally in Tinnitus Therapy. Tinnitus Treatment is one of the core services they offer in Glasgow and Cumbernauld. The clinic offers a range of evidence based and proven treatments that are tailored to the individual needs of each Patient.

Alan says that this approach has always been effective for him. Tinnitus can be complex and no one solution is for everyone. He finds that a mixture of Tinnitus Solutions works best for individuals, a mixture based on how they respond and their own individual needs. This type of approach gives long-term relief.

Tinnitus Treatments

Alan has a real problem with a lot of the quackery that goes on around Tinnitus. He says that quite often he will come across some new pill or magic patch that makes claims based on little or no research. He gets really angry because he sees it as someone taking the opportunity to take advantage of people who are often in distress.

The treatments that he offer have no pills, no magic patches and no questionable research. They are treatments that have been proven to work. Treatments such as Tinnitus Sound Therapy, Tinnitus Re-training Therapy and CBT. He finds treatments like this, combined with good counselling nearly always work well. 

Tinnitus Support Group Glasgow

Alan also founded the BTA (British Tinnitus Association) Tinnitus Support group in Glasgow. The group is run by Alan and it meets on a two months at the Pentagon Centre Suite 316, 3rd Floor 36 Washington Street Glasgow G3 8AZ . Alan says that the group forms an integral part of the treatment. It isn’t for everyone, but for those who are happy to attend there is great mutual support to be had. 

No Cure, But There is Treatment

Alan’s final message was that while it’s true that Tinnitus can not be cured, that’s because it’s NOT a disease. However, there is treatment that will give relief, in fact, treatment can be so effective, Tinnitus is not and issue anymore! If you are having problems with Tinnitus in Glasgow, perhaps the first place to start should be the Invisible Hearing Clinic.

If you like what you see, share it so others can benefit

Find An Independent Hearing Aid Centre in Your Area

Arrange a consultation with a trusted Independent hearing healthcare professional in your area

Not Your Usual Hearing Aid Store

Hearing Matters is a long established Independent Hearing Health Care Business Formed as a Partnership between two highly experienced ex-NHS audiologists, Peter Jones and Brian Unsworth. While they offer the very best hearing aids and hearing care, they also offer diverse services such as balance assessment. They are not your usual hearing aid centre. 

New Hearing Aid Centre Knutsford

As Brian and Peter expanded their outlets they noted that many of their customers from North Wales, Chester and Cheshire were having to traverse Manchester to see them. They decided to look for a location that would reduce journey time for them. 

When I spoke to Peter recently I asked him why Knutsford? He explained that he was familiar with the town, he explained that it is a historic market town that was mentioned in William the Conqueror’s Doomsday Book of 1086. So the town is well known in the region and many would have visited it at some time.

Peter said that when picking the location he had some clear ideas in mind. The town has two vibrant streets to shop in, Princess Street and King Street with a plethora of bijou independent boutiques intermingled with some larger high street favourites.

He said that they wanted something central but that was removed from the hub bub. Hearing Matters can be found squirrelled away in a calm/quiet backwater between the two shopping streets, ideal surroundings for delivering top quality hearing care. They sited their centre in St. James’ Court, 48a King Street, an exquisite building that has been sympathetically renovated which is thought to be a former chapel or schoolhouse by local residents.

Microsuction Ear Wax Removal

They offer ear wax removal at the location and they say that microsuction ear wax removal is by far the most popular method of ear cleaning. Although some enquire for ear syringing, they always explain that the method is no longer really used, however, they can undertake irrigation ear wax removal.

Normally though, when the methods are explained in detail, most people choose micro suction, no mess, no fuss. 

Hearing Tests

They of course offer full and comprehensive hearing tests, undertaking audiological work ups to aid diagnosis and to deliver enough information for in-depth treatment recommendations.

They provide hearing aids from the very best hearing aid brands. As Independents, they have access to all of the hearing aid manufacturers which they say they need to ensure the right hearing aid is recommended for everyone they see. 

But they go beyond the norm, they aren’t your typical centre. They also offer balance assessments as a service and they undertake full audiological work ups for their Specialist ENT Consultant clients.

I have known both of the lads for some time now, they are active in the wider Audiological community and I would often meet them at educational events. They are committed, hard working and care deeply for their profession and the people they care for, so if you are looking for hearing aids or hearing care in Knutsford, hearing matters might be the place to start.

If you like what you see, share it so others can benefit

Find An Independent Hearing Aid Centre in Your Area

Arrange a consultation with a trusted Independent hearing healthcare professional in your area