Hearing aids & High End, who has 'em?

[Cruzah]

I'm Ok as far as hearing.
I guess do to my Mom and My Grandma always screaming at Me.
"BOY IF YOU DON'T TURN THAT S**T DOWN, YER GONNA BE DEAF AT 30"
(couldn't have been that loud...I could hear Them over it)
LOL!
I got it good about a week ago with My headphones and My netbook though.
Forgot to turn the volume down and kicked on a Video.
That crap hurt kinda bad for about 10 mins after I snatched em off.

 

[withmusic]

While I don't need one, this is rather intresting. I was not aware such things existed. If I had to have one I'd demand to be fitted with an invisible, audiophile, high-end, super duper, ear crutch. The thought of having to give up my music would be the driving force of fear behind the demand.
Hey, do they have tube based ones? LOL!
It would be really funny if they were stamped with the name Mcintosh or JBL or Pioneer, Marantz, Sansui etc. hee hee hee!
My problem now is fear of not being able to see the pretty gear anymore as my eyes are moving beyond crutches.

 

[Pio1980]

They were tubed back before transistors, they were one of the first applications for the early transistors. Raytheon made some of the first transistors for them, CK718. CK721 and CK722 were the production culls deemed too noisy or off-gain for use but great for introducing electronic hobbyists to the new technology.
http://ck722museum.com/
Raytheon and Tung-sol made the tiny miniature tubes that were originally developed for artillery shell proximity fuses, then used in the newer & smaller aids in the 1940s up to the early-mid 1950s. Sonotone made their own tubes, the smallest I've seen was a pentode a bit larger than about an inch of kitchen match. Here's a pic of two such next to a vintage TI transistor.

Here they are in place, the black rectangle above the sockets is an early glass-header Bakelite-encased Raytheon CK718 Germanium transistor.

 

[ouimetnick]

I wear BTE hearing aids.

 

[ruphen]

I was born deaf in my right ear. Too many concerts years later and I have tinnitus in my left ear go figure, and the constant ringing is a pita or should I say pite? I love music but have learned to listen at lower volumes. I can't stand tv commercials as they are so loud, it's redonkulous, I also put on subtitles if watching a dvd - as the speaking will be low then the music will blast it hurts my ears. Sorry for going off tangent there for a minute.

Ruphen

 

[Pio1980]

VA is upgrading me in 2 weeks for 2 new RITE open/ LF bypass type devices, I am really looking forward to this! I've been using one open BTE device for the last 3 years.

I've had them a few hours now and so far very pleased with them in both noisy surroundings and for music listening. ReSound Alera9 61 TS Wireless, and aren't they tiny next to the Interton Instinct NS71-DVI I've had for the last 3 years.

 

[gabby]

Only hear bass and not high frequency

I can hardly hear my tv without turning it up and finally my woman turned the bass off because she said it was too loud. I could only hear the bass and no treble or high frequency. Went to the doctor and he said if I got a hearing aide it would have to be adjust to hear high frequency and little bass. I have tried to find devices that would help this problem while watching tv but haven't found anything. I read a post from here while I was looking for a solution and decided to join. I can't really here my lady talking to me either it just sounds muffled. I need something that hooks up to the tv that will help me hear it so I don't have to raise the volume. Anyone heard of anything like that?

I would have to be able to turn the bass off and down real low. I am deaf in one ear and now i'm having problems with my good ear.

 

[JHS2RT]

WHAT????? Can't hear you .
I need to have myself checked also.

 

[musichal]

I can hardly hear my tv without turning it up and finally my woman turned the bass off because she said it was too loud. I could only hear the bass and no treble or high frequency. Went to the doctor and he said if I got a hearing aide it would have to be adjust to hear high frequency and little bass. I have tried to find devices that would help this problem while watching tv but haven't found anything. I read a post from here while I was looking for a solution and decided to join. I can't really here my lady talking to me either it just sounds muffled. I need something that hooks up to the tv that will help me hear it so I don't have to raise the volume. Anyone heard of anything like that?

I would have to be able to turn the bass off and down real low. I am deaf in one ear and now i'm having problems with my good ear.

Do they sell one which tunes in the TV, but out the wife, then? My wife likes to talk to me during sex - she called me last night from the Marriot; I don't get no respect, I tell ya.

 

[Pio1980]

I can hardly hear my tv without turning it up and finally my woman turned the bass off because she said it was too loud. I could only hear the bass and no treble or high frequency. Went to the doctor and he said if I got a hearing aide it would have to be adjust to hear high frequency and little bass. I have tried to find devices that would help this problem while watching tv but haven't found anything. I read a post from here while I was looking for a solution and decided to join. I can't really here my lady talking to me either it just sounds muffled. I need something that hooks up to the tv that will help me hear it so I don't have to raise the volume. Anyone heard of anything like that?

I would have to be able to turn the bass off and down real low. I am deaf in one ear and now I'm having problems with my good ear.

For just TV there is this; http://www.tvears.com/
For a more universally useful fix there are relatively inexpensive devices sold on e-Bay that may help, you can also websearch for inexpensive/cheap hearing aids. The best professionally assisted option for many in the U.S. is COSTCO which carries and fits some good-quality devices for discounted but more realistic prices for real hearing aids. I have a mild loss in one ear and moderate in the other tho' plugging the 'bad' side will severely affect the 'good' side, so I am fitted both sides for best result.

 

[Pio1980]

Originally Posted by goat67;
I take it you have good hearing feel blessed that you can joke about others.

It was not my intention to offend anyone and you have my sincere apology if you were offended!

..and no I'm not particularly blessed with great hearing.

'S OK, no prob w/you hereabouts. Actually kinda surprized Bose never got into this end of things, Edgar Villchur (inventor of the acoustic suspension loudspeaker) of Acoustic Research fame went from AR into developing the modern multi-channel hearing aid with wide dynamic range compression which is today's standard configuration for such devices.

I can get away with this 'cuz I'm the OP.
"Know why farts stink? No? So deaf folks can enjoy them too."

 

[ghazzer]

There are many good hearing aids available these days, and most people with hearing problems can find ones that can be set up to help with (or solve?) their problems. A good audiologist and some research are essential.

However, even the good ones won't help me much when my wife mumbles something from another room. YMMV.
.

 

[Echoes Myron]

I'm almost entirely deaf in my right ear (since birth), and I began wearing a hear aid just after I discovered AK and dove into hi-fi.

I have a model similar to Pio1980 (forgetting the brand name, not near it right now), and what I later discovered was that using a power amp with gain controls for each channel (I use a Yamaha MX-830) allows me to turn the gain down some on the hearing aid, and tweak the levels so that I get a sense of "stereo" that I never heard before.

...is there a thread about this kind of thing on AK already? It worth discussing this part of the experience, and how we cope with it.

Thanks, great thread!

 

[Pio1980]

I'm almost entirely deaf in my right ear (since birth), and I began wearing a hear aid just after I discovered AK and dove into hi-fi.

I have a model similar to Pio1980 (forgetting the brand name, not near it right now), and what I later discovered was that using a power amp with gain controls for each channel (I use a Yamaha MX-830) allows me to turn the gain down some on the hearing aid, and tweak the levels so that I get a sense of "stereo" that I never heard before.

...is there a thread about this kind of thing on AK already? It worth discussing this part of the experience, and how we cope with it.

Thanks, great thread!

Hey there!
Here is as good a place as any.

 

[tromba]

I used to play back sounds at different frequencies for one of my classes. I found I couldn't just "play" a file back, I had to have it on screen in Audacity or something so I could SEE when the higher frequencies played because I couldn't hear them. I recorded a violin recital 2 weeks ago and one piece ended with the violinist looking like he was playing a high harmonic, but there was no sound. When I listened to the recording with headphones, I was right -- there was no sound. Then I had my wife listen.... She said "of course there's a note there, and I've been telling you to get your hearing checked"

I've been very hesitant about doing this because I'm a working musician playing jobs each week. My hearing hasn't seemed to interfere with that. I need accurate sound reproduction with no increases in dynamic levels since I have to balance what I'm playing against what I hear. I can't have any high frequencies boosted as I'm afraid I would alter how I sound to me, and I'd make bad changes in my playing to correct what I'd now hear.

I'm also old enough to remember complaints from 30 years ago about how bad these things were for musical purposes. I imagine things have come a long ways now, and it's certainly a daunting challenge to try an figure it out.

It would be great if everyone would stop mumbling when there's background noise but as a performer I don't want to jump from the frying pan into the fire, so to speak.

 

[MWalt]

I just got fitted yesterday at VA for an ear-crutch to stop folks from mumbling, should have done it 25 yrs ago. Been doing "High-end" quality audio since the mid-70s and still enjoy the "good stuff", I think it's purity and resolving power is a good part of the appeal for me.
I would think I'm not the only 'phile that has trouble understanding speech out there in the world and at the movies that enjoys a good stereo system at home. I have been doing some research on the 'net and there appears to be some devices specifically made for professional musicians and discriminating 'philes, very reassuring.
S.B.

Are you service-connected for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus? I ask because I specialize in VA law. If not, when and where did you serve?

 

[Pio1980]

Are you service-connected for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus? I ask because I specialize in VA law. If not, when and where did you serve?

Yes, primarily guns and aircraft engines. Lots of other stuff but no front-line grunt-work as it happened. Served Stateside and Europe '66 to '89 with a short break '69-'72, disability awarded on honorable discharge for various stuff. Was anti-aircraft air defense Hawk missile crewman during 'Nam but the Cong didn't have much of an air wing so never experienced the mysterious East, not even as a REMF.

 

[Pio1980]

I used to play back sounds at different frequencies for one of my classes. I found I couldn't just "play" a file back, I had to have it on screen in Audacity or something so I could SEE when the higher frequencies played because I couldn't hear them. I recorded a violin recital 2 weeks ago and one piece ended with the violinist looking like he was playing a high harmonic, but there was no sound. When I listened to the recording with headphones, I was right -- there was no sound. Then I had my wife listen.... She said "of course there's a note there, and I've been telling you to get your hearing checked"

I've been very hesitant about doing this because I'm a working musician playing jobs each week. My hearing hasn't seemed to interfere with that. I need accurate sound reproduction with no increases in dynamic levels since I have to balance what I'm playing against what I hear. I can't have any high frequencies boosted as I'm afraid I would alter how I sound to me, and I'd make bad changes in my playing to correct what I'd now hear.

I'm also old enough to remember complaints from 30 years ago about how bad these things were for musical purposes. I imagine things have come a long ways now, and it's certainly a daunting challenge to try an figure it out.

It would be great if everyone would stop mumbling when there's background noise but as a performer I don't want to jump from the frying pan into the fire, so to speak.

Specially for musicians, the General Hearing Simplicity series is supposed to use a version of the "K-Amp", the EP version uses a longer-life more economical but larger #13 cell. Sears and Wal Mart sell the Simplicity line.
http://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearthemusic/2012/killion-had-it-all-figured-out-in-1988/
http://www.generalhearing.com/products/musicians-hearing-aids.html

My ReSound Aleras are OK on music but not for hypercritical eval auditioning of recordings and equipment compared to 'normal' hearing, they are indeed terrific everyday walk-around all-day hearing assist devices. The newer ReSound Verso are stated good for music but I dunno for hypercritical auditioning, they cost a couple hundred more per than the Alera. COSTCO used to have the Alera as the Future for about half price of the upper-end Alera9 61, they now fit another special-to-COSTCO ReSound device.

 

[annjones13]

As a vet that served in Vietnam, (artillery/air defense - Hawk missiles ) I too have severe hearing loss. How bad? I cannot hear a smoke detector at 10 feet.
I can hear a train from 20 miles away on a quiet night, so I don't have a problem with low frequencies. Taking lip reading classes has helped a lot. Cell phones or standard phones are almost unusable. I wear an aid in one ear that helps a little. An aid in the other ear did not help. I have a VA medical card, but use a civilian doctor. I am lucky to still be employed at 68.
The hearing test at the Army exit center consisted of a guy asking how many here are ready to get out? All that responded were judged to have good hearing.
I submitted an application thru a Veterans association years ago and got no response.
I use headphones a lot so as not to deafen others, but I quad amp my mains with 675w going to both left & right.They are NHT "2.9" 4 ways with yamaha active crossovers
I watch only video with subtitles.
I can not imagine a world without music....
Hopefully in the next one I will hear angels sing!

Ann

 

[MWalt]

For both Pio and Ann, if you aren't receiving VA comp for hearing loss then you may have a claim. You don't need an ETS physical denoting hearing loss to win a grant. A lot depends on your military occupation/circumstances as well as civilian occupation after service. I win these all the time.