It should 100% be done with recorded voice.
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A bad side effect of the dispenser reading is they train themselves to pronounce words precisely which carries over into their conversation.
When trying Hearing Aid settings we usually talk to the dispenser to evaluate the settings. Carefully pronounced speech is not real world.
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Oh, we definitely train, and are trained by our patients, to speak clearly. That’s not just about doing live voice speech.
Now if only we could train friends and family members to also speak that way. 
I think it would be easier to train the hearing professionals to mumble … 
Even with HA’s, I’m still accusing my wife of mumbling upon occasion! We also need to train the hearing professionals to look away or look down (doing something else at the same time) when they speak to us hearing-impaired individuals with imperfect recovery devices.
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Turn their backs to us too.
I had my HIS do that when we were standing outside the booth.
OK - that is a NEW one! I’ve never had that one done … but then I can just envision the outcome: sound is SO LOUD the entire floor evacuates, mistaking it for the fire alarm. Sigh.
I have a tough time on the warbled tones, and while I’m sure an audiologist would find value in them, for ME, the one with the wooden ears, the only REAL test is understanding speech in all scenarios: with background music, in noisy place, quiet, at a party with lots of blather, etc.
That kind of test can only be done on a trial basis or after purchase when the aids are really put through their paces. Boggles my mind why audis don’t have their exam room set up with more practical, real-life things for testing aids:
- have the patient use their cell phone AND your landline phone. Can they hear? Is the streaming set up right if bluetooth-enabled?
- turn on some background noise and have the patient give you the jist of the conversation.
- set to LOTS of blather and have the patient repeat the conversational sentences spoken word for word.
- turn the TV on and see if patient can understand dialogue; again, test any streaming devices if they are part of the purchase.
Now, maybe these kinds of tests can be done by an assistant, but they should be done! So many of us creep out of the audi’s office only to find myriad things that need fixing, adjusting, changing and connecting with our new $SIX THOU aids.
When I buy a car, I typically get a good hour spent with the sales person going over the features (till I’m dizzy from the info overload). But with aids, we’re often sent on our merry way only to learn about features HERE at this very forum.
Case in point: I just learned last week that I can turn my TV streaming volume DOWN and still hear the TV absolutely fine, but also my hubs speaking to me on one side. Never knew it before!
I’m very sorry to say you don’t understand the testing. Is this the fault of whomever is performing the test? I’m not sure. To hear and UNDERSTAND within a NORMAL range, you need to BARELY BEGIN to hear the BEEPS with no more than 20 dB needed. If that’s the case, you will easily hear and UNDERSTAND a voice at the usual dB of about 40-45 dB. Does that make sense? If you BARELY hear each of the frequencies of speech by at least 20dB, you will hear and understand a spoken voice. The test in no way indicates YOUR PERSONAL experience in the REAL WORLD. It is a REPEATABLE, VERAFIABLE test. It’s a jumping off point. It’s a starting point. Because we don’t know where you could hear when you were a baby and learned speech, we don’t know for sure where you need to be able to hear and understand. We can approximate it from this test though. Because we don’t know the REAL WORLD situations or VOICES you need to hear, we can approximate. This test with “beeps” you are talking about is just ONE of a complete evaluation that should include at LEAST 7 different tests. Some of those are performed with each ear (monaural) and some also with both ears (binaural). I won’t post separate comments to each post that addresses these issues. I just really want to help you to understand the purpose of the test you seem to reference. I sure hope this helps!
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I for one as a troubleshooter by trade and training would love to be able to hear all sounds again. Our brains are able to filter out unwanted sounds and noise. I have been getting my hearing tested this way since forever and it works. But you have to have the correct frame of mind. You can’t automatically say it is wrong or bad. And for the life of me I cannot understand how else it can be done.
For me I use to be able to set outside and be able to tell you what bird it was that was singing without seeing it, the same was true for most other animals and insects. Now I can’t even hear the AC without my hearing aids. I want to hear the way I once did, yes I know that isn’t possible now but maybe some day they will figure it out.
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