Do new hearing aids have a break-in period similar to the break in period of audio equipment and some other types of equipment? Some high end audio manufacturers recommend burning in their products for 100-200 hours before evaluating their products. I have noticed this in audio equipment, for example. Other audio manufacturers burn in their products before selling them. Has anyone noticed this in their new hearing aids?
I think there is. I had a pair for 13 years, back then they adjusted the frequencies to what you could hear and that was that. Now it seems like the newer ones have an adjustment period. I just received a Widex Unique. He said after four days I would get use to the new sound, after 2 weeks, he would adjust more and add things, and so on until the aids were gotten use to. That didn’t happen years ago. I hope that helps.
I’ve always been under the impression that the break-in period is for your hearing to get adjusted to hearing the amplification from the HA. I’ve never had the impression that the break-in is for the HA to sound better after a burn-in period.
Much of the “breakin” is a mental one for new users. People who have had aids typically shorten that. For the new user it can easily take a month. It is getting use to the missing sounds for the new user. All of a sudden, the world is a much louder place. Over the weeks to months, the brain begins to filter sounds as it did when one had good hearing.
Typing on the keyboard and things as simple as shopping cart wheels becomes loud for example. Common remarks is that thing sound tinny for those with a typical loss. Some audiologist will set the gain lower. Newer aids can be set to automatically increase that to full prescription.
For seasoned wearers, it takes a couple of weeks to adjust. Each brand/model has a slightly different approach that one needs to get use too. It is best to get use to the automatic program that all aids have. Well adjusted aids will allow the user to use the one program more than 90% of the time – often 100%. The audiologist is happier forcing that to happen by not adding programs initially.
There is no “break-in period” necessary for hearing aids nor audio components in general. As mentioned above, relating to hearing aids, any “break-in period” is all mental.
your comment about seasoned wearers helped me. Thanks.
I’d never heard of this so called break in period before. A quick Google showed other people think it exists:
I think some audiophiles can be convinced of anything?