Do I need hearing aids? (I'm a piano player)

Not sure where you got this information but it’s just not true.
Please do a little research before saying things like this.
Thanks

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Even if it was true the Costco aids are last years models, it wouldn’t matter at all. If last year models worked great, are you implying that a year later they are no good? Manufacturers of products are always tweaking products a tiny bit so they can say what you had last year just won’t cut it today. That’s what drives their profit margin.

My used pair of Phonak V70s are a few generations old now, but they are working as well today as when they were the latest must have current models.

The OP got lucky, not because he purchased the latest wiz-bang aids, but because whoever programed his aids knew what they were doing, and took the time to get it right. He should keep that person’s name on file, and insist she is the one to help him the next time he visits Costco.

I would also add that if you have a combination that works for you, stick with it as long as you can, and try not to reach out for the next shiny object.

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I’ve played clarinet, and when I went to see a “pro” to have my clarinet adjusted, I wondered why he could hear nuances that I could not, and my hearing is down only 60db where yours is down 90. So yes, absolutely your sense of the sounds from your piano should be a lot keener with a well adjusted HA.

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Thanks for all your comments

I understand what you say @StevenS but not why :smiley:

As @Raudrive said - they have the current and latest now-a-days. I did try to investigate the mythology surrounding Costco HAs in another thread but it kinda petered out. Seems there is a cultural bias against Costco for some reason I certainly can’t fathom.

Actually it wasn’t all luck :smiley: It was in large part to self education thanks to the good folks on this site in particular. I went in with at least basic knowledge and some enthusiasm which was matched by the great enthusiasm and ability of the Audi as well! We seemed to really hit it off and I wonder if it is an unusual experience for her to have a client who has some idea of the technical issues involved and who knows what they (realistically) might expect from the start? Either way, under the current model at my local Costco I will be seeing her for all my visits as a matter of consistency.

Lastly - and by no means least - I listened to a very good recording of Vivaldi’s 4 seasons today - for the first time in years it brought tears to my eyes :cry: - So much richness of sound that I hadn’t realised I had been missing. :grinning:

Along with playing my pianos, I have another 500 recordings to listen to now :smiley: .

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now you are way overstating the value of hearing aids.

for listening to recorded music a decent sound system with equalization and good headphones is still far superior to any hearing aid.

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This statement may be true for you but not everyone. We all have different hearing losses.

Your relatively flat hearing loss is an example of how good headphones would really sound great. For others that don’t have the flat hearing loss this is not true.

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“With equallization”

If you really care about accuracy in music, hearing aids are still not there. when they are I will be first on line to get them.

This is my point about relativity flat hearing losses like yours will enjoy headphones with equalizers. For those with not so flat hearing losses equalizers will not be enough dB in certain frequencies to get the benefit you would for example.

A quick look at equalizers shows they have a maximum of about +/-15 dB control over each frequency band. Most are in the +/-6 dB area that I read about.
Thinking about the limits of the equalizer and looking at people’s audiogram it seems simple to say equalizers would come up short with many people.

If I am way out in left field about this, please correct me.

This is probably why so many of us don’t enjoy music as we did with better hearing.

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some may benefit from a headphone amp also depending on the headphones. I prefer Sennheiser but there are others.

Exactly right. For those who have 60 or 90db hearing loss above 2 or 3k will not benefit much by audio system eq that has a range of +/-10db.

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Well, Value is in the ear of the beholder :wink:
Thanks for the rain - we have had a drought in Australia :smiley: Happily I usually carry an umbrella… :stuck_out_tongue:

Thanks for the raincoat :wink: @Raudrive I agree with what you say 110% .

@Psych1 I think you may be misinterpreting what I am saying - I happily acknowledge that HA do not make my hearing Normal - either for speech or music but - put yourself in my shoes…
Take your equaliser and turn down the higher frequencies above 2000hz as low as they will go - probably -6db - then turn up the lower frequencies as high as they will go - probably +6db . That gives you a difference of 12db. Consider living with that sound for the next 10 years. Then turn it back up… That’s what I am experiencing on steroids! Compared to the lower frequencies, I have a 30db difference at 4000hz and 60db difference at 8000hz. While my correction is probably not “flat” it is significant enough that I can actually hear and appreciate those frequencies. All the secondary harmonics etc that I missed before - it changes the timbre of the sound significantly - especially with strings like violins. This is the richness of which I speak. Admittedly it probably wont make a huge difference to the 10 minute drum solo from Iron Butterfly’s “in-a-gadda-da-vida” but for me it is a SIGNIFICANT change.

NOT one I believe can achieve with:

unless they have comparatively massive equalisation suitable to my hearing loss - and as far as I am aware those are VERY few and far between :wink: .

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I disagree completely. Always hated listening to music though headphones, still do. Heavy equalization may get the music tonally flat and correct for hearing loss, but IMHO it kills the pace and timing of the music. For me a high quality system combined with a good music program on my aids is superior to eq and headphones.

Jim

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Well I think I will add two additional experiences using my hearing aids.

For years I have had pulsating tendonitis, where it sounds like waves breaking on a sea shore. When I started wearing my hearing aids, just inserting the slim tube tips into my ears made the sound almost disappear. This is without even turning on my hearing aids. I think the rubber cones changed the internal pressure in the canal, and reduced the pulse from my heart beat.

About 15 years ago, long before wearing hearing aids, I kept hearing what guitar players would call a “fret buzz” around the E & F on the high E string. I could never get rid of it, and it made everything sound so bad I just quit playing. Last year after a month or two learning to program my Phonak Bolero V70s, and refining the music settings, I pulled out my classical guitar, played it, and of course there was the fret buzz. I switched to my music program, and the buzz was gone. When I was working on the music settings, I just wanted to better listen to music, not even thinking about the guitar problem. I have no idea what’s going on, but I am thrilled with the unexpected results.

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I, too, am a pianist. I went into a long decline with my wife griping about me not hearing her. I finally went to the ENT/Audiologist and they fitted me with aids. It was clear that I could function much better in situations like restaurants and other crowds, but it really didn’t affect my music much (in fact, I found the default settings rather annoying). I did get the ability to tweak my own aids and was able to fix the problems so that I could effectively play with the aids on.

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@rnatalie Out of curiosity do you remember what those ‘tweaks’ were? It would be great to read what you have done. :smiley:

I just cranked up the anti-feedback settings.

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@rnatalie
Wow- I have the opposite - ‘Zero’* feedback settings for piano playing :smiley: With feedback protection running I get warbling of the higher keys’ tones.

*I guess there may still be some intrinsic feedback protection there, but certainly I can elicit feedback IF I try hard with a cupped hand moving away from my ear. Interestingly I can wear around ear headphones without getting feedback so that works for my practice piano too.

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My problem (though I do not have it with the Resound Ones, I had Lynx3Ds up until last week) was that there was some resonance on certain notes that caused the aids to feedback. I guess everybody is different.

When I program my Phonak aids, the software runs a feedback test, and a line showing the limit for each ear at all frequencies is shown on the screen.

I make all my settings so as to not exceed this line. No feedback problems here.

That’s the advantage of DIY programming. I eliminated all compression, and adjusted the aids to mostly hear what’s in front of me, nulling sounds to the rear. All these minor tweaks to a music program can be very beneficial. It’s almost like going analog, which reduces distortion.

The advanced digital technology that helps you to understand voices in difficult situations, can be very detrimental when listening to music.

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I had to do that too with my old Phonaks to eliminate the warbling when performing and practicing. With my Widex Beyond 440 no adjustments were necessary to get a great natural sound without distortion. Don’t know how the latest Widex products compare.