Paul,
Have you tried the KP a little higher still? It may give you a little more punch that you seem to want.
Hi ZCT:
Actually the kneepoint for low frequency was at 44 before and I have changed it to 48 and I found it was a little bit too loud. I wanted it back to 44. Therefore, I think the my comfortable kneepoint is 44 and 50 for low and high freq. What other method do you think can improve the speech clarity and volume?
Will longer tubing work?
Thanks
Paul
Well, I spent two hours with the HIS yesterday. He used Inspire 3.0 for the first time, and set the compression
ratios to the same as the k-amp aid specs. 1.3:1 for lows, and 2.1:1 for highs. He also made the attack time faster. Then ran
them through the audiogram check. All seemed well, sudden loud sounds were being cushioned, instead of blowing my
eardrums out. Afterwards, I walked around some loud machinery with no problems. I could hear the turn signals in the car.
The A/C blower motor didn’t make the aids cycle on and off like before.
When I got home and turned on the TV, all the voices had lisps. Radio, stereo, ditto. I wasn’t around enough human voices to judge
how they will work there. I’ll do that today.
I’m starting to think digital still has some bugs that need ironing out.
There is a very detailed article that explains my original complaint of loud sounds here: Understanding Transitions
A 2 year old article comparing aids here:http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_13_2/hearing-aids-6-2006-part-6.html
I realize this post gives the Audies & HIS’s here very little information to make a diagnosis with, so at this time, I’m not asking for one. I’ll follow up in a week or so.
How about increasing the kneepoint and lowering the output limit? This would make quieter sounds louder, but still place an upper limit on all sounds.
And trying longer tubing would not be a problem if you want.
Well, I returned the aids last week. I decided that whatever advantages the 1200’s would give me over my old aids would be very slight, and would not justify their higher cost. The last adjustment (see my last post) did help with dampening loud noises, but, it also seemed to reduce power. Not to mention making other peoples voices unintelligible. While I’m sure the bugs could of eventually been worked out, I just didn’t feel that this pair of 1200’s would ever be set up to be much better than my old analogs. Maybe with a different dispenser things would have gone better. Another thing, I never found a post here or anywhere else where anyone mentioned how happy they were with their 1200’s.
I may try AmericaHears, Hearsource, or I might just have another pair of analogs made to my latest audiogram. One thing that bothers me about AmericaHears and Hearsource is they give out zero specs on their own aids. They describe all the features, but, they give no specs. I’m probably too picky, but I like to know what’s under the hood.
Fred
having specs, makes the process of comparing apples to apples easy…
I agree, specs should be publish …
Here are some specs on the aids.
http://www.americahears.com/tech/ADSIE.pdf
You can read about the processor chip here:
http://www.sounddesigntechnologies.com/
And the ADRO technology here:
http://www.dynamichearing.com.au/
32 channels in a instrument which has a 250hz to 8000Hz doesnt seem
efficient…
1000$ is a real good price
Please explain in more detail for us layman.
Thank you,
Mike
the specs says 32 channels, you only have so many frequencies between 250 and 8000hz right, perhaps, your audi or His measures only–
250, 500, 750,1000, 1500, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000 and 8000, so technically
you have have 10 datapoints in the audiogram… so that leave us say with 22 channels- I wonder do you have a gain handle for 32 channels? if so that seems cumbersome right?
This is a wild guess on my part. I would say 4 memories for each aid with 8 channels or frequency settings for each memory.
Actually the 32 channels is a nice feature and very useful. The user only has 9 bands (where each band would cover several of the 32 channels) to adjust when using the software, from 250Hz to 6000Hz. But this is not how the 32 channels are used. The noise suppression algorithm identifies the frequencies of the noise and will adjust only the frequencies that pertain to that noise. So for example, there might be running water at 300Hz and it will bring down 300Hz while leaving 250 and 350 alone. This ability to be very selective about the frequencies during dynamic adjustment insures that the noise is reduced while leaving other frequencies alone.
6,000hz is a very narrow frequency response, most aids now up to 8,000
and some of the high end even over 10,000hz
the benefits of an large bandwith are now clear
Yes I agree, 6K is too low for a modern hi fi aid. Minimum should be 8 and I’d be happier with 10 or even 12k.
I’m not sure if 6K is the highest frequency the America Hears can handle, I think that’s just what their program is allowing. I am planning on doing some personal tone scans to see exactly how hi these things can go. In the future I hope they will extend their bandwidth if I am disappointed in what I find out.
6k is low if you consider (i believe i read that an ordinary phone has a freq. response of 5k)…
But they are bound to get better… or they will disapear…
Most manufacturers I think are still scoffing at the idea that bandwidth needs to be improved, but as more patients become educated I think they will have to pay attention and change their ways.
Some of the members in this community has demonstrated that component wise, hearing aids are not that expensive to built. Most prof. would agree, there are benefits of an increase bandwith, most highend instruments in some form or another have @ least 8 to 10k.
So for america Hears, it should not be to difficult to upgrade their receiver for a higher bandwith…
Now, for example, the Gn resound Ziga which is a entry level aid features most if not all the features of the america Hears, their directional systems also need to be upgrades to a adaptative multiband directionality…
If you compare a GN ziga for example Vs America Hears, there should not be a hughe difference…
It is clear that last year (AAA or EUHA) most manf. had introduced High end products, this year AAA some (unitron/Oticon) had also launch mid end products, so it should be expected that with in 1 yrs some entry level instruments having automatic directionality; noise reduction etc. would be
introduce… this would preasure america hears for better technology…
Hopefully they would upgrade their products to offer an attractive solution for those members who wish to do their own tweaking… Certainly an interesting option
I did buy my OpenEar hearing aids from Hearsource.com http://www.hearsource.com.
I found them after they repaired my old Siemens hearing aids. My audiologist had advised me that my old aids could not be repaired. HearSource repaired them for $99 each. They sounded great when I got them back. So much for not being able to be repaired. 
When I was on their website I saw the FreeStyle hearing aid. It had similar features to the ones that my audi had recommended to me, but for only $995 each. Several months later (Sep.08) I did purchase hearing aids from HearSource. Now I know that many will ask, “How can hearing aids be adjusted properly if purchased over the internet?” The answer is that I adjust them myself. They provided me with the software, programming box, cables, etc. so I can do it myself. The first time I tried to adjust them I had a HearSource “Coach” help me. I am now comfortable with the process and I do it totally by myself.
I know I hear better than I ever have before with any hearing aid, because I am the one doing the adjusting.
First I saved money by having my Siemens hearing aids repaired (when I was told they could not be repaired) instead of buying new ones. Secondly, when I did purchase new hearing aids I bought them for less that $2,000, and now do the fine tuning myself.
As far as the specs go, they are available on their website.
My Grand Mother could or would not be able to do this without my help, but I can. Good luck. 
The usual problem with obtaining large bandwidths is the limits of the technology to provide a receiver with high power output, large bandwidths, tiny size, low distortion, reliability in a difficult environment (moisture and acids), high output at the lower frequencies, and on and on. Knowles though, has recently come out with some amazing new receivers allowing the mfg’s to build aids with outputs in the 8 to 10khz region. Ed