When checking your audiogram, if I see it correctly, you have about 100 dB loss between 4000 Hz and 8000 Hz. Can you still hear the sound of crickets or cicadas in nature? Would it be possible to set up the hearing aids so only sounds over 6000 Hz are amplified but nothing else?
I found something interesting:
With the improvement in hearing aid and wireless technology, hearing aids can now BECOME your headphones . There is no longer a need to figure out how to wear headphones over your hearing aids, or take your hearing aids out completely to listen to music with headphones.
That would mean that hearing aids should be at least as good as the cheapest earbuds. I wonder if that is true. Because my are worse than the cheapest earbuds. Also what does not make sense, I should wear hearing aids all day long, but what is the noise reduction eg. in the subway? I would need to reduce the noise from 85 dB - to say 60 dB. I doubt my hearing aids can do that. They cannot replace ear plugs, can they?
Yeah a lot of questions going on here, I’m just wondering why you haven’t asked these from the clinic that set these up for you, the key 4 are a very basic HAs, drop them and go for something else, and no HAs will never be as good as any earbuds or headphones, but they can get close to sounding good, music streaming is a given now so the big 5 /6 are putting a lot more effort into this, so you gotta dump those key 4 and go for something else, on the forum here you’ll notice a lot people who are having success with other models, I use ReSound Ones, and I’m very happy with my music program including how they stream it, took many hours of DIY over a long time to get these set up, you too could do this if you wanted, the main problem for music is the receiver, you cannot compare with headphones or buds,
Of course they can, but you have basic models and don’t offer the same reduction features as premium models.
Yes but only when they’re not programmed right, are you using open domes? This is a problem for bass,treble is the high frequencies, sounds like you’re getting that if sounds tinny.
Again have you tried Costco and if you can, post a audiogram would be helpful.
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@user38: No offense, but I’d like to read your source for this. My experience is that a balanced armature HA can’t come close to a can’s ability to move air, which is what good sound is all about, in the music business.
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Well the problem with my audiologist was / and we are talking an central European country here… she gave me like 30 minutes first appointment, and I had no chance to ask such questions, the appointment would last two hours I guess. Also I am afraid that she is not interested in dealing with people like me, she probably prescribes hearing aids to people with serious hearing loss. If I ask her about listening to music or crickets, she would go nuts. As you can notice from my questions, I am into subtle details. She thought I just needed to hear speech of my mumbling students clearly and use some white noise background. She also only offers ReSound and told me I could try Phonak but with a different audiologist. I did a quick test using youtube videos with crickets - my target sound I guess, and the microphones of my ReSound do amplify the sound a little bit, but also add distortion. I suppose as you said, these are basic hearing aids and probably cannot deal with higher frequencies and distort such sounds. If you know what rain sticks are, no chance, orrble distortion here. Streams, running water, no problem, but anything higher than 8000 Hz seems to cause terrible distortion.No actually, listening to a running water in a stream, distorted too. Oh and the noise filter is ridiculous, maybe 3 dB difference.
@user38: I’m sorry - I don’t know enough about central Europe to understand the nature of the problem. Could you inform me, please?
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I am using app called Smart 3D ReSound and there is only an option to turn on noise filter and it reduces like 3 dB, basically nothing. Yes, a very subtle difference, useless in noisy environments.
I don´t want to mention the city or audiologist, just suggesting that it is a different culture and different approach to patients here. Here older doctors have no patience with patients and questions are usually frowned upon. They cut bones, sew wounds together perfectly, they have all the latest technology to monitor your hearth, but then decide what shall be done without discussing anything with a patient. The new generation of doctors are very different, very kind and willing to answer questions. My audiologist is supposed to be the best in our country, so there…
Yes I get what your saying here, but the App is nothing compared to the ReSound SmartFit software, which is where the additional adjustments need to be done “first” get this right here and the App can make meaningful changes, otherwise it’s pointless.
@user38: So, in a nutshell, are you saying that the patient/audiologist relationship that we are suggesting is imperative to a good fitting is unattainable by you?
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Yes, the audiologist worked on the SmartFit, I was watching her setting up the device, and then I installed Smart 3D and she explained how to use it. A while ago I went to ReSound local website and they show in a video that you can set up Noise Reduction in the Smart 3D software, but it is missing in my app. I cannot set up noise reduction level at all. So you think it makes sense that ReSound Key 4 cannot play higher frequencies without distortion? Then I would definitely go for something higher in their model range.
As I cannot judge what good fitting is, I cannot know. I suppose they have no problem with typical people with hearing loss and the patients are happy. But I want my rainsticks sound natural without distortion, want my noise reduction working and want to hear things above 6000 Hz. I am afraid they have never had such an annoying patient. I have always been a sound freak. I hate listening to “wrong” sounds even when riding my bicycle. Or driving my car. So I won´t pay 800 US dollars (equivalent of what I paid in our currancy) for a pair of buds that cannot handle the sound of rain sticks.
@user38: So, the answer to my question seems to be “No”, but it really isn’t about a Central European country - it’s about you and your personal expectations, correct?
This is a hard nut to crack, since nobody can dictate to you what your expectations should be - they can only suggest whether they are reasonable, or not.
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Only if it’s turned on in the software, looking at the features on SmartFit the key 4 is extremely basic in this regard, it’s ether on or mild, waste of time there, as is noise tracker ll (reduction) it’s ether on or off, adjustments can only be made in 3 or 6 handles, upto as you say 6000Hz! So you gotta dump those keys, your obviously looking for “More” you won’t get any satisfaction with these.
You want 8000Hz or higher you’ll need premium models, any other brand where you can get a decent trial period so you can work out what works for you, it’s that simple.
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Usually the country is helpful for us who are trying to help from elsewhere.
Thank you for your amazing abitity to understand from my confusing comments what my problem is. So I had wildly guessed there is something wrong with the hearing aid and the “wrong” is that they are too basic. I thought number of channels with Key 4 should be sufficient - 12 channels, but where are those 12 channels shown in the software above? So I am thinking Phonak paradise Audeo P30 312, 12 channels, if they are really 12 channels available to set up in the sofware.
Prague, the Czech Republic.
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Channels and bands/handles are two different things, you do have 12 channels but only 6 bands to make adjustments, 12 channels is enough, some Signia models have 48 it’s all numbers marketing hype.
Here’s a quick read
You’re going to need to give yourself some time for your brain to acclimate itself to a whole host of new sounds that it wasn’t used to. After a while you will get used to how you, and those around you, sound. Don’t give up.
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Sure doesn’t sound like the best audiologist, or even a good one. You might be better off learning to DIY program. Also sounds like you need higher level aids. Searching the archives of this forum may be helpful periodically as questions arise for you. Lots of good info here.
Good luck.
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