Testing tips for CROS to see if it is right for me

Hearing Aids
#1

I picked up an Oticon Real 1 and Oticon CROS today. What should I be testing out to see if this will work for me. Any tips?

So far I’ve have had it for half a day. I know it will take time but I can’t see any benefits from it yet.

I’ve done a test by putting a phone with a you tube video running on the Cros side. Certainly can tell the Cros working and sending the sound to the other side. However in the same situation I turn off the Cros and can hear the sound from the video just as well. So really can’t see the point of it right now. :person_shrugging:

#2

The purpose of a CROS is to allow you to hear sounds from the side that doesn’t benefit from an aid. It’s for people who are very deaf in one ear.

It doesn’t amplify sound to the ear it’s in, it sends the sounds to the aid in the good ear instead. The test with your phone isn’t what it’s about.

I find it useful in any situation with people on both sides. Places like restaurants, cars, meetings. Or even at home talking with a couple of people. Any situation where there are sounds on both sides.

It means I don’t have to swivel my head, or whole body, so I can hear what’s happening on my bad side. I get more information about the world around me.

#3

Thanks for the reply. I understand how the CROS works, I know it won’t deliver sound in my bad ear rather it will transfer the sound over to the other side therefore overcoming the head shadow effect.

Although I can feel the CROS working for sound coming from that side to my good ear, if I take the CROS aid away (turn it off) I can still manage to get those sounds in my Real 1 with the sound travelling around my head.

I do need to test it still with a couple of scenarios I struggled with when I had my Resound ITC (people speaking in places of worship and also out in the open).

It could be that the Oticon Real is just so much better handling the head shadow effect on it’s own when only worn on one side. Maybe it is the dual directional microphones that the ITC did not have?

#4

Yes, you could be wowed by the fact your new aids are so much better. But I think the important word here is “manage”. Is it at all more of a strain to hear without the CROS? The idea is for it to be less of an effort to hear.

So test the CROS in a bunch of different situations before deciding it’s not worth it to you.

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