Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 26 to 49 of 49

Thread: Hearing aids

  1. #26

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    For me, once I got hearing aids, my wife stopped screaming at me in Costco...

  2. The following members say thank you to PapaZark for this post:


  3. #27
    Registered User Kirk Higgins's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Location
    Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Posts
    99

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    Quote Originally Posted by twilson View Post
    I have been using hearing aids for about 5 years. I, too, have trouble with the high, tinny sound. My audiologist, who is also a picker, recommended Widex. Widex has a program called Pure which does not process or filter the signal (processing can cause a slight delay), but can be harsh. So what works pretty well for me is using Pure and bringing the volume down. I take the volume way down in my left ear because when I play the fiddle, with 3 inches between the fiddle and my ear, its too much. It also has EQ so I can roll off the highs. Nothing is perfect, but it works pretty well for me. Hope this helps.
    Thanks, it was originally recommended that I get hearing aids is 2013. I put if off until a few years ago when I decided to give it a shot and try the “in the canal” style. It lasted about 30 days and I returned them. I didn’t notice enough difference and I didn’t like the feel and the sound of the hearing aids. They were expensive, approximately $6,500 Cdn $.

    I had a hearing test a few weeks ago and my hearing has declined further, especially my right ear, so I am currently researching hearing aids again. I think this time I will try the “receiver in the ear” style. I understand its results in a more natural sound.

    From my research, it appears that Widex are the most recommended for musicians. However, I am wondering if this conclusion is still valid or if the research is becoming outdated? Has anyone researched/purchased recently that can help in my decision process?
    Kirk

    2007 Kimble F5
    1985 Kentucky KM 650

  4. #28
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Posts
    122

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    Quote Originally Posted by Kirk Higgins View Post
    Thanks, it was originally recommended that I get hearing aids is 2013. I put if off until a few years ago when I decided to give it a shot and try the “in the canal” style. It lasted about 30 days and I returned them. I didn’t notice enough difference and I didn’t like the feel and the sound of the hearing aids. They were expensive, approximately $6,500 Cdn $.

    I had a hearing test a few weeks ago and my hearing has declined further, especially my right ear, so I am currently researching hearing aids again. I think this time I will try the “receiver in the ear” style. I understand its results in a more natural sound.

    From my research, it appears that Widex are the most recommended for musicians. However, I am wondering if this conclusion is still valid or if the research is becoming outdated? Has anyone researched/purchased recently that can help in my decision process?
    Kirk, I can’t speak to the latest research, but I upgraded about a year ago and my audiologist still recommended Wider. Good luck.

  5. The following members say thank you to twilson for this post:


  6. #29

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    Quote Originally Posted by twilson View Post
    Kirk, I can’t speak to the latest research, but I upgraded about a year ago and my audiologist still recommended Wider. Good luck.
    I visited my audiologist yesterday. My hearing had declined (apparent even with my hearing aids on) and I was sure I needed a tweak. Only one ear had noticeably declined, thankfully, and she was able to tweak my Phonak aids. I had previously had a music program installed on them, but the sound of my mandolin was awful when I turned it on, very tinny and shrill. I had her change the program so that it is so much better (this time I took my mandolin to the appointment and we worked on the program until it was optimal).

    You may not have to purchase new hearing aids if you can adjust them to address current hearing loss. When I purchased mine, I got the ones that had excess capacity for what I needed at the time just so I could tweak them at a future time as needed.

    FYI - my audiologist told me the best hearing aids for music performance are Oticons.

  7. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Rdeane For This Useful Post:


  8. #30
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Tangent OR
    Posts
    842

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    I got hearing aids this week. I'm 60, and I have had a high-frequency loss in my left hear for about 15 years. it finally got to the point that I admitted I needed help - it was a very hard pill for me to swallow. I got Widex Moments for both ears, and my insurance covered a good part of the cost. The audiologist gave me several different programs on the app to try in different situations. I had to experiment a bit to find what I liked best for mandolin, but I have a couple of settings that work just fine... so far so good. I even had my first live performance with them last night, and everything went fine - I was worried about how singing with a mic was going to go, but it felt "normal".

    Musically, the thing I noticed the most was when I picked up my Martin OM28 guitar and played it. I was surprised about how much of the beautiful sound it makes that I was missing.
    Follow the Flatt Stanley Incident on Facebook

    Listen to original tune "When You Fly" by my old band The Kindreds

  9. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to RobP For This Useful Post:


  10. #31
    Registered User Kirk Higgins's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Location
    Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Posts
    99

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    I ended up demoing the Widex Moment for the past two weeks and decided to purchase the Widex Moment Sheer 440 yesterday.

    I had the demo set dialed in fairly well for mandolin by tweaking the Music settings in the Moment App and saving it as Mandolin 1. If I recall correctly, i bumped up the bass and mids and turned down the trebles with the equalizer in the app. Not sure if this was the right thing to do. Essentially, I think I was adjusting it to sound like it did without hearing aids when I couldn't hear the higher frequencies. Might be better to keep using the Universal program and let the brain adjust to what I wasn't hearing before rather than trying to get rid of the higher frequencies.

    This is only my second day with the Moment Sheers but I am pleased so far. They are supposed to adjust automatically to 11 different listening environments which should reduce the need to be switching between programs in different listening environments.

    Thanks everyone for your helpful comments.
    Kirk

    2007 Kimble F5
    1985 Kentucky KM 650

  11. #32
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Posts
    122

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    I, too, have the Widex Moment. I customized an on-stage program. My audiologist (who is a musician) said there was a slight delay with the standard Universal program because of all the processing. So I started with the Pure program and rolled off a lot of treble. Because I sometimes play fiddle, I took the volume down in the left channel because my left ear was just a couple inches from the sound board. I recommend experimenting and coming up with a customized program you like. Hope that helps.

    Tim

  12. The following members say thank you to twilson for this post:


  13. #33

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    My "In Ear Monitors" (as I refer to them, just sounds better than "Hearing Aid" for some reason) are Oticons, and they are OK, but I mostly leave them out when I play. Guitar is not tolerable with them in and Mandolin is better but not great. So its time to get new one with all the great comments on Widex I amy be looking at those. In the past it was the Audiologist who made the decision, and I did not know any better.
    2022 Black A2-z #60
    1996 Summit Artist #99
    2018 Clark GBOM #208

  14. #34

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    Quote Originally Posted by slaminsam View Post
    My "In Ear Monitors" (as I refer to them, just sounds better than "Hearing Aid" for some reason) are Oticons, and they are OK, but I mostly leave them out when I play. Guitar is not tolerable with them in and Mandolin is better but not great. So its time to get new one with all the great comments on Widex I amy be looking at those. In the past it was the Audiologist who made the decision, and I did not know any better.
    Whatever brand hearing aids you get, try to get them with a speciallized program for music. It makes a huge difference in your enjoyment of sound when you're playing an instrument. For years I didn't use my hearing aids when I played guitar and mandolin. I finally got my audiologist to tweak the hearing aids so one of my custom programs was for music, and then customized it further for mandolin. It's night and day. I now use my hearing aids for playing and enjoy the sound so much better compared to no hearing aids while playing.

  15. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Rdeane For This Useful Post:


  16. #35
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Nashville, TN
    Posts
    388

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    I took my mandolin into my audiologist's office and played live while we made the adjustments to the music setting. Playing a mandolin is a lot different than just listening to the radio and generally the music setting for a hearing aid is for the normal listener of music, not a musician. It was a big help. It's still not perfect, but being deaf is not perfect. At least now I can make music.

  17. The following members say thank you to Nashville for this post:


  18. #36
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Oakland Ca
    Posts
    25

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    I also wear hearing aids, but I learned to do my own programming, which really helped.
    I created a dedicated music program which has all the digital processing off like noise reduction, whistle block, wind block etc. All of those features while great for general hearing will distort music big time.

    Suggest you visit the Hearing Tracker forum where there is a lot of threads regarding music & hearing aids. Also a DIY section called self fitting.

    I have never visited an audiologist, and am totally pleased with my Phonak aids.

  19. #37
    Scroll Lock Austin Bob's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Austin, Tx - some call it heaven
    Posts
    1,183

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    I've been wearing them for about 10 years now, and have bought two pairs so far, both from Costco. The first pair I only wore during meetings and such, but my hearing degraded as I aged, so I wear them all day now. My mandolin sounds different, but I've gotten used to it. I have a program for playing music which helps, but it's not perfect.

    But one thing that really bothers me is playing in a room that has a ceiling fan. It makes it much harder to hear when the strings are in tune because of the reverberations from the fan. Since I live in Texas, I have the fan on a large part of the time.
    A quarter tone flat and a half a beat behind.

  20. #38
    small instrument, big fun Dan in NH's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2021
    Location
    Nashua NH
    Posts
    835

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    Haven't read the thread yet, but...

    I worked in the engine room of a US Navy Destroyer for ~4 years back in the '80s. It addition to being ungodly hot all the time, it's also very loud. Fast forward 30 years and I've got tinnitus & significant high frequency hearing loss in both ears. After a little back & forth with the VA, I started wearing hearing aids about two years ago, right about the time I started playing mandolin.

    One of the things that has always been a challenge for me was getting good tone out of my mandolin. If you look at my early posts here on the forum, one of the things I said over and over is "Scales and scales and scales and scales" because that's what I was practicing, trying to get my left hand accustom to proper fingering and my right hand accustom to proper picking.

    One evening I picked up my mandolin and started picking. And it was just... magical. The tone was so beautiful. Across all four courses, up and down the neck, it just sounded wonderful. So clean and rich. I was astonished.

    And then I remembered that I had already taken my hearing aids out. I wasn't hearing any of the high end frequencies. I got my hearing aids, put them in, and played again. It sounded like... me. Buzzing, clicking, muting, muffeling, it was all back.

    The remainder of the evening was very difficult for me.
    Eastman MD-514 (F body, Sitka & maple, oval hole)
    Klos Carbon Fiber (on order)

    And still saving my nickels & dimes & bottle caps & breakfast cereal box tops for my lifetime mandolin.

  21. #39
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    New Hampshire
    Posts
    1,979

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    Dan, I wonder if all that extraneous noise is magnified by your hearing aids and more perceptible by you than your listeners. What does your instructor say?
    "To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar

  22. #40
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Posts
    122

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    It helps me to turn down the treble on my Widex hearing aids. Too jangly otherwise. Hope this helps.

  23. #41
    Gibson F5L Gibson A5L
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    2,523
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    Dan, have you tried wearing one hearing aid and leaving the other one out? Fiddling I leave out my left one and things seem to work out OK. R/
    I love hanging out with mandolin nerds . . . . . Thanks peeps ...

  24. #42
    small instrument, big fun Dan in NH's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2021
    Location
    Nashua NH
    Posts
    835

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    My hearing aids are VA-issue Opticon. I have an app on my phone to manage them. It only offers EQ of stuff streaming via Bluetooth.

  25. #43
    small instrument, big fun Dan in NH's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2021
    Location
    Nashua NH
    Posts
    835

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    It makes me feel a little better that other people are experiencing the same things I am. That maybe I don’t play as horribly as I think I do.

  26. #44
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Oakland Ca
    Posts
    25

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    You shouldn't need to "get used to it," if your hearing aids are programed correctly for music.

    I am currently wearing Phonak Bolero Marvel rechargeable aids purchased used off Ebay, and because I do my own programming I have developed a music setting with all of the digital stuff like compression, whistle block, wind block, noise reduction, etc turned off. It's essentially anolog with graphic equalization, and it works great. Zero buzzing or pseudo fret noise.

    I can always tell when I have forgotten to switch my music program on, because whatever instrument I am playing sounds like s..t, and as soon as I turn it on, it sounds sweet.

    Because I am a DIY kinda person, and willing to take the time to get it right, the results have been very satisfying. Most audiologists either don't have the time or don't understand what it takes to set up hearing aids for musicians.

  27. #45
    small instrument, big fun Dan in NH's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2021
    Location
    Nashua NH
    Posts
    835

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    One thing I've noticed:

    I experimented with removing my hearing aids when practicing, or else keeping them in but turning the volume way down. When I do, I notice that I strum WAY harder.
    Eastman MD-514 (F body, Sitka & maple, oval hole)
    Klos Carbon Fiber (on order)

    And still saving my nickels & dimes & bottle caps & breakfast cereal box tops for my lifetime mandolin.

  28. #46

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    I'm in pretty much the same situation. I write, record, and publish music from home for last 2 years, was in cover bands before that. Had moderate tinnitus for last 7-8 years, finally took hearing test this year, showed typical loss at the higher frequencies. Doctor recommended to get hearing aids (haven't done so yet). Hearing aid technology is going through a technical revolution with AI right now, so waiting a year I figure might be worth it.

  29. #47
    Registered User Ranald's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Ottawa, Canada
    Posts
    1,715

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    A warning: Hearing aids do not protect your ears from high volume. I was at an amplified musical event the other day. The sound was too loud, so I turned down the volume on my hearing aids until the sound was comfortable. I knew better, but pretended to myself that this was okay. I left the event with my ears ringing for a few hours, meaning that I'd further damaged those fine hairs in my ears. The ringing was gone next morning so the damage was minor. Before covid, I used to often go out regularly to hear live blues. I always put in ear plugs as soon as the music started. I could hear the music just fine, since it was always too loud anyway. The earplugs had the added bonus of not letting me hear my neighbours, so I could focus on the music that I was there for. Anyone who wears hearing aids really doesn't need more damage to their ears, so remember the sound waves are affecting your ears even if you've turned down the volume on the hearing aids. (Irene's, the pub in Ottawa, used to provide free earplugs for those who wanted, then charged fifty cents or a dollar, and gave the money to charity which I though was nice. If you ever visit, you can request earplugs at the bar.)
    Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
    "I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
    Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.

  30. The following members say thank you to Ranald for this post:


  31. #48
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Tangent OR
    Posts
    842

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    ... editing
    Follow the Flatt Stanley Incident on Facebook

    Listen to original tune "When You Fly" by my old band The Kindreds

  32. #49
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Tangent OR
    Posts
    842

    Default Re: Hearing aids

    Quote Originally Posted by bigtoothmando View Post
    I'm in pretty much the same situation. I write, record, and publish music from home for last 2 years, was in cover bands before that. Had moderate tinnitus for last 7-8 years, finally took hearing test this year, showed typical loss at the higher frequencies. Doctor recommended to get hearing aids (haven't done so yet). Hearing aid technology is going through a technical revolution with AI right now, so waiting a year I figure might be worth it.
    I believe the devices currently available are still quite advanced relative to just a few years ago. The Widex ones I use are stellar - crystal clear sound for both music and speech. They make such a difference to my hearing I feel like I waited way too long.
    Follow the Flatt Stanley Incident on Facebook

    Listen to original tune "When You Fly" by my old band The Kindreds

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •