Hearing protection

[bdhsfz6]

While the reasons for hearing loss and the types of hearing loss (frequency sensitivity, audio levels) vary widely, there are few if any workable hearing aid solutions for most of us, thus the resistance. I've tried hearing aids from $50 to over $4k and they all have the same issues, as you move around in different environments, for example, outside, the cab of your vehicle, an event, a family get together, a store, and areas with echoing, etc. Each area change requires an adjustment to the hearing aid, some offer a Smartphone app that just adds additional complexity while others have super-micro buttons you try to find and push. It is non-stop and most of us simply fall to exhaustion.

In my case, I lost all hearing and inner ear function on my right side, and loss of frequency ranges in my left ear, both from the results of septic shock. I tried hearing aids but just got tired of constantly having to adjust them for the environment I was in. My ENT doctor told me the only thing I can do is protect what hearing I have left. I use an in-the-ear solution, a forestry helmet, or Worktunes if I don't need to wear a hat.

I also have issues with varying sound levels in different environments. Like you, I've tried many different hearing aids with limited success.

I recently found these from Eargo:

Eargo

shop.eargo.com

They automatically adjust to different environments, are nearly invisible and can be individually programmed via an app. Like all quality hearing aids, they are expensive and far from perfect but these are the best I've used so far.

 

[PILOON]

My hearing useless in the higher ranges but I know why.

As a youth I worked in a tin can factory where they has miles of cans rattling around 24/24 and punch presses thumping all day.
Then I used old chain saws a fair bit.
I followed that by flying some 4000 hours in a small aircraft.

However my hearing is still quite good in the lower ranges but forget highs.
Covid has not helped as I do depend on a combination of lip reading and sound.

My worst is my MD who's voice range over the phone is but a garbled mumble.

TV poses some problems if sound synchronization is off or the actors have non American accents. Amazing how lip reading is part of the hearing.
My 'work around' is wireless headphones so that I can select a higher volume.
That came as a suggestion from hospital clinic.



Professional testing at the hospital clinic was very interesting.
The Md that tested me said I was fortunate to have used the hospital vs a franchised clinic as they for sure would not let me go without spending a ton of $$'s.
That was some 5-6 years back and I'm still 'aid less' and coping very well.
I learned to ask some to please use a face shield rather than a mask in a few critical conversation situations (like @ medical clinic).

OK as one approaches the mid '80s he expects a few short comings and adopts a few 'workarounds'.

 

[Oaktree]

TV poses some problems if sound synchronization is off or the actors have non American accents. Amazing how lip reading is part of the hearing.
My 'work around' is wireless headphones so that I can select a higher volume.

Yeah, I have the same issues with tv. Besides accents (even a southern accent can be hard to follow at times), many actors kind of mumble their lines, and there's almost always some sort of background music that can bury the dialog. The news is usually fine, no background music and the anchors usually announce better.
I too use headphones at times...they seem to have better "voice range" response than the speakers we have on the tv.

Some of this is age-related, others not. I've always had trouble following a conversation in a crowded room...all the background conversations, radio/tv playing in background are tremendously distracting. For whatever reason, I have better comprehension using my left ear than my right, in these situations I'll often tilt my head a bit to favor that ear. I do explain this to whoever I'm talking with so they don't think I'm looking away while they're talking.

Wife occasionally nags me about getting an aid, but I don't see how one could improve this situation.

 

[PILOON]

"Wife occasionally nags me about getting an aid, but I don't see how one could improve this situation."

I probably would not as most aids amplify everything so the amplified noise still drowns out that voice you wanted to hear.
Like wearing an aid in a bar would probably drive you nuts.

Some training for close kin helps; like speak in the direction of the impaired and not while looking the other way.
Like in a car look at the impaired while speaking and not out the side window.

 

[Monster5601]

TV poses some problems if sound synchronization is off or the actors have non American accents. Amazing how lip reading is part of the hearing.
My 'work around' is wireless headphones so that I can select a higher volume.
That came as a suggestion from hospital clinic.

For those of us that have difficulty pulling out voice tracks over what seems to be an equal music level, look into soundbars made by ZVOX. You can find them on Amazon and they work, work very well. I easily hear the voices over the music.

 

[bdhsfz6]

+1 on the Zvox. I have the SB440 and it was the best solution for TV listening. The dialogue emphasis feature brings out the speech without amplifying background music & noise. Now I don't have to turn up the volume to the point where it's too loud for others.

 

[Richard001]

"Wife occasionally nags me about getting an aid, but I don't see how one could improve this situation."

I probably would not as most aids amplify everything so the amplified noise still drowns out that voice you wanted to hear.
Like wearing an aid in a bar would probably drive you nuts.

Some training for close kin helps; like speak in the direction of the impaired and not while looking the other way.
Like in a car look at the impaired while speaking and not out the side window.

A lot of hearing aids now have Bluetooth ability and you can use a remote mike that the other person can wear with a cord around their neck or just clip on their clothing. I found that using the remote mike worked great in situations like a restaurant, Also the mike is directional, so it mostly just picks up the wearer's voice.

 

[rScotty]

+1 on the Zvox. I have the SB440 and it was the best solution for TV listening. The dialogue emphasis feature brings out the speech without amplifying background music & noise. Now I don't have to turn up the volume to the point where it's too loud for others.

I'll try it. I'm just about ready to try anything. My hearing is OK in the lower ranges but nothing more than a garble in the upper ranges. So while I can talk to some of my buddies in a crowded bar, I can't hold a conversation with my wife in a quiet restaurant.
rScotty

 

[2manyrocks]

My solution to improving our TV audio was to add this AV receiver that accepts audio output from our TV over HDMI and then outputs to Boston Acoustics A400 stereo speakers. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/yamaha...heater-receiver-black/6198554.p?skuId=6198554

Even with this system, some of the TV audio is just not good. There's still the issue of low dialogue and overpowering sound effects because it was mixed that way for broadcast. It is possible to add a compressor/limiter into the system, but what we do is to display captioning. (Most newer TV sets do this.).

This helps a lot because we can turn down the volume and still get the essence of whatever is being spoken in spite of the broadcast mix.

 

[Monster5601]

My solution to improving our TV audio was to add this AV receiver that accepts audio output from our TV over HDMI and then outputs to Boston Acoustics A400 stereo speakers. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/yamaha...heater-receiver-black/6198554.p?skuId=6198554

Even with this system, some of the TV audio is just not good. There's still the issue of low dialogue and overpowering sound effects because it was mixed that way for broadcast. It is possible to add a compressor/limiter into the system, but what we do is to display captioning. (Most newer TV sets do this.).

This helps a lot because we can turn down the volume and still get the essence of whatever is being spoken in spite of the broadcast mix.

I looked for a device like this that could be inserted into the audio stream but never found one, that was a year ago. The best solution and one that works is the ZVOX soundbar. I bought the AV157 for my TV and the AV100 for my computer sound system. The only downfall is both soundbars respond to the same remote signals. If you are using both soundbars in the same area, well.

The problem I had with closed captioning is the speed the text was displayed, sometimes faster than what I could read. It seems not all content has the same closed captioning format, some were one-line text boxes while others were three-line boxes.

If you do find a device that will bring out the dialogue please post back, I'm interested.

 

[PILOON]

There seemed to be a trend to use background music to create excitement.
Problem is that background music makes lots of dialogue hard to follow.
I simply no longer watch that kind of programming.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I'll try it. I'm just about ready to try anything. My hearing is OK in the lower ranges but nothing more than a garble in the upper ranges. So while I can talk to some of my buddies in a crowded bar, I can't hold a conversation with my wife in a quiet restaurant.
rScotty

My hearing issues are quite similar. For me, the combination of the Zvox sound bar and the Eargo aids linked above eliminate most of my problems. It should be noted however that everyone is different and what works for some may not for all.

Both Zvox and Eargo have a free 30 day trial offer and can be returned if they don't work out.

 

[2manyrocks]

I looked for a device like this that could be inserted into the audio stream but never found one, that was a year ago. The best solution and one that works is the ZVOX soundbar. I bought the AV157 for my TV and the AV100 for my computer sound system. The only downfall is both soundbars respond to the same remote signals. If you are using both soundbars in the same area, well.

The problem I had with closed captioning is the speed the text was displayed, sometimes faster than what I could read. It seems not all content has the same closed captioning format, some were one-line text boxes while others were three-line boxes.

If you do find a device that will bring out the dialogue please post back, I'm interested.

Once they overlay sound effects and music on top of dialogue, it's practically impossible to unbury the dialogue.

You can do a few things to improve speech intelligibility. One is to use high quality speakers. Generally, smaller diameter speakers like bookshelf speakers are going to be better for speech than larger speakers that are all about that bass. Another is to use signal processing. Basic signal processing is to use the treble and bass controls. Cut back on the bass. Turn off the "enhanced" boomify nonsense that just muddies up the sound.

I'd suggest being cautious about using headphones to watch TV because they can blast you with volume pretty quickly.

You could insert a compressor in the signal chain to limit the volume spikes and boost low speech. The practical application in sound reinforcement or radio broadcast is to level the volume levels. But with so many TVs not having analog outputs, it can be a pain to make the connections between a TV and a pro audio compressor.

 

[rScotty]

My hearing issues are quite similar. For me, the combination of the Zvox sound bar and the Eargo aids linked above eliminate most of my problems. It should be noted however that everyone is different and what works for some may not for all.

Both Zvox and Eargo have a free 30 day trial offer and can be returned if they don't work out.

That's the kind of simple advice I can understand. Ordered the AV357 ZVOX sound bar today, and am checking out the Eargo aids... The Eargos are expensive enough to slow down my rush.

I do wish that the TV would separate out the audio channel and allow us to do our mixing at home. I have seen - but never used - manual sound balancers that allow a number of different frequency ranges to be adjusted with sliding controls.
rScotty

 

[bdhsfz6]

That's the kind of simple advice I can understand. Ordered the AV357 ZVOX sound bar today, and am checking out the Eargo aids... The Eargos are expensive enough to slow down my rush.

I do wish that the TV would separate out the audio channel and allow us to do our mixing at home. I have seen - but never used - manual sound balancers that allow a number of different frequency ranges to be adjusted with sliding controls.
rScotty

You would think TV broadcasters would offer some flexibility with their sound tracks considering the number who suffer from age related hearing loss. I guess they feel closed captioning is enough.

Yeah, the Eargo's are expensive. I've been using them for almost 5 years now and they work well enough for me. Not perfect but at least I can hold a conversation in a noisy restaurant. For me anyway, they're worth the expense.

There are some cheaper hidden in ear models on the market now but I don't know how well they work.

 

[2manyrocks]

That's the kind of simple advice I can understand. Ordered the AV357 ZVOX sound bar today, and am checking out the Eargo aids... The Eargos are expensive enough to slow down my rush.

I do wish that the TV would separate out the audio channel and allow us to do our mixing at home. I have seen - but never used - manual sound balancers that allow a number of different frequency ranges to be adjusted with sliding controls.
rScotty

You are thinking of analog equalization sliders (EQ). Most of this is done digitally by DSP (digital signal processing) today such that all of the frequencies are adjustable in software if you were to use a DSP amplifier.

The problem is still that once they overlay all of the music and sound effects on top of the dialogue, it's like trying to unscramble an egg even if you were to throw DSP at it.

IMO, the top website for home theater video and audio is Home Theater Forum and Systems

edit: Analog EQ and compressors are going the way of VHS tapes because DSP systems are less expensive and offer more fine tuning.

 

[rScotty]

You are thinking of analog equalization sliders (EQ). Most of this is done digitally by DSP (digital signal processing) today such that all of the frequencies are adjustable in software if you were to use a DSP amplifier.

The problem is still that once they overlay all of the music and sound effects on top of the dialogue, it's like trying to unscramble an egg even if you were to throw DSP at it.

IMO, the top website for home theater video and audio is Home Theater Forum and Systems

edit: Analog EQ and compressors are going the way of VHS tapes because DSP systems are less expensive and offer more fine tuning.

Ah yes... I am an analog guy in a digital world. Thanks. I had forgotten they were called slider type equalizers.

The problem with a Digital Signal Processing solution is that they tend to be too general. I like your analogy about the difficulty in using DSP to unscramble an egg. That's defines the problem perfectly.

Luckily I have a built-in digital-to-analog computing device that deals pretty well with the more difficult problems.
And the output is specifically designed for driving sliders.
rScotty

 

[gsganzer]

My wife is always yelling at me. I think it's damaged my hearing.

 

[rScotty]

You would think TV broadcasters would offer some flexibility with their sound tracks considering the number who suffer from age related hearing loss. I guess they feel closed captioning is enough.

Yeah, the Eargo's are expensive. I've been using them for almost 5 years now and they work well enough for me. Not perfect but at least I can hold a conversation in a noisy restaurant. For me anyway, they're worth the expense.

There are some cheaper hidden in ear models on the market now but I don't know how well they work.

OK. I got the ZVOX AV357 Sound Bar this week and have been experimenting with it. Very simple to hook up and adjust. That model is said to be the best for enhancing dialogue.

Bottom line is it works - but isn't perfect. It is best on voice and dialogue. We like to watch a TV show "Ted Lasso" - but between the mixing, the treble dialogue, and the British accents .....well, I just couldn't understand the dialogue. With the Sound Bar on medium settings I can understand the dialogue. It's as simple as that. It works. Not perfectly, and I have to pay attention - but it clearly works as advertised.

The soundbar does make the sounds slightly metallic. That's acceptable for dialogue and even helpful. For music the metallic addition to the top notes isn't an advantage. So for me at least the soundbar is less useful for music.

Next, hearing aids... but it will be awhile.
rScotty

 

[bdhsfz6]

OK. I got the ZVOX AV357 Sound Bar this week and have been experimenting with it. Very simple to hook up and adjust. That model is said to be the best for enhancing dialogue.

Bottom line is it works - but isn't perfect. It is best on voice and dialogue. We like to watch a TV show "Ted Lasso" - but between the mixing, the treble dialogue, and the British accents .....well, I just couldn't understand the dialogue. With the Sound Bar on medium settings I can understand the dialogue. It's as simple as that. It works. Not perfectly, and I have to pay attention - but it clearly works as advertised.

The soundbar does make the sounds slightly metallic. That's acceptable for dialogue and even helpful. For music the metallic addition to the top notes isn't an advantage. So for me at least the soundbar is less useful for music.

Next, hearing aids... but it will be awhile.
rScotty

As you've discovered, the dialogue emphasis feature isn't meant for music. With certain programming which includes music, there is a tradeoff.

When you look at HA's, models with adjustable sound tuning (bass, treble & midrange) can compensate for distortion caused by the dialogue emphasis.

Wireless headphones with these features are also a possibility but they isolate you from conversation with other viewers in the room.