Connect
← Return to Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others
Discussion
Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others
Hearing Loss | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (1456)Comment receiving replies
90+ male. High-frequency hearing loss increasing over 30 years. OK with certain earbuds connected to a separate cheap "personal sound amplifier". Can tune to higher frequency spectrum by loosening the buds. Also OK with $30 Chinese open-fit over-the-ear model. Appalled by the cost of hearing aids, considering today's usual dirt-cheapness of microelectronic devices.
I would love to buy a Bluetooth earbud device with a separate electronics unit, that could be programmed via a USB connection to a computer, with a graphic equalizer program like EqualizerAPO64-1.2.1 (which allows me to tune my computer speakers to my hearing loss). Well, as long as it doesn't cost over $50, which it shouldn't.
It would be nice if the earbuds could be stored in, and recharged in the separate box.
Does anybody have any news of such a thing?
Replies to "90+ male. High-frequency hearing loss increasing over 30 years. OK with certain earbuds connected to a..."
I have a hearing loss that was the result of gun noise and pressure waves from Navy Ship big gun practice.. My left ear is just decoration .. my right ear is much better .. not great .. but I am 83 years old.. While I did not complain of hearing loss when I got out of the service the Veterans Administration does not give me any disability and that's a hassle but they did allow me to go to the VA to get hearing aids finally as I too was always appalled at the high price of hearing aids and how much those companies spent on advertising.. Before retirement I did use hearing aids I purchased but they were antiquated compared to the ones the VA gave me ... I only had to pay a nominal amount for the test and a doctor visit.. I have Starkey Hearing Aids that are rechargeable, over the ear (quite small) that work beautifully.. the left ear aid rebroadcasts the sound it receives to the right ear hearing aid... they came with a little box where I put the aids at night to recharge.. or anytime I do not wear them ... as I live alone I often do not wear the aids as I like the quiet...but going out they really help me relate to what people are saying.. The Hearing Aids work with my smart phone and come with a remote microphone on a lanyard that I wear around my neck .. that remote mic can connect me to the phone beautifully... or you can give the remote mic to a person you care about hearing so they can be 15' away and I can hear them...no problem.. Hearing aids work best with Apple and Top quality cell phones..
Connect
@dickya, I don't have any current knowledge of such a device but what you describe was pretty close to a product called Soundhawk. The Soundhawk was a Personal Sound Amplification Product (PSAP). It was programmed by an app on your smartphone and used a 5 channel (I think) equalizer. It came with a recharger, so did not have user replaceable batteries. It was only for people with mild to moderate loss and initially cost in the $800 range. I know the price dropped dramatically before it eventually went the way of the dinosaur. I have to believe there are similar devices but I don't know of any offhand.
Tony in Michigan