As a DIY enthusiast I took the time to listen to this a number of times, and will again. I also spent most of my life in the music business, and after I was fitted for my first aids, back in '16, I shined them on for the better past of the next four years. They gave me a Resound model, forget which, but the treble was so far up I could hear someone eating tortilla chips across the room, and not much else. I received them from the Veteran's Hospital in Reno, and if I wanted to change the EQ, I had to bring the aids back to them for reprogramming. So the next upgrade, after I learned a little about what was available, was better, and my programmer, hearing professional was much better and listened to what I kind of expected. Besides working as a musician, I did sound reinforcement as well. 1990 at the Cotton Bowl Texas State Fair, The Steve Miller Band was my first experience with in-ear monitors with no amplifiers on stage, all underneath. I understood that each musician had a discreet mix, which is similar but different than a mix coming through a floor or flown monitor. So I was familiar with graphic and parametric frequency modulation, essentially, every room, venue is somewhat different and sound reinforcement is tuned to each environment. I also did some recording and was familiar with noise gates and compression, limiters. On one of my sound gigs when I was pitching my hearing aid idea to the company owner, he said, "oh yeah, they exist. I bought a pair for my mother, at $5,000." So, once I got that across to my aid programmer, things began to improve. She fitted me with a Resound Quattro. Not the highest end model, but a good one. The Bluetooth capabilities and mix and adjustment capabilities form my iPhone were interesting enough to keep me engaged, satisfied for the most part, and interested in the future. I'm looking forward to further integration with household devices and A/V without the need for extra hardware. Most likely I'll upgrade to the Resound One, or the latest model, and keep lobbying for the high end model. My audiologist is partial to the Resound hearing aids, maybe because of the programming, I'm not sure. And she is engaging enough to warrant an office visit as opposed to an online reprogramming. So, long story short, yeah, bring on the music, audiophile features!
Wanted to post my experience that it is possible. I have had a Phonak audeo marvel for coming up on 4 years. I have menieres with a typical reverse slope audiogram and my high frequency is beginning to drop out as well. My low prequency loss is around -90dB. I had been to my audiologist probably a dozen times the first few months I had it with minimal success. The audio was unnatural and distorted. In a quiet room it was too loud, in a loud area like work it would attenuate the audio to the point of being less useful than my natural hearing. The bluetooth streaming was distorted to the point of being useless. I gave up and just used it as is. Barely useful, but I just spend $3000 on it so I'm gonna use it. A couple weeks ago I started considering replacing my aid to see if that would help. I realized I've never been happy with my fit so I started researching to see if anyone does DIY fitting. I was surprised at how accessible everything I needed would be. I bought a noahlink wireless on amazon for $150 and downloaded Phonak's Target software after finding the link. I connected to the hearing aid, did a quick audiogram in the program which matched my prescription almost exactly, and loaded it. There's another section in the software for autotuning. It essentially is a list of common complaints and then a button to adjust the settings that affect it. I went through the complaints list line by line and adjusted until it sounded proper to me. I tried it out and it was working! I could hear properly! The only time I had to adjust actual frequency gains was when I was dialling in my tinnitus curve. I found a frequency generator online to figure out where my tinnitus was loudest and then bumped those frequencies up. The only issue I'm still fighting is some audio distortion when streaming at a loud volume, but I may be asking too much from a hearing aid. I realize that my audiologist is likely subpar, but due to my insurance I was married to them unless I wanted to go out of pocket. She never adjusted my gain past 70%. She never setup the tinnitus feature, in fact told me it didn't exist and would have to stream brown noise using bluetooth. She never setup any of autosense maps. She never fine tuned to any of my complaints. She didnt even turn on the soundrecover2! One checkbox and it made a huge difference! Basically sold me on a $3000 hearing aid "top tier" category and then never gave me any of the features that distinguish it from a generic 30 year old technology aid. If you have a diagnostic mind, it is well worth the $150 gamble for the noahlink wireless to try and self tune. I have maybe a day invested in research, and then a couple hours actually adjusting and learning the software. I'm not minimizing audiologists! If I was a difficult case I'm sure it would have taken much longer for me to set it up, if not be impossible. I'm just saying that if you feel like you're not making progress with your audiologist, it might be worth the $150 investment to see if you might have success on your own.
OK, I'm convinced. I'm glad I went to COSCO and let them take care of my hearing concerns and aids or my medical plan. After a few weeks, I opted for molded hearing aids. They fit and work better.
I’ve always wanted the ability to tweak my hearing aids without having to go to the audiologist (though now being able to do remote programming makes that much less inconvenient). Being only 40, and having worn aids since grade school, I’ve been fortunate to see the technology make rapid advancements. Still, as a technophile, and a big DIYer, the idea of making small adjustments and figuring out what different settings can do sounds like a lot of fun. (However, as a long-time wearer, I’d never try to set new ones up on my own…that really does need a professional with all the right equipment.) This video is great, and super interesting! Thanks for making it!
Got to hand it to him presenting accurate information with a straight face, knowing that it’s beyond do it yourselfers ability and budget. Instead of saying this is what audiologists do , cost to them, and why you need them.
When I first made the switch from analog to digital, it was such a hassle and I wasn't sure how to verbalise what changes needed to be done on the EQ. My audiologist actually helped me get the required equipment so I could spend the time at home tweaking the EQ until I found something that worked. I'd put on some music I was familiar with and did adjustments and eventually got it to where I was finally happy with the sound. Definitely was lucky to have such an awesome audiologist and if you can find someone that good, it's a great idea to have them get the hearing aids setup properly and then you can do little tweaks. Although nowadays a lot of hearing aids have apps where you can tweak the EQ yourself which would have been extremely helpful when I first tried digital.
How anyone would still want to program their own hearing aids after watching this is beyond me. It may not have been your intent, but this presentation was the most convincing plug for visiting an audiologist who follows best practices in order to take advantage of their skills and experience to do the job correctly.
This is fantastic. I'm very saavy and technically able. It makes it very clear that investing in all the equipment, learning to use it well, and doing the whole process of programming my own hearing aids is absolutely not worth it. I'll go to a pro, but I really appreciate knowing everything involved and understanding the process so that I can work to find a skilled programmer, who will be willing to work with me to optimize settings.
Interesting. You should have talked about backing up the existing settings before changing any programming. That way if you mess up you can always reload the previous programming.
I think we have to come to the realization that more and more people will be self programming their hearing aids. It is best for audiologists to accept this and use it to their advantage(i.e., less time person will spend with audi with adjustments, etc.). I have been self programming my hearing aids after my audi does the first fit. My audi is aware that I tweak my HA and is very accommodating when I have questions about the programming. I do not recommend first time HA users to do the programming and leave it to the audi. Those who have learned or have become familiar with the programming, do it with caution. And best to let your audi know that your are doing this. I think most will understand and be accommodating. In any case do not forego the experience of a good audi when self programming.
The thing is when I go for an adjustment when I can't tolerate them any lomnger, I never see the Audiologist, just one of the ladies that work for him.
Thanks Dr Cliff, from NZ, someone explains to the ignorant? unbelievable, in more ways than one, our professionals never cover the programs , or how they work? Thanks again.
Glad to hear what all goes into programming hearing aids. I see people talking about programming their own, and they make it sound simple. It apparently is NOT and while cost is still a factor for me, I'll let the professionals handle this for me.
Actually this is what SHOULD go into programming your hearing aids. In my experience only a fraction of this is _actually_ done by many providers. So programming hearing aids doing only what many providers do IS rather simple IMHO.
I love this video. It's like all those Apple's Right to Repair videos that I've been watching in the last few weeks. Thanks for such an entertaining video that actually provides an outstanding service to those of us who want to program our own hearing aids. I'm ready.
I think his point is that it is possible to program your own aids, but it's actually hard to do the programming yourself, which is why there are professionals that can do it for you. But hey, if you want to do it yourself, just be prepared to put in the work and money to do so.
Thank you Cliff! This is a great summary of just a part of what people are paying for when they go to an audiologist for better hearing. I'm forwarding the link to some people who would benefit from it.
I like this video. It gives the intrepid viewer context for what they need to dive in, while also making it really clear when you just need a pro and what you’re paying them for. What I really want is for a pro to get me most of the way there, but be able to do my own tweaks. This video is a bit overkill for that, but the mentions of the more precise videos is helpful, and is learning the overall terminology, what I should be paying attention to, what I can skip. So while this video is a bit dusting and intimidating, I feel that if I keep watching the videos I will be able to navigate what I need to do to push my program that last 10% of the way. I’m a bit daunted by the warning that my brain will adapt to the sound after a month and a half or so; feels like it’s going to take a year to get it really fine-tuned.
Ah, y desearia que los audiologos que he visitado anteriormente hubieran tenido esa informacion a la mano. Y yo no hubiera perdido unos cuantos miles probando aqui y alla. Ahora, estoy esperando otros audifonos, pero, esta vez fui a uno de los que rercomiendas que siguen la mejores practicas. REZANDO!!
Nice explanation of what it would take to do it like a pro, in other words, good ad for finding a pro who has the proprietary equipment and will work with you. That said, a considerably simpler approach will be required for self-fitting OTC devices to reach potential. Not sure what the OTC makers are thinking here (or if they are even thinking) but something like adjusting the aid to achieve a uniform soft amplitude tone on say a perceptual amplitude frequency sweep would get the frequency response corrected to extent possible, after that it's loudness adjustment (user control?) and compression for safe hearing levels. A selection of studio headphones might be recommended as a method of rough response calibration to ISO free-field curves (typically built in high frequency adjustments in studio headsets) or perhaps someone will set up and calibrate sound studios (on-axis studio speakers) for recording musicians and hearing aid fitting? If OTC is going to increase hearing aid popularity it needs to be self-fitted and musically inclined (hearing restoration) versus industry focus on helping old people being able to converse in a crowd.
Thanks for this Cliff! I am a musician with mild hearing loss. So far I've seen 6 different audiologists in several different clinics and none of them understand what I actually need from hearing aids. Simply programming them to my audiogram is not enough. If all I needed was speech reinforcement, any hearing aid would do, however live music performance has a completely different set of requirements. Getting it right has been a complete failure so far. To date I have sampled over $20,000 in hearing technology and actually kept none of it. I fully understand sound how reproduction works and even though I may not have a string of letters after my name, I do have over 50 years of experience in audio production, and know what I'm talking about. The most difficult thing thus far is in finding someone who will LISTEN rather than Tell me what I need.
I agree. I have the most expensive oticons, audiologist who is very professional has done 2 sessions of REM plus complete rounds of hearing tests, even a cognitive test that Dr. Cliff mentioned in an earlier video. I am still not satisfied with music listening, though speech recognition is pretty good Dr. Audiologist seems very capable and knwoledgeable except when it comes to requirements for music. Best results so far, Oticon MyMusic program streamed from phone or computer direct to hearing aides. Not perfect but better.
I get what you are saying. I've spent enough on hearing aids and doctors to have bought a Mercedes! I still have to take them out when I am performing. Then I can't hear a word that my bandmates say. Someone calls a tune and I have no idea what the song will be until the band starts playing. If some one from the audience says anything to me, I just smile and not as though I have the foggiest idea what they just said. Then there is the problem of where to stand on the bandstand. If I get put in the wrong place it is absolutely painful for the entire gig. I am at the point that I will have to stop working.
For music, not all hearing aids are suitable, hearing aids must be able to provide amplification in regions beyond 6K, if you have dead regions in cochlea, fine hearing of music will be difficult. When performing REM, if your ear is not able to pick those regions then you wont be able to get the right amount of amplification.
@@jimivy6019 I am facing a similar problem. Seeing a good independent audiologist next week. Just about to try hearing aids for the first time. I can hear the notes I play on guitar on stage but am losing the 'tone' and am told I play too loud. I need hearing aids for speech but also am coming to the point of view that In-Ear-Monitors with separate EQ just for me will be the only answer. We're not a loud band - a 1940's smooth jazz / gypsy jazz trio. We use a Behniger XR18 mixer which has lots of EQ options for each Bus / Monitor so I should be able to create my own mix which compensates for my hearing loss.... we will see! (or hear!) I guess I will still miss those 'on stage' comments though! "Back to the B section!" "What?"
You can buy a noahlink new off of Amazon, at least I did. They may be out. Best decision I’ve ever made but I’m not suggesting for others do it. I have an odd hearing aid and I don’t use “domes” or “wires” and I can do an “in-situ” audiogram(I have all of mine for the since 1985 anyway). I’m a jazz musician and pc geek, the pdf guild lines for fitting the device suggested it should be done and encourage and “quick fitting” or something like that. I had been back and forth to the audiologist 7 times in the last year, probably lost around, $3000 in wages and gas. My first left the office for a research position inside the devices company and I was added to another one who didn’t even know how to use the software. Then my device broke and my umpteenth replacement wasn’t programmed. The software was on the companies sight(not anymore… lol). And considering how little I cared for the programming, my family being out of PTO, and the rest of the reasons…… I grabbed the noahlink. Granted I’m an obsessive self learner. Your video got me excited even though I had already been there.
Hey Dr. Cliff, thank you so much for the explanations in your video contents. Could you tell me where I can find suitable literature for building a foundational understanding of acoustics? I found it hard to find an acoustic specialist to explain and set up my Phonak HAs. So I think i can try to learn something so I can better explain what I expect from the HAs, Thank u in advance
I know your goal was to overwhelm the viewer to show how complicated all this is, but I actually found this to be really informative. The sad truth is that most audiologists don’t really do all these things. The don’t give a crap about any audio while streaming, I would say 50% don’t do real ear measurements. Even things like the occlusion effect are just brushed off with a “how does that sound”. It really is hard to find a good audiologist, and your network doesn’t list any in my area. There really is a shortage of good audiologists.
Not really intended to overwhelm, but as I was scripting the video, it seemed like it would be overwhelming for a lot of individuals which is why I included the disclaimers.
I was hoping you would explain the different ways to interface the hearing aids. And how do you acquire the manufacturers software? I think they keep a tight reign on this.
I'll do this just a soon as I finish building and testing my Mars rocket along with it's descent module and living habitat. See you when I get back I'm sure I will have a couple of questions! Thanks
Unfortunately, I understood everything but I'm not an audiologist nor do I want to program my hearing aids. I told my audiologist to give my telecoil setting a 300 Hz to 3300 Hz bandwidth with 3 dB gain per octave and a six dB gain bump at 2100 Hz over the prescription settings. Lows below 300 Hz and highs above 3300 were attenuated and the microphones were attenuated 3 dB. It was really good for communication work.
As a layperson all I see is that he is showing its not “plug and play” “set it & forget it” and us idiots need to stay in our lane and leave it to the professionals 😬
Hi, if I was to get noalink and target software and connected Lumity aids, would it import the setting from the aids to Target to perform a feedback test, if I was to change the receiver type. Thanks
Let me describe to you how to drive a car😉, but most people manage it. It is also interesting that you could buy all the equipment and still come out ahead. And after the first time you're golden. I am curious what degree of programmability the OTC aids will offer. I do not devalue experience and training in any complex task, but complex cases aside, let's not let perfection prohibit good enough.
I appreciate this video but I have had hearing loss now for about 4 months. The audiologist who tested me rushed me when explaining hearing aids. I was disappointed. The second one just didnt seem to know how to read my test. Going to look into over the counter.
I’d love to try to understand more on the directionality of the HA. I have the ReSound RU960-DRWC, my AuD at VA set it up as default for 360 degree but couldn’t really explain to me what it is or what it can do. Love your videos Dr Cliff! It really helps! I’m new enough to HA that I don’t know what to ask to set up on my HA.
I can see why hearing aid professionals/manufacturers like to keep it harder than necessary to program hearing aids but I’m actually very surprised there hasn’t been a company to come out and just give you the program and allow their aids to be more open. I feel like there’s probably a pretty big market for something like that.
@DrCliffAuD, what software is needed to work with the Noahlink Wireless device so I can make adjustments to the fitting profile on my Phonak hearing aids? Based on the description on Amazon, it is not clear that it comes with the fitting software. Do I need Noah 4? If so, it requires a license and it is not clear how to purchase it.
How to become an audiologist with an AuD in around a quarter of an hour and an expenditure of a mere several thousand pounds/dollars. Brilliant! I have been trying to find a similarly obliging RUclips-friendly brain surgeon - but no luck so far. Come on brain surgeons, I've already bought a set of micro tweezers and screwdrivers from Amazon but I also have enough intelligence not to try them on my own brain without at least a few minutes of careful instruction. (Only joking! As a sufferer from moderate hearing loss I have found your channel very useful and informative.)
what fitting formula should i use? i have signia ax5 aids and in the signia program it seems to like the ax formula but when i used the nal-nl2 it seems to do better, i use that for default with the phonak aids i have. thanks
do you have a video for adjusting the bt audio streaming? in the connexx software? also what is the 16 to 0 to -16? i was figuring the 0 to 16 would be nothing to as loud as they go. so what does the - numbers do? i have been lowering the settings in the 125 to 750k range and it still seems to not change. and the sound a bit tinny. i have been doing 1 mark at a time. i even went to 0 and to -16 and did not notice much. and with the adaptive mic on and off and the mis with mic. I'm doing the signia ax5 aids with the power receivers and the round tips and i get no change on the tv part of that program. if i turn down the volume on the aids it gets better but i sure would like to have it set to the center volume when i turn the power off to pair them. also in the compression what does the left line do and the right line? do you have a video on how to set the compression? i have 30db to 100db and I'm told it is the ski slope and sever or profound loss. thanks.
While I know & understand a lot about the subject involved and would likely be a tinkerer, if it was simple to do it, I will only be going to my hearing professional, for anything other than built in user adjustments.
In some cases louder doesn't equal better, part of hearing loss is a degradation of speech understanding. You can yell all you want but that doesn't mean the person will understand you.
Dr Cliff, this video seems to be made for me. I have Phonak Bolero 70 and learned to program my own HA. Not easy and takes time. I wonder how unusual it is to program your own?
Just a random thought: Are there still any States out there wherein it is technically illegal to program you own hearing aid? That is, only the purview of a licensed dispenser?. How about a do-it-yourself-er who helps a friend? With us being on the threshold of OTC's is it in all practicality the Wild West out there? Does Lively make their customers sign some sort of waiver?
I have Widex and I have the cell phone app to program. It's okay but it' not direct control. The Eq on the app is only 3 bands. I have done PA and recording for decades so I do know sound. From dealing with sound and playing instruments I know what I am not hearing. BTW music did cause my problems work noise did. I wish Widex would update the app with a real time multi band EQ.
I have a phonak and I bought a Noah link but I can't get it to connect. I have been going to hearing usa for a year and the guy just can't program it right it sounds like a busted speaker and it has awful feed back I really need help
My insurance provides non-audiologist dispensers only who do not do most of what Dr Cliff suggests, and the hearing is so distorted which I hear better without the hearing aids. My solution was buying 2 Chinese hearing amplifiers on Amazon for about $40 each (amplification could be adjusted), and use the insurance thousands worth of hearing aids as souvenirs.
Hello doctor, my daughter 3 1/2 years old who is having profound hearing loss. Kindly advise me which hearing aid will help her to hear better quality and start talking as early as possible
Your daughter is eligible for IEP services through your school system, which should provide her with instruction by a teacher for the deaf, a speech language pathologist, and an audiologist. I strongly recommend enrollment in a School for the Deaf which provides these services and much more, including family supports. She will have the opportunity to become bilingual in both English and American Sign Language, and more importantly for her social-emotional growth, learn alongside other children like her and acquire communication skills.
Very interesting, I have made a note of this for future reference. Once I have finished building my particle accelerator, I will have time to take on this project.
I haven't priced what an audiologists charges but I'll bet its less than all the equipment you've mentioned. I suppose I could recoup the expense if I advertise programming other folk's hearing aids. Or; refinance my house.
Does the Noahlink Wireless work with the latest Phonak Audeo Life hearing aids? Looks like finding the software is the biggest hurdle. As a guy with a DAW I know enough about compression, nr, eq, etc. to do this and want to.
Check hearing tracker forum (or something similar, tracking maybe, I forgot), there's diy section, and kind people who share sw if you ask for it in the right topic. At least that's how it was last time I was there a year ago.
@@DrCliffAuD I got it all working! Fascinating stuff! There sure is some complex stuff in here, some I won't touch and makes me appreciate audiologists more, and some obvious things I am fine with!
Aren't some of the OTC hearing aids able to self program based on a hearing test conducted using the actual hearing aids that have been purchased, such as Eargo?
Yeah, but unless you have real ear measurement performed, it is impossible to match your amplification levels to your hearing loss prescription. Gain capabilities are also limited.
@@DrCliffAuD thanks Dr Cliff. I'm going to an Audiologist next week to discuss bicros. I've been SSD in my right ear since early childhood and am recovering from SSHL in my last decent ear from a few months ago. I tried Audicus set up for bicros and it was terrible. Hopefully the local audiologist can help with a better solution. I now know to ask about best practices thanks to your videos.
@@DrCliffAuD I will ask that question but don't know as of now. I'm honestly on the fence about bicros or just a single hearing aid for my better ear. I survived 56 years hearing from one side so I question the need to hear from my bad side. The flip side of that thinking is I don't know what I'm missing. Also the cost factor is a big deal....
Most hearing aid programming softwares have subroutines which allow you do perform a hearing test thru their hearing aid only, with the minimal data points necessary to program the hearing aids. However, none that I know of are able to account for loudness discomfort levels. Also, it sidesteps the hearing health issue of having a competent professional looking into your ears with an otoscope to rule out excessive ear wax or a medically treatable ear condition.
I want to get a body hearing aid, maybe a Siemens, and wear it with earmuffs at work. This way, I won't be sweating on my $3,000 BTE hearing aid all day long. I need to know how to program it. The one I'm looking at is analog, but I might find a digital version or a different brand.
I would let my Audiologist Program my hearing aids because even when I get my hearing tested he amplified everything a lot until you can hear something so I think that they know better what to do to help you hear the most sounds with your hearing aids. They had to do more to make me able to hear some sounds and my hearing aids need to mute background sounds around me to hear and understand speech and my Audiologist just knew what kind of Hearing aids I need and what to do with them and I would not know that myself.
I don't really want to do a complete re-programing of my old back up hearing aid. All I want to do is make a few minor changes in the settings via the software. That's really all I want to do! Why would I pay all that money for equipment, if all I want to do are simple things: turn on/off a feature, turn up/down startup volume, change the number beep tones when the hearing aid start up, change the notification sound for when the battery is about to die, etc. If I can get just little more control, I'll be very happy. I don't want the audiologist job. I just want to be able to do minor tweaks in my hearing aid just like I can do on my Macintosh. Trust me, my new Macintosh is more complicated than my old hearing aid!
Even a small tweak is still the same process to hook them up as a major adjustment.. it’s only complicated because you need all the proprietor parts and software which no average Joe is just going to have laying around… Consider investing in a new pair of hearing aids that have telehealth compatibility and a remote hearing care provider can easily make tweaks for you on the fly
Noahlink wireless if you have new types of ads and sw which can be found online (hearing tracker forum for example) and that's it. I also didn't want to book an appointment and travel just to change beep sounds and things you describe. My fitter and I cooperate, actually the single reason I went with him is he's doing REM based fitting and is willing to work with me and is perfectly fine that I do this minor things so he doesn't have to :) i keep him in the loop and we're all good.
As a software developer I find it sad that many of the HA's programming software is really bad and even experienced audiologist curses at it when I'm there... Lots of bugs and strange connections between various features. Like "oh I lost all the changes... We need to redo"...
I just don't feel confortable watching videos and thinking that by watching videos I will be able to competently learn about every piece of equipment, select the right one, and use each one correctly. A few hours of videos, do not equate to years of education, training and experience. Besides that, practically speaking, as often as the technology and software changes compared to what will appear on ebay being what you actually need seems very remote to me. How much will you spend on the equipment? Will it run the latest software? What if the equipment runs into a glitch or stops working?
Awesome video! Thanks for sharing! Also I'd point out, if your audiologist doesn't use real ear measurement machine, indeed they don't have any better tool than you do, and that's famous 'how do you hear me now'. And taking into the account that their office is usually acoustically isolated, you're indeed better off with tinkering in your own home and environment, because you'll tweak until you find that sweet spot. It's cumbersome, definitely. However it's also cumbersome to do it at the clinic which doesn't have the equipment, plus you need to manage your schedule and travel there. With 'how do you hear me now' technique by fitter you can waste a month or two if weekly visits, and still won't get it fitted properly even for their ideal acoustic office. And you need one single fitting with fitter who has the equipment to get the really good baseline eg 'in quiet'. And then you spend subsequent visits on seizing that tech inside the aid, noise situations and other. And a lot of people get tired of 'how do you hear me now' visits, not to mention it's really hard to describe what's wrong with your hearing so that the fitter can actually make adjustments. When fitter is using instrument, you'll get the proper fit in half an hour (I'm speaking only about fitting process once you have your audiogram and other tests done and aid chosen). And in 'how do you hear me now' someone has to pay for fitter's hours, and that one is you. Not to mention that comparing several models/different manufacturers takes the SAME 'how do you hear me now' process, maaaybe a bit shorter, but it's not a given. In short - if you're living a acoustically dynamic life, spend your time finding a fitter who follows best practices, even travel to other country to do it. Further tech adjustments can be done remotely anyway. Or invest a ton of time and learn how to tweak yourself. Because fitters without equipment will just run through manufacturer's initial fit, and that one is done automatically by the software anyway, I mean, yes, you'll do waving hands for audiogram (yes some even do audiogram through the aids only), and that's it. Then 'how do you hear me now' starts. But refuse to pay high amounts of money for people to basically waste your time. Let's push the industry into demanding high quality care we'll pay for, they can do more people in less time if they have right equipment, so it's utter BS that it's too expensive. New aurical in Germany is I think around 20-30 with sw. That's the price of fancy car. If they don't want invest in providing quality care, they don't deserve the money. For the comparison, 'how do you hear me now' office wanted around 6k eur for phonak marvel/paradise 90. I found a rare fitter (of 2 in whole Berlin, plus one chain but they're not taking time) who has the equipment, who gave me discount based on the fact that I told him right of the door that I'm sick of 'how do you hear me now' fitters, and I'll do it myself and buy aids on ebay, but if he can show me how real ear measurement is better, I'll buy with him. He accepted the challenge. He only did REM based fittings for me, and I played with amount of noise cancelling and different environments. Deal was to keep him in the loop what I'm doing, and basically he'd download my programming every time I came, so I have dislocated backup for free :D Be open and honest with your fitter. We both learned a ton from each other and I did some back to back comparisons, since he has a normal hearing and cannot really personally test/feel it. I moved to Switzerland and at the first glance it seems there's no REM offices... So I'll travel to Berlin if I can't find someone equally cool and wanting to help me hear my best. That's 10-12h train ride overnight. You want someone who will work with you, and you have to work with them. Paying premiums to have aids sit in the drawer is not worth the effort nor money. But if you want to hear your best, learn, understand equipment (eg external mics might be better solution for your loss than higher tier tech, because if you need a lot of help, even highest tier can't deliver), spend time to find someone you can work with. Trust me, if fitters can avoid tons of your (bundled free) visits for little tweaks because you'll do them yourself, they have every incentive to do so :) Just be responsible, honest, and careful. Small single tweak, and make notes over several days, then proceed with new tweak. Otherwise you won't know what each option exactly does, nor which thing helped and which made the sound / comprehension worse.
My ear had a broken wire to the speaker. Went to the audio guy in Rosenberg Oregon. He said the wire was absolute. He wanted to sell me mid range ears for $6000. A little research and I found a complete new wire and speaker for $50. Beware of Roseburg audiology
I'm in Phoenix. I regularly have patients travel to my clinic. However, I do recommend you try and find a HearingUp Network member in your own state first.
I was T-bowed on the driver's side (left side)in 2010, I had a lot of auto glass I'm my face and a Subdural hematoma. I needed 7 months of vestibular therapy . I've had 4 hearing tests afterwords and passed them. But, I decided to go to an ENT last week and I flunked it. The Dr. said my left is much worse than my right. Is it possible the accident did something to the bones in my ear?
Very likely you may suffer from ossicular disarticulation… it is a common ear injury after traumatic events like car accidents. Your ENT would be able to tell you based on your audiogram and your tympanogram… potentially treatable with surgery. If you opt for a hearing aid the bright side is you would likely have a conductive loss which tends to be easier to treat with hearing aids
I can't see why an audiologist would be upset with you sharing this information. The equipment and expertise needed to do this is WAY beyond the means of most people. So most people will want to get help from an audiologist to properly program their hearing aids,
My OTC hearing aids come with their own software that works on my phone. It connects just fine and I'm able to change various settings. I was hoping this vid would be abt doing that. There's no need for all this fancy, expensive equipment mentioned in this vid
Pense que era en serio, pero, al final del camino el video y la informacion van dirigidas a: ' Ve a un audiologo, no puedes tu solo por mas que trates !!! ' Asi de simple !!! :)
Thank you! There's no HearingUp providers anywhere near me and noone does REM around here. I've been to 3 heading aid peddlers trying to get my first pair of hearing aids, and I stuck with the third because she's an actual audiologist, among other reasons, but she still doesn't do REM. I'm also having lots of trouble with my current pair of hearing aids. I certainly think the next pair I get, that I could do a better job than the providers in my area and for a fraction of the price. PLUS not be limited to the brands the hearing care providers decide to offer (which is a problem specific to my current provider). Hearing care is _such a shady business IMHO_ THANKS AGAIN
As a DIY enthusiast I took the time to listen to this a number of times, and will again.
I also spent most of my life in the music business, and after I was fitted for my first aids, back in '16, I shined them on for the better past of the next four years. They gave me a Resound model, forget which, but the treble was so far up I could hear someone eating tortilla chips across the room, and not much else. I received them from the Veteran's Hospital in Reno, and if I wanted to change the EQ, I had to bring the aids back to them for reprogramming.
So the next upgrade, after I learned a little about what was available, was better, and my programmer, hearing professional was much better and listened to what I kind of expected. Besides working as a musician, I did sound reinforcement as well. 1990 at the Cotton Bowl Texas State Fair, The Steve Miller Band was my first experience with in-ear monitors with no amplifiers on stage, all underneath. I understood that each musician had a discreet mix, which is similar but different than a mix coming through a floor or flown monitor. So I was familiar with graphic and parametric frequency modulation, essentially, every room, venue is somewhat different and sound reinforcement is tuned to each environment. I also did some recording and was familiar with noise gates and compression, limiters. On one of my sound gigs when I was pitching my hearing aid idea to the company owner, he said, "oh yeah, they exist. I bought a pair for my mother, at $5,000."
So, once I got that across to my aid programmer, things began to improve. She fitted me with a Resound Quattro. Not the highest end model, but a good one. The Bluetooth capabilities and mix and adjustment capabilities form my iPhone were interesting enough to keep me engaged, satisfied for the most part, and interested in the future. I'm looking forward to further integration with household devices and A/V without the need for extra hardware.
Most likely I'll upgrade to the Resound One, or the latest model, and keep lobbying for the high end model. My audiologist is partial to the Resound hearing aids, maybe because of the programming, I'm not sure. And she is engaging enough to warrant an office visit as opposed to an online reprogramming.
So, long story short, yeah, bring on the music, audiophile features!
Wanted to post my experience that it is possible. I have had a Phonak audeo marvel for coming up on 4 years. I have menieres with a typical reverse slope audiogram and my high frequency is beginning to drop out as well. My low prequency loss is around -90dB. I had been to my audiologist probably a dozen times the first few months I had it with minimal success. The audio was unnatural and distorted. In a quiet room it was too loud, in a loud area like work it would attenuate the audio to the point of being less useful than my natural hearing. The bluetooth streaming was distorted to the point of being useless. I gave up and just used it as is. Barely useful, but I just spend $3000 on it so I'm gonna use it.
A couple weeks ago I started considering replacing my aid to see if that would help. I realized I've never been happy with my fit so I started researching to see if anyone does DIY fitting. I was surprised at how accessible everything I needed would be. I bought a noahlink wireless on amazon for $150 and downloaded Phonak's Target software after finding the link. I connected to the hearing aid, did a quick audiogram in the program which matched my prescription almost exactly, and loaded it. There's another section in the software for autotuning. It essentially is a list of common complaints and then a button to adjust the settings that affect it. I went through the complaints list line by line and adjusted until it sounded proper to me.
I tried it out and it was working! I could hear properly! The only time I had to adjust actual frequency gains was when I was dialling in my tinnitus curve. I found a frequency generator online to figure out where my tinnitus was loudest and then bumped those frequencies up.
The only issue I'm still fighting is some audio distortion when streaming at a loud volume, but I may be asking too much from a hearing aid.
I realize that my audiologist is likely subpar, but due to my insurance I was married to them unless I wanted to go out of pocket.
She never adjusted my gain past 70%.
She never setup the tinnitus feature, in fact told me it didn't exist and would have to stream brown noise using bluetooth.
She never setup any of autosense maps.
She never fine tuned to any of my complaints.
She didnt even turn on the soundrecover2! One checkbox and it made a huge difference!
Basically sold me on a $3000 hearing aid "top tier" category and then never gave me any of the features that distinguish it from a generic 30 year old technology aid.
If you have a diagnostic mind, it is well worth the $150 gamble for the noahlink wireless to try and self tune.
I have maybe a day invested in research, and then a couple hours actually adjusting and learning the software.
I'm not minimizing audiologists! If I was a difficult case I'm sure it would have taken much longer for me to set it up, if not be impossible. I'm just saying that if you feel like you're not making progress with your audiologist, it might be worth the $150 investment to see if you might have success on your own.
OK, I'm convinced. I'm glad I went to COSCO and let them take care of my hearing concerns and aids or my medical plan. After a few weeks, I opted for molded hearing aids. They fit and work better.
As soon as I am done rebuilding my new Tesla I will reprogram my hearing aids. This should be a snap… thanks doc.
I’ve always wanted the ability to tweak my hearing aids without having to go to the audiologist (though now being able to do remote programming makes that much less inconvenient).
Being only 40, and having worn aids since grade school, I’ve been fortunate to see the technology make rapid advancements.
Still, as a technophile, and a big DIYer, the idea of making small adjustments and figuring out what different settings can do sounds like a lot of fun. (However, as a long-time wearer, I’d never try to set new ones up on my own…that really does need a professional with all the right equipment.)
This video is great, and super interesting! Thanks for making it!
Got to hand it to him presenting accurate information with a straight face, knowing that it’s beyond do it yourselfers ability and budget. Instead of saying this is what audiologists do , cost to them, and why you need them.
I program my own Phonaks. You never know what other people are capable of. But I am curious how unusual it is to DIY.
When I first made the switch from analog to digital, it was such a hassle and I wasn't sure how to verbalise what changes needed to be done on the EQ. My audiologist actually helped me get the required equipment so I could spend the time at home tweaking the EQ until I found something that worked. I'd put on some music I was familiar with and did adjustments and eventually got it to where I was finally happy with the sound.
Definitely was lucky to have such an awesome audiologist and if you can find someone that good, it's a great idea to have them get the hearing aids setup properly and then you can do little tweaks. Although nowadays a lot of hearing aids have apps where you can tweak the EQ yourself which would have been extremely helpful when I first tried digital.
How anyone would still want to program their own hearing aids after watching this is beyond me. It may not have been your intent, but this presentation was the most convincing plug for visiting an audiologist who follows best practices in order to take advantage of their skills and experience to do the job correctly.
I agree completely. No one should even try to do this themselves.
Not everyone has the luxury of having a provider that follows best practices in their area, like me for instance.
@@donhughes5272 I disagree
@@donhughes5272 It’s straightforward to “tweak” your adjustment to fit your needs. Ain’t “rocket science.”
Other audiologist are thanking Doctor Cliff for making this video! They'll happily show it to their customers in a heartbeat! LOL
This is fantastic. I'm very saavy and technically able. It makes it very clear that investing in all the equipment, learning to use it well, and doing the whole process of programming my own hearing aids is absolutely not worth it. I'll go to a pro, but I really appreciate knowing everything involved and understanding the process so that I can work to find a skilled programmer, who will be willing to work with me to optimize settings.
As soon as I finish building my own watch, I’ll start working on my hearing aids. Thanks for simplifying the process Dr. Cliff.
LOL, no problem!
😀
Lol
Interesting. You should have talked about backing up the existing settings before changing any programming. That way if you mess up you can always reload the previous programming.
I think we have to come to the realization that more and more people will be self programming their hearing aids. It is best for audiologists to accept this and use it to their advantage(i.e., less time person will spend with audi with adjustments, etc.). I have been self programming my hearing aids after my audi does the first fit. My audi is aware that I tweak my HA and is very accommodating when I have questions about the programming. I do not recommend first time HA users to do the programming and leave it to the audi. Those who have learned or have become familiar with the programming, do it with caution. And best to let your audi know that your are doing this. I think most will understand and be accommodating. In any case do not forego the experience of a good audi when self programming.
I'm exhausted just listening to all the steps a hearing professional takes to set up my hearing aids for me. Whew. 🥵
Thanks. It is a great video and gives me a lot better idea of what to expect. I will go to my Audiologist it looks easier and cheaper.
The thing is when I go for an adjustment when I can't tolerate them any lomnger, I never see the Audiologist, just one of the ladies that work for him.
Thanks Dr Cliff, from NZ, someone explains to the ignorant? unbelievable, in more ways than one, our professionals never cover the programs , or how they work? Thanks again.
Glad to hear what all goes into programming hearing aids. I see people talking about programming their own, and they make it sound simple. It apparently is NOT and while cost is still a factor for me, I'll let the professionals handle this for me.
Actually this is what SHOULD go into programming your hearing aids. In my experience only a fraction of this is _actually_ done by many providers. So programming hearing aids doing only what many providers do IS rather simple IMHO.
I'm so sure many doctors are going to get benefit from this. so informative
I hope I can do this because I'm tired of my audiologist arguing with me when I ask for certain adjustments.
I love this video. It's like all those Apple's Right to Repair videos that I've been watching in the last few weeks. Thanks for such an entertaining video that actually provides an outstanding service to those of us who want to program our own hearing aids. I'm ready.
I think his point is that it is possible to program your own aids, but it's actually hard to do the programming yourself, which is why there are professionals that can do it for you. But hey, if you want to do it yourself, just be prepared to put in the work and money to do so.
Thank you Cliff! This is a great summary of just a part of what people are paying for when they go to an audiologist for better hearing. I'm forwarding the link to some people who would benefit from it.
I like this video. It gives the intrepid viewer context for what they need to dive in, while also making it really clear when you just need a pro and what you’re paying them for.
What I really want is for a pro to get me most of the way there, but be able to do my own tweaks. This video is a bit overkill for that, but the mentions of the more precise videos is helpful, and is learning the overall terminology, what I should be paying attention to, what I can skip.
So while this video is a bit dusting and intimidating, I feel that if I keep watching the videos I will be able to navigate what I need to do to push my program that last 10% of the way.
I’m a bit daunted by the warning that my brain will adapt to the sound after a month and a half or so; feels like it’s going to take a year to get it really fine-tuned.
Ah, y desearia que los audiologos que he visitado anteriormente hubieran tenido esa informacion a la mano. Y yo no hubiera perdido unos cuantos miles probando aqui y alla. Ahora, estoy esperando otros audifonos, pero, esta vez fui a uno de los que rercomiendas que siguen la mejores practicas. REZANDO!!
Nice explanation of what it would take to do it like a pro, in other words, good ad for finding a pro who has the proprietary equipment and will work with you. That said, a considerably simpler approach will be required for self-fitting OTC devices to reach potential. Not sure what the OTC makers are thinking here (or if they are even thinking) but something like adjusting the aid to achieve a uniform soft amplitude tone on say a perceptual amplitude frequency sweep would get the frequency response corrected to extent possible, after that it's loudness adjustment (user control?) and compression for safe hearing levels. A selection of studio headphones might be recommended as a method of rough response calibration to ISO free-field curves (typically built in high frequency adjustments in studio headsets) or perhaps someone will set up and calibrate sound studios (on-axis studio speakers) for recording musicians and hearing aid fitting? If OTC is going to increase hearing aid popularity it needs to be self-fitted and musically inclined (hearing restoration) versus industry focus on helping old people being able to converse in a crowd.
Thanks for this Cliff! I am a musician with mild hearing loss. So far I've seen 6 different audiologists in several different clinics and none of them understand what I actually need from hearing aids. Simply programming them to my audiogram is not enough. If all I needed was speech reinforcement, any hearing aid would do, however live music performance has a completely different set of requirements. Getting it right has been a complete failure so far. To date I have sampled over $20,000 in hearing technology and actually kept none of it.
I fully understand sound how reproduction works and even though I may not have a string of letters after my name, I do have over 50 years of experience in audio production, and know what I'm talking about.
The most difficult thing thus far is in finding someone who will LISTEN rather than Tell me what I need.
Listening is the biggest part. I totally understand your pain.
I agree. I have the most expensive oticons, audiologist who is very professional has done 2 sessions of REM plus complete rounds of hearing tests, even a cognitive test that Dr. Cliff mentioned in an earlier video. I am still not satisfied with music listening, though speech recognition is pretty good Dr. Audiologist seems very capable and knwoledgeable except when it comes to requirements for music. Best results so far, Oticon MyMusic program streamed from phone or computer direct to hearing aides. Not perfect but better.
I get what you are saying. I've spent enough on hearing aids and doctors to have bought a Mercedes! I still have to take them out when I am performing. Then I can't hear a word that my bandmates say. Someone calls a tune and I have no idea what the song will be until the band starts playing. If some one from the audience says anything to me, I just smile and not as though I have the foggiest idea what they just said. Then there is the problem of where to stand on the bandstand. If I get put in the wrong place it is absolutely painful for the entire gig. I am at the point that I will have to stop working.
For music, not all hearing aids are suitable, hearing aids must be able to provide amplification in regions beyond 6K, if you have dead regions in cochlea, fine hearing of music will be difficult. When performing REM, if your ear is not able to pick those regions then you wont be able to get the right amount of amplification.
@@jimivy6019 I am facing a similar problem. Seeing a good independent audiologist next week. Just about to try hearing aids for the first time. I can hear the notes I play on guitar on stage but am losing the 'tone' and am told I play too loud. I need hearing aids for speech but also am coming to the point of view that In-Ear-Monitors with separate EQ just for me will be the only answer. We're not a loud band - a 1940's smooth jazz / gypsy jazz trio. We use a Behniger XR18 mixer which has lots of EQ options for each Bus / Monitor so I should be able to create my own mix which compensates for my hearing loss.... we will see! (or hear!)
I guess I will still miss those 'on stage' comments though! "Back to the B section!" "What?"
Great video, the interface hardware seems easy to acquire.
You are the best person living on the planet
Hello Dr.Cliff, Can I use my CIC hearing aid as receiver for my RIC hearing aid?
As an audiologist, I see what you did there
You can buy a noahlink new off of Amazon, at least I did. They may be out. Best decision I’ve ever made but I’m not suggesting for others do it. I have an odd hearing aid and I don’t use “domes” or “wires” and I can do an “in-situ” audiogram(I have all of mine for the since 1985 anyway). I’m a jazz musician and pc geek, the pdf guild lines for fitting the device suggested it should be done and encourage and “quick fitting” or something like that. I had been back and forth to the audiologist 7 times in the last year, probably lost around, $3000 in wages and gas. My first left the office for a research position inside the devices company and I was added to another one who didn’t even know how to use the software. Then my device broke and my umpteenth replacement wasn’t programmed. The software was on the companies sight(not anymore… lol). And considering how little I cared for the programming, my family being out of PTO, and the rest of the reasons…… I grabbed the noahlink. Granted I’m an obsessive self learner. Your video got me excited even though I had already been there.
Hey Dr. Cliff, thank you so much for the explanations in your video contents. Could you tell me where I can find suitable literature for building a foundational understanding of acoustics? I found it hard to find an acoustic specialist to explain and set up my Phonak HAs. So I think i can try to learn something so I can better explain what I expect from the HAs, Thank u in advance
I know your goal was to overwhelm the viewer to show how complicated all this is, but I actually found this to be really informative. The sad truth is that most audiologists don’t really do all these things. The don’t give a crap about any audio while streaming, I would say 50% don’t do real ear measurements. Even things like the occlusion effect are just brushed off with a “how does that sound”. It really is hard to find a good audiologist, and your network doesn’t list any in my area. There really is a shortage of good audiologists.
Not really intended to overwhelm, but as I was scripting the video, it seemed like it would be overwhelming for a lot of individuals which is why I included the disclaimers.
I'm in the same boat and I agree with you! Nicely said.
There are many wonderful audiologist that follow best practices. Keep searching.
Dam you hit the nail right on the head thanks I feel the way u do!!!
Perfect assessment of most hearing aid offices
Is there a dedicated programme for watching Home Cinema movies?
I was hoping you would explain the different ways to interface the hearing aids. And how do you acquire the manufacturers software? I think they keep a tight reign on this.
Do you guys know if Genie 2 Software is compatible with mac os?
I'll do this just a soon as I finish building and testing my Mars rocket along with it's descent module and living habitat. See you when I get back I'm sure I will have a couple of questions! Thanks
Unfortunately, I understood everything but I'm not an audiologist nor do I want to program my hearing aids. I told my audiologist to give my telecoil setting a 300 Hz to 3300 Hz bandwidth with 3 dB gain per octave and a six dB gain bump at 2100 Hz over the prescription settings. Lows below 300 Hz and highs above 3300 were attenuated and the microphones were attenuated 3 dB. It was really good for communication work.
As an audiologist, I see what you did there😉
I like your username. 😂
As a layperson all I see is that he is showing its not “plug and play” “set it & forget it” and us idiots need to stay in our lane and leave it to the professionals 😬
Very clever way to answer, "Why the h@)( should I pay so much for itty bitty equipment?" Me: "😹😹😹!"
@@LordDeadSpider some people should for sure
I'm not in the hearing aid business. I use the Phonak TARGET program with the Icube ll. Not a big deal if you're patient.
Hi, if I was to get noalink and target software and connected Lumity aids, would it import the setting from the aids to Target to perform a feedback test, if I was to change the receiver type. Thanks
Is it possible to use oticon without programming? I can't visit audiologist
Been looking for this for a long time. Thanks for making my day.
LOL. I think I'll stick with the VA for my hearing loss care. Thanks Dr. Cliff.
where is the link to this program ? does it work with pc ?
Let me describe to you how to drive a car😉, but most people manage it. It is also interesting that you could buy all the equipment and still come out ahead. And after the first time you're golden. I am curious what degree of programmability the OTC aids will offer. I do not devalue experience and training in any complex task, but complex cases aside, let's not let perfection prohibit good enough.
I appreciate this video but I have had hearing loss now for about 4 months. The audiologist who tested me rushed me when explaining hearing aids. I was disappointed. The second one just didnt seem to know how to read my test. Going to look into over the counter.
Where do you live?
I’d love to try to understand more on the directionality of the HA. I have the ReSound RU960-DRWC, my AuD at VA set it up as default for 360 degree but couldn’t really explain to me what it is or what it can do.
Love your videos Dr Cliff! It really helps!
I’m new enough to HA that I don’t know what to ask to set up on my HA.
I can see why hearing aid professionals/manufacturers like to keep it harder than necessary to program hearing aids but I’m actually very surprised there hasn’t been a company to come out and just give you the program and allow their aids to be more open. I feel like there’s probably a pretty big market for something like that.
That is the whole purpose of OTC. They will allow a patient to self-program. How well they will work? Who knows.
@DrCliffAuD, what software is needed to work with the Noahlink Wireless device so I can make adjustments to the fitting profile on my Phonak hearing aids? Based on the description on Amazon, it is not clear that it comes with the fitting software. Do I need Noah 4? If so, it requires a license and it is not clear how to purchase it.
Would you please make video on new myphonak app update , there are so many new features
Can u pls mke more detailed videos this pls
How to become an audiologist with an AuD in around a quarter of an hour and an expenditure of a mere several thousand pounds/dollars. Brilliant! I have been trying to find a similarly obliging RUclips-friendly brain surgeon - but no luck so far. Come on brain surgeons, I've already bought a set of micro tweezers and screwdrivers from Amazon but I also have enough intelligence not to try them on my own brain without at least a few minutes of careful instruction. (Only joking! As a sufferer from moderate hearing loss I have found your channel very useful and informative.)
i program to the audiogram but i find the insit seems to do better.
Awesome video.
what fitting formula should i use? i have signia ax5 aids and in the signia program it seems to like the ax formula but when i used the nal-nl2 it seems to do better, i use that for default with the phonak aids i have. thanks
do you have a video for adjusting the bt audio streaming? in the connexx software? also what is the 16 to 0 to -16? i was figuring the 0 to 16 would be nothing to as loud as they go. so what does the - numbers do? i have been lowering the settings in the 125 to 750k range and it still seems to not change. and the sound a bit tinny. i have been doing 1 mark at a time. i even went to 0 and to -16 and did not notice much. and with the adaptive mic on and off and the mis with mic. I'm doing the signia ax5 aids with the power receivers and the round tips
and i get no change on the tv part of that program. if i turn down the volume on the aids it gets better but i sure would like to have it set to the center volume when i turn the power off to pair them. also in the compression what does the left line do and the right line? do you have a video on how to set the compression? i have 30db to 100db and I'm told it is the ski slope and sever or profound loss. thanks.
A winner ! Only you hear anything. I am not impressed with my current “professional” s. Ability.
While I know & understand a lot about the subject involved and would likely be a tinkerer, if it was simple to do it, I will only be going to my hearing professional, for anything other than built in user adjustments.
this makes me want to open source how to make hearing aids so people can just build them at home and then self program them too
My grandpa had hearing aids. Even with them you still had to yell multiple times for him to get what you said.
In some cases louder doesn't equal better, part of hearing loss is a degradation of speech understanding. You can yell all you want but that doesn't mean the person will understand you.
No problem I can handle that. 🙂
I just want a hearing aid I can adjust same as basic stereo receiver equalizer by bluetooth phone or other computer .
Very cool yet very complex. As much as I am a do-it-yourself guy I will pass on this challenge.☺️😜
Dr Cliff, this video seems to be made for me. I have Phonak Bolero 70 and learned to program my own HA. Not easy and takes time. I wonder how unusual it is to program your own?
Very uncommon.
How did you find Phonak Target?
Just a random thought: Are there still any States out there wherein it is technically illegal to program you own hearing aid? That is, only the purview of a licensed dispenser?. How about a do-it-yourself-er who helps a friend? With us being on the threshold of OTC's is it in all practicality the Wild West out there? Does Lively make their customers sign some sort of waiver?
Can I buy experience on eBay?
I have Widex and I have the cell phone app to program. It's okay but it' not direct control. The Eq on the app is only 3 bands. I have done PA and recording for decades so I do know sound. From dealing with sound and playing instruments I know what I am not hearing. BTW music did cause my problems work noise did. I wish Widex would update the app with a real time multi band EQ.
Es el más as moderno del 2023? Espero respuesta. Gracias
I have a phonak and I bought a Noah link but I can't get it to connect. I have been going to hearing usa for a year and the guy just can't program it right it sounds like a busted speaker and it has awful feed back I really need help
My insurance provides non-audiologist dispensers only who do not do most of what Dr Cliff suggests, and the hearing is so distorted which I hear better without the hearing aids. My solution was buying 2 Chinese hearing amplifiers on Amazon for about $40 each (amplification could be adjusted), and use the insurance thousands worth of hearing aids as souvenirs.
Hello doctor, my daughter 3 1/2 years old who is having profound hearing loss. Kindly advise me which hearing aid will help her to hear better quality and start talking as early as possible
Your daughter is eligible for IEP services through your school system, which should provide her with instruction by a teacher for the deaf, a speech language pathologist, and an audiologist. I strongly recommend enrollment in a School for the Deaf which provides these services and much more, including family supports. She will have the opportunity to become bilingual in both English and American Sign Language, and more importantly for her social-emotional growth, learn alongside other children like her and acquire communication skills.
Can I program my own Horizon 7ax hearing aid if I have my own audiogram from another doctor?
I'm not sure what software you would need.
Very interesting, I have made a note of this for future reference. Once I have finished building my particle accelerator, I will have time to take on this project.
I haven't priced what an audiologists charges but I'll bet its less than all the equipment you've mentioned. I suppose I could recoup the expense if I advertise programming other folk's hearing aids. Or; refinance my house.
Por favor en Español . Gracias
Hello thankyou for the
Tips I'm new to your channel
Does the Noahlink Wireless work with the latest Phonak Audeo Life hearing aids? Looks like finding the software is the biggest hurdle. As a guy with a DAW I know enough about compression, nr, eq, etc. to do this and want to.
Yes it does!
Check hearing tracker forum (or something similar, tracking maybe, I forgot), there's diy section, and kind people who share sw if you ask for it in the right topic. At least that's how it was last time I was there a year ago.
@@DrCliffAuD I got it all working! Fascinating stuff! There sure is some complex stuff in here, some I won't touch and makes me appreciate audiologists more, and some obvious things I am fine with!
How hard can this be ????
Aren't some of the OTC hearing aids able to self program based on a hearing test conducted using the actual hearing aids that have been purchased, such as Eargo?
Yeah, but unless you have real ear measurement performed, it is impossible to match your amplification levels to your hearing loss prescription. Gain capabilities are also limited.
@@DrCliffAuD thanks Dr Cliff. I'm going to an Audiologist next week to discuss bicros. I've been SSD in my right ear since early childhood and am recovering from SSHL in my last decent ear from a few months ago. I tried Audicus set up for bicros and it was terrible. Hopefully the local audiologist can help with a better solution. I now know to ask about best practices thanks to your videos.
@@johnmccool6875 are you going to someone with extensive experience with BiCROS?
@@DrCliffAuD I will ask that question but don't know as of now. I'm honestly on the fence about bicros or just a single hearing aid for my better ear. I survived 56 years hearing from one side so I question the need to hear from my bad side. The flip side of that thinking is I don't know what I'm missing.
Also the cost factor is a big deal....
If I don't have my audiogram, it would seem that the software should be able to read the current programming to give me a starting point???
Yes, you could do a reading directly from the hearing aids to obtain threshold data.
Most hearing aid programming softwares have subroutines which allow you do perform a hearing test thru their hearing aid only, with the minimal data points necessary to program the hearing aids. However, none that I know of are able to account for loudness discomfort levels. Also, it sidesteps the hearing health issue of having a competent professional looking into your ears with an otoscope to rule out excessive ear wax or a medically treatable ear condition.
I want to get a body hearing aid, maybe a Siemens, and wear it with earmuffs at work. This way, I won't be sweating on my $3,000 BTE hearing aid all day long. I need to know how to program it. The one I'm looking at is analog, but I might find a digital version or a different brand.
I would let my Audiologist Program my hearing aids because even when I get my hearing tested he amplified everything a lot until you can hear something so I think that they know better what to do to help you hear the most sounds with your hearing aids. They had to do more to make me able to hear some sounds and my hearing aids need to mute background sounds around me to hear and understand speech and my Audiologist just knew what kind of Hearing aids I need and what to do with them and I would not know that myself.
I don't really want to do a complete re-programing of my old back up hearing aid. All I want to do is make a few minor changes in the settings via the software. That's really all I want to do! Why would I pay all that money for equipment, if all I want to do are simple things: turn on/off a feature, turn up/down startup volume, change the number beep tones when the hearing aid start up, change the notification sound for when the battery is about to die, etc. If I can get just little more control, I'll be very happy. I don't want the audiologist job. I just want to be able to do minor tweaks in my hearing aid just like I can do on my Macintosh. Trust me, my new Macintosh is more complicated than my old hearing aid!
Even a small tweak is still the same process to hook them up as a major adjustment.. it’s only complicated because you need all the proprietor parts and software which no average Joe is just going to have laying around… Consider investing in a new pair of hearing aids that have telehealth compatibility and a remote hearing care provider can easily make tweaks for you on the fly
Noahlink wireless if you have new types of ads and sw which can be found online (hearing tracker forum for example) and that's it.
I also didn't want to book an appointment and travel just to change beep sounds and things you describe. My fitter and I cooperate, actually the single reason I went with him is he's doing REM based fitting and is willing to work with me and is perfectly fine that I do this minor things so he doesn't have to :) i keep him in the loop and we're all good.
As a software developer I find it sad that many of the HA's programming software is really bad and even experienced audiologist curses at it when I'm there... Lots of bugs and strange connections between various features. Like "oh I lost all the changes... We need to redo"...
Yo, Dr. Cliff. You could. Sell software to calibrate a home theater’s the frequency response for you personally/. Make the process 100% emprical
I just don't feel confortable watching videos and thinking that by watching videos I will be able to competently learn about every piece of equipment, select the right one, and use each one correctly. A few hours of videos, do not equate to years of education, training and experience. Besides that, practically speaking, as often as the technology and software changes compared to what will appear on ebay being what you actually need seems very remote to me. How much will you spend on the equipment? Will it run the latest software? What if the equipment runs into a glitch or stops working?
Awesome video! Thanks for sharing! Also I'd point out, if your audiologist doesn't use real ear measurement machine, indeed they don't have any better tool than you do, and that's famous 'how do you hear me now'. And taking into the account that their office is usually acoustically isolated, you're indeed better off with tinkering in your own home and environment, because you'll tweak until you find that sweet spot.
It's cumbersome, definitely. However it's also cumbersome to do it at the clinic which doesn't have the equipment, plus you need to manage your schedule and travel there.
With 'how do you hear me now' technique by fitter you can waste a month or two if weekly visits, and still won't get it fitted properly even for their ideal acoustic office. And you need one single fitting with fitter who has the equipment to get the really good baseline eg 'in quiet'. And then you spend subsequent visits on seizing that tech inside the aid, noise situations and other.
And a lot of people get tired of 'how do you hear me now' visits, not to mention it's really hard to describe what's wrong with your hearing so that the fitter can actually make adjustments.
When fitter is using instrument, you'll get the proper fit in half an hour (I'm speaking only about fitting process once you have your audiogram and other tests done and aid chosen).
And in 'how do you hear me now' someone has to pay for fitter's hours, and that one is you.
Not to mention that comparing several models/different manufacturers takes the SAME 'how do you hear me now' process, maaaybe a bit shorter, but it's not a given.
In short - if you're living a acoustically dynamic life, spend your time finding a fitter who follows best practices, even travel to other country to do it. Further tech adjustments can be done remotely anyway.
Or invest a ton of time and learn how to tweak yourself. Because fitters without equipment will just run through manufacturer's initial fit, and that one is done automatically by the software anyway, I mean, yes, you'll do waving hands for audiogram (yes some even do audiogram through the aids only), and that's it. Then 'how do you hear me now' starts.
But refuse to pay high amounts of money for people to basically waste your time.
Let's push the industry into demanding high quality care we'll pay for, they can do more people in less time if they have right equipment, so it's utter BS that it's too expensive. New aurical in Germany is I think around 20-30 with sw. That's the price of fancy car. If they don't want invest in providing quality care, they don't deserve the money. For the comparison, 'how do you hear me now' office wanted around 6k eur for phonak marvel/paradise 90. I found a rare fitter (of 2 in whole Berlin, plus one chain but they're not taking time) who has the equipment, who gave me discount based on the fact that I told him right of the door that I'm sick of 'how do you hear me now' fitters, and I'll do it myself and buy aids on ebay, but if he can show me how real ear measurement is better, I'll buy with him. He accepted the challenge. He only did REM based fittings for me, and I played with amount of noise cancelling and different environments. Deal was to keep him in the loop what I'm doing, and basically he'd download my programming every time I came, so I have dislocated backup for free :D
Be open and honest with your fitter. We both learned a ton from each other and I did some back to back comparisons, since he has a normal hearing and cannot really personally test/feel it.
I moved to Switzerland and at the first glance it seems there's no REM offices... So I'll travel to Berlin if I can't find someone equally cool and wanting to help me hear my best. That's 10-12h train ride overnight.
You want someone who will work with you, and you have to work with them. Paying premiums to have aids sit in the drawer is not worth the effort nor money. But if you want to hear your best, learn, understand equipment (eg external mics might be better solution for your loss than higher tier tech, because if you need a lot of help, even highest tier can't deliver), spend time to find someone you can work with.
Trust me, if fitters can avoid tons of your (bundled free) visits for little tweaks because you'll do them yourself, they have every incentive to do so :)
Just be responsible, honest, and careful. Small single tweak, and make notes over several days, then proceed with new tweak. Otherwise you won't know what each option exactly does, nor which thing helped and which made the sound / comprehension worse.
Hello, could you please advise on how to stop the static noise coming out of one of my dad’s Phonak audeo hearing aid?
That could be a variety of things. It would be faster to contact his Audiologist.
My ear had a broken wire to the speaker. Went to the audio guy in Rosenberg Oregon. He said the wire was absolute. He wanted to sell me mid range ears for $6000.
A little research and I found a complete new wire and speaker for $50.
Beware of Roseburg audiology
Subliminally great message. ;-) Let's do Brain Surgery next. ;-)
Snicker
Where are you located and do you accept people from out of state?
I'm in Phoenix. I regularly have patients travel to my clinic. However, I do recommend you try and find a HearingUp Network member in your own state first.
@@DrCliffAuD Found the map on your site. None in Louisiana. Closest is about 6 hours away in Texas. So its a trip regardless.
Hi! Where are you located? I am in Houma and follow best practices using REM etc. Let me know if you have questions or want to find someone near you!
@@comphearingsolutions Vacherie. I visit houma a few times a month or so.
Check us out or give us a call. My family is from Vacherie. I grew up in St. James. We have patients from Vacherie!
I was T-bowed on the driver's side (left side)in 2010, I had a lot of auto glass I'm my face and a Subdural hematoma. I needed 7 months of vestibular therapy . I've had 4 hearing tests afterwords and passed them. But, I decided to go to an ENT last week and I flunked it. The Dr. said my left is much worse than my right. Is it possible the accident did something to the bones in my ear?
Very likely you may suffer from ossicular disarticulation… it is a common ear injury after traumatic events like car accidents. Your ENT would be able to tell you based on your audiogram and your tympanogram… potentially treatable with surgery.
If you opt for a hearing aid the bright side is you would likely have a conductive loss which tends to be easier to treat with hearing aids
Very clever way to answer, "Why the h@)( should I pay so much for itty bitty equipment?" Me: "😹😹😹!"
I get it, I get it. I will go to the Audioligist
I can't see why an audiologist would be upset with you sharing this information. The equipment and expertise needed to do this is WAY beyond the means of most people. So most people will want to get help from an audiologist to properly program their hearing aids,
No, no ... I want YOU to program my hearing aids for me, Cliff. 😘
I see what's going on here:
Me: "I don't want to pay you to do it!"
Him: "Okay, here's how you can do it."
Me: "Oh. Never mind. Here's my money."
My OTC hearing aids come with their own software that works on my phone. It connects just fine and I'm able to change various settings. I was hoping this vid would be abt doing that. There's no need for all this fancy, expensive equipment mentioned in this vid
Pense que era en serio, pero, al final del camino el video y la informacion van dirigidas a: ' Ve a un audiologo, no puedes tu solo por mas que trates !!! '
Asi de simple !!! :)
Oh boy this is crazy . Another sale man ! I mean you Like a pro ? Stay with a specialist , I believe he like to be on RUclips and hear his voice .
Let's work on you making coherent sentences so I can properly respond to your comment.
hi dr cliff, can we program bluetooth hearing aids via mobile directly?
You can not do initial programming remotely, but you can do follow-up programming remotely.
@@DrCliffAuD thank you for your feedback,
@@DrCliffAuD I wonder why when I wear my hearing aids my tinnitus sound stays the same, HA seem not to help?
Thank you! There's no HearingUp providers anywhere near me and noone does REM around here. I've been to 3 heading aid peddlers trying to get my first pair of hearing aids, and I stuck with the third because she's an actual audiologist, among other reasons, but she still doesn't do REM. I'm also having lots of trouble with my current pair of hearing aids. I certainly think the next pair I get, that I could do a better job than the providers in my area and for a fraction of the price. PLUS not be limited to the brands the hearing care providers decide to offer (which is a problem specific to my current provider).
Hearing care is _such a shady business IMHO_
THANKS AGAIN
Where do you live Doug?
@@DrCliffAuD so sorry for the late reply, I live in Gadsden Alabama