Styles and Models | Types of Amplification | Features and Benefits

Types of Amplification

In earlier times, hearing aids were quite large and cumbersome. The sound reproduction was such that it amplified noise to the same if not higher levels than speech. Speech in more complex and louder environments was largely distorted with very little or no intelligibility. Use of such devices was often unsatisfactory. Consequently, hearing instruments often quickly found their way into a drawer.

These days we have a great range of products that suit nearly all requirements.

Basic digital hearing aids that are suited for the general home situations, church and small meetings. Digital mobile phone compatible.

Advanced digital hearing aids can be either manually operated or automatic. They are suitable also
in small group situations where low distortion and quality of sound is important with speech and music.
Advanced digital hearing aids have all the features of the basic digital aids with inclusions such as voice activation detection algorithms, background noise reduction and speech enhancement programs. Also mobile digital phone compatible.

Premium Digital hearing aids offer CD quality sound with additional features and benefits. Some of these have a high degree of accuracy in tuning the frequency response, are available with multi channel, multi band, multi programme configurations. Able to be used with Digital mobile phones. These types of hearing aids are particularly suited to those who demand the highest quality in a product and want to be able to cope in nearly all the situations that this noisy world can throw at them.

Open Fitting hearing aids allow us to fit the advanced and premium sytems with "non occluding" fittings. This means no more feeling like you have your fingers jammed in your ears when you talk, producing a more natural sound to your own voice, and far more comfort in the ear.

How They Work

Basic digital systems:

BTE (behind the ear), CIC ( Completely in Canal) and ITE (in the ear) types are available with this form of amplification. The way they operate is- the microphone hears the sound, both speech/music and all background noise. The amplifier amplifies all these noises in a digital amplifier and feeds them to the receiver (speaker) and is subsequently heard in the ear canal at a louder level. Some models come with screwdriver adjustable tone and output controls but most these days are computer adjustable. The number of trimmers is dependent on physical size permitting, as the trimmers can be cumbersome.

Advanced digital systems:

BTE's, ITE's and CIC's are available with this system of amplification. The way this system operates is- the amplification path is the same as the basic digital but with the difference being the fine-tuning of this type of instrument is via a computer and having a greater number of adjustable parameters. The advantage is that the
practitioner who is fitting the instrument can tune the aid more accurately as the quantity, variety of and scope of trimmers is limited only by the manufacturers design of the product. Many complex types of losses can also be helped with this form of amplification.

Premium Digital hearing systems:

ITE's, BTE's and CIC's are available with this system of amplification. The way this system works is- the microphone hears the speech/music and background noise. The signal is then converted to a digital signal with a converter. Once the sound in total is digitised the algorithms within the computer chip go to work. They sample the incoming signal at about 1,000 000 (one million) times every second. During this process with the premium digital hearing aids the wanted signal- speech/music is enhanced with a reduction/suppression of unwanted background noise. The signal is returned to its analogue form and sent to the speaker so it can be heard in the ear canal.

Other processing algorithms include a directional microphone effect. This improves intelligibility in listening
environments where background noise can be a problem, such as at a cocktail party or a busy restaurant,
where several people are speaking at the same time. Premium digital hearing aids also have high quality feedback suppression algorithms to assist with if not totally eliminate that annoying feedback ( whistling ) that hearing aids inherently have.

Directional microphone systems have been clinically proven to enhance understanding of speech in these
difficult listening situations.

 

 


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