The Truly Important Features of the Digital Hearing Aid

If you visit a hearing aid center, you'll quickly see that devices are available in one of two main types, analog and digital. While you'll still find a decent selection of analog devices available, this may not be the case for long. Digital technology has allowed these devices to soar past their analog counterparts to the point where an analog user is missing out on a host of features. Most of these features are not superfluous in the least, but rather integral to the operation of the device and the improvement of the technology on the user's end. While digital devices are more expensive, they offer a number of benefits. Here are some of the features you'll find on today's devices.

Gain

Gain is a complicated concept when it comes to sound. It doesn't precisely map to the level of auditory loss; rather, it is not to be confused for volume alone. Instead, this feature allows the user to find a hearing aid that more closely matches their precise level of loss. It is one of the most important numbers a user should look for when shopping for a device. A better fit can be found by working hand in hand with a guide who knows a great deal about both the technology and your particular level of impairment.

Channels and Equalizers

If there is any feature on the digital hearing aid that has been blown out of proportion, it is probably this. Manufacturers have a tendency to trumpet the number of channels they offer, creating a marketing environment where users believe that more channels equate to a better performing device. This is seldom true, however. Those models with more channels may happen to be better devices, but it isn't the extra 8 channels that creates the quality difference. Equalizers and bands are important, but there is a limit to how much adjustment is really necessary.

Feedback Cancellation

This is an important feature unique to the digital hearing aid. Anyone who has worn an analog device is probably familiar with the issue of feedback whines. This can happen when the device is not seated fully into the ear canal and it can also turn into an issue when the user finds themselves close to another electronic device. Since we live in a world filled with electronics these days, manufacturers who have implemented feedback cancellation have done their customers a great service. If you're tired of having your ears split open by loud whistles, you may want to look for a device with this technology.