Hearing aids today are extremely smart devices, and can have many functions. Which features are right for you depends on your wants and needs. On this page, we explain what functions hearing aids can have.
Omni microphone system
The omni-microphone system is on every hearing aid. The microphone in this system is all around sensitive so all sounds from all directions can be heard equally clearly. The omni system is useful in situations with few sources of interference, such as a quiet situation with speech or a busy situation without speech, such as in traffic. When there is a poorer relationship between what you want to hear and the ambient noise, it is better to choose a directional microphone system.
Volume control
A volume control allows you to turn up or down the sound of your hearing aid yourself. However, a volume control is no longer standard, as most hearing aids can control it automatically based on the situation. However, if your hearing is not constant and you enjoy controlling the volume yourself, you can still choose this feature.
Remote control
Several hearing aids have a remote control. This allows you to easily adjust your hearing aid unobtrusively, without having to touch the device itself. You no longer have to take the hearing aid off, and can easily see what you are doing. Often, remote controls also have additional functions that are not on the hearing aid itself. The disadvantage of a remote control is that you must have it with you to operate your hearing aid. If you forget or lose it, you cannot change anything about your device.
Audio input
Some hearing aids have an audio input. To this input, the audio signal from, for example, the radio or television can be connected. The microphone is then turned off, allowing only the sound from the external source to come in.
Binaural communication
With binaural communication, the left and right hearing aids wirelessly exchange information with each other. With this technology, you are better able to determine where sound is coming from and how far away you are from it. This makes for a much more natural sound and better speech intelligibility.
Telecoil
A telecoil allows the hearing impaired with a hearing aid to listen to the sound of television, radio or the sound in, for example, a concert hall or church without disturbing ambient noise. By setting the hearing aid to the T-position (telecoil), the telecoil is activated and the telecoil signal can be received. The microphone is switched off in the process. With the M/T setting, both the ambient sound and the telecoil signal can be received. In many modern hearing aids, this mode must be programmed separately. Of course, we are happy to do this for you!
Self-learning system
Advanced hearing aids contain self-learning systems. The software in these devices is able to remember your preferred settings and automatically apply them to different listening environments. For example, the hearing aid recognizes whether you are outside, at home, in a restaurant, at a concert, whether you are alone or in company and adjusts accordingly.
Voice recognition
Speech recognition can be used to improve speech understanding with a hearing aid. Simple systems always amplify speech by a fixed value, where more complex systems do so depending on the incoming speech signal. Also, there are devices that suppress ambient noise in addition to amplifying speech. Speech recognition thus ensures that speech is easier to understand in situations with disturbing factors.
Suppression of impulse noises
Impulse noises are short-lived, usually repetitive sounds. Think, for example, of a washing machine spinning. They are everyday sounds that can be very annoying and detract from the sound quality of the hearing aid, making hearing tiresome. Several hearing aids have the function of suppressing impulse noises.
Wind noise suppression
Many hearing aid wearers experience wind noise as a source of annoyance, and turn off their hearing aids when cycling or walking in the wind. Modern hearing aids today fortunately have wind noise suppression, which recognizes and suppresses the wind signal. In simple systems, this reduces the entire noise level, where more advanced systems suppress only the wind noise.
Directional microphone systems
Unlike an omni microphone system, there is also the directional microphone system. Here, the microphone is directional and sounds in the direction you are facing are transmitted clearly, while interference sources beside and behind you are suppressed. For example, you can better understand conversations when it is noisy. The disadvantage of a directional system is that it is more difficult to hear sounds behind and beside you, which can be inconvenient and dangerous in traffic, for example. Nowadays, there are also hearing aids available in which you can switch between an omni and a directional system.
Compression control
For people who are sensitive to loud noises, there is the compression controller. It works by comparing incoming sound to a threshold value. If the sound is louder, the gain is immediately adjusted downward until the sound decreases again.
Tinnitus masker
Tinnitus (tinnitus) cannot be cured but can be made more bearable with a tinnitus masker. This masks the tinnitus sounds with outside noise, making them less significant. In addition to a tinnitus masker, we also have a program for learning to cope with tinnitus. You can read more about it on our Treating Tinnitus page.
Feedback systems
When sound escapes past the earpiece or leaks out through the ventilation channel, an annoying whistling sound or squeak may occur. A feedback system counteracts this. An adaptive feedback system continuously checks for any whistling sounds and removes them immediately, often you won’t even notice. A static feedback system adjusts the amplification of the hearing aid by default so that it no longer whistles.
Datalogging
Many hearing aids today have a data logging system. With such a system, the device records, among other things, how often, in what situations and with what programs it is used. Our hearing specialists can then read this and adjust the hearing aids precisely to your needs and requirements.
