I am always at least one day late to this game. Usually, the day of something good is way busy.
Yesterday, I kept my appointment with the audiologist and went through a test that took over an hour and a half to complete.
They tested simple ear drum function with tones, pressurized outer ear to assess the inner ear bones (preloading the eardrums to keep them stable while sound testing for the inner parts), nerve function, word recognition, bone conduction, recovery time after a pressure shock. That last one was like being in an airplane, but they over pressure the ear, play a tone they had determined I could barely hear, then see how long before I can hear a tiny micro tone again.
I know, I asked for it, but this shit was about to drive me nuts before it was over.
I am sixty eight years old. Of course I have some hearing loss. In addition to what could be normal, I abused my hearing early in my life before I figured out on my own that I should protect my ears during the thousands of concerts where I worked sound reinforcement systems all over the country, Mexico and Canada as well.
However, they say they can help me. There are many options.
Of course they want to set me up with the Cadillac of all prosthetic hearing devices at the $9000 range. Too Much!!
Instead, we could try the $8000 or the $5000 set ups. Each step down is only a step down in technology, but not quality or warranty.
Taking another step down in tech, I decided to go with the $3000 devices. It is still programmable to my individual needs, three year warranty (instead of five year), yearly update to the existing tech built in, wireless charging with a small stand, replaceable fit cones that could wear out during use, replaceable Lithium batteries.
I will have them by next week, possibly Monday, with all my personal hearing deficiencies programmed for correction, tailored specifically for each ear.
The main differences in the level of tech was more about how the device assesses the background sound pressure noise and makes corrections based on either 800Hz signal check, 500Hz, 300Hz, etc.
I went with the best tech I could afford, which checks the background noise level one hundred times per second. I went with these instead of the next step down, which are not as finely programable to an individuals exact needs.
I chose these which are programable to my own exact hearing problems which the team of audiologists identified through the extensive test procedures.
The next step down in price $2000 was also a large step down in tech. Background noise check at twenty times per second. Not programable to my exact deficiencies but close enough for most, using octave corrections instead of exact, precise corrections.
Anyone else feel the need for hearing correction devices. I'll bet I just turned everyone off to the idea.
Semicolon, where are you? We miss you!