Hearing loss can make it difficult to perceive the beautiful complexity of music. If you’re someone who can spend hours listening to their favorite records or loves taking in shows at The Armory, this can be quite distressing.
Hearing aids can help restore your ability to listen to the music you love, however it can take a bit of time to get used to and is best done with newer hearing aids.
Listening Complications with Hearing Aids
Music has a larger dynamic range than speech. Because hearing aids are designed to let a person better understand speech, they are programmed to compress dynamic range. This can prevent you from hearing the higher and lower-pitched notes in certain songs and take away from the overall sound quality.
Background noise can pose another challenge. Hearing aids are designed to minimize background noise, which is great when you’re trying to have a conversation with friends at a large gathering or loud restaurant. However, older hearing aids can sometimes mistake a sustained chord in music as background noise and block it out, which can take away from your ability to enjoy certain songs.
Enjoying the Music
Thankfully newer hearing aids are equipped with the ability to let you use customized programs to better enjoy music. If you are out somewhere and want to be able to enjoy live music, you can use a remote or app on your smartphone to change your program to one that will better fit your environment and let you hear the sounds you want to hear.
You can also utilize Bluetooth™ technology for a better listening experience and stream music directly into your hearing aids. This improves the sound quality and saves you the hassle of having to use headphones as you can use your device as wireless earbuds while you listen to your favorite songs.
Talk to Your Audiologist
Your audiologist wants to provide you with the best listening experience possible. If you’re unhappy with how music sounds while using your device, make an appointment to discuss your options.
They can work with you to put together a music program that fits your needs or show you how to use Bluetooth. If your current device does not support those options, discuss the possibility of an upgrade to enhance your listening experience.
For more information about enjoying music with hearing aids, call the experts at Midwest Hearing today.