Any hearing aids particularly suitable for hearing bird songs?

[Wolfi]

I´m 65 years old and I have a moderate hearing loss in the high frequencies. As an ornithologist and bird watcher, the high frequencies are particularly important for me for hearing bird calls and songs. Are there hearing aids that are particularly suitable for this? Are there any bird watchers in the forum who can recommend certain brands or hearing aids?

 

[pvc]

Hi @Wolfi Welcome;

Are you wearing hearing aid models now? If Yes, which brand and model?

Also, it would be helpful to see your Audiogram/Hearing Loss. As an example, my (Audiogram/Hearing Loss) can be seen by clicking a link in my Signature, when you are Logged-in to this forum.

Here's an image that shows the frequencies where people hear Birds Chirping, around 5000 Hz 6000 Hz; and the loudness/dB of certain sounds for example the yellow speech banana from 20dB to 60db.

 

[pvc]

Also, hearing aids are not designed to address one specific frequency. Different → fitting formulas can be chosen within the hearing aid fitting software, but these formulas don't attempt to cater to a specific sound.

Instead they attempt to boost your ability to hear better in the frequencies where you have hearing loss, and they do so on a curve because each frequency is related to the neighboring frequencies.

 

[Wolfi]

Hi PVC,

thanks a lot for your answer and the valuable informations! I currently do not wear hearing aids. I had a hearing test with an audiologist but unfortunately I don´t have the results in my hands. He told me that I have a moderate hearing loss in the high frequencies (more or less typical for my age). From my bird watching experience I can say, that I can´t hear birds singing above 6000-7000 Hz (Goldcrest as an typical excample). Some years ago I could still here them well. I will be testing a hearing aid that the audiologist will recommend to me on my next visit.

 

[pvc]

I will be testing a hearing aid that the audiologist will recommend to me on my next visit.

Do you know which brand or ReBrand? Does your audiologist carry multiple major brands? Is it through health insurance, careful they are restricted to lessor models.

Recommended reading; a DIY School Hearing Aids (v2.2) PDF File named (Big-5 Platforms Chips)which shows recent models from the Big-5 manufacturers.

Also; the DIY School Hearing Aids (v2.2) access portals are at your finger tips via 24/7 cloud storage access.

• Start here → DIY School Hearing Aids (v2.2) to find the access portals
• You can easily find the Access Portals again/anytime, by clicking any PVC Avatar (click twice - counting the 2nd popup Avatar)
• When logged in, you can find the Access Portals again/anytime, by clicking a Link in my Signature
• And finally, you can perform a simple Internet search for "DIY School Hearing Aids"

 

[Wolfi]

Thanks for the reading tip! My audiologist offers different brands, including Signia, Widex, Oticon and a few other. Signia seems to be the "favored" brand. It's through health insurance, but I can have any model I want. The health insurance provides a subsidy (if I have a doctor's prescription) and I have to pay the difference to the total price myself. I think I have to look for a hearing aid which has a good gain in the range of 7000-10,000 Hz

 

[pvc]

My audiologist offers different brands, including Signia, Widex, Oticon and a few other.

That's encouraging!

I think I have to look for a hearing aid which has a good gain in the range of 7000-10,000 Hz

HMm; I don't know if you will find what you are looking for. I don't think hearing aids are designed specifically for these dog-whistle frequencies. The hearing aids strive to help with speech. Though hearing aids should help. I can hear Mockingbirds very well.

Also, you will likely find that Fitting Bandwidth is higher only in the premium models, in this case 10 kHz for the Intent1 and 8 kHz for the less premium models. Here's a clip from → Oticon Intent's Product Guide Page 19 showing Fitting Bandwidth;

 

[pvc]

Note that Signia-IX Platform brochure is hidden behind a Signia account Login. But you can ask your Audiologist about Fitting Bandwidth.

 

[pvc]

But you can ask your Audiologist about Fitting Bandwidth.

Oh, Pfft; You can find technical details for Signia IX models from within the fitting software by clicking Product Details; and as you can see the 10000 Hz is only for the premium model.

 

[pvc]

As an example of the fitting software (setting Gain as a curve of neighboring frequencies) here's a simulation of Oticon Intent 1 hearing aids which have a fitting bandwidth of 10 kHz.

Note that the highest gain handle that you can adjust in the fitting software is 8 kHz. I think this means that if you increase the 8k gain handle, then it will also increase the neighboring frequencies (6k and 10k) even though there is no 10k gain handle in the fitting software. But this is only my guess about how it works without having a 10k gain handle?

 

[Wolfi]

Hi PVC, thanks a lot! These are very valuable informations for me. I think that more or less all Top of the line modern Hearing aids will support 8 kHz and thus will also influence the region up to 10 kHz in a positive way. This would be more than sufficient for most of the bird species around. Important will be the "real-life gain" in dB in these upper frequency regions. From the Hearing aids my Audiologist is offering, there are two that I would like to try out first: the Signia C&G IX 7 and the Widex SmartRic 440. As far as I found out both support frequencies up to 10 kHz. I will report about my experiences and eventually ask for a source for the resp. fitting software, as I really want to participate with the DIY fitting (or at least to optimize the fitting for me).

 

[pvc]

We don't know if this will work perfectly, so don't get your hopes up too high. It cannot match your hearing before your loss.

Maybe your Audiologist could create a separate program with boosted high frequencies. I don't exactly know what that would sound like when listening to human speech? But you could switch between normal and bird-watching programs.

Careful with Widex. I can't say for sure, but maybe they are no longer doing R&D (research and development)??
Here's a link to a forum topic named → Is Widex Moment Sheer really a new model?

You don't need to wait until you get hearing hearing aids before probing the capabilities of the hearing aid fitting software. Here's a clip from a DIY School Hearing Aids (v2.2) PDF File named → 01 Explore the manufacturer's software.

Simulated fitting session

Find the simulation function (Oticon, see below) or the training function (Phonak, see second image below) / (other?) We can use these functions to explore. You don't even need to connect your hearing aid to the fitting software or worry about accidentally changing settings. No information is saved when you use the simulation or training function! If you don't have this feature, don't worry. Simply try continuing to the next step (Hearing Aid Model Selection) without connecting your hearing aid to the fitting software.

 

[pvc]

more or less all Top of the line modern Hearing aids will support 8 kHz and thus will also influence the region up to 10 kHz in a positive way.

There is a difference between a fitting bandwidth of 10 kHz and Gain handles that may or may not show the entire "fitting bandwidth". Read the specs to find "fitting bandwidth".

 

[pvc]

Gain handles are funny. Some software have many gain handles. Some software have fewer gain handles.

It even differs by region of the world because some regions have come to expect that more gain handles means better fitting. Alas, this was probably caused be a certain amount of bragging from the manufacturers.

 

[SDdude]

May I just suggest that I think you'll find that hearing aids will definitely improve your ability to hear bird calls! That's one of the first thing I notice when I'm out wearing them walking around, along with the sound of rustling leaves. You'll certainly appreciate that. I say this as a long-time, but casual, birder myself.
I was curious about that goldcrest you mentioned, since I don't think we have them in Southern California, so found a 'tube video of one singing (they certainly are adorable!)
It was a little hard to hear without my aid (only have one now, ha!), but after inserting it I could hear it quite plainly (yes, very high-pitched).
So even though audiologists are really concentrating on speech comprehension, I think you'll find your aids helpful with sounds other than speech.
Just for fun/curiosity's sake, you might like to play with tone generators such as one I found here"
tinnitus test
You can play with that to see just how high (or low) you actually CAN hear.
Best of luck; keep us posted.