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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Hearing Aid Hacking's LiveJournal:

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    Wednesday, July 8th, 2009
    1:22 am
    [killeenwizard]
    Hearing-aid app for cellphone?

    I used to use hearing aids when I was a kid, but after school I gave up on them because they were so annoying. If it wasn't the snap-crackle-pop being amplified to the point of drowning out everything else, it was the earpieces filling up with wax within minutes.

    I am able to use a cellphone when the volume is turned up. I just posted a message about the availability of loud bluetooth headsets, and now I have a related subject. I read, a couple of months ago, about using a cell phone as hearing aid processors, by running an application on the phone, which would receive sound via the mouthpiece (or via phone signal from tower) process the sound as needed (perhaps using built-in DSP), then send it to an amplifying (and perhaps noise-canceling also) headset.  I just saw an article recently about this kind of app: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-10281062-233.html?tag=mncol;title

    I'd be interested in something along these lines that will run on a Pocket PC.  My phone is getting due for replacement, so I could be talked into an Android phone or Blackberry.  I'm not interested in iPhone; I want something with real buttons -- my ears aren't the only things that are slowly failing.

    Of course, better yet would be a Java app or whatever that could be modified to run on most Java-capable phones. :)

    Thanks!

    --Scott.
    1:20 am
    [killeenwizard]
    Extra-loud bluetooth headsets for use with cellphones?
     I used to use hearing aids when I was a kid, but after school I gave up on them because they were so annoying.  If it wasn't the snap-crackle-pop being amplified to the point of drowning out everything else, it was the earpieces filling up with wax within minutes.

    I am able to use a cellphone when the volume is turned up.  I've been using HTC Pocket PC (Windows Mobile) phones lately.  Bluetooth headsets, though, are another matter; they're just barely too quiet for me to understand what is being said.

    Does anyone have suggestions for bluetooth headsets that would produce noticeably louder volume than Plantronics bluetooth earpieces?  A Plantronics rep told me that their headsets have the same maximum volume.

    --Scott.
    Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
    6:55 am
    [christinejoye]
    Bluetooth Headphone and my hearing aid
     As I' ve posted earlier I wear what I believe is a BTE called The Dot by Resound.  I just broke my bluetooth headphone and have been looking at new ones on the net.  The over the earmodel I have has been okay even with my glasses and hearing aid but I've been looking at a few ITE bluetooth models and wonder if they would still fit in my ear well when I have the hearing aid on.  I'm having trouble finding a store that carries them (specifically the motorolla H9).  Do you all know of anyone who sells them instore so that I can try them on before I spend money to purchase them?
    Thanks!
    Thursday, May 7th, 2009
    3:49 am
    [breezyfromcamp]
    Tek anyone??
     Have any of you used the Tek, and/or or Explorer from Siemens?

    I have previously worn Oticon TegoPro, but according to my audi, maxed them out (however I happen to think he's a doofus and is likely incorrect).

    I currently have PhonakMaxx 311. They were given to me by a friend who upgraded. The power is adiquate, but I could really use more than 2 channels. 1 has been wonkey from the get-go; the VC is broken (I know it can be de-activated on this model, but that is not the case) and from time to time it will erase my program all together or spontaneously revert back to my friends. At $100/visit to reprogram I just quit wearing that one. Today the case of my other one cracked in 4 places length wise, idk how it hasn't fallen completely apart.

    When I first got them I asked about re-casing both to pink and repairing the wonkey 1. I was told that could be done... for $700 each! For $1400 I think I'd rather new aids from a different provider!

    I am interested in the Explorer with Tek. But have not come across anyone with experience using either. I really want the bluetooth connectivity. Siemens other bluetooth equipt models are either RIC or open fit; I have enough feedback issues with full molds and totally not interested in either of those options. I am also very little and, even with ped hooks, need the molds to keep them in place.

    So my questions:
    * How do the TegoPro compare to the Maxx 311? Do you really think I have maxed it out or is it, perhaps, a case of programer incompetance (greed/sales ploy)?

    * Is $700 a reasonable recase/repair fee?

    * experience/opinions regarding Seimens Explorer and/or Tek.

    Thanks!
    Thursday, March 19th, 2009
    11:02 am
    [fallenpiece]
     I was browsing www.alldeaf.com this morning and stumbled on this. I thought this was REALLY interesting and decided to share. :)


    A technology licensing company is in the final design stages of a novel hearing aid that it says could be sold over the counter for as little as $100. The low-cost but powerful device is based on the company's homegrown multicore processor and audio algorithms.

    The behind-the-ear device can be customized by the user on a standard PC. It performs as well as top-end $3,000 devices that fit inside the ear canal, and require insertion and tuning by an audiologist, the company claimed.

    About six million people now use hearing aids that cost about $350 or more and require customization by an audiologist. As many as 300 million people have hearing loss but can't afford today's products or don't have access an audiologist, opening up a kind of retail market TPL hopes to address.

    "For example, Pakistan has 190 million people and one audiologist," said Nicholas Antonopoulos, VP of business development for TPL. "We believe we can give people the best hearing aid of all time at a lower price point," he added.

    TPL, a 125-person company that makes 90 percent of its revenues licensing its technology and patents, is seeking a partner to take the device to market. It believes the technology could also be used to create a line of headsets for cellphones and MP3 players. 

    The device is based on the company's Seaforth, a 24-core asynchronous processor running at 700MHz designed by TPL's Intellasys unit. The company claims the 3mm x 3mm chip delivers up to 20,000 MIPS, and it has a 40-core version now in production.

    "In the last few years, hearing aid developers have lived in world of devices with 8-10 MIPs," said Daniel Leckrone, TPL CEO.

    The company has a team of engineers in Vienna that has developed the audio algorithms running on the chip. A separate group in Cincinnati has created a 6mm x 4mm transducer that could become its speaker unit.

    "We are excited about the convergence of these three technologies that could outperform state-of-art $3,000 devices that you can customize yourself," said Leckrone.

    The company does not plan(no need?) to seek approval from the FDA or other regulatory agencies for the device.

    http://www.ddj.com/go-parallel/article/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=215801265
    http://www.ddj.com/215801265

    Sunday, March 15th, 2009
    5:00 pm
    [lovelyminako]
    HOH seeking new HA
     Intro: I have a congenital bilateral 40/50db loss that went undiagnosed until the end of kindergarten. My childhood education, or lab rat experience as I call it, was as I'm sure many of you can relate to, less than optimal. I've since been told not much has changed. How sad!

    I've had ITE, INC, and BTE aids. I hate the ones I have now. When I got them my audiologist told me I should be looking at the BTE since my canals are so small that it's been difficult to have my ITE HA made. I had BTE years ago and hated them b/c they constantly disconnected from the mold and they broke often and were just sucky. So I settled with the larger ITE model. They're horrible and despite the cost I'm looking to replace them after only 3 years. I've since looked at the BTE and wished I'd said yes to them. Those of you with BTE can you recommend a brand to me? where did you get yours?

    After 15 years I can't believe they haven't ungraded or even invented a newer Dry and Store device. The old and broken one I have is still being sold and for more money that I originally paid for.... seriously? Anyone have a rec for me?

    Current Mood: annoyed
    Thursday, March 5th, 2009
    3:04 pm
    [leffness]
    Hair cells recruitmentm frequency discrimination and bad fitting.
    Hi,

    on below link you can find some interesting information
    http://www.hearinglosshelp.com/articles/recruitment.htm


    Since a long time I am 'fighting' with why I can get a relatively good fitting on my left ear and why not on right...
    Both of my ears loss in dB are more or less same but the experiences show on my right ear I cannot fit my aids (I am a self-tuner)
    My experiences got on examination of my own hearing are
    1. pure tone hearing level are same on my both ears (within 5-10 dB)
    2. my frequency discrimination is quite poor
    3. I cannot distinguish between seemingly same sound words (like dumb," and "thumb," or "done," and "sun,"
    4. the hearing experience (the quality of heard words) are much poor with my "bad" right ear than with left
    5. I do not experience quickly growing volume

    These experiences are in quite harmony with those things what are written in that article above and shows me acceptable root cause why my hearing is as it is, why I cannot get a good fitting on my right ear.

    my conclusion is:
    on my right ear there are probably some dead regions of hair cells, therefore I suffer of the 'recruitment' of hair cells. This is causing some of frequency regions are missing in my hearing band which causes bad speech discrimination (despite that the aid is well tuned based on pure tone audiogram). Also there is a well audiable quality difference between left and right ear if I listening the same sound source with them. (I quickly switch between left and right earphone for example when I listening music or other sound source)

    based on above experiences I say the common practice when audiologist fitting an aid purely based on pure tone audiogram is not enough for good result.

    I am interesting about others experiences, idea.

    If somebody wants to check whether her/his hearing is suffer from the same problem what we talked about (recruitment) then can do the following experiments:

    Frequency discrimination test:
    you need a sound generator (e.g. you can obtain tone generator program for your PC)
    you must connect a headphone to your pc
    On tone generator select a frequency what you think is in around your recruitment band/frequency
    Set the volume to comfortable level (not too laud not too soft)
    Find how you can switch the tone generator to send the sound only on left then only on right side
    listening the sound and switch between left and right several times.
    Listening carefully and try to recognize whether you perceive the same frequency on both side.
    If you experience difference you have a chance you are suffer of recruitment.
    Now the question is which ear is the "bad" (if not both)?
    listening the pure tone only on one side.
    Find the way how you can change the frequency of tone with about +/- 100~200 Hz
    change it, listening it and try to perceive if you can 'hear' the frequency change after you changed that on the tone generator. If you hear the difference then that ear on that frequency probably does not suffer recruitment.
    Repeat the above test on different frequencies and on the other ear too.
    Good luck.

    PS. unfortunatley this just can give you an explanation what is the situation with your hearing, why you cannot get a good fitting with your aid but gives nothing for that how we can correct this problem :( BUT I say the first step should be to know the reason of problem!

    leffness
    Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
    8:53 pm
    [colorschanging]
    Hi guys. I am trying to figure out what would be the best option for me to use with my BTE aides. I only recently discovered how motivating it is to use my ipod while exercising, but if i want to run or anything, my earphones just won't stay on and its SO FRUSTRATING!

    I spoke to my audioologist when i had a hearing test earlier this month and she wasn't very helpful/didn't seem to know much. She gave me a website where I found something called "music link" which are hooks or something but i'm worried the ywill just fall off my ears too.

    I remember I used to sometimes use (when i had one) the boot earphones from my FM system and they were good coz they attached to my aides. Are you able to buy these seperately or anything? Or is there a better option...

    Thanks!
    Sunday, February 15th, 2009
    8:28 pm
    [nurosys]
    ELI and transear?
    Anyone know if you can juryrig a transear hearing aid to put an ELI bluetooth boot on it?

    Transear:  http://www.transear.com/

    ELI:  http://www.cordlessworkz.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1011

    I had an Acoustic Neuroma removed in 2003 that left me completely deaf in my right ear, but supposedly a transear will give me some hearing back on that side.  It'd be nice to be able to answer my phone with it too.

    Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks :)

    -nuri
    Thursday, January 8th, 2009
    2:18 pm
    [digitrix6]
    Your thoughts on a new purchase, hacking advice
     I have moderate hearing loss and have been wearing aids for more than 25 years. I am amazed and heartened by all the great blogs and forums that are out there today to help us with this technology. I would have had a less frustrating time these last couple of decades if you'd been around sooner!

    Here's my current situation, I'd love to hear your advice. I have been wearing a pair of Widex Diva ITEs for 4 years now. One of them died, so I need to do something new. I have never done any hacking to make my hearing aids connect to my phone, music, etc, but that is my new goal.

    I have one Widex Diva BTE that I have been using as a backup. It's a couple of years old but it hasn't gotten regular use. One option is that I could get another Widex BTE to match and then get the shoes to enable DAI. This would be a less expensive option, but I'd be committing to the older-style BTE with earmold and tubes for a while. If I go this route and try to set up DAI with my iPhone or Mac computer, will the sound quality be good enough? Is this something that a reasonably tech-savvy mere mortal can accomplish?

    Another option is to buy a new pair of RICs. I have looked online at the Siemens and Phonak models that say they provide Bluetooth integration, but I am a bit skeptical. From what I understand, the Bluetooth doesn't work properly with the iPhone, which would really be the primary way I'd expect to use it. Does anyone have experience with setting up this integration? I don't want to have to fuss around with it too much, I just want it to work.

    Thanks so much everyone.
    Monday, January 5th, 2009
    1:02 am
    [fallenpiece]
    I wear what I believe is called 3/4 or half shell hearing aid molds. I had hard molds but they left my right ear irritated and so I decided to get soft molds. Now my right ear is doing the same thing that it was doing before when I had hard molds. Become all irritated and all red. I am wondering does anyone know what I can do to to help my ear? since I don't think the audiologist can do anything with soft molds like they can do with hard.(grind it down or anything)

    thanks guys :)

    x-posted to a few places.
    Thursday, January 1st, 2009
    10:21 am
    [flycatcher27]
    Bicycling in the rain?
      Hey folks, 

    Hope you've really enjoyed your christmas time off. 

    With me, it was time for some resolutions :-)

    One of the things that I have been getting enthusiastic about is bicycling as a way to commute to work. This is largely sorted out - I have been on it for about 3-4 months so far. 

    But, in Bangalore there is this "rainy season" or monsoons as we call them here that stretches for about 4 months during the later half of the year. Its generally tough to not worry about the condition of the hearing aids when out in the rain - even if its not actually raining - since there is moisture and general wetness everywhere. 

    So, the question for you folks is - have any of you dealt with this and how.  I remember 'erth64net' (?) talked earlier this year about how his hearing aids picked up too much sweat due to cycling. Perhaps he has dealt with the rain issue? 


    Thanks!
    Arvind
     
    Saturday, December 20th, 2008
    2:26 am
    [woofiegrrl]
    Open fit to mold?
     When I got my HAs several months ago, I ordered open-fit RITE (receiver in the ear) ones. They are Oticon Epoqs and my audiologist promised me more natural sound, being able to hear sounds I can hear naturally vs. everything piped through the HAs, less noticeable, etc.

    Over time I've come to wish I had gotten regular molds. The open-fit really aren't that comfortable, feedback is BAD, and sounds are sometimes confusing because I hear them differently through my HA and through my regular hearing. There are various other reasons that don't come to mind right now, but as I've used these for 8 months, I've come to dislike the open-fit. (I'm a Gallaudet student, so I don't care how noticeable they are.)

    Is there any way to convert these to normal HAs? An earhook would be nice, but my concern is that the way it's constructed now, there is a wire rather than a tube that's transmitting the sound electronically. They were $5700 (including the Bluetooth Streamer) and I paid out of pocket, so I can't exactly afford an exchange.

    If a conversion to earhook-style isn't possible, I'd settle for having a "mold" wrapped around the wire and covering the RITE. I could see this working if the domes weren't there, the sound would still channel through the wire and the RITE but the mold would make things more comfortable and clear.

    My audiologist isn't very helpful so I figured I'd try here first!
    Wednesday, December 10th, 2008
    11:52 am
    [vreiner]
    melding an iPhone to a hearing aid
     Hiya all.

    I hope someone can direct me to the right resources...  My friend has a starkey Destiny 400 OTE ccoo86 hearing aid, and an iPhone.  In order to drive and use a phone here in California one must use a hands-free device, and I'm trying to help him get connected as he is technically challenged.

    I've read some notes here and elsewhere about DAI connections but his hearing aids don't seem to have any type of external connection.  Please clarify: does a boot provide this connection, even if there are no contacts or the like on the hearing aid?  Is it a coil of some type?  What other options might he explore?

    Thanks so much!
    Saturday, November 29th, 2008
    1:39 pm
    [flycatcher27]
    Bluetooth based receivers
     Hi,

    Its been a while since anyone posted!

    Here I go - with a question for you guys who are already in the know..

    Have a look at these products -

    Sony 

    Sony Ericsson HBH-DS205

    MOTOROLA S605

    To me they look like ideal bluetooth receivers - just clip them on and have the DAI connection to the hearing aid. You have stereo music + join voice calls on both ears.

    This sounds like the ideal thing - compared to my bulky traditional headphone - Motorola BT805

    Are there any pitfalls here? Or better products than the ones I have listed?

    Thanks
    Arvind

    Saturday, October 11th, 2008
    2:51 pm
    [true911m]
    Loop vs. hook
     This might be a good starter hack if I end up doing it myself.

    I've seen lots of discussion lately in other places about phone use with headsets, loops, and earhook devices.  They seem to boil down to this:

    Some of the best audio some people get is with those big studio, 70s-stereo-style headsets.  The ones with lots of padding that block out most outside noise.  These often have high sensitivity, a great frequency range, and the speakers are situated somewhat back from the ear, minimizing or eliminating typical headset feedback.  But you might not want to be wearing them at WalMart while trying to take a phone call...

    So after some other conversations and digging around among the stuff for sale, there seem to be two mobile t-coil options that might be ideal if combined.

    The CLA7 neckloop gets it right in its portable amplification.  The output of a typical cell's 2.5mm jack just may not cut it with some of the t-coils out there today, esp in smaller ITE configurations.   But the loop can require fiddling to find the sweet spot, or be in the wrong plane altogether to couple with the t-coils.

    Earhooks, like the HATIS or T-Link/Music Link _can_ be a little easier to couple and a little more like wearing an earphone, but are not amplified.  While not perfect, many prefer the placement and simplicity in reviews I've read.

    So the question is whether the CLA7 (I don't have one yet) can be disassembled without too much difficulty and given some connection options, either direct to hook or maybe replacing the loop with a jack. 

    Intended result: amplified earhook.

    Current Mood: determined
    Saturday, September 20th, 2008
    11:04 pm
    [true911m]
    Neckloops revisited? (need info)
     I have t-coils in ITE devices, and while my t-coil program needs adjustment to bring it up to speed with my mic programs (hopefully this week), I have seen the benefits of the inductive link with some phones I've tried them with, for example.

    I've been reading a lot of descriptions of different types of neck loops available.  Some are a simple loop-to-jack (with or without mic, as applicable), and some are amplified, usually with 2 AAA batteries.  One I noticed connects via Bluetooth, with its own receiver.

    Since reading here, I thought, why not hack a loop?  And so I played around with some alligator clips, 3.5mm jack and different coils of different-gauge wire in various orientations around my ear.

    In all cases, these loops work within close proximity to my t-coil when held at a favorable angle (varies with the type of loop).  In general, this is parallel to the broadest dimension of my ear, or in the plane that a headset would rest against the outside of the ear.  More than an inch away, however, and there is no reception.

    So, I have to wonder at the jack-to-loop solutions.  Do they work?  Then, there's the orientation -- any neckloop would be roughly perpendicular to the plane I described.  Does the amplification feature overcome that inefficiency?  Are these loops so high-tech that they actually "squeeze" a lot more signal out of the input than I am with some simple wire loops?

    I've been tempted to try one, but the hassle of online ordering and probably returning at least a couple of these at $50-$200 a pop has kept me from it so far.

    I apologize if some of this has been covered earlier; search seems very difficult here.

    Any and all experiences/knowledge are appreciated.

    Current Mood: frustrated
    Friday, September 19th, 2008
    12:37 am
    [regencyreader]
    DAI Shoes--Widex Bravo
     Hi,

    Firstly, thanks for this forum.  I'm the parent of a HOH, very athletic son and have struggled a bit to find the right technology to help him.  He wears BTE aids (bright yellow with red molds, so he's not shy).  I'm wondering if you could help me with a couple of questions I have?

    1. What's the cheapest US source for these shoes that I can order on my own without an audiologist, and why do these seem so much cheaper in the UK? Can't see them anywhere for less than $90/each.
    2. My son is a competitive ice speed skater.  When he skates on Long Track he's going around a 400m indoor oval that has horrible acoustics.  It would be helpful to have a way for his coach  to communicate him during the sessions as they are often separated by quite a distance.  Would Bluetooth together with a mobile phone be the answer?  It's preferable that he not have to wear anything on his person (other than some sort of small headphones) while skating as it's a real distraction and can fall off and cause injuries.  I love DIYing, so I'm not averse to any suggestion that would require me to gerrymander something out of pieces, I just don't know what pieces.

    Cheers!
    Thursday, September 18th, 2008
    10:40 pm
    [gertlex]
    Approaching creating new DAI cables
     Hey folks,
    Yet another pair of DAI cables is flaking out on me after around a year of use.  My third pair to do so. I chopped up my 4th cable (my 3rd inferior Phonak DAI cable) to make a replacement lead for my headphones.

    I'm not paying out the rear for any more of these pieces of junk, if I can help it.

    So I have a few choices here, I think.
    - I can chop up my currently flaky wires right at the head, as I did for my headphone wires, remove the pins from plastic holder, solder spliced headphone wires and resistor to the pins, re-insert pins into plastic, set the resistor+wires in glue/epoxy/filler, and cover it all with heat shrink tubing.
    - I can attempt to get new/do the pins myself.  Yee-haw!

    There are a few ways I could get more pins:
    - Find someone that sells brass pins that I can buy and modify slightly or not at all.
    - Get brass rod of the two necessary diameters (I believe it's about 3/64" and 1/32"), cut them to length, file the tips into points (for ease of use), and maybe even drill tiny holes in one end for ease of soldering.
    - Get someone/business to manufacture custom pins.  Making the necessary drawings is easy.
    In each case, I'd have to solder stuff to them, find a way to hold the pins in the correct position. Either drill holes in small pieces of plastic (a true PITA from experience) or seal in epoxy or similar.  Tricky but doable.

    Two examples of pins that might be modifiable that I've found so far:
    http://www.gayatribrass.com/Brass_Electrical_Pin_Socket.htm#pin
    http://www.rushilimpex.com/electrical_accessories.htm

    If I can get easily modifiable pins or a custom run of these pins... would anyone be interested in virtually free pins?  I'd just have people mail me an envelope addressed to them (with postage) and mail back the pins.

    I'm pretty sure I've asked in the past here if any of the audiologists here could get a source of the pins, but have had no replies.

    Most of my past work with DAI connectors can be seen in pictures on Flickr:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/gertlex/

    Let me know, folks!

    •Eric
    Monday, September 15th, 2008
    11:12 pm
    [sajego]
    Hacking an audio shoe
     I got a new pair of Siemens (Artis 2P) hearing aids and just realized that the reason the old shoes I had for my last pair of Siemens (Signia) aids don't work is because they aren't quite exactly the same. Makes sense I guess... but the connection is the same so I figured the aids just hadn't been set up right to use a shoe....

    Anyway... before I spend $100+ (connevans shipping is about the same as the cost of the shoes, but I can shop around some more) on new shoes... has anyone tried ummm... modifying... an old shoe to fit a new hearing aid? :)

    Clearly I don't want to 'fry' the aids... but the shoes I don't care much about. Unless someone knows of some kind of exchange program or something.
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