Pianotech

I just had my hearing checked at Costco. I've had it done there every two or three years for the past 15 years. While I'm still within a suitable range, my upper register is getting close to the range to where the technician told me I should consider getting hearing aides. On a scale of 1 - 10, with 1 being no need at all, and 10 being almost deaf, my upper range is close to 6 or 7. The rest of my hearing is in the 2 - 4 range.  I have two questions for those of you who have them.

1. At what stage of your hearing loss did you get them?
2. How long did it take you to get used to wearing them all day? 

Thanks

Wim

I just had my hearing checked at Costco. I've had it done there every two or three years for the past 15 years. While I'm still within a suitable range, my upper register is getting close to the range to where the technician told me I should consider getting hearing aides. On a scale of 1 - 10, with 1 being no need at all, and 10 being almost deaf, my upper range is close to 6 or 7. The rest of my hearing is in the 2 - 4 range.  I have two questions for those of you who have them.

1. At what stage of your hearing loss did you get them?
2. How long did it take you to get used to wearing them all day? 

Thanks

Wim

I think you need to take into consideration that the average hearing test only tests frequencies in the normal spoken word range. If you want to test above or below that you will need to go to a specialist, like a clinic that also deals with singers and musicians. 

At what stage do you get them? I'd say you should trust your own instincts about this. Whenever it becomes an actual problem. For the most part, even with the very expensive hearing aids where you can adjust the frequency response, the A/D-D/A electronics are not going to do a very good job of improving your hearing when they are forced to decode all the information contained in a piano note. You may wind up not wearing them when you tune. How many customers do you have that have to take out their hearing aids before they sit down to play? Probably most. Of course, I could be remembering older technology but that's what I remember as being the case. It appears you can now buy pretty decent hearing aids, that include an app for you phone that will assist you in fine tuning them, from Amazon without a prescription. 

I just had my hearing checked at Costco. I've had it done there every two or three years for the past 15 years. While I'm still within a suitable range, my upper register is getting close to the range to where the technician told me I should consider getting hearing aides. On a scale of 1 - 10, with 1 being no need at all, and 10 being almost deaf, my upper range is close to 6 or 7. The rest of my hearing is in the 2 - 4 range.  I have two questions for those of you who have them.

1. At what stage of your hearing loss did you get them?
2. How long did it take you to get used to wearing them all day? 

Thanks

Wim

I think you need to take into consideration that the average hearing test only tests frequencies in the normal spoken word range. If you want to test above or below that you will need to go to a specialist, like a clinic that also deals with singers and musicians. 

At what stage do you get them? I'd say you should trust your own instincts about this. Whenever it becomes an actual problem. For the most part, even with the very expensive hearing aids where you can adjust the frequency response, the A/D-D/A electronics are not going to do a very good job of improving your hearing when they are forced to decode all the information contained in a piano note. You may wind up not wearing them when you tune. How many customers do you have that have to take out their hearing aids before they sit down to play? Probably most. Of course, I could be remembering older technology but that's what I remember as being the case. It appears you can now buy pretty decent hearing aids, that include an app for you phone that will assist you in fine tuning them, from Amazon without a prescription. 

I just had my hearing checked at Costco. I've had it done there every two or three years for the past 15 years. While I'm still within a suitable range, my upper register is getting close to the range to where the technician told me I should consider getting hearing aides. On a scale of 1 - 10, with 1 being no need at all, and 10 being almost deaf, my upper range is close to 6 or 7. The rest of my hearing is in the 2 - 4 range.  I have two questions for those of you who have them.

1. At what stage of your hearing loss did you get them?
2. How long did it take you to get used to wearing them all day? 

Thanks

Wim

I think you need to take into consideration that the average hearing test only tests frequencies in the normal spoken word range. If you want to test above or below that you will need to go to a specialist, like a clinic that also deals with singers and musicians. 

At what stage do you get them? I'd say you should trust your own instincts about this. Whenever it becomes an actual problem. For the most part, even with the very expensive hearing aids where you can adjust the frequency response, the A/D-D/A electronics are not going to do a very good job of improving your hearing when they are forced to decode all the information contained in a piano note. You may wind up not wearing them when you tune. How many customers do you have that have to take out their hearing aids before they sit down to play? Probably most. Of course, I could be remembering older technology but that's what I remember as being the case. It appears you can now buy pretty decent hearing aids, that include an app for you phone that will assist you in fine tuning them, from Amazon without a prescription. 

I just had my hearing checked at Costco. I've had it done there every two or three years for the past 15 years. While I'm still within a suitable range, my upper register is getting close to the range to where the technician told me I should consider getting hearing aides. On a scale of 1 - 10, with 1 being no need at all, and 10 being almost deaf, my upper range is close to 6 or 7. The rest of my hearing is in the 2 - 4 range.  I have two questions for those of you who have them.

1. At what stage of your hearing loss did you get them?
2. How long did it take you to get used to wearing them all day? 

Thanks

Wim

Found this

https://grandpianopassion.com/chasin-optimize-hearing-aids-music/

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Larry Messerly, RPT
Bringing Harmony to Homes
www.lacrossepianotuning.com
ljmesserly@gmail.com
928-899-7292

Original Message:
Sent: 10-01-2024 08:13
From: David Pinnegar
Subject: hearing aides

Original Message:
Sent: 10/1/2024 7:12:00 AM
From: Leslie Koltvedt
Subject: RE: hearing aides

About 2 years ago I lost hearing in my right ear-almost 90%- due to nerve damage. They say it doesn't happen to very many people, I happened over night. They ended up giving me a steroid shot in my ear… through my eardrum… would not recommend that to anyone. My left ear had normal degradation which mostly affects consonants more then vowels, which makes it hard to understand most words. My wife got tired of me asking "what"? Went to COSTCO and was able to purchase just one earring aid this year. In daily conversations it helps immensely, but for stringed instruments there is way to much noise, this includes my guitar and piano. Removing the hearing aid resolves the issue. I think it doesn't know how to handle all the partials. I do remove it when I tune. Ymmv


Original Message:
Sent: 9/30/2024 9:29:00 PM
From: Geoff Sykes
Subject: RE: hearing aides

I think you need to take into consideration that the average hearing test only tests frequencies in the normal spoken word range. If you want to test above or below that you will need to go to a specialist, like a clinic that also deals with singers and musicians. 

At what stage do you get them? I'd say you should trust your own instincts about this. Whenever it becomes an actual problem. For the most part, even with the very expensive hearing aids where you can adjust the frequency response, the A/D-D/A electronics are not going to do a very good job of improving your hearing when they are forced to decode all the information contained in a piano note. You may wind up not wearing them when you tune. How many customers do you have that have to take out their hearing aids before they sit down to play? Probably most. Of course, I could be remembering older technology but that's what I remember as being the case. It appears you can now buy pretty decent hearing aids, that include an app for you phone that will assist you in fine tuning them, from Amazon without a prescription. 

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Geoff Sykes, RPT
Los Angeles CA

Original Message:
Sent: 09-30-2024 14:26
From: Wim Blees
Subject: hearing aides

I just had my hearing checked at Costco. I've had it done there every two or three years for the past 15 years. While I'm still within a suitable range, my upper register is getting close to the range to where the technician told me I should consider getting hearing aides. On a scale of 1 - 10, with 1 being no need at all, and 10 being almost deaf, my upper range is close to 6 or 7. The rest of my hearing is in the 2 - 4 range.  I have two questions for those of you who have them.

1. At what stage of your hearing loss did you get them?
2. How long did it take you to get used to wearing them all day? 

Thanks

Wim

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Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
St. Augustine, FL 32095
Tnrwim@aol.com
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