subject: Analyzing The Perks Of Analogue Vs. Digital Hearing Aids [print this page] With increasing numbers of people slowly succumbing to hearing impairments, there are various different solutions to fixing these hearing problems. The varying degrees of hearing impairment and differing preferences for the choice of an aid device have resulted in a huge selection of different aids. There are two main typesanalogue and digitalthat are assisting people with their issues with hearing.
Both analogue and digital technology assist people in hearing much more clearly and crisply; however, they differ in their method of converting sound waves. The conventional system, analogue technology, converts the sounds waves picked up by the device into electrical waves which can then be heard by the wearer. On the other hand, the digital technologythe new and improved systemconverts the sounds waves using exact mathematical calculations processed by a computer. So what does this mean exactly?
With analogue hearing aids, they often fail to distinguish between different sounds. Consequently, these devices amplify all sounds with equal volume, resulting in some soundswhat you are trying to hearbeing too quiet, while othersbackground noisebe heard too loudly. The wearer then needs to readjust these sounds manually in order to understand and hear the sounds picked up. Some analogue hearing aids come with programmable functions that can be saved within the aid. Different programs are selected depending on the listening environment, whether it is during a conversation in person, a conversation over the phone, or in a loud, busy environment.
Digital hearing aids are seen as an improved version of the traditional, conventional analogue devices. Because they transmit sound waves into digital code, and retransmit it back to the user, it replicates the sound transmission. Consequently, it produces a high quality sound that is close to perfect accuracy. The quality of the sound is significantly higher; however, many continue to opt for programmable analogue aids. Since programmable analogue hearing devices produce quality sound and functionality, many continue to depend on these devices given their relative low cost to digital hearing aids. Their digital counterparts are much more reliable and produce a crisper, clearer quality; however, the costs can be almost twofold of the analogue aids. That increase in price may be well worth the price hike though, since it offers the users many new features, including the transmission of speech without other unwanted elements like background noise. Moreover, the digital hearing aid is often smaller in size and thus, appear much more inconspicuous to other people.
Both analogue and digital devices help the wearer with their hearing loss issues; however, depending on your budget and preference, you may opt for one or the other. While the new and improved digital aid provides a much more clearer quality sound, people may be accustomed to the analogue aid or simply cannot afford the extra expenses of the digital version. The programmable analogue aid often suffices in providing the user assistance with hearing, and if your hearing is not severely impaired, that extra investment in a digital may not be worth your money. It is ultimately a decision that you have to makewhether the increase in hearing quality is worth that increase in price.
