It seems like every time you go to Central Computers they have new tech on display. While you can’t see the technology with your hearing aids, it’s evolving at just as rapid a rate as the rest of the tech world. Below we review how the advanced microchips in your hearing aids provide better hearing.
How Do Hearing Aids Work?
The first step in getting fit with a set of hearing aids is to undergo a hearing test. The results of your hearing test will reveal the exact nature of your hearing loss, including the type and degree. Your audiologist will use this information to select the best hearing aid for your needs and program it to meet the exact specifications of your hearing loss.
Hearing aids are made up of three main parts:
- A microphone, which picks up sounds in your environment and transforms them into electrical signals.
- An amplifier, which increases the power of the signals to a volume your ears need in order to hear.
- A receiver, which delivers the amplified sounds to your ears.
What Are Digital Signal Processors (DSPs)?
DSPs are the microchips within hearing aids. On the market today, there are two new DSPs that increase the processing power of your hearing aids while lowering the manufacturing cost.
R3920
The R3920 microchips are used in higher-tier hearing aids, as they feature 16 channels of wide dynamic range compression (WDRC). This gives your audiologist the ability to finely tune the hearing aid during the fitting process.
This microchip allows hearing aids to better detect sounds in the environment, since they can select the most important sounds and amplify them. The R3920 microchip also has an impulse noise reduction feature that monitors and subdues impulse noises that tend to be uncomfortable for hearing aid users, such as the clanking of dishes at a dinner party.
R3110
The R3110 microchips are used in lower-tier hearing aids, because instead of offering multiple custom options, they only offer pre-programmed options. These microchips still offer essential features like background noise reduction, feedback cancelation and dual microphones. The main difference between the R3920 and the R3110 is that the R3110 is less customizable.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call San Francisco Audiology today.