If you’re a long-time hearing aid user, you may find that at upgrade time, technology has improved significantly since you acquired your last set. Hearing aid technology continues to grow more advanced every year. There are many advancements in hearing aids that we’re excited about, and one such technology is the directional microphone.
The Problem
Until the advent of directional microphones, all hearing aids came with omnidirectional microphones. Omnidirectional microphones pick up sounds from all directions and all sides of your head, giving them all equal importance. While this is great for situational awareness and general hearing in an at-home or comfortable environment, omnidirectional microphones have a weakness: listening in noisy environments. Hearing aid users, when polled, almost universally report that listening in noise is the most challenging situation for effective communication.
Directional Microphones
Directional microphones correct this blind spot of omnidirectional microphones by focusing in one direction for picking up sound—usually from directly in front of you. This is proven to help hearing aid users hear better in noisy environments. This allows the hearing aid, and therefore the hearing aid user, to focus effectively on the sounds coming from in front of them without the distraction of background noise. So if you’re in a crowded restaurant, you’ll be able to hear the person speaking across from you quite well.
The Benefits of Directional Microphones
- Better hearing in complex environments, such as social gatherings. Directional microphones optimize the sound coming from in front of you, making it easier to listen.
- Reduced background noise,so no more competition from surrounding sounds.
- Enhanced speech clarity, meaning you’ll have an easier time understanding what your companion is saying, even in noisy environments.
Is a Directional Microphone Right for Me?
Hearing needs are complex, and they change frequently depending on where you are and what you’re listening to. Directional microphones solve a major problem with omnidirectional microphones, but they have their own blind spots: the limited field of hearing means you may miss sounds behind you or beside you, and directional microphones are a bigger drain on battery life than omnidirectional microphones. That said, you can often have both a directional and an omnidirectional microphone equipped with your hearing aids, and they can switch automatically, or you can switch them manually in the settings, giving you the best of both.
If you have any questions about directional microphones and how they may benefit your hearing needs, contact The Hearing & Speech Center today, and we’d be happy to discuss more!
