Digital Hearing Aids
Digital aids also have a microphone to pick up sound but rather than convert the sound waves into electrical waves they are encoded as a series of binary numbers that measure its pitch and volume at a given instant in time. Basically they are bits of data that are manipulated by a tiny computer inside the hearing aid. Processing the sound bit by bit is much more precise and accurate than with conventional hearing aids, certain details can be altered without affecting the overall quality of sound. This unique technology separates the incoming sound into bands and processes each band independently, separate circuit paths are used to independently process different frequency regions of sound i.e. they are frequency specific.
Overall this technology keeps sounds within a comfortable range for the listener whilst maintaining a clear and natural sound quality. It can automatically adjust to changing environments; hence in most cases there is no need for a volume control. The true digital hearing aid is also far superior to its predecessors in tackling background noise. It is important to remember that it is not possible to eliminate background noise, however they are able to recognise background noise and maintain a better signal to noise ratio enabling the user to hear speech better in that environment
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Digital aids can be programmed by an external computer and adjusted to suit the specific needs of each individual wearer. A further advantage is that annoying 'whistling' is reduced.
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