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How to Improve Listening and Hearing Devices

Technology provides us with endless choices of listening and hearing devices. Walk into any electronics outlet and you’ll find 50 different headphone choices for your portable media player. Shopping for hearing aids, you’ll find 15 major brands each offering six to seven models. That’s over 100 kinds to choose from. By themselves, these devices improve your listening and hearing experience, but you can also improve the performance of your listening and hearing devices.

Things You'll Need

  • Earphones
  • Personal media device
  • Cellular phone
  • Hearing aid
  • FM system
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Instructions

  1. Listening

    • 1

      Use earphones that properly fit your ears. The most commonly used listening device is a portable media player. Most include a brand of headphones or earphones. To improve your listening experience, try each size of changeable ear buds included with your earphones. Earphones should fit snuggly and stay in or on your ears. The deeper and tighter your earphones fit, the clearer the sound will be.

    • 2

      Take advantage of the features your listening device has to offer. The best way to improve your current device is to understand its features and how to use them. Most portable media players and cellular phones store music and provide access to FM radio. Another common feature is a wireless capability which allows you to use other devices in conjunction with your cellular phone or media player. A wireless tuner lets you stream audio from your personal player to your car stereo. You can listen to all your favorite music plus audio books or recorded presentations while driving. The wireless function also allows you to connect your listening device with other peoples' compatible devices when in close proximity. You can wirelessly share media between friends and family.

    • 3

      Use one listening or hearing device for multiple listening and hearing situations. Imagine wearing one earphone that gives you access to your cellular phone, music collection, radio and computer media. Bluetooth technology is now available in various listening and hearing devices. A Bluetooth earpiece can be linked to all of your Bluetooth enabled devices. Cell phones, computers, personal media players, assistive listening devices and even hearing aids offer Bluetooth capability. Bluetooth improves listening by streaming audio or speech signals directly to your earpiece.

    Hearing

    • 4

      Purchase hearing aids with listening-enhancing capabilities. Hearing aids are designed using computer circuitry, digital processing, sound compression technology and many other advanced features to produce clear quality sound for people with hearing loss. Today’s most advanced hearing aids have gone a step further by adding wireless and Bluetooth features. If you actively use a personal media player, cellular phone and/or computer, you may want to consider improving your hearing and hearing devices at the same time. Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids use a remote to stream Bluetooth signals from a device to your hearing aid. You can have three to four devices synced to your hearing aids, but only one device can be used at a time. The remote allows you to switch between devices. Some remotes allow you to control the devices and your hearing aids. You can answer your cell phone by pushing a button on the Bluetooth remote, then hear the call through your hearing aid.

    • 5

      Use an FM system in conjunction with hearing aids to improve the performance of your hearing aids. Personal FM listening systems offer people with severe to profound hearing loss more options for improved hearing. Personal FM systems are small, worn around your neck or clipped to your shirt. A small portable microphone wirelessly communicates with the FM receiver. You can place the microphone on a table or clip it onto a sound source in situations where you want to improve your hearing. Hearing aids have wireless or push button functions for connecting with FM systems. The sound entering the FM microphone is streamed directly to the FM receiver and heard through your hearing aids. FM systems can also be used with earphones.

    • 6

      Inquire about loop systems when you’re at movie theaters, religious venues, concert venues and conference venues. Most large hotels, entertainment facilities and places of worship, have built-in FM loop systems. This technology works with T-coil compatible hearing aids. By switching a button on your hearing aid, you can connect to the loop system, and the sound being presented is streamed directly into your hearing aids. This provides hearing improvement in places where people with hearing loss have the most trouble hearing clearly. Facilities equipped with loop systems also have headphones for people without compatible hearing aids to use.

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