Hi Dick,
All i can say is DO IT!
I'm still in my 30's (for a few more weeks anyway!) and have now had Oticon
hearing aids for a year and a half. It took me a while to get the courage up to
do it and get over the stigma etc but it was the best $10K i have spent. Like
you have said, i can now hear birds that i never had a chance of hearing
before. They have made life so much more enjoyable for me in so many ways.
One of the reasons i went with the top model Oticons was that they had a
frequency range up to 10kHz as opposed to 8kHz as the "cheaper" ones did. The
audiologists at Macquarie Uni were very helpful and I made it very clear about
the birding etc from the start. As Arwen has mentioned birds are often at
higher frequencies.
Cheers
Dave
On 05/12/2010, at 6:56 PM, Arwen B. Ximenes wrote:
Hi there Dick,
I'm not overly aware of the process involved in programming hearing aids and
you have probably done this already, but I imagine it is worth making your
interest in birds known to the programmer (and the fact that bird calls
encompass a wider frequency range than human speech). The frequencies in human
speech go up to about 5kHz (some consonants like 's' and 'sh' and the harmonics
in some vowels), and hearing aids might be programmed primarily around human
speech , I'm not sure. I do know that cochlear implants are designed
specifically for human speech, so music and I imagine bird song can sound
distorted. I think. Anyway, just a suggestion to check this out - especially if
it is so costly.
How fantastic this little device has enhanced your birding experience in such a
fundamental way! I say go for hearing aids (I wish my dad would... :). Good
luck.
Cheers,
Arwen
.........................................
Arwen Blackwood Ximenes
Lawson, Blue Mountains, NSW
From:
To:
Date: Sun, 5 Dec 2010 15:15:56 +1100
Subject: Hearing Birds
Hi all
Since my teenage years I have always had problems hearing high pitched
sounds, particularly noticeable with Wrens, Finches , Thornbills etc .
It first came to light when I would be walking with my wife or others that
could hear, and I would say it is very quiet today and they would say no
there is heaps of birds around !
I have a very good eye for a bird so probably compensating for my lack of
hearing. I will often see birds that others have missed because they are not
calling.
I had a hearing test done 6 years ago which confirmed what I already knew,
but as the hearing aids that may correct this were $6000 a pair, I decided I
didn't need to hear extra birds that much.
Recently Hunter Hearing in conjunction with WIDEX Hearing Aids had a 30 day
free trial offer for their latest technology hearing aids, so I decided to
try them out.
My hearing had deteriorated even further since my last test so definitely
worth a try.
Frequencies over about 1.5 khz become harder for me to hear. My lower
frequency hearing is just under normal now also.
The hearing aids have a program to increase the clarity and decrease
background noise. I have been testing them out for the last week or so just
with normal situations of television , music etc and whilst I can now have
the volume lower, I am still no better off than before.
However, today , Lynn and I went for an early morning bird walk to see what
we could hear and I was absolutely blown away by the difference between them
in and out. Not only were all the birds louder , I could hear Wrens ,
Finches etc from a further distance than I could before. Some birds had a
level to their call that I didn't even know existed ! It was almost
deafening J. Sacred Kingfishers, Pheasant Coucals, Superb Fairy-wren,
Red-browed Finches , Silvereyes, Rufous and Golden Whistlers, Black-faced
Monarchs, Fan-tailed and Brush Cuckoo, Grey Fantail, Brown Quail, Lewins ,
Scarlet and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters , plus Rosellas , Galahs , Magpies ,
Crows etc
> From our front veranda I could hear Grey Shrike-thrush, Brush Cuckoo ,
Scarlet Honeyeater and Golden Whistler calling along the river which is at
least 300 metres away, that I couldn't hear without the aids.
The model is WIDEX Passion Clear 440 and they are now $10,000 a pair !!!
Are they worth it ..... I still have one week to decide.
I would be interested to hear of anyone else's experiences with hearing
aids.
Cheers
Dick Jenkin DUNGOG NSW
Aft
Lynn and Dick Jenkin
Tashkent Friesians
PO Box 92 Dungog NSW 2420
02 49921158
<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Django-of-Cacharel/147336717447?ref=ts>
Djangos Facebook Page
<http://tashkentfriesians.com/> Tashkent Friesians
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