Music lovers may want to consider that the type of sound processing provided by technically advanced hearing instruments to help wearers make speech more understandable may also make music enjoyment more difficult. Current hearing instruments utilize “wide dynamic range compression,” which is sound processing that leaves loud sounds untouched while amplifying softer sounds. Although this type of processing helps wearers better understand what their conversation partners are saying, it can distort the music. Further complicating the situation is the fact that recorded music is subjected to “compression limiting,” which squeezes louder and softer sounds together into a narrower range, thereby increasing the perceived volume. Too much compression limiting can affect the quality of music even for people with normal hearing.
We bring you this column about better hearing in order to provide our readers with information that we hope they will find helpful whether they already wear hearing instruments, or perhaps feel they may have an impairment and wish to explore their options. It’s all about YOUR hearing at EAR & HEARING CLINIC, where you’ll find compassionate, skilled individuals ready to start (and keep you) on the road to better hearing. Call us to arrange a painless hearing test, and “Hear the Sounds of Life.”
