No problem at all!
Going to a concert with a hearing aid? – Why not!? The latest hearing aids, in particular, help you enjoy music across its full dynamic range. That way, music lovers can once again get the most out of their experience—even with a hearing aid!
We’ve already covered this in our article “Hearing Technology: How Hearing Aids Handle Reverb and Music”: The new systems combine the enjoyment of music with speech understanding. A special program, which can be activated as needed, ensures that the microphones pick up music from all directions. Added to this is “InterEar Speech Enhancement,” which enables effortless understanding of spoken words in conversational situations.
Nevertheless, in concert halls—though now rather rarely—you can still hear an unpleasant whistling sound—the culprit: hearing aids.
The Whistling in the Concert Hall
From time to time, disruptive noises from hearing aids can be heard in the hall. In most cases, the cause of this unpleasant whistling is feedback triggered by loud music.
One possible cause is that hearing aids are not optimally fitted to the ear. This creates a sort of leak through which sound can escape. Another, albeit rarer, cause can be a poorly adjusted feedback management system in modern hearing aids. The purpose of this system is to suppress the device’s own noise. However, it can sometimes happen that such a system is unable to accurately identify pure tones—such as those from a solo violin—and therefore does not respond correctly.
The solution: a visit to a hearing care professional
Most hearing care professionals offer the option to try out a hearing aid for free in everyday situations before making a final purchase—so why not simply test it out in a concert hall? You can have the settings of the trial device fine-tuned at the specialty store at any time. And if the loaner device doesn’t suit you, feel free to test others—until you’re sure you’ve found the right hearing aid and the right settings.
However, attending a concert doesn’t necessarily mean you need a new hearing aid! This raises the question: What can hearing aid users do to avoid distracting noises at a concert?
Hearing aid specialists primarily recommend reducing the amplification. This is especially true for people with severe hearing loss, as their hearing aids usually provide very high amplification. The situation is different for people with mild hearing loss—in these cases, there’s hardly any cause for concern.
You can use a simple test at home to check whether your hearing aid’s volume is set correctly. Place your hand over the ear where the hearing aid is located and stand very close to a music system turned up loud. Someone standing nearby can then check whether a whistling sound is audible. If this is the case, the hearing aid’s amplification must be reduced until no background noise is heard.
With modern devices, the solution to this problem is somewhat more complex. Newer hearing aids feature the aforementioned feedback manager. This works similarly to a special listening program for music that is tailored to the wearer’s listening habits. The more modern and high-quality a hearing aid is, the more options there are to reduce the risk of whistling while still enjoying good sound quality.
To ensure you can enjoy a concert with peace of mind in the future, consulting a specialist is undoubtedly the best and safest option. You can find a list of hearing care professionals in your area here.
