Helpful app for hearing test, whether on not you buy something

[micky]

This app came with the yoke-style sound amplifier I bought, but it seems
to work with a cell phone and earbuds too, and though it's not what an
audiologist would do, IMO it's pretty good, and easy, and includes more
than I would have espected** you don't have to buy the sound amplifier
if you don't want, though I've included the link

**It tests hearing at iirc 4 frequencies and goes up and down, and maybe
up and down again, narrowing in on the lowest level at which you hear
the sounds, for each ear.

Even for my the $150 yoke style that I got, it seems to apply the
results of the test to the amplification, though I didn't try this until
yesterday, so I have no idea if it changed anything. OTOH, mayyyybe
even for their fancier hearing aids, they use no more than this same
app.

But I'm offering this mostly as afun way to look at your hearing,
without even leaving your desk.

The manual, which I haven't read yet, and I should:
https://www.myhearingservice.com/app/soundwear/soundwear2manual.pdf

Here is the app,
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=SOUNDWEAR&utm_source=opensearch&pli=1&c=apps

Here is my product, but they make various kinds including behind the ear
with the little tube.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3MDFNRB?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

[Tim R]

Off topic, but my Dad told me a story about his entrance physical in the Army. He said at one point the doctor said, "read the writing on the chart." My Dad said, "what chart?" The doctor made a check mark on the form and said, "hearing okay."

[Retirednoguilt]

These devices, with relatively unsophisticated electronics, are very
likely all you need if your problem relates to hearing dialog on the
radio, TV, or in the movies. Those environments are generally quiet
except for the audio information you are interested in hearing.
However, if your problem also involves comprehending speech when there's
interfering sound, such as at restaurants, dinner parties at a private
home, while talking walks with one or more people adjacent to a street
in an urban setting etc., they are often inadequate and true hearing
aids may be needed.

[micky]

In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 26 Sep 2023 09:34:42 -0400, Retirednoguilt

Yes, I'm usually alone listening to the radio or TV (which I can just
make a little louder) or with one person 80% of whom talk loud enough
that I have no trouble. Or on the phone**. But a couple days ago I was
in an informal crowd and noticed that with the Maihear yoke device it
was hard to hear one convesation because an other kept interfering. And
noises I would not have noticed, would have thought small, were just as
loud as the conversations. When I took the buds out of my ears, I could
hear the conversation I wanted without being bothered by the other
stuff. It's strange.

It's also strange, IMO, that voices only get a little louder but other
noises get far louder, like even the tapping of the keyboard keys or the
rustling of paper. Maybe it's that logarithmic thing about sound, or
maybe the little noises don't really get more louder but they surpass
some level of loudness at which my mind doesn't ignore them anymore.
Maybe we learn to ignore little noises below a certain level.


(Footnotes become less interesting the more asterisks they have.)

**the phone is interesting. When they are on speakerphone I have no
trouble hearing them, but they sometimes can't hear me because my
speakerphone is flakey***. When I use the handset, I often can't hear
them. Sometimes I switch it on and off depending who's talking but I'm
working on a long term solution which is connecting a Western Electric
phone in the same location. I have a dial Princess phone from 63+ years
ago that I'm sure works perfectly. Hmmm. It pays to discuss this stuff
here. I also have a Western Electric handset that is hanging in the
bathroom, connected to a wall plate with an on/off switch, a neon light
to know when it's ringing, and a buzzer with a separate switch. No one
calls me when I'm in the bathtub anymore and that would take up less
space than a whole Princess. I hadn't thought of that until I tried to
explain things to you.

***I don't want to buy another speakerphone because I'm cheap and I have
a base station, 3 cordless extensions, and 3 spares with charging
holders I bought on ebay for when the extensions fail. (After on one the
on/off started failing, but after it failed entirely, I found the
speakerphone button is as good or better.)

[Retirednoguilt]

On 9/26/2023 11:56 AM, micky wrote:

>
> It's also strange, IMO, that voices only get a little louder but other
> noises get far louder, like even the tapping of the keyboard keys or the
> rustling of paper. Maybe it's that logarithmic thing about sound, or
> maybe the little noises don't really get more louder but they surpass
> some level of loudness at which my mind doesn't ignore them anymore.
> Maybe we learn to ignore little noises below a certain level.
>
>

This is often because of microphone placement issues within a device and
absence of hi-tech filtration both in items such as your yoke device and
in lower tech hearing aids. You end up with essentially omnidirectional
non-selective amplification of all sound in the environment. The higher
tech (but more expensive hearing aids) have adjustable amplification
levels for both the microphones designed and placed to emphasize sound
in front of and somewhat to the side of the user and for the microphones
that are designed and placed to give the user help hearing sounds behind
(both for sound location and safety purposes). In addition, there can
be multiple adjustable filters for frequency accentuation/attenuation,
for damping of short duration, high amplitude sounds, etc. etc.
However, unless and until properly adjusted, the hi tech hearing aids
are likely produce results no better than the cheap stuff. That's why
the settings need to be tweaked and personalized by a skilled
audiologist in response to the detailed information provided by the
user. This often takes 2-4 visits spaced about a week apart for
reasonable trial after each adjustment. Also, apparently the brain
needs some time to accommodate to the new characteristics of the
auditory input. It's more complicated and difficult to obtain optimal
results than with a visit to the optometrist for a visual exam and Rx
for typical visual correction with eyeglasses.

[micky]

In sci.electronics.repair, on Tue, 26 Sep 2023 05:06:29 -0700 (PDT), Tim

R <timoth...@gmail.com> wrote:

>Off topic, but my Dad told me a story about his entrance physical in the Army. He said at one point the doctor said, "read the writing on the chart." My Dad said, "what chart?" The doctor made a check mark on the form and said, "hearing okay."

That's a good one.

[Bob F]

The one I remember from my pre draft physical - "turn around, bend over,
and spread your cheeks" to a room of naked men.

What a fun job?

[The Real Bev]

On 9/26/23 1:16 AM, micky wrote:
> This app came with the yoke-style sound amplifier I bought, but it seems
> to work with a cell phone and earbuds too, and though it's not what an
> audiologist would do, IMO it's pretty good, and easy, and includes more
> than I would have espected** you don't have to buy the sound amplifier
> if you don't want, though I've included the link
>
> **It tests hearing at iirc 4 frequencies and goes up and down, and maybe
> up and down again, narrowing in on the lowest level at which you hear
> the sounds, for each ear.
>
> Even for my the $150 yoke style that I got, it seems to apply the
> results of the test to the amplification, though I didn't try this until
> yesterday, so I have no idea if it changed anything. OTOH, mayyyybe
> even for their fancier hearing aids, they use no more than this same
> app.
>
> But I'm offering this mostly as afun way to look at your hearing,
> without even leaving your desk.
>
> The manual, which I haven't read yet, and I should:
> https://www.myhearingservice.com/app/soundwear/soundwear2manual.pdf
>
> Here is the app,
> https://play.google.com/store/search?q=SOUNDWEAR&utm_source=opensearch&pli=1&c=apps

Tried it with my earbuds with the collar-thing. Interesting. It says I
have 16% loss in one ear and 12% in the other, but I know it's worse
than that. It doesn't test low frequencies, but those really aren't
important.

> Here is my product, but they make various kinds including behind the ear
> with the little tube.
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3MDFNRB?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

We tried one like that, but it really needs separate volume controls and
hooks over the ears to keep the buds from falling out. The collar-thing
is nice, but it would be better if there were also those soft
over-the-ear hooks that keep the buds in place.

--
Cheers, Bev
"A friend is someone who puts the needs of others above their own.
Find one of those people and take advantage of him." --Rat

[John Robertson]

Did you try exchanging the earbuds from one ear to the other and try the
test again? No guarantee that the earbuds are perfect is there?

...

John :-#)#

[Allodoxaphobia]

And, one of the fellas in my group stuck his 2 index fingers in his
mouth and pulled them apart.

[Bob F]

Chuckle. Nice addition.

[micky]

In sci.electronics.repair, on Tue, 26 Sep 2023 19:09:37 -0700, Bob F

I remember that one, but I was one of the ones bending over. I think
they were checking for flat feet.

[The Real Bev]

No, but the left ear is definitely worse than the right ear due to a
sudden blast of really loud sound from my phone when I was holding it up
to my ear. Loud enough to scare hubby sitting 6 feet away. Given that I
have to turn the speaker function on for normal talking, I had no idea
that the thing could make that loud a sound. Instant serious hearing
loss, which hasn't improved in a month.


--
Cheers, Bev
I've enjoyed just about as much of this as I can stand.

[Tim R]

On Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at 12:16:42 PM UTC-4, Retirednoguilt wrote:
> On 9/26/2023 11:56 AM, micky wrote:
>
> >
> > It's also strange, IMO, that voices only get a little louder but other
> > noises get far louder, like even the tapping of the keyboard keys or the
> > rustling of paper. Maybe it's that logarithmic thing about sound, or
> > maybe the little noises don't really get more louder but they surpass
> > some level of loudness at which my mind doesn't ignore them anymore.
> > Maybe we learn to ignore little noises below a certain level.
> >
> >
> This is often because of microphone placement issues within a device and
> absence of hi-tech filtration both in items such as your yoke device and
> in lower tech hearing aids. You end up with essentially omnidirectional
> non-selective amplification of all sound in the environment. The higher

This is interesting.
I experienced something maybe related recently. I had a long wait in a dental office while a family member was worked on, and I brought a tablet (Android) and a movie downloaded from the library. And headphones, of course, because I'm not a jerk. <g> I think they were a cheap lightweight set like I'd take to the gym.

While watching the movie, it seemed the office was very loud, with the music on the room speakers and the office personnel talking uncomfortably loudly. What would have been routine background noise had become intrusive. At the time I put it down to weird room acoustics but in hindsight it had to be the headphone/tablet combination.