Duplicating a hearing aid curve with a graphic eq?

[okgb]

I'm not looking for reasons why it's not a good idea or won't work, but rather best ways to implement such an idea. The request comes from my brother who has hearing aids but wanted to use headphones without them. So I'm looking for " best " ways to make it work. On the easy or straight forward way I thought simply run the headphone out of his interface into an eq and find a way to extract another headphone output, but impedances and drive issues could scuttle that, anyone have practical experience or good [ positive ] opinions ? tia - okgb

 

[gyraf]

..best option would probably be having himself adjusting eq until sounds natural again..

/Jakob E.

 

[okgb]

Natural is subjective because you get used to loses, you don't hear what you can't hear?

headphone unbalanced outs to eq, eq out to a trs 1/4" jack for headphones ? I'll simply try this but expect that work as I hope but I guess one can also use the eq to compensate!

 

[abbey road d enfer]

I'm not looking for reasons why it's not a good idea or won't work, but rather best ways to implement such an idea. The request comes from my brother who has hearing aids but wanted to use headphones without them. So I'm looking for " best " ways to make it work. On the easy or straight forward way I thought simply run the headphone out of his interface into an eq and find a way to extract another headphone output, but impedances and drive issues could scuttle that, anyone have practical experience or good [ positive ] opinions ? tia - okgb

I would suggest you start with an app such as this one
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobile.eaudiologia&hl=en_US&gl=USThen you can set an EQ.
However, a proper hearing aid would provide dynamic EQ because once the hearing threshold is exceeded, there is less need for EQ.
I would use a mix of dry and wet signal where there is less wet (EQ'd) signal when the level is high.

 

[gyraf]

Natural would be what matches whatever the hearing aid used to do - and isn't this what is wanted?

 

[abbey road d enfer]

Natural would be what matches whatever the hearing aid used to do - and isn't this what is wanted?

Hearing aid tuning is based on audiophonic measurements and how they evolve with perceived level. There is a compressor as well. A most common comment by new bearers is that it doesn't sound natural...

 

[gyraf]

.. I assumed he had adjusted to the hearing aid already, just needed non-aid-headphones adding the same formant for cognitive economy..

 

[abbey road d enfer]

But how can he duplicate the response of the hearing aid?

 

[alphasnk]

it would be amazing if we could capture its eq curve with an impulse response

 

[JohnRoberts]

Not sure how to measure a hearing aid transfer function without specialized interfaces...
===
+1 to giving the user a GEQ, maybe a comp-limiter.

JR

 

[cyrano]

Can't you just ask the audiologist?

Over here, when you need to get a hearing aid, you'll get all the data in a report. In case another audiologist needs to continue the work.

 

[abbey road d enfer]

it would be amazing if we could capture its eq curve with an impulse response

The problem is the test equipment required to do that. You need a dedicated transducer to feed the hearing aid"s mic and another for the ear conduit.

 

[alphasnk]

I had never asked myself how a hearing aid worked, thank you Abbey.

 

[okgb]

I hooked up a rane eq from the headphone out of my digi interface and feed that directly to a stereo jack for the headphones and it seems to work fine, clean & clear, funny when you start to remaster music like that it doesn't necessarily sound " better " . I'll propose he put an eq in the master bus of one of his sessions and see how that feels,
But like anything you get used to, it becomes a reference and if your mixes are turning out good to others and you enjoy
other music then it's ok. If it were easy to try a hearing aid as an experiment I'd do it but at 5 grand not likely!

 

[snirfelton]

The headphones could reach an output level of max 118 dB (according to Europe regulation) while the hearing aid can produce a level of 135 dB or more, non distorted or slightly distorted. This means that even with an EQ the headphone will not be a good substitute to the hearing aid, because not able to amplify to much all the frequencies to be able to solve all the hearing impairment.

 

[JohnRoberts]

So use a hearing aid ear bud with a GEQ....

JR

 

[okgb]

i guess we'll find out, though as I say, I'm not looking for reasons why it won't work.

 

[Tubetec]

Theres a few flavours of hearing aid software , it requires a special adapter cable and programing box , theres a mini plug in the hearing aid itself , once you plug in and run the software you have control of the curve and various other parameters of the hearing aid , its all done digitally .
I did have an audiologist test my hearing once , its fairly unscientific , you raise your right hand when a tone becomes just barely audible , he cycles through the frequencies and makes a rough EQ curve which he then applies via software to the ear piece .
They have a tendency to tell you what you want to hear to make a sale , the profit margins are huge on these things , you can read my other post on hearing aid repair below .

 

[JohnRoberts]

I have been seeing ads for cheaper hearing aids. No good reason that these are so expensive...

JR

 

[Brian Roth]

In some (many?) states in the USA, you have a state license to sell hearing aids. There is a "Board of Hearing Aids" regulated by the state....kinda like who gets to sell eyeglasses or cut your hair.

Keeps out the competition....

Bri