Even with hearing aids, hearing speech in noise is an issue. Hearing-assistive tech fills the gap.

Hearing aids are valuable devices for users and improve their ability to hear to a certain extent. However, they don’t fully restore a person’s hearing abilities and there’s one area in particular where they are weak—helping users hear speech in background noise. It is widely acknowledged that speech in noise is the most common complaint of hearing aid users. This is where hearing-assistive technology comes in, to fill the gaps hearing aids have (even the expensive models) in enabling users to hold effortless conversations in loud places, like restaurants and social gatherings.

What is hearing-assistive technology? 

Some people assume “hearing devices” and “hearing-assistive technology” both mean hearing aids. Hearing devices include everything from hearing aids to earbuds and cochlear implants. Hearing-assistive technology encompasses three categories, which can be used with or without hearing aids, to improve hearing and communication for users with hearing loss:

1. Listening devices enable users to “capture sound from a source and bring it directly to the ear, mitigating the impact of distance and environmental noise and reverberation.” Examples are remote microphones or direct connections to TV sound.

2. Alerting devices typically let users select from audible, tactile, and visual signals to show incoming calls, texts, or someone at the front door, just to name a few functions. 

3. Phones are more accessible than ever. Specialty landline phones can display text from the conversations for users to read. Smartphones use Bluetooth to connect to hearing aids, allowing users to hold phone conversations with the audio output directly in their ears. They can even provide real-time captions.

Where does HeardThat fit?

HeardThat is in the listening device category. Our award-winning, hearing-assistive app addresses the critical problem hearing aid users face — hearing speech in background noise. Users simply connect their hearing aids to their smartphones, start a session in the HeardThat app, and use the slider to reduce or eliminate background noise in restaurants, coffee shops, or other social situations. Stop straining to hear conversations, and start your month-long free trial of HeardThat today to have effortless conversations this holiday season.