When choosing hearing aids, we often hear the word "number of channels", so what is the number of channels and what does it do? More channels mean finer hearing aid tuning and more precise sound compensation, which means hearing aid sound can be clearer and more comfortable.
The number of channels of a hearing aid refers to the number of frequency bands that the hearing aid can adjust independently.
The range of sound that the human ear can hear is about 20Hz-20000Hz, and the language we communicate with in daily life is mainly concentrated between 250Hz-8000Hz. The channel of the hearing aid is to divide this frequency range into several small segments, each small segment is a channel, and each channel can independently adjust the sound volume, compression ratio, noise reduction, speech enhancement and other functions. The higher the number of channels, the more refined the sound can be processed by the hearing aids, which improves the clarity and comfort of the sound.
Multi-channel hearing aids can independently adjust the amplification parameters of each channel, including gain, compression, maximum sound output MPO, and other parameters to meet the unique needs of each person with hearing loss. More channels mean finer hearing aid tuning and more precise sound compensation, which means hearing aid sound can be clearer and more comfortable. As the number of channels increases, the hearing care professional can minimize the loss of speech intelligibility while reducing noise. If the hearing aid has only one channel, reducing the noise will also affect the amplification of speech, resulting in a decrease in speech intelligibility.
In addition, multi-channel technology includes directivity, speech enhancement, and noise suppression, which allows hearing aids to distinguish between noise and speech within the channel, and separates the speech signal from the noise, allowing the user to hear more clearly.
The number of hearing aid channels can be selected based on the advice of a hearing care professional. Usually among OTC hearing aids, a hearing aid with 16 channels is a good choice. Affordable OTC hearing aids can often meet the needs of mild to severe hearing loss.
The user's living environment and daily needs will also affect the choice of the number of channels. For example, for users who are often in noisy environments, more channels may be needed to better filter and distinguish sounds from different sources. For users whose main requirement is to hear clear speech, the number of channels can be appropriately reduced to reduce costs and simplify operations.
The number of channels of hearing aids is very important, but it is not the only determining factor, based on your own hearing situation and listening needs, combined with hearing loss and financial ability, it is best to choose the most suitable one for you.
CADENZA is a high-quality OTC hearing aid brand. If you have any cooperation in the online OTC hearing aid business, you can contact CADENZA.