Hear Ye, Hear Ye... (Boomers!)

                                                             

Things are slow at Math-Frolic, as I bide time watching the drip, drip, drip of daily news and those who be twisting slowly, slowly in the wind. ;)
Sometime in the next week will probably post my usual year-end compendium of books (and 'math book-of-the-year') for your Holiday shopping; but today just another off-topic post for the few who may be interested (ye "boomers" ;) .… 
Over a year ago I wrote HERE about my personal experience with PSAPs (personal sound amplifying products), cheap substitutes for hearing aids. With a year+ added experience I’ll update that info:

I’ve now owned 4 of these devices (for a single ear), 2 of which were the same $20 model I initially talked about. For my ear that $20 model was the most comfortable (and slimmest) model, and while I wear this item limited hours on any given day, the longer you do wear them the more important comfort becomes as a consideration. And again I was surprised by how much benefit this cheapie product did afford (especially in non-crowded situations). On the downside, though initially a single charge of this (re-chargeable) unit would last close to 2 days, soon the product was only lasting about 6 hrs. on one charge — this becomes quite a nuisance to need re-charging before even getting through a day. Also, the product was somewhat flimsy and needed to be handled with care (let's just say I had to repair it with super glue a couple of times). I wouldn't much expect it to last more than a year even with proper care (but again you could buy one of these every 6 months for years on end and still spend less than the cost of a single real hearing aid).

The second product I bought (~$75) had slightly better sound-filtering quality, and was sturdier than the $20 product, but this was counterbalanced by the same need for frequent re-charging and being much less comfortable (due to being slightly thicker). Overall, the two products were almost a toss-up; one with slightly better hearing quality and sturdiness, the other being cheaper and more comfortable (though comfort will depend on the size/shape of your individual ear).

The last device I bought, again ~$70, was battery operated (instead of re-chargeable) — some of these PSAPs require 2 very small batteries (which I wished to avoid), but the one I chose required a single, larger, easier-to-handle and maneuver battery — the hype said a battery would last 500 hrs., but I find it to be more like maybe 200 hrs. — still better than having to re-charge each-and-every day (and the batteries aren’t too expensive). Also, its hearing quality is at least on par with the 2nd device I owned, if not slightly better, and it’s thinner and more comfortable (than the 2nd device), so overall (price/comfort/sound-quality) I regard it as the best of those I’ve tried (though they're all somewhat close), and for the time being will probably stick with single-battery-run options in the future, until more progress is made with re-chargeables (I also may look more seriously at German, Japanese, and American made models at some point; the ones I’ve had thus far are all Chinese made, and I suspect subject to lower quality control).

Even buying 4 of these devices in one year’s time, I’ve spent less than $200 (and attained some significant satisfaction) versus the $2000++ a real hearing aid would cost (and perhaps need replacement within 5 years time). Your mileage may vary (and there are certainly many instances/conditions where a true hearing aid may be necessary; I would just caution that real hearing aids, despite the increased cost, can still be difficult to maintain, fit, adjust or operate properly, and be easy to lose!). Obviously, if money is no object for you, or you have insurance covering hearing aids, you may not want to mess with PSAPs. And again, prices, quality, and availability of all these products ought continue to improve notably as the market for them continues to widen. (Walmart is increasingly expanding into the actual hearing aid market, and Costco has been there for some time).

Here's a recent podcast (~23 min.) on hearing loss and hearing aids:
https://ia801408.us.archive.org/31/items/groks898/groks111319.mp3

[If anyone cares to relate their own experiences with these type products, feel free to in the comments.]

Anyway, in my next post I should get back to a little bit about math... and will make a small, cordial request of Ben Orlin along the way... ;)