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jhatpro Heavyweight Member
Joined: 17 Mar 2002 Posts: 10205 Location: The Land Beyond O'Hare
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jhatpro Heavyweight Member
Joined: 17 Mar 2002 Posts: 10205 Location: The Land Beyond O'Hare
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Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:46 pm Post subject: |
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Got my new Bernafon 9 Chronos hearing aids and I'm impressed! They're comfortable and, with three settings I can change easily from 360 degrees of pickup to 120 degrees to live music without removing them.
Tried playing my horn with the live music setting on and I hear top to bottom with no distortion. The tone is different - not bad, just different - but, acording to my Korg tuner, I'm hearing and playing pitches correctly.
I have a brass band rehearsal tomorrow night. I'll let you know how it goes. _________________ Jim Hatfield
"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus
2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle |
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jhatpro Heavyweight Member
Joined: 17 Mar 2002 Posts: 10205 Location: The Land Beyond O'Hare
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:01 am Post subject: |
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Wore my new ear gear throughout a 2-hour brass band rehearsal last night.
I was playing 2nd cornet, which is one of the quieter spots with no brass behind me. I had my aids set on Live Music with the pickup volume at 80 percent.
I definitely heard more - the conductor was loud and distinct, the percussion section sounded like they were changing a tire (I could hear it every a drum was moved or a mallet was dropped) and I heard more missed notes than usual.
The timbre of my horn and the other insruments sounded much crisper. Not an objectionable sound - just different. My audiologist says my brain will eventually recognize the new quality as normal.
All in all, I was impressed! _________________ Jim Hatfield
"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus
2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle |
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Comeback Heavyweight Member
Joined: 22 Jun 2011 Posts: 1143
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 12:43 pm Post subject: hearing |
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Thank you for the reports, Jim. This is useful and encouraging for all of us that are beginning to suffer some hearing loss.
Jim |
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percivalthehappyboy Heavyweight Member
Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 731
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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Speaking of hearing aids and frequency response, I just watched "Wild, Wild West" on video (the recent movie), and General "Bloodbath" McGrath had me wondering... how about an old-school hearing aid: a brass horn on the ear? |
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jhatpro Heavyweight Member
Joined: 17 Mar 2002 Posts: 10205 Location: The Land Beyond O'Hare
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 5:58 am Post subject: |
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Percival, I don't think TSA would let me on the plane with one of those.
Meantime, if anyone is still interested in my ongoing journey into the realm of ear gear, I wore them at the Jazz Showcase last night to hear, and I do mean hear, Larry Coryell, Larry Gray, and Paul Wertico do a terrific set. I enjoyed every note, especially their treatment of West Montgomery's Bumpin' on Sunset and Coryell's acoustic tribute to his wife, who was in the front row, on Gershin's Our Love is Here to Stay.
Such a pleasure to see (and hear) musicians having a wonderful time making great music! _________________ Jim Hatfield
"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus
2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle |
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oxleyk Heavyweight Member
Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 4180
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Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 7:00 am Post subject: |
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I've had my Starkey hearing aids a little over a week now and while it's nice to be able to hear people talk or not have the TV so loud, there are certain sounds that have an annoying quality. Sounds like electronic timers, all the musical instruments in my house, and occasionally my wife's voice have what I can only describe as an auto-tune affect to them. When I play trumpet I hear beats in the sound like I'm just out of tune with another player. The distortion is there no matter what setting I have the hearing aids set to. I haven't played in a group yet so I don't know what it will sound like.
I'm in a thirty-day trial period and had a visit with the audiologist yesterday. I explained what I was hearing and he made a few adjustments but the distortion is still there, just not so bad.
Have any of you had this experience?
Kent |
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jhatpro Heavyweight Member
Joined: 17 Mar 2002 Posts: 10205 Location: The Land Beyond O'Hare
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Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 7:12 am Post subject: |
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Kent, I'm very pleased with my Bernafon 9 Chronos aids. They have three modes, including one for live music that enables me to hear music, including my horn and other players as well, without distortion.
Before your trial period runs out you might go to Costco where they'll fit you with a demo pair of Bernafons and let you walk around the store which, with all the noise, is an Aberdeen Proving Ground for hearing aids.
FYI, mine cost $2,600 a pair. I've talked to other wearers who've paid close to $6,000! _________________ Jim Hatfield
"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus
2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle |
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elizabeth.evens New Member
Joined: 15 Jan 2013 Posts: 4
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:28 am Post subject: |
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Hey jhatpro, I have been using my hearing aids since past 3 years now and I really wonder how much I had missed when I didnt got one. Hope you are enjoying with your HAs. |
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jhatpro Heavyweight Member
Joined: 17 Mar 2002 Posts: 10205 Location: The Land Beyond O'Hare
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:44 am Post subject: |
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Thanks, Elizabeth. I know what you mean! _________________ Jim Hatfield
"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus
2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle |
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perspective Veteran Member
Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 189 Location: Southampton. England
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:27 am Post subject: |
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Welcome to the club, jhatpro. I'm amazed there's been such a response to your post - Ah ,so, I'm not alone, then. My hearing loss was caused by hearing damage as against age-related. It just goes to show what excessive noise over long periods can do to your ears. Experienced ENT surgeons can tell by the shape of the test curve whether it's noise damage or not. Typically, there is a sharp drop at about 500 - 1000 HZ to 4 K/HZ and much of the higher frequencies would be well down too. Mine started with tinnitus (high pitched whistle or hiss in the ears), that usually accompanies hearing damage.
You will hear things differently because you will be presented with sounds that you haven't heard properly for a long time, like the twittering of birds, the chink of a bunch of keys, the way paper russles, water flushing down the loo etc.
As for types of hearing aids, we have, on this side of the pond, Seimans, Phonak, Oticon, as the main players, but there are others They all boast the ability to screen out unwanted noise in noisy situation but never really deliver on that one. Technically, I don't think it's possible, but because they know that this is of great concern to a lot of people, they go on plugging it in their advertising.
Anyway, all the best with them. Perhaps you will now be able to hear the guy that wags the stick when he ' whispers ' the next piece to put on your stand, rather than have to wait to see what the guy next to you is pulling out of his folder. Yeah, I know, I've been there ) |
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jhatpro Heavyweight Member
Joined: 17 Mar 2002 Posts: 10205 Location: The Land Beyond O'Hare
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:51 am Post subject: |
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Thanks, perspective. They sure have changed what I can hear. Now, even though I live 25 miles from downtown Chicago, I can hear the gunshots. _________________ Jim Hatfield
"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus
2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle |
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mike ansberry Heavyweight Member
Joined: 03 Jun 2003 Posts: 1607 Location: Clarksville, Tn
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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I am considering hearing aids, but I hate to drop that kind of money on something I may not use. I know a few people who really hated them.
You have to go in from time to time for adjustments, right? Maybe that is why some people don't like them. They never got them set right. Jhatpro, do you get good service when you go back to Costco to get adjustments? _________________ Music is a fire in your belly, fighting to get out. You'd better put a horn in the way before someone gets hurt. |
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jhatpro Heavyweight Member
Joined: 17 Mar 2002 Posts: 10205 Location: The Land Beyond O'Hare
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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When it comes to hearing aids, you really have to see - and hear - for yourself. My guess is people who hated them experienced analog equipment, which was bulky, possibly uncomfortable, and maybe even not very effective.
My experience with the Bernafon 9 Chronos hearing aids I got at Costco has been very positive. They work well. They're comfortable. They're so small the're practically unnoticable.
I've had just one return visit for an adjustment. The audiologist was very knowledgable. I suppose some people might be nervous about buying a healthcare item where you can also buy a whole case of soup but, hey, I saved three grand and I'm hearing a lot better. _________________ Jim Hatfield
"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus
2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle |
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percivalthehappyboy Heavyweight Member
Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 731
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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:58 am Post subject: |
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If you play for money, I suppose hearing aids could be as much of an investment as the rest of your equipment. |
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veery715 Heavyweight Member
Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 4313 Location: Ithaca NY
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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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percivalthehappyboy wrote: | If you play for money, I suppose hearing aids could be as much of an investment as the rest of your equipment. | If you play for a living, you can probably write them off as a business expense. _________________ veery715
Hear me sing!: https://youtu.be/vtJ14MV64WY
Playing trumpet - the healthy way to blow your brains out. |
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SatchmoGillespie Heavyweight Member
Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 1806 Location: Dallas, Texas
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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:11 pm Post subject: |
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My father has had hearing loss for some time, some of it due to his health issues he's had since birth and also due to playing in bands with loud bass players. I think he's all but resigned himself to not playing again. He's said that, in his experience, the problem he has is that he doesn't hear the low end of the spectrum(read Bass) very well. From what I've read here, I gather they pick that end up real well. If so, I might try to find a way to get him to try them. I think he's got a few good years left to play. _________________ Jim New S5 M and MS with C Backbore
Del Quadro Grizzly
Stomvi USA Bb
Getzen Severinsen
Kanstul 1525 Flugelhorn |
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perspective Veteran Member
Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 189 Location: Southampton. England
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Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 1:29 am Post subject: |
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SatchmoGillespie. Modern digital aids can be programmed (set-up) to an individuals hearing loss, that's what makes them so different to the analogue ones, which just amplied sound. (I would imagine analogue aids, from dipensers, are all but extinct now. ) Your dad's psrticular loss will show up in the hearing test and the aids will tailor-made to make up those shortfalls at whatever frequencies they occur. |
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jhatpro Heavyweight Member
Joined: 17 Mar 2002 Posts: 10205 Location: The Land Beyond O'Hare
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:08 pm Post subject: |
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Well, here I am nine years later having increasing difficulty hearing. I wore thr Bernafon Chronos 9 HA's until last year when I switched to ReSound GN's sold by Costco.
Those are supposed to be top of the line but they distort what I hear so much I take them out to play. So I ordered a pair of Widex Moment 440 RD's from reformhearing.com. First time I've dealt with an online provider and they've been great so far. The HA's arrive tomorrow and in a few days I have my first "telecare" session with them via the Internet.
The Widex brand was recommended by the MD and audiologist I saw recently, and I read an approving article about them in Bass Magazine which said they are highly recommended for musicians because the signal processing delay is about .05 milliseconds versus ten times that in some HA's. _________________ Jim Hatfield
"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus
2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle |
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Grits Burgh Heavyweight Member
Joined: 04 Oct 2015 Posts: 805 Location: South Carolina
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the update.
I have been wearing hearing aids for 35 years. I've gone through a lot of different sets. I currently have a set by Starkey. They are digital, in-the-ear type, not analog. For conversation, meetings and so forth, I can't do without them. I can use them when I play the piano or when I sing in a barbershop quartet (hey, don't laugh; it's what old guys do). However, I can't use them when I play the trumpet. The sensation that I get is that there is a time delay between when I play a note and when I hear it, as if the software just can't keep up. But my current pair is probably 4 or 5 years old. I presume that the technology improves every year.
Warm regards,
Grits _________________ Bach Stradivarius 37 (1971)
Schilke HC 1
Getzen 3810 C Cornet
King Master Bb Cornet (1945)
B&S 3145 Challenger I Series Flugelhorn
Life is short; buy every horn you want and die happy. |
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