How Do Volume Controls Work, and Do Hearing-Impaired Consumers Really Need Them?
By Wagner, Morten, BSEE; Hearing Review, Vol. 13, No. 12, pp. 30-35Publication Date: November 2006
Article focuses on the use of volume controls in hearing instruments, as a recent Hearing Review dispenser survey indicated that 57 percent of all hearing aids contain the technology. The following reasons for this are listed: (1) volume controls provide people who use hearing aids with a sense of control; (2) volume controls can compensate for sound environments that are not predicted by signal processing algorithms; (3) they allow for people who use hearing aids to decide how little he or she actually wants to hear; (4) volume controls allow for rapid changes in gain setting; and (5) the use of volume controls is a habit from previous devices. Ways manufacturers can ensure that volume control components are not completely replaced by signal processing algorithms are discussed.
Published by: Ascend Media LLC (Website:http://www.ascendmedia.com)
Link to text: http://www.hearingreview.com/issues/articles/2006-11_05.asp
