One of the more useful elements of many of today’s hearing aids is the directional microphone. Let’s take a closer look at what exactly a directional microphone is, as well as how it improves your listening experience.
How Does a Directional Microphone Work?
Much like the name suggests, directional microphones make it easier for hearing aid users to pick up on sounds from specific directions. Traditional omnidirectional microphones pick up sound from every direction equally. This can make it harder to tune out unwanted background noise and focus on what you want to hear.
Directional microphones work in different ways, depending on the type. Some are single microphones with multiple ports on both sides of the sound-receiving sensor. Any sound that comes from both sides (which is usually background noise) gets canceled out. This allows the user to focus on sound coming from a single direction.
Other hearing aids have multiple microphones. This allows the device to be extra selective about which sounds to focus on, as well as what to suppress.
How Directional Microphones Can Benefit You
Our listening environments change throughout the day, and sometimes we find ourselves in louder places. If you’re having a fun night out with friends in Reno somewhere like Wild River Grille, you want to make sure that you can follow the conversation and enjoy a night of socializing.
Background noise, like multiple voices talking at once or music playing in the background, is hard for most people to tune in, but especially difficult if you have hearing loss. Research has shown that directional microphones can significantly improve speech recognition in noise.
Do You Need Hearing Aids?
If you haven’t been treated for hearing loss but have noticed that you’re having a harder time understanding what others are saying or that you’re needing to turn up the TV or radio louder than you used to, schedule an appointment for a hearing test.
These exams are quick, painless and offer immediate insight into whether or not you have hearing loss, as well as the cause and severity of your condition.
If you do have hearing loss, your audiologist will likely recommend hearing aids. During these initial conversations, they’ll get information from you about your style preferences, as well as explain different technology features, such as directional microphones, to find the best pair for you.
If you would like more information or wish to schedule an appointment with one of our hearing specialists, call LeMay Hearing & Balance today.