Phonak Audéo PFE, Perfect Fit Earphones

Audéo PFE with microphone (left) and Audéo PFE (right)

I have fairly small ear canals and it can be difficult to find standard sized earphones that are comfortable. I currently have a pair of custom earmolds that I fit over standard iPod earbuds and although they are comfortable, they don’t provide any noise-isolation features. 

After hearing a lot of buzz about the Phonak Audéo PFE from forums and briefly trying out my professor’s pair and finding them very comfortable. I ordered a pair of white ones with a microphone from their website for $159 plus tax. The Audéo PFEs without a microphone retail at $139 plus tax. Available in black or white and with free shipping.

For this price, users have found the frequency quality excellent using the various different audio filters available. CNET reviews gave it the editor’s choice in March 2009. 

What’s included:

• 1 pair of Audéo Perfect Fit Earphones with microphone
• Audio filter box with 6 audio filters (2 grey, 4 black)*,  and changing tool
• Silicone ear tips – 3 pairs (1 pair S, 1 pair M, 1 pair L)
• ComplyTM foam tips – 1 pair M
• Cleaning tool for ear tips
• 2 silicone ear guides
• Carrying case

Coming up… a full review. 

Etymotic custom earpieces – are they worth it?

The Wall Street Journal recently posted an article written by Courtney Banks, who shares her experience with using a pair of custom-fit, noise-isolating earphones by Etymotic, Inc. Listening to any music device can be frustrated in the presence of background noise. There have been published studies that show the effects of listening to mp3 players at very loud volumes for extended periods of time. This type of exposure can lead to noise-induced hearing loss. Since standard earpieces do not block excessive noise in the environment, people tend to crank up the volume on their mp3 players to hear over the noise. According to Etymotic, the custom-fit earphones can reduce ambient noise by 26 decibels.

Good news is that noise-isolating earphones are becoming increasingly more popular. For a more comfortable fit in the ear canal and for a better seal, custom earpieces can be added to Etymotic’s Hf2 noise-isolating earphones ($179). The article describes how an audiologist can take impressions of the ear canal to create the custom piece, which fits on the earphones. These cost an additional $100, but according to Ms. Banks, they are well worth it!

Check out a video of the custom earpieces – Wall Street Journal

To reach a wider audience, Etimoytic is selling the earpieces through Perfectearphones.com and plans to sell them in Apple stores by summertime. The standard earphones are purchased with a voucher. Simply take the voucher to an audiologist’s office to have impressions taken of your ear canal. These impressions are used to create the custom earpiece. Check out the full WSJ article here.

Why Hearing Aids DON’T Suck by Healthy Hearing

A recent article published on the Healthy Hearing website provides a rebuttal to a Wired magazine article titled “Why Things Suck: Hearing Aids,” that according to Healthy Hearing, gave misinformation about current hearing aid technology. Here is one example from the Wired magazine article: “High-end hearing aids add a directional microphone trained in front of the listener, but that increases cost and, critically, bulk.” This is a false statement!


Almost every digital hearing aid on the market today is equipped with directional microphones that can assist the listener understand speech better in noisy situations compared to an omnidirectional microphone that picks up sound from all around. The hearing aids with dual microphones are not more expensive nor do they require larger hearing aid casings. Check out one of Phonak’s new products, the Audéo SMART (pictured), which is a small hearing device with directional microphones offered at all three performance levels along with other features. Not only does this hearing aid have a directional microphone but it has adaptive directionality, like most hearing aids on the market today. This means that the hearing device can be set to automatically evaluate the sound environment and select the best microphone configuration for the situation.


The Wired article also goes on to say, “Hearing aids can cost more than $3,000 apiece,” which is also incorrect! Hearing aid technology comes in a range of prices and do not start at $3,000! The article goes on and on feeding the reader inaccurate information without any resources.


Ok, I digress. Read the article by Healthy Hearing called, “Why Hearing Aids DON’T Suck,” to learn about how hearing aids can improve one’s ability to hear and positively impact the quality of life of hearing impaired individuals. It also provides a good overview of advancements in digital hearing aid technology including design, microphones, digital sound processing and batteries.

FDA Approved: Implantable hearing device

On March 17, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first 100% implantable hearing device called the Esteem® Totally Implantable Hearing System by Envoy Medical Corporation. The goal of the device is to replicate the function of the middle ear bones and improve quality of life.

The Esteem®, which is implanted under the skin behind the ear, consists of three components: a sound processor, a sensor and driver that are all hermetically sealed and biocompatible.

Here’s how it works: the ear naturally receives sound from the environment and the eardrum vibrates. The sensor, which is attached to the middle ear bones, picks up the vibrations and sends it to the sound processor. The sound processor amplifies and filters the signal and sends the signal to the driver, which is attached to the stapes. The driver converts the electrical signal back to vibrations to be delivered to the cochlea. The cochlea then sends the signal to the brain for processing. An audiologist programs the sound processor and the patient has a remote control to adjust the volume and change programs.

The device has been in a clinical trial period for five years. Shohet Ear Associates Medical Group, Inc. of Newport Beach, CA was one of three sites in the nation to participate in the Esteem® clinical trials. They reported, “At a quiet conversation level, average patient speech understanding improved by more than 45% over their hearing aids.”

According to FDA documents, the Esteem is recommended for patients who meet the following criteria.

• Adult subjects 18 years of age or older
• Mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss
• Speech discrimination test score greater than 40%
• Normally functioning Eustachian tube
• Normal middle ear anatomy
• Adequate space for the Esteem® implant

Another criteria that I believe should be included based on my educational training is that patients are candidates if do not benefit from wearing conventional hearing aids. I am looking forward to working with this newly accessible technology and seeing the positive impact it will have on patient’s lives. FDA reports that long-term studies will need to be performed to examine safety and effectiveness, as a condition of the approval.

via FDA

AudiologyNow! 2010 – April 14-17, 2010 – San Diego

The annual American Academy of Audiology (AAA) conference, AudiologyNOW! is a couple weeks away in the beautiful city of San Diego. This conference is considered the “largest gathering of audiologists in the world!”

The conference offers educational sessions, clinical and research presentations, and exhibitors featuring the latest technology in hearing devices, equipment, products and more. Some of the topics discussed at the conference include hearing loss prevention, hearing loss treatment, neuro-audiology, practice management, vestibular among others. 

This will be my second time attending the conference as a student volunteer. It is a great opportunity to learn about the research and technological advancements in the field of audiology. I plan to come away with insightful information to share on this blog!


Visit the AudiologyNOW! website for more information.

Plantronics shows off their wall of ears

If you have ever had earmold impressions taken for your ears, then you probably know that it can be described as a unique experience. Audiologists typically make impressions of ears for custom earplugs, swimmer’s earplugs or hearing aids.

The company Plantronics, which makes Bluetooth accessories, has created a ‘wall of ears’ at its headquarters to show the wide-range of human ear shapes and sizes. This process gives Plantronics some insight for creating headsets that fit on a variety of human ears.

Check out the cool video showing how they create a model of an ear. Head’s up: this is not how it’s done at an audiologist’s office!

Since the video is wide-screen, you can also watch it on YouTube.

Source: Plantronics United Communications Blog

Japan is releasing speakers that fit inside your ear canal this August 2008. Click on the link to read about the technology on Tech-On! Victor’s Earphone Makes Sound Deeper in Ear. (Image from http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/)

Think this might be a bad idea? Definitely! Here’s why…

First of all, the brain adjusts to sound after a while. So, for the argument that having the earphone deeper in the ear would allow people turn the volume down lower than with earphones that do not sit as deep… this would most likely not be the case. As the brain adjusts to the lower volume, people have a tendency of wanting to turn it up.

These speakers definitely have the potential and technology to cause permanent hearing damage. The placement of these speaker units being so close to your eardrum also mean that they are closer to the hair cells of the cochlea (sensory organ of hearing) in the inner ear. Hair cells are responsible for transmitting sound information to the brain. When these hair cells are exposed to loud sounds, anything above 85 dB, they are prone to permanent damage. There is a pie chart created by House Ear Institute with different decibel levels and the number of hours of exposure it would take to cause hearing damage. With repeated exposure at unsafe levels, there would likely be a measurable hearing loss.

Yes although those with hearing loss who are fit with hearing aids have an earmold that sits deeper inside their ear canal, which delivers amplified sound to their ears, they only have access to making minimal adjustments with their volume control. The amount of gain applied is prescribed using objective measures. However with these speakers, unless you were well aware of safe sound levels, you could potentially blow your eardrums. Anyone heard of a ruptured eardrum?

AudiologyNOW! 2008

AudiologyNOW!, the annual audiology convention held by the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) was at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC from April 2-5. This year, the convention was themed “Hear to Stay” to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the American Academy of Audiology. With approximately 7,000 attendees, the event offered learning labs, research poster displays, technological information and the Audiology Solutions exposition.

The expo featured products and services related to audiology including the latest developments in hearing aid technology. The expo included the following categories among many others: diagnostic instruments, hearing aid manufacturers and accessories, implantable devices, earmold/impression material, listening devices, earphones, batteries, and hearing protection. The Employment Service Center is available each year to provide an opportunity for employers and job seekers to network.

The DiscovEARy Zone was a free and interactive station designed for kids to educate about the human ear and hearing loss. More specifically, information about how the ear works, dangerous sounds, information about how to protect ears from loud sounds and hearing screenings provided by audiologists on-site. This was made possible using interactive computer kiosks, hands-on learning tables, displays and listening stations. The DiscovEARy Zone debuted at last year’s convention and was open to the public.

As a first-time attendee, I enjoyed every aspect of the experience and felt I gained some valuable resources as a student. One of the highlights of the event was having an opportunity to meet audiologists, other audiology doctoral students, and professionals and individuals involved in our profession. There was a wealth of information available, such as recent research findings and interesting case studies to learn from. With all the great events and activities, it was just a matter of having enough time to experience everything.

Next year, AudiologyNOW! will be held in Dallas, TX on April 1-4, 2009. For more information and to download the program (PDF) for AudiologyNOW! 2008, you can visit www.audiologynow.org.

Japan’s new bone conduction cellphone

If you have trouble hearing in noisy environments when talking on your cellphone, Japan may have a solution for you. A popular Japanese cellphone provider, KDDI announced that they will release a bone conduction cellphone model A1407PT by Pantech in the next few weeks.

Bone conduction is not a new technology and has been used as an alternative amplification device for hearing impaired individuals who cannot benefit from traditional hearing aids. The basic principle of bone conduction is that a device, in this case a cellphone speaker, is pressed to the head just behind the ear on the mastoid bone. Sound is heard via sounds waves transversing the skull rather than through the outer and middle ear.

This niche product is aimed at workers in Japan that are at building sites with background noise that masks out speech from the cellphone. This technology will only be available in Japan at this time.

Credit: Tech.co.uk

Money magazine reviews “Noise-Isolating” earbuds

Click on the images to read the full article.

A larger image will open in the same window or right click to open in a new window.

The current issue of Money magazine features connecting a review of noise-isolating earbuds to a topic that appears to be receiving more attention in recent months than it has in the past: noise-induced hearing loss. With the popularity of mp3 players, as well as the risk they present with improper use, some magazines are finding good reason to discuss the hearing factors involved in consumer-product reviews. “Easy Listening: Noise-isolating earbuds deliver music in peace, no matter what’s going on around you” by Wilson Rothman channels the main healthy hearing message using a consumer-friendly approach.

Rothman reviews six low-priced model earbuds and declares Creative’s Zen Aurvana, priced at $100, as the Field Test Winner. But before he names the winner, he notes the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders ( www.nidcd.com), which states that exposure to sounds louder than 85 decibels for an extended period of time can cause hearing loss. He further mentions a significant detail that most consumers are unaware of: the maximum volume level on the iPod is 115 decibels. Rothman compares this sound level to a chain saw and grounded jet and provides an alternative to turning up your music to block background noise – buy a pair of decent noise-isolating earbuds to use with your mp3 player.

Although these are not “noise-canceling” headphones as Rothman points out, he covers all the essentials in his review of some brand-name noise-isolating earbuds and gives consumers a range to choose from. I use the Apple In-Ear earbuds and agree with Rothman that the price and sound quality are good but I think it has a couple drawbacks. My ear canals are fairly narrow and they fall out of my ear canal too often while exercising even though I use the appropriate size inserts. Without a nice tight fit, it is difficult to achieve its noise-isolating capacity.