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From: Jack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jack O'keeffe)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Digital aids
Message-ID: <18927@bunker.isc-br.com>
Date: 23 Apr 91 19:19:46 GMT
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[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

 JD> Anyone have any info on digital aids?  I'm thinking about
 JD> getting one as my next aid.  I would appreciate getting as much
 JD> info as possible.

As far as I know, Jack, the only TRUE digital aid that was ever on
the market has been withdrawn.  That was the Nicolet "Phoenix",
which actually digitzed the sound signal, processed it, and then
converted it back to analog.  I had an opportunity to try one a
couple of years ago, and it was remarkable.  Especially for ability
to discriminate speech in the presence of ambient background noise.

I liked it, but didn't buy it because the prototype I tried was a
body aid and they told me they had a BTE model in the lab that would
be available in a few months.  Before that happened, the product was
withdrawn.

The story I hear is that the dealers didn't want to handle It because
they would need to invest something like $30K in the equipment needed
to fit the digital aid.

There are several analog aids on the market that abuse the word
"digital" with advertising claims like "digitally controlled".
Be very cautious here.  Basically, "digitally controlled" could
mean no more than turning the aid on and off with a digit - your
finger :-)

Hearing aids are the only segment of the audio market that has
not yet switched to digital technology.  I guess that the dealers
think we're too deaf to appreciate the difference :-)

 JD> I also heard one other thing:  they are *expensive*!

You heard right there!  The Phoenix was priced at almost $2K, but
it was good enough to be well worth it.  It was a shame the dealers
killed it, but they [the dealers] are the market the manufacturers
must sell to - not to us poor slobs who actually use the devices.

If you can find a real true digital aid on the market, please let
me know.  Someday, one of the manufacturers will wake up and offer
us state-of-the-art audio technology instead of the overpriced
primitive stuff they are pushing now.

... Caveat Emptor!

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