Hearing Device Volume Control
Hearing devices are designed to meet the needs of users in a variety of listening situations. Whether you are trying to hear someone that is whispering next to you. Or trying not to hear the children screaming in a restaurant. Your hearing device should accommodate the most difficult of hearing needs.
Whilst most hearing devices have automatic volume control, you are also able to turn up (or down) the volume on your hearing device manually. These manual controls are often shaped like small levers, or buttons on some devices.
Living in the digital age that we do, some hearing devices have an app that you can sync up to. This will let you use your smartphone to configure your hearing device volume remotely, through the app. Products like Nuheara’s IQbuds2 MAX, allow the user to adjust individual sounds, such as background noise or voices. This sets these types of devices apart from traditional hearing aids which are known to amplify all sounds.
Tips for Adjusting the Volume on Your Hearing Device
If you are using a hearing device where the volume can be manually controlled through a lever or button, here are some tips from widex.com;
- Push the lever, or upper part of the control, upwards to gradually raise the volume.
- Push the lever, or lower part of the volume control, downwards to gradually lower the volume.
- Each time you operate the volume control, you will hear a beep – unless you have chosen to deactivate tones.
- When you raise the volume, you will hear a higher beep-tone for each step the volume is raised.
- When you lower the volume, you will hear a lower beep-tone for each step the volume is lowered.
- A steady tone will sound when the maximum or minimum volume is reached.
It is important to note that any adjustment that is made to the volume will be cancelled when your hearing device is turned off.
Getting Use to Different Volume Levels
You may find that your hearing device is not a 100% accurate representation of your hearing in previous times. Because of this, it may be a bit overwhelming and difficult to distinguish between various sounds.
Take the time to get use to the volume and the sounds you’re hearing. Start by wearing your hearing device for short periods of time. Just one to two hours, in situations where there are few people and little noise. Make sure the volume is low, giving yourself time to adjust to the new sensations, and increase the volume as necessary.
How to Increase the Volume on IQbuds2 MAX
The IQbuds2 MAX is an example of a hearing device where the volume is controlled through an app on your phone. Two of the products primary volume control features are World Volume and SINC. Both these features work to create a personalised listening environment for the user which is tailored to their needs and wants.
The World Volume feature on the IQbuds2 MAX allows the user to control the level of real-world sound they want to hear. This enables the amount of noise from surrounding environments to be adjusted so that the sound levels best suit the user.
To use this function, simply open the IQbuds App on your iOS or Android device and tap ‘World’ on the bottom panel. Make sure that the World feature is ‘ON.’ Using the World Volume dial, you can either increase or decrease the amount of environmental sound you want to hear.
SINC is another control that will help the user to focus on the sounds that are most important to them. With SINC, standing for Speech In Noise Control, you can reduce background noise and clarify speech. With Directional Focus, you can focus specifically on sounds directly in front of you. Using these controls is very simple. To access the SINC feature, in the top menu, tap SINC. Each environmental preset has a default SINC mode. You can turn SINC on and off using the centre button. Turn the SINC dial to the left to increase the ambient noise surrounding you. Turn to the right to reduce background noise and elevate speech around you.
