Why Two Ears are Better Than One...
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Better Ability to Tell the Direction of Sound
- This is called localization. In a social gathering, for example, localization allows you to hear from which direction someone is speaking to you. Also, localization helps you determine from which direction traffic is coming or where your children or grandchildren are playing. Simply put, with binaural hearing (two ears), you will better detect where sounds are coming from in every situation.
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Improved Understanding of Speech in Quiet and in Noise
- Better understanding of speech. By wearing two hearing instruments rather than one, selective listening is more easily achieved. This means that your brain can focus on the conversation you want to hear. Research shows that people wearing two hearing devices routinely understand speech and conversation significantly better than people wearing one hearing device.
- Better understanding in group and noisy situations. Research also shows that speech intelligibility is improved in difficult listening situations when wearing two hearing instruments.
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Wider Hearing Range
- A voice barely heard at 10 feet with one ear can be heard up to 40 feet away with two ears (although one may not be able to understand speech from that far away).
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Hearing is Less Tiring and Listening is More Pleasant
- More binaural hearing instrument wearers report that listening and participating in conversation is more enjoyable with two instruments, instead of just one. This is because they do not have to strain to hear with the better ear. Thus, binaural hearing can help make life more relaxing.
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Smoother Tone and Sound Quality
- When you listen to a stereo system, you use both speakers to get the smoothest, sharpest, most natural sound quality. The same can be said of hearing instruments. By wearing two hearing devices, you increase your hearing range from 180 degrees reception with just one instrument, to 360 degrees. This greater range provides a better sense of balance and sound quality. Binaural hearing generally requires less volume than hearing with only one ear, giving a more natural sound to voices and music.
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Cushions Loud Sounds
- Sudden loud sounds lose much of their jarring effect when divided by two ears. Additionally, a lower volume control setting is required with two hearing instruments than is required with one hearing instrument. The result is a better tolerance of loud sounds.
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Better Sound Identification
- Many noises, which sound almost exactly alike when heard with one ear, can be identified easily when heard with two ears.
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Both Ears Stay Active
- Research has shown that when only one hearing device is worn, that ear tends to take over all of the hearing. In time, the unused ear tends to lose its ability to hear and understand. This is clinically called the auditory deprivation effect. Wearing two hearing instruments keeps both ears active.
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Balanced Hearing
- Binaural hearing results in a feeling of balanced reception of sound, also known as the stereo effect, whereas monaural hearing (one ear) creates an unusual feeling of sounds being heard only in one ear.
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Tinnitus Relief
- About 50% of people with ringing in their ears report improvement when wearing two hearing instruments. If a person with tinnitus wears a hearing device in only one ear, there will still be noticeable ringing in the ear that does not have a hearing instrument.
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Reduced Feeback and Whistling
- Because wearing two hearing instruments requires a lower volume control setting compared to wearing one device, the chances of getting feedback from your hearing instruments is reduced.
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Consumer Preference and Customer Satisfaction
- Consumer preference. An overwhelming majority of consumers who have hearing loss in both ears, choose two hearing instruments over one, when given the choice to hear binaurally.
- Customer satisfaction. Research with more than 5,000 consumers with hearing loss in both ears demonstrated that people fit with two hearing instruments are more satisfied than people fit with one hearing instrument.
