Traditional Hearing Aids

Traditional hearing aids are pre-set by the manufacturer according to your individual hearing loss using a prescriptive formula for amplification. They may feature tone controls to adjust the "bass" and "treble" sound of the hearing aid and possibly a telephone switch ("T-coil") to allow you to utilize the aid while on the phone. Traditional hearing aids are the most commonly dispensed aids, and they have performed well for many users in quiet or small group situations. (However, users have been less than satisfied with their performance for understanding speech in noise.)

Depending on your individual loss and tolerance for loud sounds, your hearing aid may include a feature known as compression. The compression circuit is pre-set based on your most comfortable listening level and your uncomfortable listening level so that any amplified sounds will not exceed your tolerance levels.