This is a great post, and is great that someone spoke about it.
Honestly, I don’t understand why wearing a hearing aid should is a stigma. The fact is, in every person hearing starts to deteriorate with age. Like sight. But wearing glasses is absolutely normal.
I am 47, and for 2 years now I have a hearing aid. It’s not only that it changed my audio, completely, but it also changed my social experience. Actually I understand people :). There is no “sorry, say again please “
As, it was mentioned before, my wife was the one who noticed that I have hearing issues. She is a dr. and she knows a little bit more about hearing issues than I do. Since, I was denying it (at the end I am a HiFi enthusiast that cab hear the difference between the cables, I can not be def :)) she arranged a visit to ent dr. and audiology test. My left ear hearing was deteriorated, but jus a little bit. Dr. Suggested that still there is no need for hearing aid. Now, no matter waht my wife insested I get one. So i did.
At the beginning I didn’t noticed practically any difference. After some two months I started to notice difference. First of all, I wasn’t constantly asking people to repeat. I didn’t get into their face to hear better. And since my social interaction became normal, I was less irritated (something I wasn’t noticing before) and getting more involved in conversations in general.
Now lets go back to music. Hifi experience change completely. Although I tought I heard every tone every frequency, I just realized I was aware of differences between components, music, recordings. Now I can here frequencies I really wasn’t aware of. If I forget to put my hearing aid, and listen to the music, immediately I realize something is wrong. Automatically I am putting a finger in my ear :))) to check if I have a hearing aid.
I am using Signia hearing aid, and is so small that no one notice I have it. At least I think so. Anyway I don’t have issue telling anyone about it. Because hearing aid are like glasses. It can really change your life.
The best thing about signia is, that it can be controlled by phone , and there are several modes. One of them is HD Music.
It’s important to check you hearing regularly and recalibrate the aid at least once a year.
Now, since there are slight deterioration in my right ear, that are absolutely not for hearing aid, I am so happy with results of it, that I am thinking to get one for right ear to.
What is the point to have all this hifi equipment if I can not hear every frequency from it?
Again, look at this like having glasses. What is the point if having the best 4k screen if you can not see every little detail on it.
Think about checking your hearing guys, no matter the age. Your music experience will cahnge dramatically.
Cheers
Btw, big attention should be given to ear buds. Ear buds should be designed to let through the frequencies that are not amplified by hearing aid.