My wife complains that I am hard of hearing. I joke that it’s not that I’m hard of hearing, I’m just not listening. In truth, by this time in our lives many of us have lost at least some of our hearing, especially at the high end of the audio spectrum. I find it increasingly difficult to understand television dialog without boosting the volume. There are lots of sound amplification and hearing aid devices on the market, from those that are sold in electronics stores and online to the pricey stuff that costs thousands with a prescription from an audiologist. And few insurance plans cover them. As a result, I 
have been reluctant to start looking into them.
Then I was approached by Signia, which is the hearing aid group from Siemens, now spun off under the name Sivantos. They wanted me to try their primax system, which has just now been released. Several technological advancements caught my ear. For starters, this binaural system with its two instruments comes with a third piece, an app driven transmitter called 
easyTek that pairs with your smartphone. The easyTek lets you answer calls with the touch of a button. And the app (iOS and Android) comes with several listening programs optimized for direction, recorded music, live music, reverberant rooms, or a transmitter that will let you listen to television programs at your own comfort level. There is an even broader range of programs that your audiologist can program. I was particularly interested in the ability of the primax to reproduce HD music. Among the features that the company claims:
SpeechMaster – Automatically enhances speech in every listening situation.
The SpeechMaster function analyzes the acoustic environment and employs the first technology that is clinically proven to “zoom in” on the target speaker reducing unwanted surrounding noise and extraneous speech. SpeechMaster acts as a conductor orchestrating noise reduction, directionality, and amplification to reduce listening effort for the wearer.
HD Music – maximizes enjoyment for music lovers and musicians.
HD Music delivers outstanding music fidelity and richness with three dedicated music programs uniquely designed to enrich the sound quality of music and maximize its enjoyment, whether the wearer is listening to recorded music, attending a live concert, or performing.
EchoShield – softens echoes for reduced listening effort.
With EchoShield, the effects of reverberation in atriums, hallways, lecture halls, and places of worship are lessened, thus improving the ease of listening.
TwinPhone – less effort during phone conversations
Sixty percent of mobile phone users hold their phones to their ear, even if there is a hands-free option.** TwinPhone is automatically activated by a magnetic signal from the phone, so the wearer can hear the call in both ears for improved speech understanding with reduced effort.
Hearing aid wearers can personalize their primax hearing experience with apps and accessories like the touchControl™ App which turns any smartphone into a hearing aid remote control center. The wearer is able to adjust volume, bass/treble, program selection– even control the direction of the hearing aids’ microphones with one-touch on their smartphone effort and brain strain
New features analyze environment and automatically “zoom in” on target speaker, reducing unwanted surrounding noise
Hearing aid wearers can personalize their Signia claims the new primax system reduces the strain on your brain by reducing the amount of work you have to do to listen. The system provides better than normal hearing in challenging listening environments, like busy restaurants and cocktail party settings. It will actually “zoom in” and elevate the speaker of interest above all other voices and surrounding noise. The easyTek app screen will let you create a spatial profile, directing the microphones to the front, left, right, or behind—simultaneously enhancing speech and suppressing background noise. When paired with the easyTek streaming device and easyTek app, a wearer can connect their primax hearing aid to many different Bluetooth-enabled devices wirelessly. Audio from TVs, MP3 players, and other sources is streamed directly into their ears.
Because of the technological sophistication of the system, I wanted to give primax a fair hearing. I began by sitting down with an audiologist, who programmed the instruments to match my hearing and my preferences in terms of an equalizer profile (I’m partial to a heavier bass). I’ve now been using primax for more than three weeks. It is very versatile. I spend a good part of my day listening to music, generally either from Sirius XM or from one of several Hi Res Music players. Primax was relatively easy to pair with my Astell&Kern Hi Res music player. It was a breeze to pair along with the easyTek transmitter with an Android phone. Pairing with my iPhone was a bit more problematic. It took several tries to get it all together. Signia says the problem rests with Apple’s Bluetooth stack. They are aware of the problem and hoping to have resolution. As I say, I have gotten it to work with the iPhone but it was work.
It paired easily with its optional Bluetooth transmitter hooked to my television, so now I can enjoy TV without disturbing my wife. It allows me to answer calls with a touch of the button on the easyTek pendant. Sound quality is great, though I found significant variations in tone depending on the source of the music.
By adjusting the spatial configuration, I found I could easily hear my conversation partner in a crowded restaurant. But the most fun came in watching several live performances, including a couple of Broadway musicals. I was able to make out conversations clearly, not to mention the rustle of a candy bar being unwrapped several rows in front of me.
The primax system includes rechargeable batteries. It comes with a charging cradle as well as carrying case. The easyTek transmitter charges with a standard micro USB plug.
Price for the primax system can vary from about $4500 and $6000 – with about 2/3 of the price going for the services of the audiologist.
I’m still not happy that my hearing is slowly declining. But at least now I know there’s a hi-tech solution that will prevent the social and musical isolation, not to mention frustration that comes with hearing loss. Of course, now I have no excuse for not hearing my wife. Life is filled with trade offs.
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