{"id":595,"date":"2020-08-27T23:28:05","date_gmt":"2020-08-27T14:28:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/whats-new-in-hearing-amplifiers-psaps\/"},"modified":"2021-01-15T16:23:34","modified_gmt":"2021-01-15T07:23:34","slug":"whats-new-in-hearing-amplifiers-psaps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-loss\/whats-new-in-hearing-amplifiers-psaps\/","title":{"rendered":"Can New Hearing Amplifier (PSAP) Technology Change Hearing?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The past couple of years has seen massive improvements in the quality and technology of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/info-2015\/hearing-amplifiers-psaps.html\">personal sound amplification products<\/a> (PSAPs). If you&#8217;re new to these devices, you can get caught up by reading our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/psap-vs-hearing-aid-whats-best-device-for-me\/\">Hearing Aid vs PSAP article<\/a>, but to put it simply these small devices perform a similar function to hearing aids, amplifying surrounding noise, but at a fraction of the cost. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike hearing aids, PSAPs do not have approval by the Food and Drug Administration to be used as medical devices; rather, they are classified as electronic products that are to be used recreationally by people that want to amplify environmental sounds in certain situations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you think you may have some degree of hearing impairment, it is highly recommended that a professional hearing test be conducted to determine the cause of your hearing problems. However, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7141988\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">studies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are beginning to demonstrate that good PSAPs can sometimes outperform traditional hearing aids, especially when it comes to speech intelligibility in a quiet environment; to the degree that they may even act as a good alternative to traditional hearing aids in certain cases! In addition, new features and upgrades are elevating not only the hearing aspect of PSAPs, but the entire experience as a whole.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#Bluetooth_Functionality_Is_Here_To_Stay\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">1<\/span> Bluetooth Functionality Is Here To Stay<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#What8217s_With_the_Smartphone_App\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">2<\/span> What&#8217;s With the Smartphone App?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Rechargeable_Batteries_Means_More_Convenience\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">3<\/span> Rechargeable Batteries Means More Convenience<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#What_Is_Compression_and_Why_Is_It_Important\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">4<\/span> What Is Compression and Why Is It Important?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Other_Features_To_Consider_When_Looking_For_the_Right_PSAP\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">5<\/span> Other Features To Consider When Looking For the Right PSAP<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"Bluetooth_Functionality_Is_Here_To_Stay\"><b>Bluetooth Functionality Is Here To Stay<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bluetooth functionality available on most high end PSAPs makes them extremely convenient and useful devices. They pair easily with your smartphone and can seamlessly stream music or other audio from your phone to your PSAP. To top it off, PSAPs these days are designed to resemble Bluetooth headsets, which means people that need to use them can blend in more easily, and avoid the stigma caused by traditional hearing aids that look like medical devices. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some models also include a remote microphone that connects directly to the PSAP via Bluetooth. You simply place the microphone where the sound you need to hear is located, and it transmits directly to the PSAP.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"What8217s_With_the_Smartphone_App\"><b>What&#8217;s With the Smartphone App?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many PSAPs on the market today include a dedicated app that you download easily to your smartphone. The app lets you easily change the volume or other settings without needing a specialist to tune it for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some apps also include a in-app hearing test, which automatically tunes sound frequencies to the user&#8217;s needs. These apps make most PSAPs highly customizable and easy to customize &#8211; your smartphone essentially acts as a remote control for the PSAP, where you can change settings based on your preferences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/pages\/app\">Olive Smart Ear&#8217;s App<\/a> is one such example of a PSAP App that comes packed with features. You can switch between pre-set modes such as TV Watching or Conversation mode to get the most optimal listening experience, take a 5-minute hearing test that customizes the product to your ears specific needs, easily adjust the volume, and cancel background noise among others.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Rechargeable_Batteries_Means_More_Convenience\"><b>Rechargeable Batteries Means More Convenience<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-1510 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pexels-karolina-grabowska-4219866-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Charging Cable Rechargeable Battery PSAP\" width=\"673\" height=\"448\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pexels-karolina-grabowska-4219866-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pexels-karolina-grabowska-4219866-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pexels-karolina-grabowska-4219866-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pexels-karolina-grabowska-4219866.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 673px) 100vw, 673px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rechargeable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/blogs\/the-olive-branch\/psap-vs-hearing-aid\">PSAPs <\/a>are often more expensive than PSAPs with replaceable batteries, but the convenience and savings is often worth the higher price. As long as you have access to an electrical outlet, you can charge your PSAPs anytime and anywhere. The rechargeable batteries in PSAPs typically last six to eight hours, enough to get you through the day. With higher quality PSAPs you can just recharge the device while you sleep for practically no usage downtime! More and more rechargeable PSAPs are coming onto the market, which is also good for the environment- it decreases the waste generated by disposable batteries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rechargeable batteries in PSAPs do have their drawbacks, however. For instance, if you are in a situation where you don\u2019t have access to electricity for more than a day (such as with camping) then you will be unable to use your PSAP once the batteries drain, as you can\u2019t simply change the batteries for fresh ones. Also, if you are an avid user of the Bluetooth function of many PSAPs to stream music and other audio, your battery will drain faster than through normal use. In these cases, be sure to bring a portable charger, or choose devices with extra charges in their carrying case.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"What_Is_Compression_and_Why_Is_It_Important\"><b>What Is Compression and Why Is It Important?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sound in a given environment has a dynamic range, which is the difference between the loudest portion of the sound and the quietest portion. This may apply to a song, a noisy restaurant, or a crowded concert hall. Often the quietest portions are drowned out by the loudest parts, and quite often those quiet portions of the sound are the parts you want to hear! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Compression is the process of reducing a sound signal\u2019s dynamic range, which is accomplished by decreasing the loudest portions and augmenting the result so that the quieter portions of the sound can be heard more easily. Not all PSAPs are programmed to provide compression, but it\u2019s an important feature that will help you hear the things you want to hear, so keep compression in mind when researching the features of a particular PSAP.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Other_Features_To_Consider_When_Looking_For_the_Right_PSAP\"><b>Other Features To Consider When Looking For the Right PSAP<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Modern PSAPs offer many other great features that are designed to help you hear things better. For instance, directionality is a feature aimed at improving your understanding of speech by focusing on what\u2019s in front of the wearer (usually the speaker). Noise reduction is a feature that is designed to remove unwanted background noise, such as the hum of an air conditioner or other droning sounds. Feedback suppression is another feature of that works to reduce the annoying high-pitched feedback sound that often occurs with hearing aids and other amplifiers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One last point to consider: if you think you might be experiencing hearing loss, the best thing to do is have a formal hearing test and evaluation by a licensed audiologist to determine if you do have hearing loss, and learn what your treatment options are. While PSAP&#8217;s are quickly improving, they are still not a suitable replacement for the majority of people with some form of hearing loss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div><b>The information in this guide has been written using the following reliable sources:<\/b><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/info-2015\/hearing-amplifiers-psaps.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/info-2015\/hearing-amplifiers-psaps.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jhucochlearcenter.org\/navigating-personal-sound-amplification-product-market.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.jhucochlearcenter.org\/navigating-personal-sound-amplification-product-market.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.asha.org\/doi\/10.1044\/2018_AJA-18-0027\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/pubs.asha.org\/doi\/10.1044\/2018_AJA-18-0027<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7141988\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7141988\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Personal Sound Amplification products (PSAPs) have advanced to offer a variety of functions that even just a few years ago seemed out of reach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":857,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Hearing Amplifiers (PSAPs) have advanced to offer a variety of functions that even just a few years ago seemed out of reach.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-loss\/whats-new-in-hearing-amplifiers-psaps\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Can New Hearing Amplifier (PSAP) Technology Change Hearing?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Hearing Amplifiers (PSAPs) have advanced to offer a variety of functions that even just a few years ago seemed out of reach.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-loss\/whats-new-in-hearing-amplifiers-psaps\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Olive Union\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-08-27T14:28:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-01-15T07:23:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pexels-gustavo-fring-4173083.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"3960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"2640\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/\",\"name\":\"Olive Union\",\"description\":\"Introducing the Olive Smart Ear: A Cool, Affordable Wearable That Removes the Stigma from Impaired Hearing. 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