Many people know the sensation of trying to latch on to a single voice in a crowd. We call that skill the cocktail party effect, but it isn’t just important at Hoppin’ Grapevine cocktail hours. The cocktail party effect enables you to focus on and understand a specific noise source, despite the presence of background noise. You can employ it at parties, during office meetings and even at Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, people with hearing loss often struggle with the cocktail party effect. Instead of being able to select one voice out of a crowd, they’re more likely to hear a jumble of competing sounds, making communicating in large groups difficult and tiring.
Fortunately, hearing aids equipped with directional microphones can come to the rescue.
How Do Directional Microphones Work?
All hearing aids feature omnidirectional microphones that evenly amplify noise from all directions. Some hearing aids also feature directional microphones, which are positioned at specific points within the device to amplify speech directly in front of and behind you.
For example, if someone across the table from you at Thanksgiving dinner is detailing their candied sweet potato recipe, and another person at the other end of the room is having a separate conversation, your hearing aids will pick up and amplify the voice of the person in front of you—allowing you to jot down the recipe and enjoy delicious sweet potatoes all year round.
By reducing competing sounds, like people enjoying the big game or the Thanksgiving Day parade, directional microphones allow you to enjoy conversation without the extra mental effort of trying to tune out background noise.
Will Directional Microphones Reduce My Awareness?
Many worry that choosing hearing aids with directional microphones will mean they lose their spatial awareness, which is informed by the sounds in their environment. While directional microphones might prioritize speech in front of and behind you, you can turn off the feature when necessary.
For example, if you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner by yourself, you may want to turn off directional microphones so you can hear timers, sizzling and boiling water. Once you’re ready to sit down for dinner, you can simply turn on your directional microphones for better speech comprehension.
Your hearing aids are designed to provide you with clear communication. For more information on how your devices work, or to schedule an appointment for a hearing aid upgrade, contact Heard It Through The Grapevine Audiology, PC today.