What’s That Electrical/mechanical Humming Sound I Sometimes Hear With Digital Ha?

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shantip

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I am trying for the third time the tedious process of trying to switch to digital HA after having had worn analogue for 35 years (my whole life basically). Suffice to say it hasn’t been smooth sailing!

This third time, the audiologist has programmed a BTE Siemens Orion P (basic level as I’m under the Australian Government hearing scheme) his best to mimic my old analogue HA. This time it has been a big improvement on previous attempts as I’m not finding unnecessary sounds too loud and I have been able to hear some speakers fine. I am still struggling with soft voices, but the main issue I’m having is hearing this very annoying sound only when certain noises and sounds occur. It’s quite difficult to explain, but the best I could describe it is that it sounds like the sound that small diesel trucks make when put in neutral, that electrical/mechanical humming sound, but at a little higher frequency and when it’s occurring for a long time, it grates on my nerves in a really bad way (I’ve ended up in tears on a few occasions and only found relief when returning to my beloved, trusty analogue). In a way, it sounds like a tinnitus kind of sound, but it stops when the offending sound stops. When I was first fitted with this HA I didn’t notice this sound so much, as there were many new sounds to get used to. It was after a few weeks, I started to notice it and now I notice it very much so. The electrical hum occurs during the following scenarios: when someone flushes the toilet or takes a shower, while the microwave is cooking, while the kettle is boiling, the fan in the kitchen, when I’m walking around outside in the city, in some department stores, just after a car passes me when I’m on a quiet street. When watching tv it occurs when there’s a studio audience cheering, laughing and clapping or when a scene is shot outside on busy roads.

Does anyone know what this could be? Several thoughts come to mind, is this the brain responding to certain sounds? Are there some adjustments that the audi can do to address this (to date I’ve had 3 adjustments)? Would this problem be rectified by going up in levels of the type of HA? Or is this simply (and I fear this) a digital thing which will be present regardless of the type of HA I go for?
 
I don't know what kind of HA I have, my parents picked them with my audie when I was 17, but I can hear wind that sounds like a mechanical whirl.
 
shantip said:
I am trying for the third time the tedious process of trying to switch to digital HA after having had worn analogue for 35 years (my whole life basically). Suffice to say it hasn’t been smooth sailing!

This third time, the audiologist has programmed a BTE Siemens Orion P (basic level as I’m under the Australian Government hearing scheme) his best to mimic my old analogue HA. This time it has been a big improvement on previous attempts as I’m not finding unnecessary sounds too loud and I have been able to hear some speakers fine. I am still struggling with soft voices, but the main issue I’m having is hearing this very annoying sound only when certain noises and sounds occur. It’s quite difficult to explain, but the best I could describe it is that it sounds like the sound that small diesel trucks make when put in neutral, that electrical/mechanical humming sound, but at a little higher frequency and when it’s occurring for a long time, it grates on my nerves in a really bad way (I’ve ended up in tears on a few occasions and only found relief when returning to my beloved, trusty analogue). In a way, it sounds like a tinnitus kind of sound, but it stops when the offending sound stops. When I was first fitted with this HA I didn’t notice this sound so much, as there were many new sounds to get used to. It was after a few weeks, I started to notice it and now I notice it very much so. The electrical hum occurs during the following scenarios: when someone flushes the toilet or takes a shower, while the microwave is cooking, while the kettle is boiling, the fan in the kitchen, when I’m walking around outside in the city, in some department stores, just after a car passes me when I’m on a quiet street. When watching tv it occurs when there’s a studio audience cheering, laughing and clapping or when a scene is shot outside on busy roads.

Does anyone know what this could be? Several thoughts come to mind, is this the brain responding to certain sounds? Are there some adjustments that the audi can do to address this (to date I’ve had 3 adjustments)? Would this problem be rectified by going up in levels of the type of HA? Or is this simply (and I fear this) a digital thing which will be present regardless of the type of HA I go for?
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It sound like your audi has hasn't turned the compression off. If it is still on have them disable it and see if it helps. Good luck!
 
Sometimes the hum of fluorescent lighting like what you'd find in most offices or 'cube farms' or even in some stores is really annoying to me with my hearing aids (I don't think my last pair picked it up- that I noticed anyway).
 
I have a new digital Ha too and I had to go back to the audi 2 more times and my HA still doesn't sound quite right when I am watching TV.
The voices on TV sound static to me, the audi I see all the time is gone on a vacation and I had to have audis that don't know hearing history .
And I have to hold my phone in the right spot on my HA during the whole phone call or I can't hear very well. My last digital HA didn't work that way .
New is not is always better to me!
 
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whatdidyousay! said:
And I have to hold my phone in the right spot on my HA during the whole phone call or I can't hear very well. My last digital HA didn't work that way .
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All hearing aids don't work the same including with telecoils. I always had to move the receiver around to hit that 'sweet spot' lol. That is until I discovered DAI cords- those plug directly into the HAs and you don't have to hunt around for the 'sweet spot'.
 
I have not had that humming sound, but every time I wear my hair in a ponytail, my HAs sound like I'm going through a wind tunnel. So far that's been the only drawback of these new HAs that I just got a few months ago. So what I've had to do is move my ponytail up higher, or just simply leave my hair down.
 
AlleyCat said:
I have not had that humming sound, but every time I wear my hair in a ponytail, my HAs sound like I'm going through a wind tunnel. So far that's been the only drawback of these new HAs that I just got a few months ago. So what I've had to do is move my ponytail up higher, or just simply leave my hair down.
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Yeah, hair can be noisy for me too. I wear mine pulled up with barrettes.
 
AlleyCat said:
I have not had that humming sound, but every time I wear my hair in a ponytail, my HAs sound like I'm going through a wind tunnel. So far that's been the only drawback of these new HAs that I just got a few months ago. So what I've had to do is move my ponytail up higher, or just simply leave my hair down.
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I experienced this after the second adjustment, the hair russelling sound was so loud, but it was only doing it when it was going into extreme digital mode: reducing what it perceived loud noises. But it was happening to so many (not so loud) sounds that I got the audi to fix it. It was making that "wind tunnel" sound still when my hair was up in a pony tail!
 
I set my stove last night and when it reached the temperature I set it for the sound it made went right through my ear ! It really hurt my ear. I will
have to remember to stand away from the stove or turn my HA waaay down the next time.
 
Its the Aliens trying to comminucate w/you. J/K...I could not resist the joke. Hope you find an easy remedy soon.
 
Cappy said:
Its the Aliens trying to comminucate w/you. J/K...I could not resist the joke. Hope you find an easy remedy soon.
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Ha ha, but you're right, the whole process can be tedious and needs some lightness! Thank you, audi is going to try out fitting me with a different brand to see if it's any better.
 
I get that sound when I accidentally switched telecoil (or when I want telecoil but there's interference). Drives me batty.
 
It's the sound of your brain bieng slowly cooked.....
 
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appleeater said:
I get that sound when I accidentally switched telecoil (or when I want telecoil but there's interference). Drives me batty.
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I forgot I had my HA on telecoil and turned my car on , something weird happen I heard an awful sound on my HA . I don't want to do that again.
 
I never did find out what it was, but I had it the whole time I had Siemens aids. I'm now using Phonak and no sign of the noise at all. Mine was like there was an angry wasp in the hearing aid flying round and round. It would be clear for a few months after programming then start again and do it the whole time, it was miserable. We tried all sorts, one day the Siemens rep came in to give his specialist opinion and they concluded that it couldn't possibly be doing it. They said it must be tinnitus. You know, the special kind of tinnitus which only happens when you are in a particular program on your hearing aid and goes away when you select the FM program. Convincing!

Sadly, I've no answer if your health cover doesn't let you change brands, but if you can select the basic aid from any provider, look at another brand if it isn't too late. The age of thosthis post, I'm guessing you're stuck with the one you have.

Interesting to hear others talk about this, though, Siemens kept telling me the problem was absolutely unique to me and they'd never heard anyone else say it, ever.
 
After several adjustments, my audi decided it would be best to try another brand, so I'm trialing the base line Phonak aid now. It's an improvement, there's no electrical humming this time, but some other issues with voices! Ah, the frustration!! But I can imagine with the Siemens rep, with any rep for that matter saying you shouldn't be experiencing that, it's just you that has that problem, I've heard that a few times and it's annoying when you're made feel that you're the one with the problem!
 
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