New Software Adds MORE VALUE to the Star Option WITHOUT MORE COST 

It's part of the new Binaural Enhanced DSP Measurement program that provides important new information, useful in fitting and evaluating hearing aids, that you cannot get any other way. You get two screens—the first shows you the group delay of one hearing aid or a binaural set. The second shows you the phase of one hearing aid or a binaural set. Here's why these graphs are more than just interesting pictures.

Enhance your digital hearing aid measurements

The new Enhanced DSP measurement takes your digital hearing aid testing to the next level by testing the group delay and the signal phase of the hearing aid.

Group Delay

The group delay is the amount of time it takes the digital hearing aid to process sound. One of the properties of digital technology not normally mentioned in the literature is that it always takes time to process digital data. Imagine the digital hearing aid as a miniature computer: it takes an analog sound wave, turns it into digital information, performs some kind of algorithm to amplify the signal, and turns it back into an analog sound wave for the ear to hear. All of this calculating takes precious time; it's never instantaneous. The processing delay for some hearing aids is so slight that it is imperceptible to the human ear. The processing delay for other aids can extend to several milliseconds— longer than the calculating time for an analog hearing aid.

Why is this a problem? Well, if you fit a client monaurally with an aid with a significant digital processing delay, that person might experience some confusion because his unaided ear will be hearing sounds slightly faster than his aided ear. Problems can also be predicted for patients with open canal fittings. However, if you fit the same patient with an occluded binaural set, then both ears will be listening with the same delay, and the confusion could be alleviated.

Signal Phase Measurement

The signal phase measurement is a test of the “pushing” and “pulling” of the amplified sound of the hearing aid. Sound is created by vibrations in the air. Those vibrations can be thought of as air pushing and pulling against the ear. If sound goes through a hearing aid, the hearing aid might cause a phase shift, turning a “push” of the sound wave into a “pull.” This isn't necessarily a bad thing; there may be good reasons for a phase shift of the sound wave.

The components of a custom hearing aid are usually wired by hand. The receiver is typically wired into the amplifier in such a way that it may or may not cause a phase shift of the signal. If care is not taken, it's entirely possible to wire one hearing aid of a custom binaural set one way, and wire the other aid in the opposite way. This could cause one of the hearing aids to be “pulling” while the other aid is “pushing,” resulting in strange sound quality for the hearing aid wearer.

Check Binaural Sets

With version 4.80, you can check the group delay and the phase of both hearing aids in a binaural set and display the results simultaneously. This will help you troubleshoot your fittings and determine if both aids in the set are working together properly as a team.

We can update all existing FONIX 6500s

If you have gotten a new 6500-CX or a major upgrade in the year 2001, we will upgrade you free of charge. Contact us by phone, fax, or e-mail and tell us what your serial number is so we can give you a quotation or schedule your free upgrade.