Here is a question we love asking our clients: where do you most want to hear well?
Some say family dinners. Some say their weekly coffee catch-up in a bustling cafe. Others say church, choir practice, board meetings, the footy, or simply the TV at home. And that variety is exactly the point. Your listening life is not one-size-fits-all, so why should your hearing aids be?
This is where custom hearing aid programs come in, and in our experience, they are one of the most underused features in modern hearing aids. They can be the difference between hearing aids that are “fine” and hearing aids that feel made for your life.
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What is a Hearing Aid Program?
Think of a program as a recipe of settings inside your hearing aid: how much amplification each frequency gets, how aggressively background noise is reduced, which direction the microphones focus, and more.
Modern hearing aids are small computers, and most do a brilliant job of adjusting automatically as your surroundings change. But automatic settings are designed to suit most people in most situations. Custom programs go a step further: your audiologist can set up dedicated programs tuned to your specific hearing loss, so that with a single press of a button you can switch to a program made for the exact place you most want to hear well, whether that is a noisy restaurant, the car, or your favourite music.
Programs That Make a Real Difference
Every person’s set of programs looks different, but here are some of the custom programs we set up most often for our Adelaide clients.
The number one request, and for good reason. A speech-in-noise program narrows the microphone focus towards the person in front of you and winds back the clatter and chatter behind you. Paired with a few smart seating choices, it can transform how you hear in a noisy restaurant or at a party.
A music program
Speech settings can make music sound flat or processed, because hearing aids tuned for conversation actively squash sounds that music needs. A dedicated music program opens the sound up again, preserving the richness and dynamics, whether you are at a concert, playing an instrument or enjoying records at home.
A TV program
Many clients want the TV crisp without the household soundtrack around it. A TV program can prioritise the television’s frequencies, and for the clearest result of all, sound can stream directly from the TV into your hearing aids via wireless and Bluetooth connectivity.
A car program
The car is a surprisingly tricky listening environment: engine and road noise sit right in the low frequencies, and your conversation partner is usually beside or behind you rather than in front. A car program tames the rumble and helps voices cut through. We have more advice in our guide to hearing better in the car.
A work program
Whether it is open-plan office hubbub, video calls, or one-on-one meetings, a work program can be tuned for your day and working environment. Add direct streaming for calls and our tips for hearing better in work meetings, and workdays become far less tiring.
A tinnitus relief program
For clients with tinnitus, we can build in a program that plays gentle masking sounds to take the edge off ringing, especially in quiet environments where tinnitus tends to feel loudest. You can read more about tinnitus and hearing aids on our blog.
Switching is Easier Than You Think
Changing programs is usually a single press of a button on the hearing aid, or a tap in the app on your phone. Hearing aids and smartphones really are a match made in heaven: most apps let you switch programs, adjust volume, and fine-tune settings discreetly from your pocket.
Some hearing aids take it a step further. Certain Starkey hearing aids, for example, can geo-tag your custom programs to locations using your phone’s GPS, so when you walk into your favourite coffee shop, your hearing aids automatically switch to your cafe program. No buttons, no fuss.
And if you prefer to keep things simple, that is fine too. We can set your hearing aids to fully automatic and they will quietly do the work for you. Custom programs are there to serve you, not to complicate your life.
Your Programs Should Grow With You
Here is the part many people miss: custom programs are not set-and-forget.
Your life changes. You join a choir, take up golf, start minding the grandkids, change jobs. Your hearing can change gradually too. That is why regular review appointments are so important: they are the perfect time to tell us what situations still feel hard, so we can adjust your existing programs or build new ones.
At Hearing Sense, hearing aid adjustments are free for the life of your hearing aids, so there is never a cost barrier to getting your programs exactly right. If a new listening situation pops up in your life, book in for an appointment and we will tune for it.Â
One more tip: pairing well-tuned programs with auditory brain training such as LACE AI PRO is a powerful combination. The programs deliver the clearest possible sound, and the training helps your brain make the most of it.
Tell Us Where You Want to Hear Better
If your hearing aids feel “fine” but not fantastic, or there is one situation that still defeats them, custom programs might be the missing piece. Bring your hearing aids in, and we will tune them for your real life. And if you are still researching your first hearing aids, every device we fit comes with a free 30 day trial, custom programs included.
Norwood: 2/205 The Parade, Norwood. Phone (08) 8331 8047
Unley: 1/402 Unley Road, Unley Park. Phone (08) 7123 6161
Salisbury: 16 John Street, Salisbury. Phone (08) 8331 8047
Book an appointment online and hear what your hearing aids are truly capable of.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many programs can a hearing aid have?
It varies by model and manufacturer, but most modern hearing aids can hold several custom programs alongside their automatic mode. Your audiologist will recommend the right mix for your lifestyle, and you can change them at any review appointment.
Do custom programs cost extra at Hearing Sense?
No. Programming is part of your fitting, and adjustments are free for the life of your hearing aids. If your needs change, come in and we will retune your programs at no charge.
How do I switch between programs?
Usually a button press on the hearing aid itself or a tap in the smartphone app. Some hearing aids can even switch automatically based on your location or surroundings.
What if I do not want to fiddle with programs at all?
Then you never have to. Modern hearing aids work beautifully in fully automatic mode. Custom programs are an option for the situations that matter most to you, not a requirement.
