Hearing Tests: Your Options

An estimated half billion people globally suffer from disabling hearing loss, but the vast majority lack access to accurate hearing tests. This Audientes’ Insights article provides an overview of some available testing options. It also includes information about the innovative and accurate hearing test embedded within Audientes’ own hearing aid, Ven™.

Conventional hearing tests

Conventional hearing tests are generally conducted at an audiology clinic. You are instructed to sit in a soundproof setting, such as a soundproof booth or room. You are then are provided with headphones or earphones that are connected to an audiometer, an instrument that measures hearing acuity.

The most common type of hearing test is a pure-tone audiometry test. During this type of test, you will be asked to identify high and low frequency noises by either raising your hand or pressing a button. An audiologist or hearing instrument specialist will guide you through the test and help you to understand your results. The test itself takes typically takes around 30 minutes. 

Unfortunately, however, the vast majority of those experiencing hearing loss don’t have access to this type of hearing test. Price is the main barrier to entry: in-clinic hearing tests can cost upwards of $200, an expense that isn’t usually covered by insurance. To make matters worse, having a hearing test performed can be inconvenient, especially as a worldwide shortage of audiologists has led to limited appointment availability.

How about online hearing tests?

Limited access to audiology clinics has led many to turn to online hearing tests. These tests have the advantage of being free or low-cost and available ‘on-demand’. Unfortunately, such tests are typically of poor quality—sometimes even misleading people into thinking they have more severe hearing impairment than they do.

Often, online tests are often simply advertising tools being used to sell products or services that are expensive, ineffective, or even harmful, such as herbal supplements and PSAPs (personal sound amplification products).  

A key problem with online tests is that they are entirely dependent on the audio coming from your laptop, tablet, or smartphone. In other words, the results are only ever as good as your device’s soundcards and sound settings. Moreover, different styles and brands of headphones or earphones can alter your results drastically, leading to an inaccurate diagnosis. 

Introducing Ven by Audientes

A new innovation from Audientes, an emerging player in the hearing health sector, is challenging the status quo—and making high quality hearing tests available to everyone.

Ven, our cutting-edge hearing aid, is self-fitting. That means it includes a built-in hearing test—one that conforms to NAL-NL2, a gold standard testing algorithm.

The idea came about when Audientes founder Hossein Jelved recognized the need for a high-quality, low-cost hearing aid that would be accessible to communities in developing countries as well as underserved consumers in the developed world.  Jelved realized that, in order to succeed, such a device would need to include an easy-to-use, embedded hearing test.

How does Ven’s hearing test work?

Simply insert the earphones included with Ven into your ears. The test is automatically triggered when you press a button on your smartphone or Ven hearing aid.  Just as if you were in an audiology clinic, you will be asked to respond when you hear a series of multi-frequency tones. Ven then analyzes your hearing thresholds—in both ears—across a range of frequency bands, with up to 9 frequencies tested (250-8000Hz). The test is both fast and accurate—and it can be taken practically anywhere.

After the test is finished, Ven will automatically adapt itself to your hearing profile, creating a custom-tailored audiogram and optimizing your overall listening experience. The device works for people who suffer from hearing loss in one or both ears. You can examine, adjust or finetune your hearing profile using the Audientes App (available for Android and iOS). What’s more, Ven lets you re-test your hearing whenever you want to—at the push of a button. And, because Ven communicates with the Audientes cloud, it can be remotely updated as technology improves or when new hearing tests are devised.

For more information about Ven’s embedded hearing test, please see What is self-fitting?

Summary

Ven’s built-in hearing test is an easy-to-use, accurate, affordable and convenient solution that offers practically instantaneous results. Since Ven can be purchased without a prescription, it’s available even if you lack access to hearing health care.

Thanks to Ven, millions of people across the world finally have access to the high-quality hearing health care they deserve.