Headphones and Hearing Aids

When we think about pairing hearing aids with headphones there are two things to be aware of:

• Can the two be worn together?
• What if any impact will headphones have on my hearing?

There aren’t easy yes or no answers because a lot depends on the hearing aid you use as well as the type of headphones you want.  So, we need to dig a little deeper to learn more.  Please note that earbuds are not an option for any kind hearing aid.

Types of Headphones

There are several types of headphones we like, and they partner best with particular types of hearing aids.

• The ability to detect sound via vibrations in both our jaw and cheekbones allows the sounds to arouse our inner ear.  These are Bone Conduction Headphones, and they pair up best with in the ear, in the canal, completely in the canal and invisible in the canal hearing aids.  These are our top five picks, and they are linked to possible providers for your convenience.
  • AfterShokz TREKZ Titanium Open Ear Bluetooth Headphones
  • Aftershokz AS500 Bluez two Open Ear Wireless Headphones
  • Marsboy Bone Conduction Wireless Sports Bluetooth Stereo Headphones
  • SainSonic Wireless Bone Conduction Headset
• On Ear Headphones fit on top of any size in the ear aid and then function when the microphone picks up the music.  These headphones work well with completely in the canal or invisible in the canal aids.  You can use these headphones with other hearing aid styles; however, the likelihood of annoying feedback is higher.  
  • Sentey Headphones
  • AmazonBasics Lightweight On-Ear Headphones
  • Panasonic RP-HT21 Lightweight Headphones
  • Koss KTXPRO1 Titanium Portable Headphones
  • Sony MDRZX100 ZX Series Stereo Headphones
• If you have an in the ear, in the canal, completely in the canal, invisible in the canal, behind the ear or receiver in canal aid, then Over Ear Headphones help to cancel noises.  These will protect your ears and help prevent further hearing loss.
  • Sennheiser HD 202 II Professional Headphones
  • JVC HARX500 Full-Size Headphones
  • Bluedio T2s Wireless Stereo Headphones
  • Photive BTH3 Over-The-Ear Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
  • Sony MDRRF985RK Wireless RF Headphone

Best Practices

These are some helpful hints that will enhance your hearing experience when you join headphones with your hearing aid.  

• We recommend that you listen at 60 percent volume for no more than 60 minutes at a time.  This involves decibel levels and anything over 85 decibels is known to be damaging to our ears.  Note:  85 decibels are about the sound of an idling bulldozer.
• The sound is amplified when using headphones, so be careful with your volume settings.  
• Headphones can be damaging to our hearing if we pump up the volumes to block surrounding noises.  Noise canceling headphones help get rid of the background noises, which in turn allows you to keep the volume down.   
• If you hear feedback, your headphones may be too close to your hearing aid.  You can try adjusting the position of the headphones, but if the feedback persists, consider new headphones designed specifically for your hearing aid.

Many of the newest hearing aids pair well with wireless technology.  For example, some hearing aids are designed specifically for your iPhone.  And there is also Bluetooth technology that allows us to stream audio from several sources like our phones, computers, and televisions.  Your hearing care specialist will have answers to any of your questions and can likely recommend your best course of action.