Issue 3 PDF Download - Oticon
Issue 3 PDF Download - Oticon
Issue 3 PDF Download - Oticon
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22<br />
S O U N D A D V I C E M A G A Z I N E 2 0 0 3<br />
Digital vs.<br />
Analog or digital – what’s the<br />
difference?<br />
If you’ve read or heard about hearing aids, you may<br />
have noted that there are two types: analog and<br />
digital. Analog technology is the conventional way<br />
of treating sound, digital technology is the most<br />
modern way. The first digital hearing aids were<br />
introduced by <strong>Oticon</strong> in 1996.<br />
Most people agree that digital technology has done<br />
wonders for the quality of video films (digital VCrs,<br />
camcorders, and now DVD) and also for music<br />
(Compact Disk and Minidisk) but the question is,<br />
what does digital do for hearing aids?<br />
The basics<br />
All hearing aids have a number of features in<br />
common. The sound enters through a microphone,<br />
it is then treated and amplified, and then finally,<br />
it is delivered to a receiver (loudspeaker). If the<br />
hearing aid is placed inside the ear, the receiver<br />
sends the sound directly into your ear canal. If the<br />
hearing aid is placed behind your ear, the sound<br />
travels via a small tube to an earmold and is then<br />
delivered into the ear canal.<br />
In analog hearing aids, the original sound signal<br />
is treated electronically, with the aid of miniature<br />
circuitry. The disadvantage of analog is that<br />
analog<br />
Digital cameras, digital televisions, digital telephones, digital sounds... the word<br />
“digital” is used more frequently with all kinds of products. but what is digital?<br />
Is it really as great as they say?<br />
the more you want to process the signal, the more<br />
circuitry you need. With each additional piece of<br />
circuitry, the risk of creating noise and distortion<br />
increases.<br />
However, in digital hearing aids, the sound is<br />
converted into digits (0,1) for processing - just<br />
like in a computer. As soon as it’s been processed,<br />
it’s reconverted to an analog acoustic signal that<br />
you can hear. Digital technology allows us to<br />
manipulate the sound, over and over again, without<br />
affecting the overall quality.<br />
Analog sound processing<br />
Sound waves are vibrations in the air. In analog<br />
hearing aids, these vibrations are picked up by a<br />
microphone and then transforms the movements<br />
into a single, yet complex electrical current. Analog<br />
sound is similar to making a photocopy. The sound<br />
is registered, and then you get an overall picture.<br />
but processing sound this way is like copying a<br />
photocopy - it can only be done to a certain extent,<br />
because the quality of the original imprint is<br />
significantly reduced.<br />
Digital sound processing<br />
Digital sound processing is totally different. Once<br />
again, a microphone picks up the sound, but now
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