Hearing Aids at Concerts

[ahofer]

Yesterday, for the third time in a row, the Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center concert was sabotaged by hearing aid feedback. The artists called it out before the first piece on the program, but to no avail. The squealing came back intermittently, either warbling or sometimes rhythmic.

It’s interesting how difficult it is to pinpoint, directionally, in the concert hall. But it seems to me to be coming from the same part of the hall every time, i.e. a specific series subscriber.

I guess the feedback is high frequency so the wearer can’t hear it. But I wonder why the people around them don’t point it out. Perhaps nobody wants to tell the poor soul to get rid of them and thus not hear the concert.

Is this sort of thing unavoidable? What causes the feedback - just turning it up?

 

[mightycicadalord]

They could have such profound loss that the device is always near feedback. Sat in a "tuning" appt for someone and they just sat there while the thing fedback like crazy, seemed like they didn't even hear it.

Maybe they can have them tuned or maybe they're fancy enough to have different tuning profiles? Idk someones gotta say something, can't have every show being interrupted. I'm sure they don't even know it's happening.

 

[ashley_fall]

Yesterday, for the third time in a row, the Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center concert was sabotaged by hearing aid feedback. The artists called it out before the first piece on the program, but to no avail. The squealing came back intermittently, either warbling or sometimes rhythmic.

It’s interesting how difficult it is to pinpoint, directionally, in the concert hall. But it seems to me to be coming from the same part of the hall every time, i.e. a specific series subscriber.

I guess the feedback is high frequency so the wearer can’t hear it. But I wonder why the people around them don’t point it out. Perhaps nobody wants to tell the poor soul to get rid of them and thus not hear the concert.

Is this sort of thing unavoidable? What causes the feedback - just turning it up?

I was in the same situation once, it was awful. After then I decided to change my hearing aids to ones newer and better. I consulted with ear doctor staten island and he recommended me Signia which are just ideal.

 

[JWAmerica]

This is the future of live audio. Get used to it.

 

[DVDdoug]

It’s interesting how difficult it is to pinpoint, directionally, in the concert hall.

Different topic but "we" do usually over-rate our ability to "locate" sounds. Of course a "live" space like a concert hall makes it more difficult. It's been awhile since I've been in a concert hall but I'm not sure I could locate sounds/instruments across the stage without seeing the instruments (or a memory of how an orchestra is normally arranged). It should be easier if you are close the front.

And the sound reinforcement/PA system is almost always mono with the same sound fed to all of the speakers (except for sometimes distance-compensating delay).

So, I think we get over-obsessed with "soundstage" with speakers or headphones at home.