ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => Hearing Issues => Topic started by: mandy721 on April 15, 2012, 04:34:50 pm
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I read about AfterShokz ( http://www.aftershokz.com) headphones a few days ago and immediately thought they might be great for those dealing with single sided deafness. They rely on bone conduction technology and don't sit in the ear - allowing outside sounds to be heard.
This review in Sound+Vision ( http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/blog/2012/02/27/aftershokz-aftershocks ) talks about the utility of these headphones for people who wear hearing aids and what sounds like SSD. I found many positive reviews online.
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Mandy,
My sister wrote that review. When I asked her about them she said, "They're not awesome, but they're okay, and especially if they'll work after the surgery, they might be a great option".
I'm a bit of an audiophile (it runs in my family) and for me the worst thing about the AN is the thought that I may never hear music in stereo. The thought of listening to Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP and Genesis with sound in one ear is depressing. I have my Middle Fossa surgery in one week. Hopefully I'll have some hearing left.
If I don't, I'm hoping the Aftershokz will give me a close resemblance to how the music sounded before.
Ray
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You may want to look in the discussion topic about earphones that let outside noise in...I just received my Aftershokz today - charged them and tried them on my mp3 player. Of course it's not "enveloping" sound, but for those of us that either walk/jog and want to hear car noises - or those that work around the house listening to an mp3 player but no longer having the ability to put only one ear bud in they're great! I could hear just fine - but it was a quiet environment too - will test outside, inside, etc.
Pam
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Wearing them a little more this morning.
These do NOT use full "bone conduction hearing" technology - it is really tissue conduction. If it WAS bone conduction, I would be "hearing" from my AN ear - and the area right in front of the ear where you place the headphones is a direct connection to the ear. You can try it yourself - run your finger up and down in front of your ear and it sounds very clear - just behind your cheekbone. I have tried putting them on areas on my head that has bone and nothing is transmitting. BUT I WILL say that I can also hear everything that's going on in the room around me as well. It tickles a little bit on my AN ear since I don't have "sound" distracting my sensations.....I may end up seeing if my daughter likes them since she bicycles a lot and lives in NYC - but I still need to test them in a noisier environment though and see how the sound is there.
I will continue to report from here on out, but will be doing it under the original heading of earbuds/phones that let in outside noise....
Pam
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I just got a set of Aftedrshokz and think they work great. I have used them with my cellphone and with my iPad. I hear both very clearly and still hear outside noise. Great improvement over using earbuds or headphones with my SSD/poor hearing issues. The biggest surprise is how well the mic works when I am using it with my cellphone. My wife hears me speaking clearly with the mic clipped to my shirt in the middle of my chest. FWIW, they seem like a good deal to me.
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This sounds like some useful technology - I do triathlon, and practice quite a bit on my road bike. Fortunately, my AN is on my right side, so biking in the same direction as you drive a car, my good ear is nearest the traffic. But I do like to listen to music while riding (not turned up too loud). I'm going to check these out.