Digital technology is the most sophisticated hearing aid technology. It gives the audiologist maximum control over sound quality and sound processing characteristics. There are qualitative indications that digital instruments do outperform analog hearing aids. They provide the crispest and cleanest sound by amplifying the signal via a computer chip instead of a conventional circuit and amplifiers. This also allows for minute detailing by the audiologist to produce the cleanest and crispest sound available using the conventional amplifiers. Digital hearing aids have been widely available since 1996.

The term DIGITAL is used so often today, it can be confusing. When the term "digital" is used while referring to hearing aids, it generally means the hearing aid is 100% digital. In other words, the hearing aid is indeed a "complete computer". 100% digital hearing aids have been commercially available since 1996. They can process sound using incredibly fast speeds such as 100 to 200 million calculations per second. Interestingly, most 100% digital hearing aids have analog components, such as the microphone and the receiver. 100% digital hearing aids transform analog information (sound) into a digital signal (numbers used by a computer). They process sound in a way that maximizes important speech information, while minimizing sounds you do not want to hear (ex: background noise).

Our mission at the Austin Ear Clinic is to provide each patient with the most "cost-effective" hearing aid; i.e., the best type of hearing aid customized to maximize hearing at the lowest cost. Though our experience audiologic staff specializes in state of the art digital/programmable hearing aids for complex hearing losses, often times a less expensive analog hearing aid, properly adjusted, can improve hearing nearly as well. Many patients new to the Austin Ear Clinic come to us discouraged, having prior negative experience with hearing aids. We particularly welcome these patients. Our staff specializes in state of the art technology to resolve the most challenging hearing loss problems. In most instances, we are able to reverse that prior negative experience.

In the past few years, hearing aid technology has exploded. Today, equipped with specially programmed computers, our experienced audiologists adjust many variables in the incoming sound to create the most natural and comfortable sound for our hearing aid patient. Because each hearing aid must be customized to match the individual's hearing loss and his listening needs, a complete audiometric evaluation is the first step in the fitting process. Our audiologists will then provide recommendations to help guide each patient in selecting the most appropriate hearing aid.