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Digital Hearing Aids vs. Analogue Hearing Aids

A question we are often asked as hearing aid audiologists is ‘What’s the difference between Digital Hearing Aids and Analogue Hearing Aids?’
Another question asked is ‘What is Digital?’

The term ‘Digital’ seems to be everywhere these days in television, computers, cameras, telephones, the list goes on.

Like other products, digital technology has transformed the way hearing aids work. The easiest way to think about it is to compare between CD’s and vinyl records. Just as CDs provide crisp, clear digital sound compared to vinyl records, so digital hearing aids are able to provide superior sound processing quality

So how does digital Hearing Aid technology make the difference?

The latest digital hearing aids can process thousands of pieces of information a second, and this information can be manipulated in great detail without deterioration in sound quality, unlike the older analogue hearing aids. Digital hearing aids have a miniature microphone that sends sound to a digital 'microchip' that converts the sound to a series of 'zeros' and 'ones', much like a desktop computer. This is then processed through a series of complicated algorithms (think of a very powerful calculator working to a detailed formula). Once the microchip has performed its calculations this information is then converted back to sound and output into your ear canal. This process is performed thousands of times a second.

In comparison if we look at analogue hearing aids, instead of a microchip doing all the work we have a string of resistors and capacitors to amplify sound. It makes for an inexact result. Typically as hearing aid audiologists we would have a screw set tone control to make the hearing aids more or less tinny and the client would have to manually increase and decrease the volume with a wheel depending on the surrounding noise environment. Quite unsatisfactory by todays hi-tech standards!

Digital hearing aids have been available for ten years or so. They were first launched by Widex and Oticon and seemed revolutionary in their time compared to the older analogue technology. By todays standards the early digital hearing aids seem very rudimentary now!

Are all digital hearing aids alike?

Another question often put to us is ‘Aren’t all digital hearing aids the same?’ Experience has shown that different hearing aids from different hearing aid manufacturers can give very different results depending on the type and severity of the hearing loss, even the client’s own preferences!

The newer hearing aids can be very sophisticated and it is very important that your hearing aid audiologist is knowledgeable to ensure that you get the best possible result