Hearing Aids Not Helping in Background Noise? What Else Can Help?

You've invested in hearing aids. They help at home, television is clearer and one-to-one conversations are easier.

But then you walk into a restaurant, attend a meeting or sit around a busy family dinner table, and suddenly you're struggling again.

For some hearing aid wearers this can be incredibly frustrating.

You may wonder whether your hearing aids aren't good enough, whether they're incorrectly adjusted or whether nothing can be done.

The reality is more complicated.

Modern hearing aids can be extremely sophisticated, but background noise, distance and poor acoustics create some of the most demanding listening conditions they have to manage.

And sometimes hearing aids alone aren't the complete solution.

Why Can I Still Struggle Even With Good Hearing Aids?

Hearing aids are designed to make sound more accessible and modern devices can analyse the listening environment, reduce unwanted noise and use directional microphone technology to focus more effectively on speech.

But consider what happens in a busy restaurant.

Your dining companion is sitting across the table.

Around you there may be:

• Several other conversations
• Music
• Cutlery and glasses
• Kitchen noise
• Chairs moving
• Sound reflecting from hard surfaces

Your hearing aids are trying to determine which sounds are important, but their microphones are located on your ears.

The voice you want has therefore already travelled across the table and mixed with all that competing sound before reaching them.

That creates a fundamental challenge.

If this sounds familiar, our guide to why conversations become so difficult to hear in background noise explains this listening challenge in more detail.

The Problem Is Often the Signal-to-Noise Ratio

When discussing hearing in noise, one of the most useful concepts is the signal-to-noise ratio, often shortened to SNR.

The signal is what you want to hear.

Usually, that's speech.

The noise is everything competing with it.

Imagine someone talking to you from 20 centimetres away in a quiet room. Their voice is very prominent compared with the surrounding sound.

Now imagine the same person speaking from the opposite side of a table in a packed restaurant.

Their voice is much less distinct from everything happening around you.

Hearing aids can process that sound intelligently, but they can't completely undo the physical effects of distance, noise and reverberation.

If you find that you can hear someone speaking but can't always make out the words, you may also find our guide to hearing speech but not understanding what is being said helpful.

Should I Have My Hearing Aids Checked?

Yes - particularly if you feel you're struggling more than you used to.

Before assuming you need additional technology, it's worth making sure your existing hearing aids are working as effectively as possible.

That might include checking:

• Whether your hearing has changed
• Whether the hearing aids are appropriately programmed
• Whether the microphones are clear
• Whether domes, tubing or wax filters need attention
• Whether you have an appropriate programme for challenging environments
• Whether you're using the features available in your hearing aids

A well-fitted hearing aid can make a considerable difference.

But if your hearing aids perform well in everyday situations and the main problems occur specifically with noise, groups or distance, another type of technology may be worth considering.

Instead of Making Everything Louder, Move the Microphone

This is the principle behind a remote microphone system.

Rather than asking the microphones on your hearing aids to identify someone's voice from across a noisy room, a separate microphone is placed close to the person you want to hear.

Their voice is captured before much of the surrounding noise has a chance to interfere with it.

The audio is then transmitted wirelessly to compatible hearing aids or another receiver.

It's a fundamentally different approach.

Your hearing aids are no longer relying solely on sound arriving at your ears from across the room.

The microphone has effectively been moved closer to the conversation.

If this sounds like it could help with the situations you find difficult, our guide to remote microphones for hearing aids explains how the technology works and the different ways it can be used.

Phonak Roger

One of the best-known remote microphone systems is Phonak Roger.

Roger technology is designed for challenging listening environments where noise and distance make speech difficult to understand.

Different Roger microphones are designed for different situations.

Roger On

Roger On is a versatile portable microphone that can be used in several ways.

It can be placed on a restaurant table, pointed towards a particular speaker or worn by the person you want to hear.

This makes it useful for situations including:

• Restaurants
• Social occasions
• Meetings
• Lectures
• Car journeys
• One-to-one conversations
• Presentations

For someone whose hearing aids perform well most of the time but who struggles significantly in particular environments, this can provide another level of listening support.

Roger Table Mic

Meetings and larger group discussions create a different problem because the person speaking constantly changes.

Roger Table Mic is designed specifically for group settings.

Placed on the table, it can help capture speech from participants around it. Multiple Table Mics can also be used where coverage of a larger table is required.

This makes the technology particularly relevant to boardrooms, training sessions and other structured group discussions.

If meetings are one of your main difficulties, explore Zova's Work & Meetings listening solutions for technology designed around workplace communication.

Does Roger Work With Every Hearing Aid?

No - and this is an important point.

Compatibility depends on the hearing aids or listening devices being used and, in some cases, an additional receiver or interface may be required.

Some hearing aids have appropriate Roger functionality built in, while others require another method of receiving the signal.

This is why we recommend checking compatibility rather than purchasing a remote microphone based solely on the hearing-aid brand.

At Zova, we can help establish what equipment is required for your particular hearing devices.

What About Other Hearing Aid Brands?

Roger isn't the only remote microphone option.

Several hearing-aid manufacturers produce accessories designed to work within their own ecosystems.

Depending on your hearing aids, options may include remote microphones and accessories from manufacturers such as:

• ReSound
• Oticon
• Widex
• Starkey
• Signia
• Phonak

The best choice isn't necessarily the most expensive product.

It depends on what you're struggling to hear, where you're struggling and what hearing devices you already use.

A one-to-one conversation with your partner requires a different solution from a twelve-person board meeting.

Zova's Hearing Aid Wearers solutions bring together technology designed to complement hearing aids in situations where additional listening support may be useful.

What About Restaurants?

Restaurants are an excellent example of where remote microphone technology can complement hearing aids.

A suitable microphone can be positioned closer to the person or people you're trying to hear rather than relying solely on the microphones at your ears.

Technology isn't the only strategy, however.

You can also try:

• Sitting away from speakers and the kitchen
• Choosing a booth or table against a wall
• Visiting outside peak times
• Sitting where you can clearly see people's faces
• Keeping the person you most want to hear relatively close
• Choosing restaurants with softer furnishings and better acoustics

Combining environmental changes with appropriate technology can make a substantial difference.

What About Work Meetings?

Meetings are another common area of difficulty.

You may hear perfectly well when a colleague is sitting beside you but struggle when someone speaks from the other end of the boardroom.

Hybrid meetings introduce another layer of complexity, with voices coming from people in the room and others joining remotely.

Depending on the situation, remote microphones can be positioned near speakers, placed on a meeting table or connected with other audio equipment.

For people who rely heavily on spoken communication at work, this can be particularly valuable.

You can also read our real-world workplace case study to see how remote microphone technology helped support communication during meetings and group discussions.

Do I Need New Hearing Aids?

Not necessarily.

If your existing hearing aids are appropriately fitted and provide good benefit in most situations, adding a compatible listening accessory may address a specific problem without replacing the hearing aids themselves.

That's why it's useful to think in terms of a listening system, rather than expecting one pair of devices on your ears to solve every communication challenge.

Your hearing aids might be the foundation.

A TV streamer can deal with television.

A remote microphone can help with distance and noise.

A table microphone can support meetings.

Different technology can address different listening situations.

What If My Hearing Aids Still Aren't Performing Well Generally?

That's different.

If you're struggling even in quiet one-to-one conversations, your hearing seems to have changed or your hearing aids no longer provide the benefit they once did, speak to your hearing-care professional.

Additional accessories shouldn't be used to disguise a hearing aid that needs maintenance, adjustment or replacement.

Remote microphones are particularly interesting when the hearing aids work reasonably well but specific challenging situations remain difficult.

Finding the Right Solution

If you tell us:

• Which hearing aids you wear
• The exact model if known
• What situations you struggle with
• Who you're trying to hear
• How many people are usually involved

we can help narrow down the options.

At Zova Sound Solutions, we supply a wide range of remote microphones, receivers and assistive listening technology from leading hearing brands.

Our aim isn't simply to sell another device.

It's to identify the missing part of your listening setup and find technology that makes the situations that matter to you easier.

If your hearing aids work well until background noise, groups or distance get involved, explore our Assistive Listening Systems & Devices or contact Zova and tell us what hearing aids you use. We can help you investigate compatible options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my hearing aids work well at home but not in restaurants?

Quiet one-to-one conversation provides a much more favourable listening environment. Restaurants introduce competing voices, music, reverberation and distance, making it considerably harder to separate the speech you want from surrounding sound.

Does this mean I need better hearing aids?

Not necessarily. Your hearing aids should first be checked and appropriately fitted, but some listening situations remain difficult even with modern hearing technology. A compatible remote microphone may provide additional support.

Can a microphone connect directly to my hearing aids?

Potentially. This depends on your hearing-aid make and model and the microphone system. Some combinations connect relatively directly while others require a receiver or accessory.

Can Phonak Roger work with non-Phonak hearing aids?

Roger can be used with a range of hearing devices, but the required setup varies. Compatibility should always be checked for the specific hearing-aid model.

Are remote microphones only useful for severe hearing loss?

No. Their usefulness relates to the listening challenge as well as the degree of hearing loss. They can be particularly helpful where distance and background noise make speech difficult to understand.