CROS hearing aids offer options to people who experience single-sided hearing. They feature Phonak Venture technologies which automatically detect your listening situation, maximizing what you hear. It automatically switches to the best possible setting each time. Most people who use this product forget that they’re even wearing it.
Single-sided deafness occurs when you have normal hearing in one ear with hearing loss in the other. This physical ailment makes it challenging to focus on conversations, localize sounds, or determine speech from general background noise. Wearing the CROS hearing aids will capture the sounds from the ear experiencing hearing loss, then send it to your “good” ear to improve your hearing.
Multiple design options allow you to wear a hearing aid design which suits your needs best. There are currently behind-the-ear options, in-the-ear products, and customized hearing aids which help you hear the world around you.
These are the CROS hearing aids pros and cons to discuss with your medical provider before making this investment.
List of the Pros of CROS Hearing Aids
1. CROS hearing aids support normal hearing in one ear.
Unlike BiCROS hearing aids which provide support in both ears because of dual loss, the CROS hearing aids support the normal hearing in your “good” ear. The system offers a microphone which you wear in the ear experiencing hearing challenges. It then captures the sounds from that side, transmitting them to the ear where you can listen to them. The output occurs without amplification to help you pick out sounds in the environment which may be difficult to do otherwise.
This design allows you to begin hearing from the side where no audio pickups are present. If someone requires hearing on their right side, but that ear is unaidable, then CROS hearing aids allow for sound to be transmitted to the hearing ear without difficulty.
2. Sounds are no longer lost with the CROS hearing aid.
When you face hearing challenges in one ear, then you may lose sounds on that side of your body. This effect is referred to as the “head shadow.” It may cause you to lose a sense of your bearings, mishear critical sounds in your environment, and even lead you into dangerous situations because you think you’re headed away from them. There are fewer delays in sound processing with this technology placed correctly too, which means you can get your life back if hearing challenges are in the way.
3. CROS hearing aids make it easier to drive.
When you’re driving with an unaidable ear, listening to your vehicle companions while paying attention to the road becomes a problematic experience. This technology allows you to pick up sounds around you in the compartment, making it possible to carry on a conversation while focusing on where you are going. The sounds stream from the microphone to your hearing ear, giving you the correct combination of sounds.
4. This technology is easy to use.
The CROS hearing aids look and fit just like any other technology of this type. Once they are fitted to your ear, just turn them on, and you’ll begin hearing from both sides once again. They come in a variety of colors, including discreet options which are unnoticeable unless someone is close to you. As the manufacturer says, “Your friends and family will notice your improved hearing much more than your CROS device.”
5. It doesn’t require a surgical procedure to create better hearing.
There are some surgeries which fix hearing loss in a single ear due to bone buildup around the drum and canal. You will discover products which offer surgical implantation help for earing support with results that are similar to what a CROS hearing aid offers. When you choose this option, there’s no need to worry about surgery. The device is fitted to your ear, then you walk out hearing better than you did before.
If you are diagnosed with conductive hearing loss, then surgery to correct otosclerosis could offer permanent improvements. CROS hearing aids offer the next best solution.
6. Most providers allow you to trial the hearing aids first.
You may get to try CROS hearing aids before purchasing them outright. Providers ask you to pay for the devices up front, but it often comes with a 90-day guarantee. If you find that the devices don’t improve your hearing, then a full refund awaits you at the end of the trial period. Some people do benefit from this technology while others do not. Having this option helps you begin exploring a new way to hear the world around you.
7. CROS hearing aids provide a natural wear experience.
You immediately receive a sense of the sounds around you when a CROS hearing aid activates for the first time. Even if one of your ears are completely dead, the microphone is sensitive enough to pick up the critical sounds around you. It feels natural to wear the product (as much as a hearing aid can be anyway), making it easier to watch television, spend time with your family, or pursue your career goals.
8. There are multiple ways to attach the CROS technology.
The most common method of using CROS hearing aids is to wear a retention clip on the outside of the ear. A small antenna then transmits a signal across your cranium to transmit the sound. The other hearing aid becomes more like a speaker because of the audio it picks up. You can choose to wear a device in your ear canal like other hearing aids or take advantage of other designs which help you hear better.
9. CROS hearing aids are suitable for almost everyone.
CROS hearing aids aren’t just for the elderly. Anyone with unilateral hearing loss in one ear benefits from this technology, including children. Kids often prefer CROS technologies over adults because as you get older, it seems like the hearing platform doesn’t change much when you wear this product. Children begin to hear better immediately, which is something they may not have experienced before. Although there can be issues with sound quality with these devices sometimes, the other benefits listed here still apply with the product.
10. There are fewer feedback issues to be concerned about with CROS hearing aids.
Because the hearing aid for the “good” ear doesn’t require amplification, CROS hearing aids experience less feedback in the system compared to BICROS systems or traditional hearing aids. Those squeaks and squeals tend to disappear without the need to have a sealed earmold to prevent transmissions mingling with each other.
List of the Cons of CROS Hearing Aids
1. The sounds produced by CROS hearing aids can interfere with your ability to hear.
When you’re wearing CROS hearing aids, then your unaidable ear wears a microphone which transmits sounds to your other ear. That means your hearing ear receives sound inputs from two sides, not just one. If you’re in a noisy environment, the jumble of sounds can make it challenging to distinguish what you’re hearing or where the audio source originates. These hearing aids do help with conversations and most sounds, but if you’re always in busy environments, a different option would likely be a better choice.
Many people who experience this technology for the first time describe the effect provided as “double hearing.” If your hearing ear picks up the same sound as the microphone, there can be a delay, or an echo, which creates hearing difficulties for some people.
2. Battery life with CROS hearing aids is very short.
Because you’re using a microphone and an antenna to communicate sounds to your “good” ear with CROS hearing aids, the battery life of this technology tends to be short-lived. Some people report that their standard hearing aid batteries lasted just 48 hours when using this device. You can counter this disadvantage a little by using a larger battery size, such as a 13, to give you more juice. Be prepared for frequent battery changes, however, no matter which option you choose here.
3. Cost is a significant consideration with CROS hearing aids.
The cost of CROS hearing aids depends on the manufacturer producing the items. Phonak is one of the industry leaders and their products retail for about $3,000. Eargo Max hearing aids are priced around $2,150. If you look at Starkey Muse products, expect to pay around $1,900 for what you need.
Even used Phonak hearing aids retail for more than a generic pair of amplification options. The secondary market averages a cost of $700 for the top brands in this category. Although most hearing aids do retail for at least $1,000, you can find basic systems priced in the $500 or less category sometimes.
4. It can be challenging to talk on the phone with CROS hearing aids.
When you’re wearing CROS hearing aids, you’ll find that talking on the phone is easier when you have the device on speaker. If that feature isn’t available, voices tend to sound fuzzy, tinny, or you may not hear them at all. Most people find that they’re forced to use their hearing ear for phone conversations instead of the aided ear with this technology because of how the information transmits to you.
5. The programming of CROS hearing aids is often sensitive.
You must work with someone familiar with the brand of CROS hearing aids you choose for best results. If the microphone is not programmed correctly, then you’ll experience higher levels of background noise and more reverb than is present in the natural environment. Because even the weakest signals are captured, then magnified, the quality of the setup work often dictates how well the product works for the individual.
6. CROS hearing aids can struggle to produce good sound quality.
Think about the last time you wore a pair of Bluetooth headphones, streamed to Bluetooth speakers, or used a similar product. When the paired device was close to the audio source, your sound quality was reasonably good. What happened when you began to move away from the source? The audio quality decreased. CROS hearing aids experience the same issue based on where the sound signal is picked up in the surrounding environment. Sounds which are far away could be broken, filled with static, or offered in low quality.
7. Some people struggle with sound localization with these hearing aids.
When you have an ear which doesn’t work, your ability to localize sounds becomes diminished. There’s no getting around that fact. CROS hearing aids offer a solution which helps with some sound localization, but it won’t provide a 100% repair for your hearing. Some people find that activities which require both ears are more challenging to complete with this hearing aid option because the sounds blend together too well.
The pros and cons of CROS hearing aids make it possible to understand what happens in the world around you. If you have an unaidable ear which disrupts how you live, then discuss with your doctor the vital points brought up here. Although this technology is imperfect, especially in busy environments, most users discover that wearing these hearing aids helps them to feel like their hearing is restored.