Breakthrough!

Following is a copy from the head-fi CanJam impressions thread. Amazing and looks to be a breakthrough in hearing aids and IEM audio. Very touching video, hope it all works out for Stephen Ambrose and his team.

Originally Posted by jude

I'll post more impressions later, but I wanted to post what was my favorite moment at any CanJam so far.

My wife is deaf in one ear. Many years ago, she was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, which is a relatively rare, benign tumor on the acoustic nerve. It had been radiated, but grew after a few years, and eventually had to be surgically removed. Unfortunately, the surgery required the sacrifice of her left acoustic nerve (vestibulocochlear nerve), leaving her 100% deaf on the left side.

(We're quite the pair: She used to be an interior designer, and I have significant colorblindness. I'm a headphone audio enthusiast, and she's deaf in one ear.)

I'd seen a couple of videos about Stephen Ambrose's Active ADEL, and spoke with Steve (@Canyon Runner) from 64 Audio at CES about Active ADEL (aka "bubbles"). Here's one of the videos I saw:



Some key differences: The young lady in the above video has moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears. My wife's right ear is outstanding, but her left side is, again, 100% deaf.

A key similarity: My wife's response was a lot like the lady's response above.

My wife loves music, every bit as much as I do. Her personality is one of serenity, calm, acceptance, so she has literally never complained of her situation, and has simply learned to enjoy music (and life) through her one good ear. Stephen and Steve placed the earpieces in my wife's ears. They asked me to pick some music on my phone, so I played Pharrel's "Happy." She immediately started crying happy tears, mixed with emotions from having forgot what it was like (for over ten years now) to hear music the way she used to. She said it was like the music was filling her head again--like she was hearing from both ears. (This is not what's happening, and I encourage you to watch the videos about it and/or read more about how it works.) We switched to stereo microphones, and tested directionality. While she'd have to be trained to localize perfectly, she was sensing changing direction as I walked around the table talking.

Stephen then asked her (as we were running late for a dinner reservation) if she wanted to hear it again, and she jumped at the chance, and asked me to play "Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning," performed by Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks on God Don't Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson, which is one of her favorite songs right now.

The music started, and the tears started flowing again. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Stephen asked her if she wanted to be involved in their ongoing work at Vanderbilt, as they continue to develop, perfect, and productize the technology. Of course, the answer was YES. I'll get her down there as often as they want to see her. It doesn't hurt that Nashville is such a groovy place, especially for two music lovers like my wife and me. Before we left, my wife practically jumped out her chair to hug Stephen. I had to hug him, too.

Thank you to Stephen, Steve, and 64 Audio for your work on this, and for letting my wife hear music rather like she used to more than ten years ago.

 

Yeah, that prototype seems absolutely revolutionary. I saw them do a demo with a man who was hearing impaired. Really incredible.

 

Amazing stuff. Thanks for sharing that AZ.

 

I will have to check this out. My brother is deaf in one ear as well... He just woke up one day around the age of 28 and something wasn't working properly in his ear. The doctors tried a bunch of tests, but came up with nothing.
I feel terribly sorry for him, knowing how much I enjoy music... When he visits, I try so badly not to talk about new gear, or how the speaker setup is sounding so nice. I really wish he could enjoy it with me.
I have always said that I'd rather be blind than deaf myself. Music moves me in a way that nothing else can. Thanks for the post.

 

Very curious what was the reaction exactly, did you ask if man was able to hear the whole spectrum in a regular way how he remembers it from the past?

Don't ever say anything like this, don't even think like that no matter how you like music. I am serious!

 

Pretty amazing.
It would be great to pair those earphones with Out Of Your Head.

Here's a post I wrote a long time ago about a customer who has hearing loss and used Out Of Your Head to listen to speakers again:
https://fongaudio.com/out-of-your-head-reason-004-hearing-loss/

 

Unfortunately there was such a large crowd surrounding the man that I wasn't able to talk to him about it afterwards. But this definitely seems to be on an entirely different level from existing hearing aid technology.

 

It's not a secret that Stephen Ambrose tried marketing his ADEL stuff first to hearing aid companies. Only after he was completely rejected (not a single major hearing aid company was interested) did he start to look for partners to sell to the audiophile market.

I would be delighted if someone is helped by something Ambrose makes. He has a long career of being a failure, so I'm not holding my breath, but here's hoping.

edit: I haven't heard Vitaliy's ciems, I don't mean my comments to reflect on his earphones.

 

Oh man, that is very interesting! Where have you been with it all this time? I seriously suggest getting in contact with mr. Ambrose to see if some sort of collaboration is possible.

 

My mom has had no luck with 3 grand hearing aids. She complains of a tinny sound which I always replied with you need a better fitting tip for your ear. could this help her?

 

Don't just take Jude's word for it. In the 1964 Ears Adel thread on Head-Fi there are quite a few links to videos with reactions just like the one posted above. I too don't understand the science behind it other than possibly using the direct skin/bone contact that the inflatable tip provides to create vibrations that other nerves and the brain can interpret as sound.

 

Interestingly, one of the attendants at the 64 booth told me they were planning on selling a kit to retrofit their universal IEMs with the bubble tech. I wonder what, if any, impact this will have for people who do not have hearing disabilities.

 

Oh man that was an awesome video and post, wish the best for you and your wife (and others who can benefit from this).

 

He's right, because thoughts like this can influence reality. For evidence, I ask you to consider how many people think unicorns aren't real. Have you ever seen a real unicorn? No? Boom.

Magic.

 

this is magic! maybe 10 years more they can develope some device to deaf people.

 

There's a reason this was at canjam and not AudiologyNOW-the big annual audiology convention where the serious research and tech for doctors of audiology is unveiled.

 

Thanks for the cold shower Gilberto, I like those too ;-).

I also don't know much about the physics of this invention and therefore can not advocate for it but here is just one example of a fairly common practice: Whole automotive industry rejected windshield wipers invention for years only to start mass production after the original patent expired.

 

I lost good chunk of my vision during hig school graduation exams supposedly due to some sort of "system glitch", not fun! Thank God it came back within a week after one session of "manual therapy" I was loughing at. Not a single issue with vision ever since and it still is at 100% 25 years later.

All I am saying is we know a lot but still very little about human physiology.