My Homemade Hearing Aid - DIY Hearing Aid

I have moderate hearing loss due mainly to damage done during my years in construction. This device is designed to boost the frequency range that fills in that loss of hearing. Think of my hearing as a hole in the ground and this hearing aid is the dirt that fills the hole.
It is basically an active amplifier, one for each ear. There is a highpass filter and a lowpass filter that limits what's being amplified to specific frequency range
So my ears are hearing what they normally do, but they are also getting the boosted response from this device.
More technical:
I configurated the highpass as a 6th order (3 stage) filter that has gain. The 2nd order lowpass follows to limit how much high frequency content is boosted.
Final stage is the output with two opamps in parallel to drive the in-ear receiver. It has much more gain and is adjustable.
I used Microcap to sim the circuit and KiCad to design the PCB. I used REW to measure the response of the completed circuit to ensure it was working as designed. These measurements show the frequency range boost, the low noise and low distortion.
Opamps are the NE5532. I tried the lower power LM6132, but the performance wasn't as clean. I'm using this with a plugin power supply so power consumption isn't an issue. If I wanted to run it from batteries, I'd use lower power opamps.

I've order 3 different mic capsules to try out and may make a followup video if they prove to be better. The ones I'm using work great, even though they cost almost nothing.
The circuit is fairly compact, but was not designed to use outside my listening room (or some other static location). Real hearing aids will almost always be the better option if they are setup properly. They are tiny and have a limiter, but also consume batteries and are quite expensive. But my experience doing this has shown that the expense is (mostly) justified.
I consider my time spent developing this as educational and an act of entertainment - I like doing it. It certainly gave me an appreciation for how difficult it is to do this.
And the device is low enough in cost that I can build additional units to have in other places, like at my desk for editing video. The in-ear receivers are not cheap ($220 per pair), but a lot less than real hearing aids.

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[IBuildIt]

I have moderate hearing loss due mainly to damage done during my years in construction. This device is designed to boost the frequency range that fills in that loss of hearing. Think of my hearing as a hole in the ground and this hearing aid is the dirt that fills the hole.
It is basically an active amplifier, one for each ear. There is a highpass filter and a lowpass filter that limits what's being amplified to specific frequency range
So my ears are hearing what they normally do, but they are also getting the boosted response from this device.
More technical:
I configurated the highpass as a 6th order (3 stage) filter that has gain. The 2nd order lowpass follows to limit how much high frequency content is boosted.
Final stage is the output with two opamps in parallel to drive the in-ear receiver. It has much more gain and is adjustable.
I used Microcap to sim the circuit and KiCad to design the PCB. I used REW to measure the response of the completed circuit to ensure it was working as designed. These measurements show the frequency range boost, the low noise and low distortion.
Opamps are the NE5532. I tried the lower power LM6132, but the performance wasn't as clean. I'm using this with a plugin power supply so power consumption isn't an issue. If I wanted to run it from batteries, I'd use lower power opamps.

I've order 3 different mic capsules to try out and may make a followup video if they prove to be better. The ones I'm using work great, even though they cost almost nothing.
The circuit is fairly compact, but was not designed to use outside my listening room (or some other static location). Real hearing aids will almost always be the better option if they are setup properly. They are tiny and have a limiter, but also consume batteries and are quite expensive. But my experience doing this has shown that the expense is (mostly) justified.
I consider my time spent developing this as educational and an act of entertainment - I like doing it. It certainly gave me an appreciation for how difficult it is to do this.
And the device is low enough in cost that I can build additional units to have in other places, like at my desk for editing video. The in-ear receivers are not cheap ($220 per pair), but a lot less than real hearing aids.

[acreguy]

John, I could listen to your videos all day. You have a gift for teaching and the ability to impart complex subject matter in its simplest form. Well done!

[haycrossaudio]

John. I've always admired what you do but now even more so. To design and build your own hearing aids based on your hearing curve is just outstanding. Above and beyond. To do this in order to still enjoy music and create a realistic sound environment is incredible. To have a profession based around sound whilst having hearing issues is one thing. Creating a bespoke solution is another. We are not worthy Sir. Just incredible John

[lobstame]

Wow! Love your investigation on this issue. This kind of experimentation and tinkering is what I can do all day. Thanks for the interesting piece today.

[lohikarhu]

Brutal to measure the hearing aid response, without the ear canal/eardrum/eustachian tube model !
BTW, in Germany, they cover hearing aids out to about $2500 per pair on medical insurance.

[BostonMike]

You are very clever! I have to remember to wear ear protection at work and when home using power tools so I don't damage my ears anymore then they are

[matthiaswandel]

Very interesting. Now if you only use these in your listening room, plugged into the wall, why not just use headphones and turn it up louder? Is it about experiencing the ambience of the room?

[MrPatdeeee]

Hi John, I am 92 yrs old. And my hearing is very bad (especially the right ear). So I went to an audio Costco Company. And they sold me Hearing Aids; that was supposed to correct it. But they did some. But NOT what I thought of those $1600.00! Hearing Aids..."Jabra Enhance Pro 20"!

So old persons; be careful. Because my Company has done what ever they could. Oh Well. And thanks for telling us John.

[Pleusch]

Hi there ! I know it has nothing to do with this particular Video under that I'm commenting, but I would really like to know, whats you opinion on room Gain. How it effects the Bass extension and how to calculate it for a room with and without room treatment. What kind of tools are available for that and how to implement this factor into VirtuixCad or WinISD. That would be an very interesting Video because it's hard to find good information about that or maybe I'm to dumb to find them.

Thanks a lot and keep on making this great Videos ! 👍🏻

[jameslester]

I have moderate to severe hearing loss in the mid to high range. I have the top on the line Phonak HAs. They work very well. I have an audiologist that performs real ear measurements which enables her to program my Has to my prescription. Hearing amplifiers cannot do what HAs can do.

[misinformationwithrandy]

Since you're making this yourself would it be hard to make a kill switch for coughing? Or program for filtering out the sudden peaks?

[MCsCreations]

That's fascinating indeed, John! I had no idea someone could make something like that! 😮
I had no idea you had hearing issues... I'm really sorry. I... Well, I lost 75% of field of view, because of a surgery... It's a really long story, but I adapted very well to tell the truth... And I'm happy there's something to help those with hearing issues, because... Well, without it, even to walk on the streets could be really dangerous!
Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[wingnutbert]

7:40- LOL! I thought it was my phone my headphones off

[overbuiltautomotive]

Sweet build love you built hearing aids God bless.yes a threshold limiter.. would be super nice .i like vlc media player has that and make up gain . the only way to watch star wars and other movies that are mumbling then explosions

[-NeverMind-]

Thanks, good stuff.
You ever plan to make an epic dml speaker (that doesn't look crap 😂) ?

[das]

A note: If the hearing has been reduced over time in the relevant upper frequencies and we further increase those frequencies into the ear via the ear pieces, do we risk further reducing these frequency responses within the human ear ?

[Don.Challenger]

How does bone conduction (and who knows other acoustic pathways) figure into the response curves or is that considered external and a fixed effect like your listening room considered as the environment itself.

[DennisMathias]

Is there room for a product that allows you to adjust your OWN hearing aids without a technician?

[RickMahoney]

I challenge you to make a set of speakers from cardboard, for you John this should be very easy.

[sorgunakkor]

Did you consider measuring the hearing aids with a dummy head? (3d printed pinna and wooden head)