Hearing aid microphone position

Hello Carter1,
I am not familiar with modern in-the-ear hearing aids, but does yours have an app where you can use a phone to aim the direction of pick up of sounds?

For example, my RIC can be aimed with the app to anywhere in a 360 degree circle around my head and the aim area can be as wide or narrow as I want. This is extra helpful if I want to listen to someone behind me or if I want to not hear noise from any particular side.

Sample photo is attached.
Paul

From what I’ve read, in simple terms, it makes sense to focus on where the speaker is located, usually right in front of you. Hearing aids typically have two microphones: one facing forward and another facing backward. Brands like Signia, Phonak, and Resound, for instance, claim their algorithms can adjust directionality depending on where speech is detected, enhancing understanding by combining the functions of both microphones. (see article below).

Companies like Widex have developed the SmartRIC, which enhances SNR in noisy environments by adjusting the hardware to position the microphones more horizontally, rather than the traditional setup that angles them toward the back. They claim this change boosts SNR by 12.5 dB. I have them and they work well for me.

It’s a mix of algorithms and microphone placement, so it’s not as straightforward as just where the mics are physically positioned. Article below explains this better than I can

ReSound’s Directional Philosophy - Article 1679812