Conversations
matter.
Hear them all.
Hospital-trained audiologists delivering precise testing, expert fittings, and the follow-up care most practices skip. Midtown Manhattan, Garden City, and at-home across NYC and Long Island.
NYC hospital-trained. Private-practice care.
Concierge audiology built around personal attention and lasting results, not the rushed, rotating-provider experience that defines most large hospital systems.
- Board Certified — American Academy of AudiologyAAA
- Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.), all providersASHA CCC-A
- 10+ years of clinical experience10+ yrs
- Concierge, doctor-led carePinnacle
Pinnacle Audiology is a concierge hearing-care practice built on direct, doctoral-level care, with offices in Midtown Manhattan and Garden City, plus at-home visits across NYC & Long Island.
Our team includes Dr. Eric Nelson, Dr. Meagan Ruth, and Dr. Rebecca Sherman, all doctors of audiology, each ASHA-credentialed (CCC-A) with 10+ years of experience. You see the same audiologist every visit, from first evaluation through long-term support.
Missing conversations, turning the TV up, or hearing ringing? A hearing evaluation is the clearest next step.
Comprehensive
hearing care.
From your first evaluation to long-term hearing aid support, we handle every aspect of your hearing health under one roof, with the major brands and the expertise to match them to your life.
Hearing Aid Fittings
Expert fittings across every major brand — Phonak, Oticon, Widex, Signia, Starkey, ReSound — calibrated to your lifestyle and verified with real-ear measurement.
Learn more → 02 / TinnitusTinnitus Management
Evidence-based evaluation, sound therapy, and personalized management programs to reduce the daily impact of ringing in your ears.
Learn more → 03 / ProtectionCustom Hearing Protection
Custom-molded earplugs for musicians, swimmers, and high-noise professionals. Made by an audiologist for a perfect, comfortable fit.
Learn more → 04 / ContinuityTransfer of Care & Remote
Already have hearing aids? We provide full ongoing care in NYC and nationwide — remote programming, mail-in repairs, and complete transfers from any provider.
Learn more →Why patients
choose us.
Four things that quietly separate us from the rest, and show up in every appointment, every fitting, every follow-up.
Personalized Attention
Concierge care built around your goals — with real-ear verification that catches what volume-based practices miss.
Advanced Technology
The latest from Phonak, Oticon & Widex, plus precision diagnostics — for measurable improvement in how you hear.
Honest, Ongoing Support
No upsells, no unnecessary visits — just honest guidance from the audiologist who knows your hearing best.
Trusted by NYC Patients
Patients and families choose Pinnacle Audiology for personalized hearing care, clear communication, and thoughtful follow-up.
Three ways
to be seen.
Two private NYC-area offices and discreet in-home visits, so expert, doctor-led hearing care fits the way you actually live.
Midtown Manhattan
421 7th Ave, Ste 707
New York, NY 10001
Entrance on W 33rd St
Mon, Wed–Fri 9–5 · Tue 9–8 · Sun 10–3
View Midtown → Long IslandGarden City
300 Garden City Plaza, Ste 248
Garden City, NY 11530
Mon 10–5 · Thu 10–3
View Garden City → NYC & Long IslandAt-Home Care
Concierge in-home visits across Manhattan, the boroughs, and Long Island. Full diagnostic testing brought to you.
By appointment, scheduled around your calendar
Explore In-Home Care →What our
patients say.
Read what patients across NYC and Long Island say about their care.
Rated by our patients on Google
Our patients across NYC and Long Island share their experiences on our verified Google Business Profile. Read their words — in full and unedited — directly on Google.
Reviews are hosted on our verified Google Business Profile for Pinnacle Audiology (Midtown Manhattan & Garden City).
Clarity before
your first visit.
Hearing benefits are often confusing. Plans differ widely in what they cover for evaluations, hearing aids, and follow-up care. Where your plan allows, our team will check your benefits and walk you through what to expect, so there are no surprises.
We accept most major insurance plans. Coverage varies by plan and policy; we'll confirm the specifics of your benefits with you directly.
Insurance & Benefits →Benefit Verification
We'll review your plan and outline likely coverage before you come in, where your plan permits.
Transparent Pricing
Clear, upfront guidance on options at every technology level — no pressure, no upsells.
Flexible Payment
We help you find a path that fits your budget and your hearing goals.
Frequently
asked.
Still curious? Call 646-436-7590 or email info@pinnacleaudiology.com — we respond the same day.
See all FAQs →Three doctors.
One standard
of care.
Hospital-trained, fellowship-credentialed, and laser-focused on what matters: hearing outcomes you can feel in real-world conversations. Every Pinnacle patient is cared for by the same audiologist from evaluation through long-term follow-up.
Dr. Eric G. Nelson
Dr. Eric Nelson is the founder of Pinnacle Audiology and brings more than a decade of experience to every appointment. Before opening Pinnacle, Eric served as Audiology Supervisor at Weill Cornell Medicine for 13 years, managing the audiology service at one of New York's leading academic medical centers.
His clinical expertise spans diagnostic evaluation, hearing aid fitting and verification, tinnitus management, and concierge in-home care. Eric is known for taking the time to explain — patients consistently describe his manner as warm, clear, and genuinely unhurried.
He believes the best hearing outcomes come from slowing down: a thorough case history, precise testing, a fitting verified with real-ear measurement, and follow-up that actually follows up.
Dr. Meagan Ruth
Dr. Meagan Ruth joins Pinnacle with a strong foundation in comprehensive diagnostic testing and patient-first hearing aid fittings. She's known for a calm, methodical approach and a talent for translating audiogram numbers into language patients and families actually use.
Meagan enjoys the longer-arc relationships hearing care makes possible — helping a patient tune into the soundtrack of their life, then revisiting, refining, and adjusting as that life changes.
Dr. Rebecca Sherman
Dr. Rebecca Sherman brings a strong clinical diagnostic background and a deep interest in the whole-person impact of hearing loss — how it touches relationships, cognition, work, and confidence. She holds a special interest in tinnitus evaluation and aural rehabilitation counseling.
Patients appreciate Rebecca's clear, plain-language explanations and her steady, encouraging presence through what can be an emotional process.
Every major
brand. Perfectly
fit to you.
We fit every leading hearing aid brand — Oticon, Phonak, Widex, Signia, Starkey, ReSound, Rexton, Unitron — plus custom hearing protection from Sensaphonics and Westone. The brand matters less than the fitting; we do both right.
Oticon
Oticon's BrainHearing philosophy emphasizes giving the brain full access to the natural sound environment — not isolating speech at the expense of context. The latest Oticon Intent platform uses 4D sensor technology to detect where your attention is going and adjust accordingly.
- Oticon Intent — premium, AI-assisted listening
- Oticon Real — everyday flagship performance
- Oticon Play — pediatric-specific platform
Phonak
Phonak is the NYC musician and power-user favorite — known for universal Bluetooth to any phone, rugged rechargeability.
- Phonak Audéo Sphere Infinio — AI-powered in-noise clarity
- Phonak Slim & Virto — discreet in-the-ear options
Starkey
Starkey pioneered the smart hearing aid — built-in sensors track steps, detect falls, translate languages, and provide health metrics. Genesis AI is their current flagship platform.
- Starkey Genesis AI — edge AI processing
- Fall detection & alerts
- Live language translation
ReSound
ReSound introduced the first Made-for-iPhone hearing aid. Their Nexia and Vivia platforms continue to set the standard for seamless Apple and Auracast integration.
- ReSound Vivia — AI-driven premium platform
- ReSound Nexia — Auracast-ready connectivity
- Made for iPhone & Android
Rexton
Rexton offers premium Signia-family technology at a more accessible price point — a strong option when insurance allowances or budget constraints matter, without compromising on fitting quality.
- Rexton Reach — premium at accessible price
- Rexton Stellar — reliable everyday wear
Unitron
Unitron is built around a simple idea: the whole point of a hearing aid is better conversations. Their Vivante platform focuses on how you actually use the devices day to day.
- Unitron Vivante — conversation-first platform
- Flex:trial program for at-home evaluation
Sensaphonics
Sensaphonics makes the gold standard in custom in-ear monitors and musician earplugs. Used by touring artists, Broadway performers, and orchestral musicians across New York.
- Custom in-ear monitors (IEMs)
- Musician earplugs — flat-response filters
- Audiologist-verified fit & impressions
Westone
Westone has been making custom earmolds and hearing protection in America for over 60 years. Swim plugs, shooter's protection, communication earpieces, sleep plugs — all from ear impressions we take in-office.
- Custom swim plugs
- Shooter's & industrial protection
- Sleep plugs & communication earpieces
Full-spectrum
hearing care.
From diagnostic evaluation to long-term fine-tuning — Pinnacle handles every phase of your hearing health with the same audiologist, under one roof. No handoffs. No rotating providers.
Hearing Aid Fittings
Every major brand — Phonak, Oticon, Widex, Signia, Starkey, ReSound — fit with real-ear measurement so the output at your eardrum matches what your hearing actually needs. Includes four follow-up visits within the first 90 days, counseling for you and your family, and tuning for the environments that matter most in your life.
Tinnitus Management
A structured evaluation and personalized plan for the ringing, buzzing, or humming that can make quiet unbearable. Sound therapy, hearing-aid-based masking, counseling, and coordination with sleep specialists or CBT when needed — the tools that actually move the needle.
Custom Hearing Protection
Custom-molded protection for musicians, Broadway professionals, orchestral players, industrial workers, swimmers, hunters, and anyone serious about preserving their hearing. Ear impressions taken in-office; Sensaphonics and Westone products.
Transfer of Care & Remote Support
Already have hearing aids from somewhere else? We're happy to take over ongoing care — adjustments, repairs, cleanings, and follow-up. Remote programming is available across the country, so patients who travel or have moved stay with the audiologist they trust.
Concierge & In-Home Care
Complete diagnostic testing, fittings, and ongoing hearing aid care — at your home or office, throughout NYC and Long Island. Ideal for patients with mobility challenges, privacy needs, or simply too-busy schedules.
Senior Care Program
A dedicated track for older adults and their families — with extra time in appointments, caregiver involvement, simplified technology options, and coordination with primary-care and memory-care teams. Addresses the cognitive, fall-risk, and social-isolation dimensions of untreated hearing loss.
Aging in Place
For patients committed to staying in their homes as they age — we integrate hearing technology with the broader aging-in-place ecosystem: smart-home alerts, amplified phones, TV streamers, doorbell/smoke detector integration, and family communication tools.
Fit it right
the first time.
A good hearing aid, poorly fit, sounds worse than a modest one fit well. Our four-step fitting process — verified with real-ear measurement — is why patients who were disappointed elsewhere finally hear what they've been missing.
Four visits.
One great fit.
Hearing aids are not appliances — they're an ongoing calibration to your brain, your life, and your goals. Every new fitting at Pinnacle includes these four structured visits within the first 90 days, and open access to us beyond that.
Evaluation & Discovery
Comprehensive diagnostic testing, a full case history, and an honest conversation about goals, environments, and budget. You leave with a clear picture of your hearing and a plan — not a hard sell.
First Fit & Verification
Your devices are programmed to your prescription and verified in your own ear canals using real-ear measurement. We confirm the output is exactly where it should be — not just where the software guesses.
Fine-Tune
After two to three weeks of wearing them in your real life, we adjust. What's too loud? What's too quiet? Which environments feel great, which feel challenging? Your feedback drives this visit.
Refine & Rehab
Final verification, communication strategies, app training, and a clear plan for ongoing follow-up. By this point, the hearing aids feel like part of you — not a medical device you're tolerating.
The step
most offices
skip.
Real-ear measurement (REM) places a thin probe microphone in your ear canal during the fitting. It measures the exact sound level at your eardrum — and compares it to the prescriptive target for your hearing loss.
Only about 30% of US audiology offices perform REM routinely, even though every major professional guideline recommends it. At Pinnacle, every new fitting and every re-fitting is verified this way. This is why patients tell us our fittings sound different.
Every major maker.
We're not locked into one manufacturer. Your ears get the brand and model that fits your hearing pattern, lifestyle, and goals — not the one behind a sales contract.
Quiet the
ringing.
Tinnitus is not just annoying — it can disrupt sleep, concentration, and mood. It's also one of the most misunderstood conditions in hearing care. We start with a real evaluation and a real plan, not generic advice.
More than a
ringing sound.
Tinnitus can sound like ringing, buzzing, humming, hissing, or even music — in one ear, both, or inside your head. It can be constant or intermittent, loud or soft, triggered by silence or by noise.
For some people, it's background noise. For others, it makes sleep impossible, concentration difficult, and quiet rooms unbearable. Both experiences are real.
- Constant or intermittent ringing/buzzing
- Trouble falling asleep or concentrating
- Heightened awareness in quiet rooms
- Often paired with undiagnosed hearing loss
Not all tinnitus
is the same.
A thorough tinnitus evaluation rules out medical causes, maps your specific tinnitus to its pitch and loudness, screens for underlying hearing loss, and identifies what makes it better or worse.
That work informs a realistic treatment plan — and sets expectations. Most patients can significantly reduce the daily impact of tinnitus, even if the sound itself doesn't fully disappear.
- Comprehensive audiometric testing
- Tinnitus pitch and loudness matching
- Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) assessment
- Medical referral coordination when indicated
Tools that
actually work.
There is no single cure for tinnitus. But there are several well-studied approaches — and the right combination, tuned to you, can dramatically reduce how much of your attention tinnitus takes up each day.
Sound Therapy
Calibrated background sound — from dedicated sound generators or hearing aid masking programs — shifts tinnitus from the foreground to the background over time. Habituation is real and measurable.
Hearing Aids
When tinnitus is paired with hearing loss (as it often is), properly fit hearing aids reduce tinnitus perception in most patients. The brain's sound-seeking turns off when you can actually hear.
Counseling & CBT Referral
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy and cognitive-behavioral techniques change how your brain reacts to the sound. We provide counseling in-office and refer to trusted CBT specialists when appropriate.
Protect
what you can't
replace.
Hearing loss from noise is permanent — and preventable. Custom-molded protection, fit by an audiologist to an impression of your actual ear canal, performs orders of magnitude better than foam plugs. For musicians, swimmers, shooters, and anyone with a valuable auditory life.
Made for a specific
life.
Custom protection is worth it when what you're protecting matters. For Broadway musicians, touring artists, ER nurses, industrial crews, NYPD, amateur shooters, and serious swimmers — we take impressions in office and the finished protection arrives in 2–3 weeks.
Filtered Protection
Flat-attenuation filters (9, 15, 25 dB) preserve the full spectrum — you hear the music accurately, just quieter. Standard choice for Broadway, orchestra, and touring professionals.
Swim Plugs
Floating, watertight silicone plugs keep water out while allowing speech through. Essential for recurrent ear infections, surfer's ear, or after ear surgery.
High-Attenuation
High-dB protection for construction, manufacturing, and aviation. Comfortable for long shifts in a way foam plugs aren't.
Shooter's Plugs
Electronic or passive options with filters that amplify conversation and suppress impulse noise. Range-ready and hunting-ready.
Selected
products.
We work primarily with Sensaphonics (the industry standard for musicians and touring IEMs) and Westone (the long-standing leader in custom earmolds, swim plugs, and industrial protection). Pricing varies by product — ask during your consult.
Musician Earplugs
Soft-silicone custom earplugs with swappable flat-response filters (9, 15, 25 dB). The gold standard for live performance and rehearsal.
Custom IEMs
High-end in-ear monitors for stage, studio, and touring. Full isolation, audiologist-verified fit, impressions taken in office.
Swim Plugs
Floating, soft-silicone swim plugs in custom colors. Keep water out, let speech in. Essential for recurrent infections or post-surgery.
Industrial Protection
Standard high-attenuation custom earmolds for construction, manufacturing, and aviation environments.
Sleep Plugs
Ultra-soft silicone plugs designed for comfortable side-sleeping. For snoring partners, light-sleepers, and shift workers.
Communication Earpieces
Custom molds for two-way radios, security earpieces, and broadcast IFB monitors. Standard for NYPD, FDNY, ENG, live sports.
Hearing care,
at home.
Complete diagnostic testing, hearing aid fittings, and ongoing care — brought to you. Dr. Nelson and the Pinnacle team offer in-home audiology visits across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and throughout Long Island.
When the office
isn't an option.
Concierge audiology is ideal when coming to us isn't practical — mobility, time, privacy, or simply the comfort of being in your own space. The full office experience, in your living room.
Mobility & Recovery
Post-surgical, reduced mobility, wheelchair users, or anyone for whom a cross-town appointment is exhausting. Your home, your pace.
Older Adults
Elderly patients often do better in their own environment — fewer transitions, family nearby, and the familiarity that supports cognitive load during testing.
Executives & Privacy
Public figures, executives, and patients who prefer not to sit in a waiting room. Discreet visits at home or office, scheduled around your calendar.
Caregivers & Families
When an adult child is managing a parent's care, in-home visits let the whole family participate without the logistics of transport and waiting rooms.
New Parents
Scheduling an audiology visit around a newborn is brutal. We come to you instead — with the same diagnostic and fitting capability as the office.
Retirement Communities
On-site visits at assisted living, memory care, and retirement communities across NYC and Long Island. Ask about group-visit scheduling.
A full office,
at your door.
In-home visits are not a simplified version of office care — they're the same standard, delivered differently. We bring calibrated portable audiometry, real-ear measurement, programming equipment, and all necessary supplies.
Portable Audiometry
Clinically-calibrated portable audiometer with insert earphones and bone conduction. Same diagnostic standard as office.
Real-Ear System
Portable REM equipment to verify hearing aid output in your ear canal — the same verification we do in office.
Full Programming
Every major manufacturer's programming software, cleaning supplies, wax-guards, domes, and receiver wires.
Clean Environment
We identify a quiet room, measure ambient noise, and document conditions. Your audiogram meets clinical standards.
Where we
travel.
In-home visits are available throughout the five boroughs and across Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island. Travel fees vary by distance and are shared transparently upfront.
New York City
- Manhattan
- Brooklyn
- Queens
- Bronx
- Staten Island
- Westchester (select)
Long Island
- Garden City
- Great Neck
- Manhasset
- Huntington
- Smithtown
- Out to Hamptons
Outside these zones? Call us — we accommodate further travel case by case, especially for existing patients.
More time.
Less rushing.
Hearing care for older adults needs to be slower, more patient, and more inclusive of family. Our Senior Care Program is built for how our oldest patients actually experience appointments — and for the caregivers walking through it with them.
Hearing loss
is never just
hearing loss.
Untreated age-related hearing loss is linked to higher rates of cognitive decline, depression, falls, and social isolation. Addressing it well is one of the highest-leverage interventions in senior health — and one of the most under-treated.
Cognitive Decline Risk
Adults with moderate hearing loss face significantly higher risk of cognitive decline — addressing hearing loss may reduce that risk meaningfully (Lancet Commission on Dementia).
Fall Risk
Even mild hearing loss triples the risk of falls — the brain uses auditory input for spatial awareness. Well-fit hearing aids measurably reduce this.
Social Isolation
Nearly half of older adults with untreated hearing loss report feelings of isolation or depression. Re-connecting to conversation is often the first thing patients notice.
Built for
older adults.
Every Senior Care Program patient gets the same evidence-based standard as any Pinnacle patient — plus seven extra things designed specifically for how seniors and caregivers best engage with audiology care.
Extended Appointments
90-minute visits are standard — not 30 — so there's time to test, explain, practice, and involve family without rushing.
Caregiver Participation
We encourage spouses, adult children, or paid caregivers to attend. We'll brief them on handling, cleaning, and troubleshooting.
Simplified Technology
Large tactile controls, auto-on, long-lasting rechargeable options, and minimal app requirements. Great hearing aids don't have to be complicated.
PCP Coordination
We send formal reports to primary care and specialists — and coordinate with memory care, ENT, and cardiology when clinically indicated.
Large-Print Materials
All take-home documents, instructions, and counseling materials are printed in large type with high contrast.
In-Home Option
For patients with significant mobility challenges or advanced cognitive needs, the entire program is available in-home across NYC and Long Island.
Lifetime Follow-Up
Twice-yearly check-ins, annual clean-and-checks, and direct-access email/phone support for the audiologist who knows the patient best.
Medicare-Aware
We navigate Medicare Advantage hearing benefits, supplemental coverage, and union retiree plans to maximize your benefits.
Stay home.
Stay connected.
Most older adults want to stay in their own homes as long as possible. Good hearing is one of the quiet foundations of that — it's how you answer the door, take a phone call, follow the news, and remain part of family conversations. We help you build a complete listening environment, not just a pair of hearing aids.
Beyond the
hearing aid.
A modern aging-in-place setup integrates your hearing aids with phones, TVs, doorbells, safety alerts, and family communication. We walk you through the whole ecosystem and help you build what fits your home — without upselling what you don't need.
TV & Streaming
Direct Bluetooth streaming from your TV to your hearing aids — family watches at a normal volume, you hear crystal clear.
- TV Connector devices
- Bluetooth Auracast (new)
- Captioning setup help
Phones
Amplified landlines, captioned phones (often free through CapTel), and smartphone streaming to hearing aids for iPhone and Android.
- CaptionCall / CapTel setup
- Clarity amplified phones
- Smartphone integration
Alerting Systems
Loud/vibrating alerts for doorbells, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and phones — ensuring you're never missed in an emergency.
- Vibrating alarm clocks
- Strobe smoke detectors
- Wireless doorbell alerts
Fall Detection & Health
Several modern hearing aids include fall detection with auto-alert to designated contacts — plus step counting and wellness tracking.
- Starkey Genesis AI
- Starkey Edge AI
- Caregiver notifications
Remote Adjustments
Family lives out of state? We adjust your hearing aids remotely — no trips to the office for fine-tuning.
- Remote programming sessions
- Mail-in repairs & cleans
- Video-call follow-ups
Family-Inclusive Care
Adult children can be included in care discussions (with permission), handling questions, tech support, and decisions across distance.
- Shared care summaries
- Phone / video family conferences
- Caregiver training
Keep your
aids. Upgrade
your care.
If your current hearing aids aren't working the way you hoped — or if your audiologist retired, moved, or wasn't the right fit — we're happy to take over ongoing care. Any brand, any age. Remote programming keeps you covered anywhere in the US.
Transfer to
Pinnacle.
If you're in the NYC area and ready to transfer ongoing care for hearing aids you already own, we make it straightforward. Bring your current devices to any appointment — we'll take it from there.
- Book a transfer-of-care appointment — 60 minutes.
- We evaluate your current fitting and run a complete audiometric re-test.
- We re-program and re-verify with real-ear measurement to your latest hearing.
- You leave with a fresh fitting, a care plan, and direct access to your audiologist.
Care from
anywhere.
For patients who travel, have moved out of NYC, or simply can't make it in, most modern hearing aids support remote programming. You wear your devices, open an app, and we adjust them in real time over a secure video session.
- Schedule a remote session at a time that works for you.
- You download the manufacturer app on your phone.
- We connect, test, adjust, and verify — usually in 30 minutes.
- Changes save to your devices. No office visit required.
Most modern
devices are ready.
If your aids were dispensed in the last 4–5 years, remote programming is likely already built in. Older aids, or aids from a manufacturer without a remote app, still qualify for mail-in re-programming.
Accepted.
Explained.
Simplified.
Pinnacle accepts most major medical insurance plans for diagnostic hearing evaluations, and works with most hearing aid benefit programs. We'll verify your coverage before your first visit — no guessing at the check-out counter.
Medical
insurance.
For diagnostic hearing tests and medical-ear-related evaluations. Plans change; if yours isn't listed, call us and we'll confirm — many plans work out-of-network too, with reimbursement.
Healthcare
Advantage
Device
coverage.
Many Medicare Advantage and union plans include hearing aid benefits through third-party administrators. We're credentialed with the most common ones.
Hearing Aids
Solutions
Hearing
What to expect.
Every plan is different. These are the most common patterns we see — we'll give you a concrete answer before your appointment.
Diagnostic Hearing Tests
Usually covered by medical insurance when medically necessary (e.g. referred by your doctor, or symptoms like sudden loss or tinnitus). Copays vary.
Hearing Aids
Traditional Medicare does not cover hearing aids. Medicare Advantage, many union plans, and some commercial plans do — typically with a benefit allowance toward devices.
Follow-Up & Fittings
At Pinnacle, fittings, verification, and first-year follow-up visits are bundled with the hearing aid purchase — no surprise bills for visits during your first year.
Send us your info.
We'll verify your benefits within one business day and call or email with what we find — no appointment required, no pressure.
Your
questions.
Short, direct answers to what people actually ask us. Don't see your question? Call 646-436-7590 or email info@pinnacleaudiology.com — we respond same-day.
General.
Hearing tests.
Hearing aids.
Cost & insurance.
Ongoing care.
In-home visits.
Age-Related
Hearing Loss.
The most common type of hearing loss — gradual, usually bilateral, and often invisible until it's affecting relationships.
Presbycusis (age-related hearing loss) typically begins in your 50s and progresses slowly. It affects high frequencies first, which is why speech clarity (especially consonants like S, F, and TH) fades before overall volume does. Many people report that they "hear fine — people just mumble."
Most age-related loss is treatable with hearing aids, and earlier treatment correlates with better outcomes. Untreated loss is now a leading modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline (Lancet Commission on Dementia, 2020, 2024).
Noise-Induced
Hearing Loss.
Permanent damage from loud sound — concerts, construction, firearms, subway noise, personal audio. Preventable; not reversible.
Your ears contain about 15,000 hair cells that convert sound into neural signals. Once damaged by overexposure to loud sound, they do not regenerate. The classic warning sign of damage: temporary muffling or ringing after a loud event.
Custom hearing protection — musician plugs, shooter's plugs, industrial protection — preserves the full sound spectrum while reducing overall level. A much better experience than foam plugs, and dramatically more effective.
Tinnitus.
Ringing, buzzing, or humming with no external source. Not a disease; a symptom — and one with effective management strategies.
Tinnitus is experienced by roughly 50 million Americans. For some it's a minor background hum; for others, it makes quiet unbearable. It's almost always paired with some degree of hearing loss, which is why a complete audiometric evaluation is the first step of any tinnitus workup.
Effective tools include hearing aids with sound therapy programs, dedicated sound generators, cognitive-behavioral approaches, and tinnitus retraining therapy. See our Tinnitus Management page for details.
The Cognitive
Connection.
Growing research links untreated hearing loss to cognitive decline. Treatment may slow that risk — one of the most actionable levers in healthy aging.
The 2024 Lancet Commission on Dementia identified hearing loss as the largest modifiable risk factor for dementia, linked to roughly 7% of attributable risk. The ACHIEVE clinical trial (Johns Hopkins, 2023) showed a 48% reduction in cognitive decline over three years among high-risk older adults treated with hearing aids.
The mechanism is plausible and multi-factorial: cognitive load from effortful listening, social disengagement, reduced neural stimulation, and potentially shared underlying vascular factors. Whatever the cause, treating hearing loss well is good brain care.
Referring to
Pinnacle.
For primary care, ENT, neurology, memory care, and cardiology teams: what to expect when you refer to us — and how we keep you in the loop on your patient's hearing care.
Referrals
What you can
expect from us.
Every Pinnacle evaluation follows evidence-based, guideline-compliant standards — so your patient gets a defensible workup and you get a useful report.
Comprehensive Audiometry
Pure-tone air and bone conduction, word recognition, speech-in-noise testing, tympanometry, and acoustic reflexes as clinically indicated.
REM Verification
Every fitting is verified with real-ear measurement to prescriptive target — not left to software estimates.
Structured Tinnitus Workup
Tinnitus pitch/loudness matching, THI, and masking thresholds where indicated. Red flags triaged for ENT referral.
Formal Reports
A clean audiogram, interpretation, and recommendations delivered to your EMR or fax within 24–48 hours of the visit.
Red-Flag Triage
Sudden hearing loss, asymmetric loss, pulsatile tinnitus, disequilibrium — same-day communication with the referring team.
Cognitive Screening
For older patients and memory-care referrals, we include baseline screening appropriate for audiology (e.g. HHIE-S, AudCog).
Simple.
Tracked.
Four steps from referral to your report landing in the chart.
Send Us the Patient
Fax, email, or EMR referral — or just have them call. Include any prior audiograms or imaging.
Fast Scheduling
Most patients are seen within 5–7 business days. Urgent referrals (sudden loss, vertigo, asymmetry) within 48 hours.
Full Evaluation
Comprehensive audiometric and, if indicated, tinnitus workup. Patient counseling included.
Report Back
Formal audiogram and interpretive note delivered to you within 24–48 hours. Red flags called same-day.
Direct lines.
Your referral coordinators and clinical staff can reach us directly. For urgent clinical questions, please call.
pinnacleaudiology.com
New York, NY 10001
Learn
more.
Guides, references, and practical information to help you make confident decisions about hearing care — for yourself, for a parent, or for a patient you're referring.
Insurance & Benefits
Plans we accept, what's typically covered, and how to verify your specific benefits before your visit.
FAQ
Direct answers to the most common questions about hearing tests, hearing aids, insurance, and ongoing care.
Hearing Health
Plain-language guides on hearing loss, tinnitus, cognitive links, and prevention — for patients and families.
Physician Resources
For primary care, ENT, and memory-care teams — our referral standards, turnaround, and report formats.
Pinnacle Journal
Articles on hearing technology, research updates, and practice notes from our clinical team.
Contact & Locations
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Two offices.
One practice.
Both offices are fully-equipped audiology clinics with the same staff and the same standard of care. In-home visits are available anywhere in NYC or Long Island.
NYC Office
New York, NY 10001
Entrance on W 33rd St
Garden City
Garden City, NY 11530
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The Pinnacle Journal
Insights, guidance, and the latest in hearing health — written by Dr. Eric Nelson and the Pinnacle team.
The Ringing May Not Start in Your Ear: New Tinnitus Research
Emerging research links tinnitus to the gut-brain axis and neuroplasticity, offering new frameworks for understanding and potentially treating persistent ringing.
Bimodal Hearing: How Pinnacle Fits the Most Complex Patients in NYC
For patients using both a cochlear implant and a hearing aid, optimal fitting requires rare expertise. Learn how Pinnacle approaches the most challenging hearing cases in New York.
How to Find the Best Audiologist in NYC
What truly separates exceptional hearing care from average — and why discerning New Yorkers choose Pinnacle Audiology.
How to Hear Better at Broadway Shows
Expert tips for seniors and hearing aid users to get the very most out of every Broadway and live performance in New York City.
Hearing Loss & Cognitive Decline: What the Research Really Shows
The science linking untreated hearing loss to dementia risk is stronger than most people realize. What you need to know — and do — right now.
The Hearing Aid Journey: From First Visit to Long-Term Success
Getting hearing aids is a life change — not just a purchase. What to realistically expect at every stage of the process.
Dizziness & Vertigo in NYC: Causes, Symptoms & Relief
Most dizziness originates in the inner ear — and most cases are treatable. Pinnacle’s vestibular specialists explain what’s really going on.
Hidden Hearing Loss: Why You Struggle in Noise Even When Tests Look Normal
You pass the standard hearing test — but still miss conversations in restaurants. This underdiagnosed condition could explain everything.
Communication Tips for Families Living With Hearing Loss
Hearing loss affects everyone at the table. Practical, compassionate strategies that actually help families stay connected.
Why OTC Hearing Aids Aren’t Enough: An Expert Breakdown
Over-the-counter hearing aids are everywhere. Dr. Nelson gives you the honest, evidence-based truth about who they help — and where they fall dangerously short.
Bringing Better Hearing Home: Pinnacle Serves Seniors & Memory Care Across NYC
For seniors in assisted living and memory care communities, Pinnacle brings expert audiological care directly to the door.
AI Hearing Aids in NYC: How Modern Technology Is Transforming Better Hearing
From real-time noise suppression to automatic scene detection, today’s AI-powered hearing aids are smarter than ever. Pinnacle explains what’s new.
Hearing Protection for Musicians: Preventing Tinnitus & Hearing Loss in NYC
Hearing loss is the #1 occupational hazard for musicians. Pinnacle’s custom-molded solutions let you perform at full capacity without compromise.
Tinnitus Treatment in NYC: How to Reduce the Ringing and Find Real Relief
Living with ringing in the ears doesn’t have to be permanent. Pinnacle’s evidence-based tinnitus management programs deliver results.
Best Hearing Aids in NYC: Latest Technology & Expert Tips
With dozens of models on the market, how do you choose? Dr. Nelson’s honest guide to today’s top devices for every lifestyle and budget.
Finding the Best Audiologist in Manhattan: What Patients Should Look For
What it truly means to receive world-class hearing care in the most demanding city on earth — and why Pinnacle patients wouldn’t go anywhere else.