Real-ear measurement is the step that separates a hearing aid that is programmed for your ears from one that is programmed for the average ear. A tiny microphone measures the sound your devices actually deliver inside your ear canal, and we tune them until they match your prescription exactly. At Pinnacle, it is part of every fitting.
When a hearing aid is first programmed, the software estimates settings for a statistically average ear. But ear canals differ enough from person to person that the sound arriving at your eardrum often misses the prescription, sometimes by a wide margin. Verification closes that gap.
Real-ear measurement happens during your fitting appointment. Most patients barely notice the probe, and the results guide everything that follows.
Your hearing evaluation defines a validated prescription: how much amplification your ears need at every pitch.
A soft, thread-thin microphone rests in your ear canal beside the hearing aid while calibrated speech plays, measuring what actually reaches your eardrum.
Your audiologist adjusts the devices in real time until soft, average, and loud speech each land on your prescription targets.
Hearing changes and devices age. We re-check your match at follow-ups and after any significant programming change.
Every verification at Pinnacle is performed by a Doctor of Audiology. Dr. Eric G. Nelson, Au.D., CCC-A, an ASHA-certified audiologist and former Audiology Supervisor at Weill Cornell Medicine, leads a doctoral team that treats measurement, not guesswork, as the standard of care at both our Midtown Manhattan and Garden City offices.
Starting with a verified fit means your brain adapts to sound that is right from day one, the single best predictor of sticking with new hearing aids.
If your current devices sound muffled, tinny, or exhausting in restaurants, an unverified fitting is the most common culprit, and often fixable in one visit.
We reprogram and verify most devices purchased elsewhere. Our transfer of care service makes the switch simple.
New audiogram, new devices, or years since your last check: re-verification confirms your settings still match your hearing today.
A verification visit starts with a current hearing test. Want to understand your benefits first? We can check your hearing care coverage before you come in.
Real-ear measurement, sometimes called REM or probe-microphone verification, places a very thin microphone in your ear canal alongside your hearing aid. It measures exactly how much sound the device delivers to your eardrum, so your audiologist can match the output to a validated prescription for your hearing loss instead of relying on the manufacturer's estimate.
No. The probe is a soft, thin tube that sits gently in the ear canal, and most patients barely notice it. Verification typically adds about 15 to 20 minutes to a fitting appointment.
Yes. Every hearing aid fitting at Pinnacle Audiology includes real-ear verification as a standard step, performed by a Doctor of Audiology. It is part of the fitting, not an add-on.
In most cases, yes. We regularly reprogram and verify devices purchased elsewhere, including online and big-box purchases. We start with a current hearing test, program your devices to prescription, and confirm the result with real-ear measurement. See transfer of care for how it works.
Real-ear measurement is included in our fitting process rather than billed as a separate service. Coverage for fittings varies by plan, so we verify your hearing benefits before your visit and let you know exactly what to expect.
Whether you are being fit with new devices or bringing in aids that never felt right, verification is where better hearing starts.