"I can even hear cars approaching without turning around."
President of a contracting company and Head Landscape Contractor, Leo is responsible for communicating with his own crew and other on-site tradesmen.
I am a landscape contractor and I frequently work on job sites with loud equipment. Over the years I have become very conscious of wearing gear that protects my ears but I wasn’t as careful throughout my career. As a result, I had some hearing loss that made it challenging for me on and off the job.
As my hearing loss progressed, I found it increasingly difficult to hold meetings at the job site, especially when there was so much distracting background noise from construction equipment.
I had been having trouble hearing television programs. This was especially the case when women were speaking. I just couldn’t hear their softer voices. I had been looking forward to my move to a new home where I had installed high quality surround sound. When I finally moved in and turned on the new sound system, I was disappointed to realize that I still had problems hearing the TV.
Sure enough, I failed the hearing test and my audiologist recommended a new hearing device which had just become available called Oticon Epoq.
When I first put on my Epoqs, I noticed a difference in my ability to hear sounds I had been missing for years. I was out walking my dog and I could hear the wind rustle in the trees and twigs dropping. I could even hear cars approaching without turning around. Now I hear the little everyday sounds people take for granted, like water trickling.
My family is relieved that I can now watch and enjoy my television without cranking up the sound. I actually hear some things better than my wife. Now she asks me to repeat dialogue she misses.
I’m able to join in the conversation. The same is true for social gatherings. I don’t just smile and nod and pretend I hear. I’m actually understanding and joining in.
I also hear people when they’re not directly in front of me. Before people would be talking to me and I wouldn’t realize it until they were right in front of me. Now, I can hear people as they come up behind me with a greeting.
What made Epoq especially terrific for me was its “connectivity.” I’m always driving and talking. Now I can connect hands-free to my mobile phone using the Epoq Streamer, a companion device to my Epoqs. The Streamer looks like a sleek MP3 player. The voice comes directly to my hearing devices and the sound is clear and very natural. The whole process is effortless.
Would I recommend Epoqs? Absolutely, they are more than just hearing devices, they are true modern communication devices. I now feel plugged into my family and friends, my workers on the job and the many electronic “toys” that make up my busy, active life. I still can’t believe what I was missing.