Wayne Staab

Dr. Staab is an internationally recognized authority in hearing aids. As President of Dr. Wayne J. Staab and Associates, he is engaged in consulting, research, development, manufacturing, education, and marketing projects related to hearing. His professional career has included University teaching, hearing clinic work, hearing aid company management and sales, and extensive work with engineering in developing and bringing new technology and products to the discipline of hearing. This varied background allows him to couple manufacturing and business with the science of acoustics to bring innovative developments and insights to our discipline. Dr. Staab has authored numerous books, chapters, and articles related to hearing aids and their fitting, and is an internationally-requested presenter. He is a past President and past Executive Director of the American Auditory Society and a retired Fellow of the International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiology. Interests engaged in outside of the above include: fishing, hunting, hiking, mountain biking, golf, travel, tennis, softball, lecturing, sporting clays, 4-wheeling, archery, swimming, guitar, computers, and photography. These are great topics of discussion away from business.

Reality of Directional Mic Hearing Aids (Part III)

There are at least three assumptions about directional microphone hearing aids that require discussion. 1. Hearing aid manufacturers routinely measure the directional properties of DM hearing aids prior to shipment. 2. Directional features programmed into the hearing aid seen on the computer programming screen are actually what is programmed into the hearing aid. 3. Once the hearing aid is programmed,

Directional Microphone Hearing Aids: Continued

Environmental Acoustics and Directional Microphone Hearing Aids This is a continuation of the previous blog and identifies additional issues that impact the performance and use of directional microphone hearing aids. The previous blog discussed how directional microphone equalization adjustments and distance between microphone port openings impacts circuit noise that can be heard by the hearing aid wearer. Understanding these issues

Directional Microphone Hearing Aids And Noise Levels

In the past several years, hearing aids having a directional microphone option as one or more of the settings of the hearing aid have had a resurgence, especially with those hearing aids that fit over the ear in either a RIC (receiver-in-canal) or open coupled device using a thin tube, but with the receiver in the hearing aid rather than

Hearing Aid Repairs

HEARING AID REPAIRS Comments on hearing aid repair forms sometimes provide interesting stories for those who are asked to repair the aid. The following comments and photos provide a background as to why those who repair the aids can experience a roller coaster of emotions when working to fix the device – from interpretations, concern, empathy, and, an occasional chuckle.

Wayne’s World Hearing Threshold Challenge

Wayne’s World Hearing Threshold Challenge: Pure Tone Hearing Thresholds – fact or farce? Look at the two audiograms below. Are they the same or different? Identify which shows the better hearing. View Figure 1 PDF Actually, the hearing that the audiograms represent is the same, at least relative to the way that hearing is generally tested. Discussion: Most pure-tone audiometric

Welcome to Wayne’s World

Wayne’s World is intended to communicate a potpourri of messages rather than focusing on a specific topic. This reflects, in part, the variety and length of my experience in the discipline of hearing. As perhaps the senior active member of the original audiologists working with hearing aid manufacturers and having a clinical and academic background as well, I have witnessed