Headphone Dilemma... Advice Appreciated
 

I have a unique problem when it comes to wearing headphones, and I have decided it was time to find an answer. I am completely deaf in my left ear, and wear a hearing aid in my right. My main purposes for wearing headphones are to listen to my discman, but lately due to a new job have been needing it for video editing work I do now, and I need the audio louder so I can hear.

Most headphones I have seen automatically split the sound 50/50. This presents a problem for me because I then only capture at best 30-40% of the sound from the right side of the 50%. I have been looking for a headphone that is single ear - it must be external because I need my hearing aid in in order to hear anything. I tried searching "Single Ear" headphones, but all it brought up was DJ equipment that has dual ears, but the option of one ear listening.

Am I completely wasting my time even bothering to find something? I really enjoy listening to music, and feel like I'm missing out in places where I can't adequately hear based on the limitations of my current headphones - I found a basic behind the head dual ear that seems to be the most accomodating so far fit wise, but still does not resolve the sound issue.

Any suggestions, comments, tips would be well appreciated - Price is not really an issue at this point because I simply haven't found anything that fits my needs, and if there IS something, I'm used to having to pay more to adapt my lifestyle.

Have you tried adjusting the LEFT / RIGHT balance at the source?

http://img297.echo.cx/img297/3451/bal7mf.jpg

Find a headphone with a stereo-mono switch?
This will put channels in your better ear.

Or have someone make you a patch cord that does the same.

Jwoody - I do use that for my laptop - but that is not an option with my discman, which will be my primary use.

If I'm reading correctly, you want to stop all sound coming from one side of the headphones. Is that correct?

If so, you could probably achieve this by cutting the wire to the speaker.

Do you already own a pair you could try this out on?

Do you know the model of the headphones you want to buy so I can find a picture?

...and you aren't wasting your time looking for single ear headphones, I've seen them before somewhere.


http://store1.yimg.com/I/topdjgear_1847_48680500
http://www.topdjgear.com/stanton-djpro-300.html

Also, consider a Headphone Amplifier

although I'd never use these myself (I hate gemini products) here's some that are at a decent price

http://topdjgear.com/gemini-em-100.html

Most of the more expensive (Pioneer, Sony etc) dj headphones have a swivel and a latch that you can release one of the cups. I love the pioneer headphones and use em when I spin.

http://topdjgear.com/pionhdprofhe.html

a bit pricey and probably way more than you need but I gotta brag about em ;)

She doesn't just want something that can remove the sound from one side -- she wants it transfered to the other as well.

she can clarify this herself but it sounds to me like she wants sound on the right side only.

Gucci would be correct - I am completely deaf on my left ear, and there is no point to have any of the audio going there at all. I want all 100 % of the sound coming into my right ear.

We are in agreement. But as was stated earlier, most headphones split the sound 50/50, so simply removing one of the ears (that would just be awkward to wear anyway) isn't going to do a whole lot. It seems to me that your best bet, amonkie, is to get a pair of those DJ headphones that can send everything to one side.

Amonkie: The simplest way to do this would be to get a pair of headphones that give you the ability to set volume levels for each ear independently and give you an internal stereo to mono converter. I would suggest Philips SBC HP170 because they are nice and comfy and sound decent for their price. The only other thing you will need to do is to wear the headphones backwards since hardware stereo to mono converters only play sound on the left ear. With the headphones I mentioned, this will be no trouble. This should accomplish everything you are looking for. Oh and here is a link to a pair of the headphones I just mentioned with a couple reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/cus...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Zfleebin - thanks for the suggestion :) I am looking into those ... only thing I have noticed in the past is the bigger/heavier headphones make my hearing aid squeal because they're heavier - I will have to see if I can find some to try on first.

actually a simpler way is to go to radio shack and pick up a stereo-mono adapter. shouldn't be more than 5 bucks or so, and it'll make both channels sound in both sides of the headphones. Then all you gotta do is turn it up ;)

Aren't the input two-ringed (for mono and stereo)? SO couldn't you just plug in half way in the jack to get "mono". I am assuming mono is in one ear?

In theory that would work, but you run into two problems. The first is you get a lot of distortion and signla loss if you try to half plug it in. I was easily distracted as a child and played with my headphones in my walkman a lot. Yes, you can get mono sound. Yes, it sounds like utter shit. The second problem is that if you bump it at all, it either goes to full stereo or cuts out entirely. You don't really have any room for error.

I have no suggestions as to how to fix the problem, but it looks like you already have some good ones. I just wanted to make sure you didn't spend any time trying this because you're not an easily distracted child who would be amused by aforementioned effects. ::cough::

no, mono just means every speaker outputs all the sound. There's no channel differentiation. You can have mono on a 7 speaker home theater as long as all the channels are playing all the sound. That's why the adapter will work. Both the left and right channels will play in both speakers of the headphones.

Quoting this with emphasis added, 'cause that's what I was going to say. I got one for my sister, who listens one-ear'd while at work. The advantages of this solution are (1) cheap, (2) small, and (3) you can plug any headphones you want into it.

...and I'll quote the quote. This certainly seems like the best and least expensive option.

I was originally assuming you didn't want any sound through the left ear for a reason.

Jwoody - your original assumption was correct. I don't want any sound in the left because I can't hear it, but I *CAN* feel it. It's really distracting to have this weird thumpy feeling while trying to listen with the other ear. This is primarily why I was looking for a single ear - I don't want ANYTHING on my left side - neither the sound or the headphones. Looks like I'll check into the one eared that is in the picture earlier in the thread.

Interesting regarding the vibrations. It might still be more comfortable to have a 'pad' there, even if no sound is coming through it. Perhaps you could clip the speaker wire to your deaf ear, and use the Radio Shack adapator?

Redlemon, that is a thought. I just have to find out if I would be able to hear enough using the adaptor.

cochlear implant?

I don't know if you've found anything yet, but I thought I'd throw my $.02 in.

Phonak makes a device that will broadcast a signal from any music device directly to your "hearing instrument" (as they call it). I don't know that it's compatible with your 'aid, but since it's a Phonak, I think it might be worth looking into.

It also works as a remote for digital 'aids, a bluetooth device for cellphones (the cell will broadcast directly into your hearing aid), an assistive listening device, and a few other neat things as well!

http://www.phonak.com/consumer/produ.../smartlink.htm

If that doesn't offer the ability to create mono sound, you could probably use that with a mono converter and not only have sound in only one ear, but it'd most likely be QUITE comfortable, since there would be no external "stuff" to wear...it'd just pipe it through a speaker you're already used to (your aid). I'd imagine the sound quality'd be excellent, as well, considering that a hearing aid is probably going to be much higher quality sound than a headphone playing into a hearing aid.

Majik - I checked into that and the price range for the system runs minimum $2,000

My audiologist instead found the Hatis Epic for me :

http://www.hatis.com/images/prodshot_epi.jpg

http://www.hatis.com/epic.shtml


I've really enjoyed it so far - great comfort fit and I used the Hatis Director headset for a year in a call center. Thanks for the help, everyone :)

Glad you found something you enjoy! :)

Pulling this out of the depths of the archive one more time...

I just saw mentioned over on macintouch.com (not a spelling mistake) the Roadrunner Audio Mono Ear Budpad (second item down). Kinda cheap, but it might also serve your needs when you don't have your big-bucks solution with you.

Can't do the ear buds due to the hearing aid being in the ear :(

and turns out the purchase I made only lasted a few months until I accidentally tripped on the cord, rendering the device 150% lifeless. Until I get another $100 to spare .. this monkie's new iPod will go unused.