How can I improve music listening experience with hearing aids on my iPhone?

Question

Level 1

53 points

How can I improve music listening experience with hearing aids on my iPhone?

25 years ago I was in an audiologist's office for the first time. After all the tests he came out with a slight smile on his face. His almost exact words were, "Ahhh, classic BabyBoomer hearing loss!" Evidently too many outdoor concerts.

25 years later I am in an audiologist's office. We have become good friends over the past decade. Again, coming out of the booth. "Well Tom, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is your going dear. The good news is you won't be totally deaf."

But I digress. It's really no surprise to me. In the last few years I have had to raise the volume on my iPhone to hear music. Still ok with voice. With regular speakers not a problem, I just crank the volume up (if no one present). Hearing aids under headsets is really harsh and totally distorts the sound. I want to make it clear (no pun intended) that probably not much can be done. What I will be missing is the richness of audio music to be replaced with "bigger" hearing aid types. Not whining. Just reality for a 77 year old audiophile. Thanks!

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: I am going deaf

iPhone 13

Posted on Jan 30, 2026 3:13 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10

145,385 points

Feb 1, 2026 1:44 PM in response to Tom Perkins1

If those are MFI Hearing Aids, and you just use the Resound-3D app on your phone to select Music settings, the iPhone sounds should play directly from your iPhone into your ears. The Music setting does not automatically apply any speech-based adjustments.

Inside Music settings, you have an additional graphic equalizer with drag-points on Bass, Midrange, and Treble, and can apply standard noice reduction and wind noise reduction if any is needed.

if your music source is your iPhone, there should be no need for external headphones.

If this is not working as I described, you may need to talk to your hearing care professional. A large part of their high cost of hearing Aids is down to the expectation that they provide you with "High-Touch" support services like these.

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If you have other sources of music, using the microphone in your iPhone is likely the weak link in all of this. I use a TV streaming device, cabled directly into the TV set, that also pairs with the Hearing Aids, and is available on a fifth channel, "TV/Micro-Mult", that is available when there is a TV streamer nearby. It provides an additional high quality sound stream directly into my ears, without garbaging it up through an additional speaker and microphone.

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Answer 2

Feb 7, 2026 8:21 AM in response to Tom Perkins1

Re: audiophile music listening:

Remember that there should be a setting for Music, both in the Resound Smart-3D app on your phone (or selected with the buttons on the hearing aids, if so equipped) that is said to be more true to the original music.

Adding external headphones is not likely to give good results under most circumstances.

using the iPhone microphone is likely to be not very good.

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Answer 3

Feb 6, 2026 9:28 AM in response to Tom Perkins1

<<they sound 'tinny' >>

I complained about mine sounding tinny, and the response was a complete surprise to me.

The audiologist said, "Of course they sound relatively tinny."

"...but that is only because you are not used to hearing high frequencies. Once the high frequencies that others hear are suddenly added back in, Hearing Aid users report, 'tinny'."

the punchline:

The sound is accurate, the problem is YOU.

I suggest you use the music provided ONLY by your hearing Aids, only, and if it still sounds tinny, try lowering the treble range.

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Answer 4

Feb 4, 2026 12:24 PM in response to Tom Perkins1

Hearing Aids that are NOT MFi (Made for iPhone) have some of the same clever features, but only use Bluetooth.

You said yours are Resound and re-chargeable. Resound makes dozens of different models. Depending on the EXACT model, that suggests, but does not guarantee, that they are MFi -- Made for iPhone.

When you use Resound MFi Hearing Aids, the way you control and make changes to your listening experience is with an iPhone App called Resound "Smart-3D"

https://www.resound.com/en-us/hearing-aids/apps/smart-3d

iPhone App Store:

https://apps.apple.com › us › app › resound-smart-3d › id1134918918

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Answer 5

Jan 30, 2026 7:14 PM in response to Tom Perkins1

answer:

Use Made for iPhone hearing devices - Apple Support

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Answer 6

Tom Perkins1 Author

Level 1

53 points

Feb 1, 2026 12:46 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Oh, sorry. I missed your post~! I'm using ReSound chargeable. I can't find the model. They are almost five years old. Thinking they were not quite top of line but close ($6400). The only source I need is listening with Air Pods or really any headphone set. Some, for sure still work fairly well but they are large and often inconvenient. On the other hand I am grateful for the large ones at all!! As said in my original post, the hearing aids distort the sound. I even have a "channel" on my hearing aids for music but not very different. Maybe...maybe, they will have hearing aids that do in fact, can enhance music. I know that hearing aids have dramatically changed in the last five years. And five years, as I have, is usually the life of most hearing aids. In fact, honest, this very moment it dawned on me to cough up the cash for new ones. Hearing in a crowd has gone. If I want to hear an individual I really have to crank them up. However, have a baby scream, or someone laugh loud, or, worst of all, utensils dropping on plates and the world comes to an end. Ok, enough of the whining.

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Answer 7

Tom Perkins1 Author

Level 1

53 points

Feb 6, 2026 7:49 AM in response to Tom Perkins1

Sigh, check something else on another website and pretty sure I lost my original draft. Again, thank you for all your help. Was able to get audiologist appointment in one hour. I will check on MFI. I also had the model number but lost in draft. They are five years old and understandably no longer on website. I will check with doc to see if they are MFi. However not a big deal as I am getting new ones. I have a 30 day free listening option. Regardless, I find the hearing aids produce a tinny sound even in music mode and tweaking the base/treble/etc. but may be different with new ones. Also found on website a veteran discount which would have been nice to know. That's all for now.

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Answer 8

Tom Perkins1 Author

Level 1

53 points

Feb 7, 2026 7:43 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Awesome! Will do! Met with audiologist. He said my current hearing aids are MFi. I did order new ones and they come in two weeks. He will then meet with me weekly for a month to tweak them to my needs. My complaint has been that as my hearing decreases it's more difficult to adjust them (duh!). I will be in a meeting (small or large) and of course there are the soft speakers. I then have to crank up my "clarity" to hear. However, inevitably, someone will laugh hard or something drops on a hard surface and it's like a spike in my ears. So it's "pick-your-poison" at this point. Stay tuned. By the way, again, thank you for all your help and interest. I did chuckle on the "YOU!" comment. How rude of the guy.

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