Advertise on podcast: The Hearing Matters Podcast: Hearing Aids, Hearing Technology and Tinnitus

Send us Fan Mail A city like Charleston feels incomplete without live music, and Michael Smith could not accept that the Charleston Symphony Orchestra might disappear. We sit down face to face with Michael, a first-chair trumpet player turned CEO, to unpack the real story behind keeping a nonprofit orchestra alive through the 2008 recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is part music, part entrepreneurship, and entirely about leadership when the stakes get personal. Michael shares what most people never hear about the orchestral world: the scarcity of full-time jobs, the pressure of screen auditions, and the whiplash of achieving a dream only to feel the need to chase the next door. From there, we get honest about the business side of the arts, where “nonprofit” does not automatically equal “sustainable.” When payroll stops and operations are suspended, the conversation turns to restructuring, rebuilding credibility, and learning to read financials as a decision-making tool, not a mystery. Then comes 2020. While many organizations went dark, the Charleston Symphony chose a different path guided by clear principles: do more rather than less, protect the financial future, and operate as safely as possible with layered precautions and medical partners. That commitment to serving the community leads to deeper trust and a major endowment breakthrough that changes long-term stability. We also connect the dots to hearing health: untreated hearing loss, loneliness, musician hearing protection, sound shields, and the challenge of protecting ears without sacrificing performance. If you care about leadership, community, hearing loss prevention, or the future of live music, subscribe, share this conversation, and leave a review so more people can find it. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

Send us Fan Mail How have hearing aids changed over the past 40 years, and where is hearing healthcare headed next? In this episode of the Hearing Matters Podcast, host Blaise Delfino, M.S. - HIS sits down with his father, Dr. Gregory Delfino, an audiologist with more than 40 years of experience, for a conversation about the evolution of audiology, hearing aid technology, artificial intelligence, over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, and the changing role of the hearing healthcare professional. Recorded in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, at the same dining room table where Audiology Services first began, Dr. Delfino reflects on a career that has spanned some of the most significant changes in hearing healthcare, from universal newborn hearing screenings and early analog hearing aids to rechargeable devices, Bluetooth connectivity, real-ear verification, advanced noise management, and AI-powered hearing technology. Blaise and Dr. Delfino also explore what artificial intelligence actually does inside today's hearing aids, how modern devices adapt to different listening environments, and whether AI could ever replace the audiologist. They discuss how today's patients are more informed than ever, why the hearing care professional's role is increasingly about helping people navigate information, and why counseling, verification, and the patient-provider relationship remain essential. The conversation also takes an in-depth look at OTC hearing aids four years into the category: who they may help, what Dr. Delfino has observed in clinical practice, and why over-the-counter technology may represent an entry point into hearing healthcare rather than simply competition for traditional audiology practices. You'll also hear about: • How hearing aids have evolved from basic amplification devices into sophisticated computers • Artificial intelligence and machine learning in modern hearing aids • OTC hearing aids versus professionally fit prescription hearing aids • Why real-ear measurement and hearing aid verification still matter • How patient expectations and hearing aid buying behavior have changed • Access, affordability, and barriers to hearing healthcare • The importance of annual hearing evaluations • Universal newborn hearing screening and early intervention • Why listening and counseling remain critical parts of audiology • What more than four decades in hearing healthcare can teach us about its future From the earliest days of modern audiology to AI-powered hearing aids, this father-and-son conversation explores how far hearing healthcare has come, and what should never change as the technology continues to advance. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Cheryl Delfino, B.A.-HIS, a Hearing Instrument Specialist with nearly 30 years in hearing healthcare, joins her son Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS to share how she built a mobile hearing care model, helped grow a private practice, and earned patient trust through education and personalized care. Then the conversation takes a deeply personal turn. After a 2021 car accident and concussion, Cheryl developed constant tinnitus and became the kind of patient she had spent decades helping. She shares her experience using Starkey hearing aids and a dedicated tinnitus relief program, what becoming the patient taught her about empathy, and why people living with tinnitus should find a hearing care provider who listens, provides options, and develops a plan. This episode of the Hearing Matters Podcast explores hearing aids, tinnitus management, mobile hearing care, private practice, patient-centered hearing healthcare, and the family legacy behind a career devoted to helping people hear better. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

Send us Fan Mail You can hit targets, run the tests, and still hear the same question at the end of a fitting: “What will it sound like when I leave your office?” That one line exposes the biggest challenge in hearing healthcare right now, turning great clinical data into real-world confidence. I’m Blaise Delfino, M.S. - HIS, and I recorded a different kind of listen this week: a narrated reading of an interview I co-authored with Dr. Dave Fabry and Madison Levine, BC-HIS on AudiologyOnline. We dig into ecological momentary assessment (EMA), a method that captures patient behaviors, emotions, and listening challenges in real time out in the world, and Symphonia, a tool that brings realistic listening scenarios into the clinic through simulated environments. They’re not competing ideas. They’re complementary ways to close the loop between what patients report in restaurants, meetings, church, and the car, and what we can demonstrate and adjust during an appointment. We also get specific about evidence-based hearing aid fitting. Real ear measurement and probe microphone verification remain essential for audibility and comfort, but they don’t replicate the messy dynamics of daily listening. That’s where speech-in-noise testing, expectation setting, and hands-on counseling matter. We talk about why two patients with similar audiograms can need very different personalization, and how demonstrating programs, noise management, directionality, and comfort settings in a simulated soundscape can make those choices finally “click,” especially for first-time users. If you care about audiology, hearing technology, patient-centered care, and better hearing aid outcomes, queue this up and listen through. Subscribe to Hearing Matters, share this with a colleague, and leave a review with your biggest real-world listening challenge. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

Send us Fan Mail A noisy room can make a person feel like their hearing aids “aren’t working” even when the technology is top-tier. The real culprit is often physics: distance, background noise, reverberation, and a brutal signal-to-noise ratio that no microphone can magically fix from 40 feet away. That’s the problem Auracast Broadcast Audio is built to tackle, and it’s why Bluetooth LE Audio broadcasting is such a big deal for hearing accessibility in public spaces.  We dig into what Auracast is in plain language: one audio source can broadcast to many compatible receivers, including hearing aids, cochlear implants, and earbuds. Then we get very clear about what it is not. Auracast does not diagnose hearing loss, does not replace real-ear measurement, and does not replace properly fit prescriptive hearing technology. The right framing is simple and powerful: hearing aids are foundational, and Auracast is an access layer that can deliver important audio more directly in places like theaters, houses of worship, airports, tours, and conference rooms.  If you’re a hearing care professional or you run an audiology clinic, we also lay out a practical readiness plan: get fluent in the basics, train your whole team on consistent patient-facing language, build an in-office demo patients can actually try, and expand into community education. Finally, we talk about turning Auracast into stronger relationships with local venues while staying honest about real-world roadblocks like device compatibility and software updates.  If this helped you rethink public-space listening, subscribe, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a review. Where would direct audio make the biggest difference in your day? Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

Send us Fan Mail What should hearing care professionals know about Auracast, Bluetooth LE Audio, and the future of hearing aid connectivity? In this episode of the Hearing Matters Podcast, Blaise Delfino, M.S.-HIS puts his former private practice owner hat back on and explores how he would approach Auracast if he were still seeing patients every day. From the early days of Bluetooth hearing aids in 2015, 2016, and 2017 to today’s rapidly evolving world of connected hearing technology, this episode breaks down why Auracast is more than a buzzword. It is an opportunity for audiologists, hearing instrument specialists, private practice owners, and hearing healthcare teams to educate patients, differentiate their practice, and improve access to sound in real-world listening environments. Blaise discusses how hearing aids have evolved from single-purpose devices into multipurpose communication tools that support phone calls, media streaming, public audio access, and better connection in everyday life. He also explains why Auracast should not be positioned as a replacement for hearing aids, but rather as a powerful access layer that can work alongside professionally fit hearing technology to reduce listening effort in places like houses of worship, theaters, airports, conference rooms, senior centers, community events, and other challenging acoustic environments. This episode also offers a practical playbook for hearing care practices, including how to create in-office Auracast demonstrations, host “Listen and Learn” patient events, train front office teams on clear patient-friendly language, use Auracast in ethical technology upgrade conversations, and build community outreach with local venues that want to improve hearing accessibility. If you are an audiologist, hearing instrument specialist, hearing aid provider, private practice owner, patient care coordinator, or hearing healthcare leader, this episode will help you think strategically about Auracast, Bluetooth hearing aids, assistive listening technology, speech-in-noise challenges, listening fatigue, and the future of patient-centered hearing care. Because hearing healthcare is not just about making sound louder. It is about helping people stay connected, confident, and fully present in the moments that matter. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Some problems in a relationship don’t show up as big fights. They show up as tiny misses: a mumbled comment from the next room, a joke that lands late, a “good morning” that never happens because the hearing aids aren’t on yet.  We’re sitting down with writer, advocate, and bimodal hearing device user Gael Hannan to talk about the part of hearing loss that rarely gets discussed out loud: intimacy, and what it takes to protect closeness when communication takes effort. Gael explains why spontaneity can be one of the biggest losses, and how she and her husband build a morning rhythm that works with real life hearing realities. We dig into “purpose-driven communication” (structured conversations, better environments, less bluffing), the power of nonverbal language like touch and facial expression, and why a focused moment can matter more than perfect words. We also get candid about physical intimacy, hearing aids, and the stigma that can make someone feel “flawed” even when nothing about their worth has changed. We zoom out to hearing health care, too: hearing technology is improving fast, but aural rehabilitation, counseling, and partner support often lag behind. If you’re a hearing aid user, a partner, or a hearing care professional, you’ll leave with practical communication strategies, a clearer view of listening fatigue, and a stronger case for community support. Subscribe, share this with someone you care about, and leave a review so more people can find conversations like this. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

Send us Fan Mail What is Auracast, and why does it matter for hearing aids, earbuds, cochlear implants, and public venues? In this Friday Audiogram, Blaise Delfino, M.S. - HIS speaks with Mikey Shaffer, Vice President of North American Sales at Listen Technologies, about how Auracast broadcast audio is changing the future of assistive listening. Mikey explains how Auracast works through Bluetooth Low Energy, why it is often described as “Wi-Fi for audio,” and how it allows people to stream sound directly to compatible hearing aids, earbuds, phones, and cochlear implants without traditional one-to-one pairing. This clip also explores why Auracast could improve listening access in restaurants, airports, stadiums, arenas, houses of worship, higher education, performing arts centers, and other noisy public spaces. For people with hearing loss and for those with normal hearing who struggle in background noise, Auracast represents a major step forward in accessibility, connectivity, and community-based hearing healthcare.  Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Auracast may be one of the biggest shifts in hearing accessibility, Bluetooth audio, and assistive listening technology in decades. In this episode of the Hearing Matters Podcast, Blaise Delfino, M.S. - HIS speaks with Mikey Shaffer, Vice President of North American Sales at Listen Technologies, about how Auracast broadcast audio is changing the way people with hearing loss, hearing aids, cochlear implants, and Auracast-compatible earbuds connect in public spaces. Mikey explains how Auracast works within Bluetooth Low Energy, why it is often described as “Wi-Fi for audio,” and how venues like houses of worship, higher education, performing arts centers, airports, stadiums, restaurants, and corporate environments can use this technology to improve accessibility. The conversation also explores the future of assistive listening systems, hearing loops, telecoil technology, direct audio input, hearing aid stigma, and why community-based hearing healthcare matters more than ever. Whether you are a hearing care professional, audiologist, hearing instrument specialist, venue operator, caregiver, or someone who struggles to hear clearly in noisy environments, this episode offers a clear look at how Auracast could help more people stay connected, engaged, and included.  Learn more about Listen Technologies here, and explore Auracast resources through Bluetooth and Auri Audio. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Hearing loss does not just affect volume — it affects relationships, confidence, communication, and quality of life. In this episode of the Hearing Matters Podcast, Blaise Delfino, M.S.-HIS and Dr. Gregory Delfino sit down with longtime hearing aid user, veteran, professor, entrepreneur, and family man Gerald Ephault to discuss what life was really like before properly fit hearing technology. Gerald shares how hearing loss impacted conversations with his wife, communication in restaurants, teaching in the classroom, business meetings, watching TV, managing tinnitus, and understanding speech in background noise.  For anyone who is new to hearing aids, unsure if they are ready, or wondering whether hearing technology is truly worth it, this conversation offers an honest patient perspective. Gerald explains how modern hearing aids, professional care, and real ear measurement helped reduce listening effort, improve speech understanding, and restore a sense of normalcy in everyday life. This episode is especially helpful for adults who have noticed they are asking people to repeat themselves, turning up the TV, struggling in restaurants, missing parts of conversations, or feeling mentally tired from trying to hear. If you or someone you love is on the fence about moving forward with hearing aids, Gerry’s story is a powerful reminder: better hearing is not just about hearing sounds, it is about reconnecting with people, conversations, and life. Listen now to learn how hearing aids can help reduce effortful listening, improve communication, and support healthier relationships. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

Send us Fan Mail A single sentence can change a family’s future: “You’ve got one good ear, that’s enough.” We sit down with Melissa Tumblin, founder of EarCommunity.org, to unpack why that belief harms kids and adults with microtia, aural atresia, and unilateral hearing loss, and what happens when families are left without clear answers, referrals, or coverage for the technology that can actually help. We follow Melissa’s story from a corporate career to building one of the largest support networks for microtia and atresia families worldwide. She explains what these congenital ear conditions are, why the missing outer ear and ear canal can create a very specific type of hearing loss, and how early intervention, audiology, ENT care, and speech therapy become essential when a child is learning language. We also talk about the “seeing is believing” moment many parents experience when a bone conduction hearing device is turned on and their child hears clearly for the first time. Then we dig into the hardest part: insurance coverage. Melissa breaks down how denials happen, why “one good ear” is not a medical standard, and how those decisions ripple into safety, school, social confidence, and long-term opportunity. Finally, she shares the latest on Ally’s Act, a bipartisan federal bill aimed at closing coverage loopholes for bone-anchored hearing systems and cochlear implants, plus the fittings, programming, surgical care, and therapies that make the technology work. If you care about hearing health care equity, microtia resources, and real access to medically necessary hearing devices, listen now, share this with someone who needs it, and leave us a review so more families can find the support they deserve. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Tinnitus is everywhere, yet real answers still feel rare. We sit down with Jeffery Reagan, a heart transplant survivor, tinnitus patient, and the founder of the Tinnitus Learning Health Network, to talk about why so many people with ringing in the ears get stuck bouncing between providers, hearing “nothing can be done,” or trying random fixes without a clear path forward. Jeffery shares the personal health journey that taught him how much outcomes depend on teamwork, empathy, and systems that actually learn. From there, we get practical about the solution he is building: the Tinnitus Learning Health Network (TLHN), designed as a learning health network that connects patients, clinicians, and researchers around one shared goal: better tinnitus outcomes. We break down how the “golden triad” works, why collecting patient-reported outcome measures like THI and TFI is essential when clinics still lack an objective tinnitus test, and how shared data can reveal which interventions work best for specific tinnitus subgroups. We also talk about proven tinnitus management options like CBT, TRT, counseling, sound therapy, and when referrals matter if a provider does not specialize in tinnitus care. We also dig into the hard stuff: funding pilot sites, building credibility, reducing disparities in care, and using real-world results to push insurers toward tinnitus reimbursement. If you want a hopeful, data-driven view of the future of hearing health care, this conversation delivers. Subscribe, share this with someone living with tinnitus, and leave a review to help more people find better answers. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

Send us Fan Mail After a hearing test, patients should not have to imagine what better hearing could sound like. In this episode of the Hearing Matters Podcast, Blaise Delfino, M.S. - HIS explains why the in-office hearing aid demo is such an important part of the patient journey, and how hearing technology can help patients better understand their hearing loss, their options, and the real-life value of prescription hearing aids. You can’t expect someone to wait years to address hearing loss, walk into a clinic for the first time, and feel confident based on an audiogram, a chart, and a price tag alone. The in-office hearing aid demo is one of the most powerful tools in hearing healthcare because it turns “you’re a candidate for hearing technology” into a moment the patient can actually hear, feel, and understand. In this episode, we break down what happens after a hearing test and why patients should have the opportunity to hear hearing aids before they buy. From a clinician’s point of view, we discuss how to keep the audiogram review simple, use speech-in-noise testing to connect results to real life, and avoid overwhelming patients with brand names, technical jargon, or too much information too soon. We also share a repeatable in-office hearing aid demo setup that simulates a restaurant or noisy listening environment using background noise, hearing aids programmed to the patient’s hearing test, and a familiar voice, such as a spouse, friend, family member, or coworker, to make that first unmuted conversation meaningful. Hearing aids are typically programmed based on the patient’s audiogram, and the first listening experience can sound different, especially for new users adjusting to amplified sound.  The episode also explains normal acclimatization, why your own voice may sound different with hearing aids, and how an in-office demo can create a helpful frame of reference before moving forward with treatment. We make it clear that a demo is not a replacement for best practices like real ear measurement, but it can help patients better understand what hearing technology may offer before making a decision. Verification, orientation, and validation are key parts of the hearing aid fitting process.  From there, we zoom out to the added clinical wins: counseling patients on adaptive directionality in plain English, learning more about lifestyle needs beyond intake forms, and using the demo to observe dexterity, vision, comfort, and device-handling ability. These details help hearing care professionals recommend hearing aids that actually fit the patient’s life, not just their hearing test. We also cover hearing aid trial periods, the importance of consistent wear time, what patients should ask before choosing a hearing care provider, and why the best hearing aid experience is about more than the device itself. It’s about education, counseling, verification, follow-up care, and helping people reconnect with the conversations that matter most. If you care about audiology best practices, better patient experiences, prescription hearing aids, and hearing aids that actually get worn, subscribe to the Hearing Matters Podcast, share this episode with someone starting their hearing journey, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Restaurants are the perfect stress test for your ears and your brain. The second you add distance, multiple talkers, and reverberation, conversation stops being “just listening” and becomes constant filtering. We talk through why so many modern spaces feel brutal, how poor acoustics and background noise drive auditory fatigue, and why you can leave a holiday party feeling wiped out even if your hearing tests “normal.” Then we tackle the line we hear all the time: “Everyone mumbles now.” Most of the time, it isn’t the world changing overnight, it’s your access to speech clarity changing slowly. We explain how high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss often hides in plain sight by taking away the softer consonants that carry intelligibility. When S, F, TH, T, K, and P drop out, you may still hear a voice, but the message turns fuzzy and everyday words start colliding. From there, we zoom out to the real hidden cost: cognitive load. Lip reading, tracking facial expressions, guessing from context, and deciding when to ask “What did you say?” all take effort, and that effort can snowball into frustration and social withdrawal. We also address a big piece of misinformation directly: hearing loss does not cause dementia, and fear-based marketing isn’t the answer. Practical support, clear counseling, and individualized care are. If any of this sounds familiar, share this with someone who “does fine in quiet” but struggles in noise, and subscribe for more grounded hearing health conversations. After you listen, leave a review and tell us: where do you notice listening fatigue the most? Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

Send us Fan Mail You know that feeling when you can hear someone talking, but the words won’t land, especially once you sit down in a loud restaurant? I’m Blaise Delfino, and I’m breaking down why that frustration is real and why it’s usually not about “turning it up.” Hearing sound is one thing. Understanding speech is a fast, demanding brain process that depends on timing, consonants, context, attention, and memory while you fight background noise and reverberation.  We get practical about why restaurants expose hearing problems so quickly, why people start saying “everyone mumbles,” and how high-frequency hearing loss often steals the softer consonants that make speech crisp. That missing clarity can push you into lip reading, guessing, and constant repair work, which ramps up cognitive load and auditory fatigue. If you’ve been leaving dinners drained, skipping invitations, or feeling tense before you even walk into a busy room, you’re not alone, and it’s not a character flaw.  I also address a big myth floating around online: hearing loss does not cause dementia, and fear-based marketing helps no one. What matters is taking action with the right tools: a comprehensive hearing evaluation, speech-in-noise testing, and professional fitting with real ear measurements. We talk about how modern hearing aids have changed with adaptive directionality, smarter noise management, and machine learning, plus when a remote microphone can improve speech understanding in noise.  If you want clearer conversations and less listening effort, subscribe, share this with a friend who says “everyone mumbles,” and leave a review so more people can find trustworthy hearing healthcare guidance. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast