Longtime iHeartRadio host Shelli Sonstein talked about her journey toward embracing hearing aids once she used Widex Moment Sheer hearing aids.
Longtime iHeartRadio Host Shelli Sonstein, current co-host of The Jim Kerr Rock & Roll Morning Show, reflected on her decision to use Widex Moment Sheer hearing aids to help her life and career.
Sonstein has been in radio for 50 years, and after years of loud music and concerts, she realized she was having trouble hearing.
“One day, I took my son to school and asked one of the moms what her daughter’s name was. She said ‘Kate,’ but I heard ‘cake,'” said Sonstein. “Hearing consonants was where I had difficulty.”
With both her parents suffering from hearing loss and the auditory risks of working in radio, Sonstein said she knew where this was headed.
“I probably would have had hearing loss anyway, but I’m sure I brought it on much sooner because of my decades in radio,” said Sonstein.
At first, Sonstein said she resisted addressing her hearing loss and had trouble accepting the idea of hearing aids because of the stigma around them. When she first got her first pair, she was disappointed in the sound quality.
“I was just so discouraged,” said Sonstein. “I thought there was something wrong with me because they didn’t sound right. Sure, it was an improvement over not hearing, but they weren’t natural. They sounded tinny. I’d assumed hearing aids were like eyeglasses, and they could all help, but not all hearing aids are created equal.”
Eventually, Sonstein’s audiologist recommended Widex Moment Sheer, which includes patented PureSound technology to overcome the tinny, artificial noise that results when direct and amplified sound arrives at the eardrum out of sync. Through PureSound’s ZeroDelay processing, which is ideal for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, Widex Moment hearing aids eliminate distortion and other common artifacts to create a more natural sound.
“When Shelli first came to us, we knew improving sound quality was her highest priority,” said Ken D’Auria, Au audiologist at NYHD | Institute for Hearing & Balance. “She needed a hearing device that she could rely on in the studio as a DJ, as well as during her everyday life. Given Widex’s reputation for natural sound and ultra-fast processing times, we believed Widex Moment Sheer with PureSound would allow for those truer acoustic reflections Shelli so desperately wanted. Widex Moment Sheer has proven to be the perfect fit for her lifestyle and hearing needs.”
With the Widex Moment Sheer hearing aids, Sonstein said she noticed a dramatic improvement.
“Shortly after getting my new Widex hearing aids, I went on a long walk with my dog, and it started hailing,” said Sonstein. “And I was actually hearing the hail on the leaves — sounds in nature I hadn’t heard in a long time. It was absolutely fantastic.”
Sonstein said she understands people’s hesitancy to wear hearing aids, but her discretely designed Widex Moment Sheer hearing aids helped her to realize that her reluctance to wear hearing aids had been a problem.
“It was ridiculous that I resisted for so long,” said Sonstein. “Life isn’t worth missing, and if you don’t hear well, you lose out on so many of the special moments life has to offer. Nobody gets embarrassed about needing glasses. We should have the same attitude about hearing aids. Because when you think of all the headphones and earbuds people wear today, we could have a growing problem of people damaging their ears. We need to get over the stigma, and I’m proud to be a voice leading the charge.”
Photo courtesy of Widex
