Why In-Home Hearing Care Gets Better Results

The science of real-world hearing care

Hearing tests tell us where your hearing is at. But how your hearing aids are calibrated—and where—determines how you actually hear in daily life. We fit and fine-tune your devices in your real environment, not a generic clinical setting.

We come to you not because it's easier—but because it's clinically better.

Fully bonded and insured for every home visit.

Testing at Home

Valid results don't require a booth — they require a standard

What makes a hearing test clinically valid isn't a soundproof booth — it's whether background noise falls below the limits set by ANSI S3.1, the audiometric testing standard. Before every test, a sound level meter is used to measure the room and confirm it qualifies. A quiet home with insert earphones routinely meets the mark.

Why it matters:

You get a clinically accurate hearing test without the trip to a clinic — and in the environment where you actually spend your time.

In-Situ Audiometry

Testing through the device you'll actually wear

Headphones in a clinic don't mimic hearing aids. In-Situ Audiometry — testing through the hearing aid itself — accounts for the unique shape of your ear canal and the device's venting, which standard headphones cannot replicate.

Why it matters:

We measure your ear exactly as it will be used, not an idealized version of it. Studies show in-situ thresholds provide more accurate real-ear measurements for optimal fitting.1,2

Live Speech Mapping

Fitted to real speech, in your real environment

Live Speech Mapping uses a small probe microphone placed in your ear canal to measure, in real time, how speech sounds with your hearing aids in. Rather than relying on averages or clinical estimates, adjustments are made while someone actually speaks to you — in your home, in your rooms.

Why it matters:

Your hearing aids are calibrated to the voices and spaces that matter most to you, not a standardised clinic environment.

The Lombard Effect

People speak differently in quiet clinics

The Lombard Effect describes how speakers involuntarily change their pitch and volume depending on the noise around them. In a quiet clinic, people speak differently than they do at home.

Why it matters:

We can tune your hearing aids to your spouse's actual speaking voice in your natural environment, ensuring better communication where it counts most.

Supported by Clinical Research

In-home audiology isn't a convenience compromise — it's a clinically supported approach, backed by research across testing standards, fitting accuracy, and real-world outcomes.

  • Testing Standards: ANSI S3.1 defines valid audiometric testing by ambient noise thresholds, not by room type. A quiet home environment measured with a sound level meter routinely meets the standard, making in-home hearing tests clinically equivalent to booth-based tests.
  • Real-World Discrepancy: Studies in The Hearing Journal confirm that clinical speech-in-noise scores often fail to predict a patient's actual performance in dynamic environments — supporting the case for fitting hearing aids where life happens.
  • The "First Fit" Failure: The landmark study by Leavitt & Flexer (2012) showed that hearing aids programmed with manufacturer "First Fit" settings failed to meet prescription targets in over 80% of cases — underlining the importance of real-ear verification like Live Speech Mapping.
  • In-Situ Accuracy: Modern in-situ audiometry protocols have been shown to provide valid, reliable thresholds that better account for individual ear canal resonance (the "Venting Effect").

Reference: Research on in-situ audiometry demonstrates improved fitting accuracy compared to conventional methods. View study

The Concierge Difference

Traditional Clinic

  • Hearing aids fitted in a clinical setting, not where you live
  • Conventional headphone-based testing
  • First-fit or manufacturer default settings
  • Traffic, parking, waiting rooms
  • Time-limited appointments

Ear to Ear Concierge

  • Hearing aids fitted in your actual home environment
  • In-situ audiometry through the device you'll wear
  • Live Speech Mapping — calibrated to real voices in real rooms
  • Private appointments at home, no waiting rooms
  • Unhurried, personalized care

Experience the difference

Ready to hear better in the spaces that matter most?

Book a Consultation

References:

  1. Mueller, H. G., & Ricketts, T. A. (2006). In-situ audiometry is as valid and reliable as conventional audiometry when proper corrections are applied. Hearing Aids: Standards, Options, and Limitations.
  2. Van Eeckhoutte, M., et al. (2024). 85% of in-situ measurements within 10 dB of conventional testing. Trends in Hearing, 28. Study link