Hearing with two ears is better than one

With two ears you can:

• Understand Speech Better in the Presence of Noise- The ability to listen to speech while disregarding background noise is greatly increased by the use of two ears. Unbalanced hearing, caused by hearing impairment, is not only irritating and frustrating, it also makes it very difficult to interpret speech. It requires two ears with equal hearing ability to maximize understanding in the presence of noise.
  
• Hear Better Using Less Power- A sound heard with two ears appears louder than does the same sound heard with one ear alone. This means that hearing aid users fitted in two ears use a lower volume control setting than they would if only one ear was utilized. It also means that clarity and comfort are more fully enjoyed because of the lesser aggravation of environmental noise.
  
• Hear Equally from Both Sides- There is great benefit and convenience in being able to enjoy conversation from either side, rather than suffer the anxiety of always having to maneuver your good ear toward the side of the speaker.
  
• Localize Sound- Multiple sounds reaching the ear simultaneously from different sources can be selectively sorted out by the use of two ears functioning at the same level. Sound reaches the ear closest to the sound source microseconds earlier and with a slightly greater intensity than the opposite ear. These slight changes in time and intensity are processed by the brain to give us the location of the sound source. One ear alone is unable to provide the brain with the necessary information to localize sound.

Click on the diagram above to view a larger version of the illustration.