If you have been diagnosed with hearing loss that can be addressed with a hearing instrument, you may recall images of the clunky devices that your parents or grandparents wore. If so, you should know that modern hearing instruments bear no more resemblance to those pieces of equipment than a rotary-dial telephone looks or performs like an iPhone. Not only are today’s models much smaller than their older counterparts, but they also harness digital technology that makes them exceedingly adaptable. For instance, noise-cancellation systems and programmability enable wearers to walk from a quiet environment into a noisy one without missing a word. Hear the difference for yourself. Many hearing instruments are equipped with Bluetooth technology that enables users to go wirelessly to their phones and TV. Today’s personal hearing devices are like mini computers-they’re digital with wireless technology that allows the instruments to connect to cell phones, televisions, iPods, landline phones, etc. One only needs to listen to these instruments to experience better hearing and understand what they have been missing.