Don’t ignore mild to moderate hearing loss—Here’s what you need to know

Written by Shapnila Nath, Content Marketer
Reviewed by Nagarjun V, Manager – Audiology & National Trainings

Created 11 June 2025 Updated 11 June 2025

Hearing loss

“You can hear the sound… but it just doesn’t sound right.”

That’s a common complaint among people with mild to moderate hearing loss. The sound is there, but it feels unnatural, metallic, or distorted. As a result, many delay getting help, assuming their hearing isn’t “bad enough” for a hearing aid.

But here’s the truth: even mild hearing loss can disconnect you from the people and moments that matter most. And when left untreated, it often progresses into moderate hearing loss, with lasting effects on your brain, your relationships, and your quality of life.

Fortunately, technology has evolved, and Widex PureSound, powered by ZeroDelay, offers a revolutionary solution. Especially designed for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, it delivers the most natural sound in the industry—so you don’t just hear more… you feel more.

Understanding hearing loss: What does “mild to moderate” mean?

Hearing loss isn’t binary—it’s not simply a matter of hearing or not hearing. In reality, hearing loss exists on a spectrum, and understanding where you fall on that spectrum is essential to choosing the right solution.

According to the widely accepted classification by J.G. Clark (1981) and supported by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), hearing loss is categorized by how loud a sound (in decibels HL) needs to be before a person can hear it. Here’s the breakdown:

Source: ASHA

Why focus on mild to moderate hearing loss?

While all levels of hearing loss affect communication and quality of life, early intervention has the greatest impact on mild to moderate hearing loss. At these stages, your ears still detect some natural sound, but often not enough to clearly follow speech, especially in environments with background noise.

These challenges are far from minor. For many, keeping up with conversations means straining to hear, relying on visual cues like lip-reading, or defaulting to subtitles just to stay connected. This can lead to frustration, social withdrawal, and fatigue over time.

It’s also at these levels that individuals are most sensitive to the quality of amplified sound. If what they hear through a hearing aid feels unnatural, delayed, or distorted, they’re more likely to stop using the device despite needing it.

That’s why solutions like Widex PureSound, engineered for those with mild to moderate hearing loss, are so important. They’re designed to preserve the natural qualities of sound, working with your brain, not against it, to deliver a seamless, lifelike listening experience.

Think you don’t need a hearing test yet? Think again?

Delays in seeking consultation can increase the severity of your hearing issues.

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Why do many people delay treatment for mild to moderate hearing loss?

There’s a dangerous myth that mild hearing loss isn’t severe enough for treatment. But that delay can lead to:

Social isolation
Increased listening fatigue
Decreased cognitive engagement
Mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression

Many people who try hearing aids for the first time, especially those with mild to moderate hearing loss, find the sound unnatural. Words may sound tinny, metallic, or echoey.

But what if the problem wasn’t the hearing aid… but the delay in sound processing?

That’s where Widex PureSound changes everything.

The science of natural sound: What makes PureSound unique

Every hearing aid processes sound, but most introduce a delay, usually between 5 and 8 milliseconds, as the sound is picked up, amplified, and transmitted through the device.

Here's the problem. If you have open-fit hearing aids or aids with vents (standard for mild to moderate hearing loss), your ears still pick up unprocessed natural sound through vents in the ear canal. When this natural sound combines with the delayed, processed sound, it creates an audible distortion known as the comb filter effect. This causes sound to feel echoey, hollow, metallic, or unnatural.

PureSound eliminates this problem. Through ZeroDelay technology, Widex PureSound reduces processing delay to an industry-leading 0.5 milliseconds, effectively synchronizing natural and processed sounds.

That means you no longer hear metallic or unnatural sound—just seamless, rich, and natural.

Why this matters for mild to moderate hearing loss

When your hearing loss is mild to moderate, you still retain some natural hearing ability, which means you're more sensitive to the artificial nature of poorly processed sound. You’ll hear more but won’t necessarily like what you hear.

That’s why people who try most hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss usually give up. They complain the sound feels “off.” But PureSound changes that. It’s especially effective for open or vented fittings, where natural sound leakage is high and delay can cause the most distortion.

Frustrated by hearing aids that sound unnatural?

Try Widex PureSound for clear, lifelike sound without distortion.

Speak to a Widex specialist today

The benefits of PureSound for everyday life

With Widex PureSound, the focus isn’t just on louder sound—it’s on natural sound that feels right. For individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss, especially those wearing open or vented fittings, PureSound offers a uniquely seamless, lifelike experience thanks to its groundbreaking ZeroDelay technology.

Here’s what that means in daily life:

Unmatched sound purity

PureSound dramatically reduces sound processing delay to just 0.5 milliseconds, eliminating the comb filter effect that typically causes metallic or artificial-sounding audio. As a result, you hear sound with more clarity, more nuance, and less distortion, as close to natural hearing as current technology allows.

A more comfortable first-time experience

For people new to hearing aids, especially those with mild hearing loss, traditional devices often sound unnatural. PureSound delivers a more emotionally comfortable and intuitive sound, making it easier to adjust and stay committed to using hearing aids.

Better integration with the brain

When processed sound arrives nearly simultaneously with natural sound, the brain has a much easier time interpreting it. This promotes more accurate sound localization, helps reduce listening effort, and delivers a more natural sound—essential for staying connected in dynamic social settings.

Optimized for open fits

PureSound is especially beneficial for open and vented fittings, which are common for mild to moderate hearing loss. In these fittings, unprocessed sound enters the ear canal naturally. PureSound ensures synchronization between natural and processed sounds, avoiding the hollow or echoey sensations that many users report with conventional hearing aids.

PureSound is not just a feature—It’s a sound philosophy

Widex doesn’t believe hearing aids should sound “better than silence”—they should sound like you’ve never lost your hearing at all.

That’s why we offer PureSound, a signature program specifically designed for individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss. If you or a loved one fits that profile, ask your audiologist specifically for PureSound during your fitting.

What should you do if you suspect hearing loss?

If you’re noticing signs of mild to moderate hearing loss, the next steps are simple and empowering:

1. Take a free hearing check

You can begin with Widex’s online hearing test to get a general sense of your hearing status.

🔗 Take the Widex Hearing Test

2. Schedule an audiologist consultation

Only a licensed hearing care professional can perform a full audiogram and recommend the right device—and activate PureSound for you.

3. Ask specifically for PureSound

When consulting with your audiologist, inquire about Widex hearing aids equipped with PureSound technology. Devices like the Widex Moment and SmartRIC are designed to deliver natural, clear sound by minimizing distortion and delay. This technology particularly benefits individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss, aiming to provide a more authentic listening experience .

Taking these steps can set you on the path to improved hearing and a more connected life.

Don’t wait to reconnect with natural sound

Mild to moderate hearing loss may not always feel urgent—but it is significant. The impact on your ability to communicate, stay socially engaged, and maintain cognitive health grows over time. And yet, many delay taking action—not because they don’t notice the changes, but because the available solutions haven’t felt quite right.

That’s precisely where Widex PureSound makes a difference. With near-zero processing delay and a commitment to preserving the integrity of natural sound, PureSound offers a listening experience that feels authentic, immediate, and emotionally reassuring—especially for first-time users.

If you’ve been waiting for a hearing solution that respects your residual hearing and works in harmony with how your brain is wired to process sound, this is it.

Take the first step. Schedule a consultation with your hearing care professional and ask about Widex PureSound. Because reconnecting with the world around you shouldn’t feel like an adjustment—it should feel like coming home.

Looking for the best hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss?

Speak with a Widex hearing care specialist about PureSound.

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