No spouse to worry about here, but that's not by choice, and not really being able to hold conversations easily does make it a whole lot harder get connected again, sigh.
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NHAD! New Hearing Aids Day! EARGO 7!
- Thread starter bholder
- Start date
Does anyone have any of the kinds with the ability to serve as wireless earbuds? I know some of the fancier ones do.
I'm on my third pair of hearing aids. Fortunately, my insurance covers testing and $2500 towards purchase and I can upgrade every three years.
The newest set are Oticon Zircon 2, with 3 programs and bluetooth connectivity to my phone. My hearing tech set one program for music and it works fairly well. The bluetooth feature is handy and generates some weird looks from people when I start talking randomly to myself. I can stream music through them as well but sound quality isn't as good as earbuds.
The newest set are Oticon Zircon 2, with 3 programs and bluetooth connectivity to my phone. My hearing tech set one program for music and it works fairly well. The bluetooth feature is handy and generates some weird looks from people when I start talking randomly to myself. I can stream music through them as well but sound quality isn't as good as earbuds.
My Kirkland hearing aids are Bluetooth and have various preprogrammed settings plus manual control capability. I talk on my cellphone, listen to music, etc. with them. Real Buck Rogers stuff.
My Oticon "Real" hearing aids are RITE devices designed to work especially well with iPhone (or an iPad). I can select my Oticons as the audio output option when listening to music, and they automatically get selected when I receive a phone call on my iPhone. Music sounds good through them.
I can also triple-tap the "home" button on my iPhone to instantly access the special settings under Accessibility > Hearing Devices, where I can change the audio output option, adjust volume, check battery level, etc. It's a good thing they do all that, considering how costly they were (my Medicare and Medicare Advantage insurance did not cover them).
My audiologist recommended widex HA. They offer “good , better, best” but the difference is the software. I have the highest level which have multiple presets and the ability to store several of own. The are fully integrated with the iPhone. The doctor wanted 6k for both ears but I decided to buy them online for 1495 an ear. They come with a device that lows them to be programmed live remotely by the tech over a video call. The cost includes unlimited reprogramming and free repair. My insurance covered up to 1500 per ear so these cost me nothing; however, I did have to file my own paper work. The software walks you through setting up new presets by changing the mix and a/b sampling the live sound. You are is basically setting an eq curve. I can stream music, answer my phone, play ocean sounds and white noise, even play fractal wind chimes which is supposed to mask tinnitus. They have been “ear opening”
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
Which ones did you buy from Costco? What is the buying process like? Do they test your hearing and match the EQ to your hearing loss?
Mine are KS10s. Costco provides a thorough hearing test and program your HAs according to your hearing profile. Mine also have preprogrammed settings: automatic, restaurant, and music with options for more if you want. You can also program and store your own settings, which I do. They are Bluetooth so I can answer and talk on my cell, stream music, listen to audiobooks, a ballgame, etc. They can also be programmed remotely by the tech over a video call. They come with a 3 year warranty covering repair or replacement. I've had 3 sets of HAs over the past 12 years. My first were Kirklands, which lasted about 5 years and then I replaced them with a more expensive brand (through Costco). After another 5 years I replaced those with the KS10s I have now because I didn't notice any added benefit to the more expensive set. As an additional benefit, I drop them off at the HA center for a free cleaning and tune-up whenever I go to Costco. Another BIG difference between Costco and the independent hearing aid centers is sales commission. Costco hearing aid centers do not work on commission.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
I've had Starkey's for about a year and a half and haven't had a problem. But here's a (kind of) funny backstory:
My doctor recommended hearing aids for me several years ago. Since I'm a military vet, he said I should go to the V.A. for them. I had never used the V.A. for medical care because I was fortunate enough to have health care coverage on my various jobs. I figured why drain the V.A. system if I'm lucky enough to already have medical coverage? But with the price of hearing aids, I figured I should do it. So I had to get myself into the V.A. system in order to get tested for hearing aids.
Eventually I got a letter from the V.A. Their findings were that the hearing in ONE of my ears was service related while the hearing loss in the OTHER ear was not! I'm thinking, "HUH??!!!" I was a K-9 handler both stateside and in Vietnam. A LOT of gunfire, rockets, mortars, etc.. I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack, but I was pretty sure that both of my ears were in the same locales at the same time!!
I called a Veterans Support guy and explained it to him. He laughed and said, "Don't worry. They just use odd terminology sometimes. You will still get your hearing aids!"
And I did. They really help. My only gripe is that the humidity is so high here in Memphis that I sometimes don't wear them because I'm afraid sweat will get on them and ruin them. But for conversations, watching TV, etc., they're a godsend...
Breaking news on the itching front: I'm trying these "Calm Ear" moisturizing / healing lotion drops, you just tilt your head, put a few drops in to reach the eardrum, then massage the ear to spread it out / around the ear. That's all. Seems to make a substantial immediate difference, though the full effect is supposed to take a while.
