I have been deaf in my left ear since I was 14, about 60 years ago, due to an infection that led to the blockage of my Eustachian tube. When I was about 40 I went to an ENT physician and his audiologist. Both, of course, recommended that I try a hearing aid. It worked perfectly but covered my entire ear. I found that it had created a situation where due to normal perspiration I was causing ear infections. I returned it and refused to try another until this past year when I noticed that due to age I was losing hearing in my other ear. I went to a different ENT in a different place and had an ear test an exam during which the ENT removed accumulated wax in the canals, something I have to have done every couple of years. Both the audiologist and the ENT recommended that I get hearing aids for both ears. I told the ENT about my previous experience of infections. He took his hearing aid off and showed me how small a contemporary hearing aid is.
I made an appointment at the clinic to be fitted for a HA. Then I began googling for information. Nearly everyone sang praises about Costco, its prices and professionalism. Indeed, Consumers Report, a place I respect, suggested that if you were not eligible for VA benefits go to Costco. I cancelled the appointment at the clinic and made one at Costco.
Yes, I had to wait a few minutes, beyond my appointment time, but who doesn’t wait for health care visits? The Costco dispenser/audiologist commented that my test, taken 2 days before, showed a major difference between my hearing in my right and left ears. He too gave me a hearing test which exactly confirmed the clinic’s test. I was glad to be retested and find matching results. He toyed with several ideas, mostly talking with himself before suggesting a Trax 42. However, he said he would check with a techie at the Rexton or Siemans company. He had it on speaker phone when he related my statistics and his recommendation to the techie. The techie and he talked about the possibilities and both suggested the Trax 42. He had to make a mold of my left ear since I needed a larger ear piece on my left side.
Three weeks later I went to Costco for my fitting. This time with another dispenser/audiologist. Yes, he too was late for the appointment, but I soon found it that he was programming the HA to my profiles. We spent at least an hour together going over some basic and more advanced parts of my new HA. Since there a week ago, I love my Trax 42 hearing aid. Yes the sound has some problems perhaps too loud or tinny, but I could hear again in both ears. I have another appointment in about a week. I have read the User Guide several times and choose what seemed like good programs for my device. I plan to discuss them with him and ask him to program them into my HA.
The only part of the package I bought came with an accessories kit so I could hear our TV directly through my HA and allow my wife to adjust the volume for her. It does work, but is a pain resetting it each evening. Rexton needs to make that device more reliable. Included in the accessories was the device I hang around my neck. It was the far cheaper device than my ENT showed me he was wearing. If it was guaranteed that the better device would work better, I’d buy it despite the high price. Rexton also needs to upgrade and fix its smart phone apps, which are also clunky.
So far my experiences with Costco and the Trax 42 are first class. I would recommend them to anyone in search of a new hearing aid.
All the best,
Ed Eckert
Menlo Park, CA