Since I’m having some amazing help/advice and conversations on this forum, I’m wondering if anyone has any idea as to what hearing aid performs similar or close to the Phonak Pico Forte analog. I’ve avoided talking about hearing loss and hearing aids for such a long time because I never wanted to feel different. I’m lucky I don’t have a deaf accent despite having moderate/severe hearing loss since I was young, which has not made me feel different from my peers. So I’ve plucked up the courage to visit audiology on Friday, I’ll be having hearing tests and then probably the dreaded talk and trial about digitals, anyway any suggestions is greatly appreciated.
Hi @Sash88uk,
I know that this response is not exactly what you are looking for, since I have never worn analogue HAs. I assume your trepidation comes from knowing that analogues “sound” different to digitals.
I have been wearing HAs now for over 15 years and they have always been digital. The main message I would try to convey is that in those 15 years, the improvement in digital hearing aids has been immense. If you stick to the best brands, I find that they all can be programmed to have great natural sound.
Those improvements from old model to new model have been made in small increments which over time have added to real improvement. However, one spectacular advantage that digitals hold over analogues the new chips that improve your hearing in noisy environments. This has been a recent significant leap forward.
Wishing you much success in your search,
Jon
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Hi, yeah it’s the difference in the sounds. Digitals are not very natural and manipulates a lot of sound. Analog was perfect for just amplifying what I could almost already hear.
But i do understand and appreciate technology is improving all the time, just hope they get there soon enough with the digitals.
Many years ago, when I was wearing Phonak Sonoforte 332 daz aids, I trialled Bernafon aids, which were channel free. They were among the first generation of digitals and they were very similar in my view to the Phonaks, which were analog at the time. I did not buy them because they were so similar, but I remembered the sound being really pleasing. Bernafon now do Alpha and Leox which are channel free.
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