This last May 2021, my firsts HA was a MaiHear hearing device from Amazon. $222.00 - thereabouts. It allowed me to hear my wife talking in normal volume, birds chirpping and other sound. It is a hearing amplifier, as basically ALL hearing aids are some type of amplifier. I wanted to see if I could put up with something plugged into my ear canal all day. I could, but then I started to look for somethings better. Don’t get me wrong, these $222 “aids” did work, but their 4 programs were pretty much all one and the same, and the volume of gain was controlled by a dial on each ear. Nice thing was the individual gain adjustment, IE I could p the gain slightly on my Right ear since I have more loss in my Right ear.
Did some research online and checked out the Kirkland Signature 10.0T that was being talked about as one of the best by Consumers Report. - sold at Costco. I bought a membership for $50.00 and set up an appointment in Kalamazoo as I could get in on June 7 for a hearing test compared to early part of August in Wyoming, MI.
The HAS did a great job with the Audiogram and gave me a print-out. She encouraged Philips HearlLink 9030, but I was more interested in the KS10s, as they were very very close to the Phonak Paradise 90RT. She followed my wishes and we ordered the KS10s in a sort of silver color with M 2 .4.0 receiver. Futher study at home and I called back and asked to swithc that from a Medium receiver to a Power receiver. I was told by a long time friend, an Audiologist in Nebraska that the P series, wtih my hearing loss around 90+ dBHL in 4K and up would last me longer overall. SO I called and had them change to the P receivers and they did that at fitting on the 16th of June. I was fitted then with Power Domes, but I really hated the sound from my voice and chewing, and bought some med Closed Domes from Amazon - fairly inexpensive. I tried them and they were much better! Follow p I had the Medium Vented domes and the Sr. HAS at Kalamazoo re-run the rem with the new domes and adjusted some frequency compression to get rid of my hearing “S” Lisping. .
Fast forward a bit… I was not entirely happy with the HAS in Kalamazoo as she seemed rather indifferent to my wishes and seemed rude to me as an elderly patient/consumer. No worries. I got an appt in Wyoming and I really get along great with the Sr. HAS at that location, AND it’s is about half the distance.
Long story short, I went to LARGE closed domes and that helped to hold in lower BASS frequencies for TV Connector and Computer streaming. I also managed to find a tiny paper punch and put a very small vent hole in the closed Large dome and reduced the occlussion effect qute a bit while still keeping in lower frequency sounds. Amy re-run REM for that and a minor tweak and doing very nice now, except when I first turn them on I get a feedback squeal on the LEFT aid, and have a online appt with her for Oct 4th to make a minor adjustment.
I got laid off/retired due to Covid-19 last July 2020, and so now just living on around $1900/month from SSA retirement. I had ;planned to go to age 70, gut due to circumstances that did not happen. Money is more tight now, so thinking of spending $6000 for a pair of hearing aids is not in the works. I got the KS10s for a decent price of $1400.00 and I am doing very well with them.
As an aside I went to Hear Michigan in Zeeland, and used my Medicare Advantage Plan insurance to buy a back up pair of HAs in case these ever need fixing. I got the cheaper Starkey Livio 1000 and very little out of pocket for them. They also work very good, but the HAS did a quick job of the Audiogram, and did not run REM. on my 2 week follow up she changed the receiver from a 50 dB to a 60 dB and some minor tweaks and they do quite nicely as well. I love how the KS10s are for phone conversations and phone calls in general and LOVE how the TV Connector streams audio when we are watching TV. My Starkeys are now set up to be turned off with a long press on the bottom rocker and ON with a long press on the upper rocker, and short presses up or down change volume either up or down.
In RECAP The HAS at Wyoming Costco, and HAS at Hear Michigan in Zeeland are very nice, personable and experience people, doing an admirable job. I have NO qualms at all with Costco, as they were, in some regards, even a bit better in the haring test and fitting than the folks at Hear Michigan, wich is an actual hearing aid clinic.
If I would stress one thing is that Hearing Deficient people are missing out, and probabluy not because there is no one to see (clinic) but the price of buying just a tiny device costs thousands. Costco breaks that mold and provides hearing aid service to many that, like me, would otherwise go without. VERY good aid (Rexton, Philips (Demant/Oticon) KS10 (Phonak) Jabra (Resound) all good reputable companies who have been doing this a long time. Costco uses the Walmart approach of supplying the customers with decent products at decent prices.