Costco Jabra hearing aid issue

Hearing Aids Manufacturer Support
#1

Hello,

I started wearing hearing aids about a month ago. After the adjustment period, I started noticing issues with the aids. Just FYI, I have a 30-35% loss in hearing in a narrow band of high frequency in both ears. The Costco audiologist recommended Jabra aids and had closed domes on them.

The first issue I noticed was, sounds were muffled unless I found the sweet spot in my ear canal to position the speaker module. It was constantly moving and I was always adjusting it. I did some of my own research and found that the problem is that because I only have a loss in a narrow region of high frequency, the fact I was using closed domes was not allowing my ears to hear the sounds that were still completely in the audible range without the aids in. Switching to open domes fixed it almost completely. I am still trying different diameter domes to get the right fit. Problem solved.

The second issue I have now noticed is that when I am in an extremely noisy environment, my left aid seems to cut in and out. When it is out and I touch the microphone region behind my left ear and I can hear the rubbing sound in my opposite aid (right). Not sure what’s going on and would like someone with more knowledge about the audio electronics to comment with possible causes and solutions.

Thanks,

#2

A couple of possibilities:

  1. defective receiver
  2. defective aid
  3. some sort of blockage, possibly wax in the dome or the wax filter. Have you cleaned your aids? the domes?

My reco is to return to Costco and ask them to diagnose the problem and to show you how to clean the aids and how to change the domes and the wax filters. They’ll almost definitely be happy to give you spare domes and some packages of filters.

I get 3-6 weeks out of filters and more from domes. YMMV.

ETA: The first things I check when an aid doesn’t deliver the sound is wax buildup in the domes and wax filters; 2nd is defective receiver; 3rd is defective aid.

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#3

OK thanks. I was hoping some other wearer had a similar experience and if they learned anything. I will definitely go back to Costco if needed.

#4

Your the first person that I’ve read about with these issues. So It’s possible you have a defective hearing aid.

I don’t see why rubbing the one hearing would affect the other hearing aid unless it was set up as a CROS/BiCROS, and can’t imagine them doing that. Again possible defective hearing aid.

As far cutting out, these hearing aids can be set to be very directional and suppress background sounds. Perhaps that’s what you are noticing, or a defective hearing aid.

Your hearing aid can have up to four different programs, including a hear in noise, music, outdoors, acoustic phone, and omnidirectional. Each program is going to make your hearing aid act differently.

Plus the app affects the hearing aid too.

Anyhow, I would get an appointment to get your issues resolved. Hopefully you live close to a Costco and it’s not horribly inconvenient.

#5

I think you have it. It’s like the aids are switching from regular to CROS/BiCROS in loud environments. I was also sitting with my left ear near a wall in a restaurant booth if that had any effect. I’ll call Costco. Thanks

#6

A CROS or Bi CROS is for someone who is completely deaf in one ear and hearing in one ear or some hearing loss in the good ear.

Costco don’t do these types of Aids.

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#7

Spike333 I looked at the Resound Nexia and the Jabra equivalents don’t have CROS. So it’s impossible for Costco to program a Jabra with CROS.

So I’m not sure why your hearing aid is acting like a CROS.

#8

Actually, there is a CROSS/BICROSS transmitter available for the Resound Nexia, a first for Resound, So the support for CROSS is probably there in the hardware. It is true that Costco will not deal with CROSS, because I asked recently.

#9

Thanks Erik_J, does the Jabra Enhance Pro have the Resound Nexia transmitter in it? Are there any sites that have detailed specs for the Jabra Enhance Pro?

#10

Costco refuse to work with CROS Aids or even AmpCROS Aids.

#11

Were the aids reprogrammed after the dome change?
If not the other issue you describe could very well be the feedback controls.

Acoustics and feedback go hand in hand.

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#12

This is quite normal actually, because the two hearing aids communicate with each other in order to allow the focussing to work properly. The hearing aid is working normally. However I think the fitting is wrong.

It’s nothing to do with CROS/BICROS at all.

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#13

Just to clarify, the left aid cut out intermittently while I was in the noisy environment. When it was out, when I touched the mic I could hear the scratching noise in the opposite aid (right one). When the aid resumed operation and I touched the left mic, I heard the scratching noise through the left aid as I normally do. It was only my left aid that did this. It never happened in reverse.

#14

Not certain, but I suspect the only difference between Jabra Pro 20s and Nexia is the programming interface.

#15

My Philips 9040 don’t do this. My Bernafon zerena doesn’t do it either. However, it’s likely a software issue that my hearing aid don’t have.

#16

It’s hard to comment specifically as you haven’t posted your audiogram, but I am familiar with exactly this effect with an earlier set of Resound One, where in noise the aids switch to a focus mode for some seconds and as set up at the time the effect was that the left aid to mute but I could hear some noise, for example if I stroked the top of the left aid with my finger, I would hear this in the right aid.

This was undoubtedly caused by bad fitting and over-compensation for the noise on the left aid.

Resound discontinued this particular focus mode on the Omnia and presumably the similar Nexia aids. I can detect the same mechanism in my current Omnias but it’s not so bad.

I don’t think you have said which Jabra aid you have (Jabra are just Resound rebranded for Costco etc), but it does sound to me that you are hearing the effect I am familiar with and it should be able to be sorted by better fitting.

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#17

My Resound One’s seem to get confused at times. With some odd noises i think the noise suppression wants to mute then realizes its something we should be hearing and the suppression seems to toogle on and off with a second or 2, then everything corrects and is good… until another odd loud noise, then repeats. It doesnt happen often, and usually happens in my car with loud road noise mixed with the radio.
I also recently had my right receiver go out, which cause strange anomalies where it sounded like the freqs from my right aid were beamed into my left aid. A new receiver fixed the issue

#18

I have the Jabra Enhanced Pro aids.

Since posting I had similar experiences when listening to loud music in my car with the windows up. The left aid would go out and if I rubbed the mic, I would hear it in the right aid, as happened earlier. In the earlier noisy restaurant setting, I was sitting in a booth with a wall directly to my left. Could having a solid surface in close proximity cause the what I am experiencing?

I went to Costco to had the aids evaluated and reprogrammed. The audiologist discounted what I was telling her and had nothing useful to add. Since the reprogramming, I have experienced the same situation listening to music in my car. The reprogramming did not resolve the issue.

I guess my next task is to have them replaced.

#19

Could you go to another Costco? A different audiologist might be what you need.

#20

When you listen to loud music in your car, are you using the music program or is this the standard “All-around” setting?

If it is the All Around setting then what you are hearing is the hearing aids trying to concentrate on what they think you are listening to, which is probably the noise in the car. If you select the music setting, then there is no such noise cancelling and they should not exhibit the problem you describe. Your audiologist should have been able to explain this.

If you want to use just a single program, which would be throwing away a lot of the advantage of having these aids so I don’t advise, then you should get the audiologist to change the directional processing to “omni” instead of any focussed setting.

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