Costco Kirkland Signature 5.0

[trvraya]

1. The Phone Clip will change volume for both aids even if synchronization is disabled.
2. Yes, if the Telecoil + Mic program is selected for PhoneNow instead of Acoustic Phone.
3. Try re-pairing the TV Streamer with your hearing aids.

Thanks rusmus_braun for your quick response. Will get this changed this Thursday. Can you please indicate if tcoil will automatically work around induction loop systems and theaters with this setting? My idea is to get rid of my program 3 if this is possible.

My sweetie has worn hearing aids for many years and just purchased the Signature 5. We believe the aids have helped her a bit but often she still hears sound but is unable to decipher it. Its as though others are speaking a language she doesn,t understand. As I read this thread, it seems those of you who are happy with these aids have less of a hearing loss then she does, which make me wonder if she is not the right candidate for them and should be at other aids. Any guidance would be appreciated.

i have exactly the same question, though I am happy with KS5. I would have liked to try it with an ultra power receiver for my right ear. Over a period of time I have been told by various audiologists and ENT specialists that for the loss I have, not much could be achieved on higher frequencies. I have also been told that over a period of time, brain would forget the sounds for not having heard that for long periods of time and when these sounds are reintroduced using hearing aids, it cannot figure out and decipher.

I want to know how valid is this argument and would a ultra power receiver would make any difference to my right ear? The HP receiver of KS5 (65 db) for my right ear is outside the range required for my loss after 2 kHz… I had to settle for this as UP receivers are not yet available at costco. My old HA on right had a 70 db receiver. But I hear better with KS5 in low frequency in right ear and I can’t tell the difference in high frequencies.

all this is new to me . My son has been teaching me how to post in the forums etc, I believe Internet has now made it possible to get a clear understanding of issues we face and we can now make up our own mind based on all various inputs. All power it the internet …! I am delighted to be apart of this forum.

i have been wearing Seimens nitro ITE for last 8 years and KS5 is a huge step forward. I have been manually changing to different programs and individually change volume at least 20-30 times a day to get the best possible hearing in various situations. I don’t have to do any of that now which is great. I stay on automatic most part of the day and it works fine

Thanks again for reading my post.your inputs will be highly appreciated.

[rasmus_braun]

Can you please indicate if tcoil will automatically work around induction loop systems and theaters with this setting? My idea is to get rid of my program 3 if this is possible.

No, the t-coil won’t activate by itself for loops. You’ll have to switch to program 3.

The HP receiver of KS5 (65 db) for my right ear is outside the range required for my loss after 2 kHz… I had to settle for this as UP receivers are not yet available at costco.

I don’t think the UP receiver exists, even though it’s listed on the KS5 datasheet. It’s certainly not available on Verso. If you want to try a higher power instrument for your right ear, and you prefer to stay with Costco, you can order the Forza power BTE. It’s would be a better fit for your loss. You could keep the KS5 RIC for your left ear, but you would lose the binaural capabilities and volume/program synchronization that you have now.

[trvraya]

No, the t-coil won’t activate by itself for loops. You’ll have to switch to program 3.

I don’t think the UP receiver exists, even though it’s listed on the KS5 datasheet. It’s certainly not available on Verso. If you want to try a higher power instrument for your right ear, and you prefer to stay with Costco, you can order the Forza power BTE. It’s would be a better fit for your loss. You could keep the KS5 RIC for your left ear, but you would lose the binaural capabilities and volume/program synchronization that you have now.

Thanks again Rasmas_ Braun.
I had thought UP receivers will be available in next 3-4 months. I am just not sure about the kind of improvement I would see by going for a higher power receiver.

[mysweetiesears]

Has she been back to the CostCo fitter for fine-tuning, explaining this problem?

Best wishes, Nate

She has been back once and will go again. Her last appointment preceded our finding this forum. Now that we have had a chance to compare her hearing profile with the others on this thread, we will ask the fitter if the Kirklands are the right choice but would also appreciate the thoughts of you and others.

[Don]

She has been back once and will go again. Her last appointment preceded our finding this forum. Now that we have had a chance to compare her hearing profile with the others on this thread, we will ask the fitter if the Kirklands are the right choice but would also appreciate the thoughts of you and others.

The problem might be that she has not heard much at the 2k and 3k range and it takes the brain weeks to months to adjust to the new sounds, and it will never be perfect. Plus, there might not be enough hearing left in the 4k range to really help much. It looks like it notches up by 8k but hearing aids don’t have a lot left at that range.

Comparing to my hearing test results below, I hear and understand live human voices pretty well, and on the “Party” program I can understand pretty well in loud background noise (we had to make a lot of changes to that program to get there), but recorded voices like TV or movies are still a problem unless I use a transmitter. Recorded voices seem loud enough but are sometimes incomprehensible. So it matters what the circumstances are. I’ve tried three different brands and basically noticed about the same comprehension with recorded voices.

It may be that some adjustments will help, or another model, but it may be a situation of the brain adjusting to a new environment.

[sfrly]

I’m interested to get some feedback as to why someone would want to go to Costco to get hearing aids in the first place? People do realize that their “NEW” hearing aids aren’t really new. Their technology is usually a couple of years behind compared to what you could get at a hearing aid store or audiology clinic. Granted, they are still a good hearing aid, but if you’re already spending thousands of dollars, why not purchase from somewhere that actually carries the newest advancements in hearing technology? Even if you don’t want a high-end hearing aid, there are still hearing aids that are better than Costco that are comparable in price.

Also, I’m a little concerned about Costco’s service and repair program. Costco’s hearing aids are locked, meaning nobody else can repair or adjust your hearing aid (problem if you go out of town where there is no Costco) and after 5 years of your initial purchase, Costco no longer works on your hearing aid. Of course, industry standards say you should replace your hearing aids every 5 years, but I know a lot of people that keep their hearing aids well after that.

Those are just a few of the issues that I have. Of course, I’ve never bought a hearing aid from Costco, and my experiences are biased considering I work for a hearing aid company, but I guess I’d like some clarification as to why Costco is an attractive place to buy hearing aids just to get the Kirkland Signature 5 rather than a hearing aid company or audiology clinic that probably offers a better option for a comparable price.

Here is a hearing aid reviews article talking about the pros and cons of big chain stores like Costco. Costco isn’t a bad place to buy hearing aids, but I believe there are better places for a better value.

www.hustonhearing.com

They actually did a better exam than two audiologists I went to. Contrary to your self-serving nonsense they sell new quality aids at good prices. they follow up, follow up, follow up. Which is something the private audiologists are horrible at. The only audiologist I’ve seen( who raves about how good her relationship with the costco people is) that seems worth a tinkers d., can do nothing for my speech recognition deterioration.

[sfrly]

It’s a matter of how good they are at manipulating the software(as you’ve learned the hard way), and how persistent they are to give you the best sound for you.

[mysweetiesears]

The problem might be that she has not heard much at the 2k and 3k range and it takes the brain weeks to months to adjust to the new sounds, and it will never be perfect. Plus, there might not be enough hearing left in the 4k range to really help much. It looks like it notches up by 8k but hearing aids don’t have a lot left at that range.

Comparing to my hearing test results below, I hear and understand live human voices pretty well, and on the “Party” program I can understand pretty well in loud background noise (we had to make a lot of changes to that program to get there), but recorded voices like TV or movies are still a problem unless I use a transmitter. Recorded voices seem loud enough but are sometimes incomprehensible. So it matters what the circumstances are. I’ve tried three different brands and basically noticed about the same comprehension with recorded voices.

It may be that some adjustments will help, or another model, but it may be a situation of the brain adjusting to a new environment.

Lots of helpful info in that post. Thank you very much.

[trvraya]

Rasmus, hope you can shed some light on this,

at my appointment today, when the fitter tried to disable volume sync, we could see all of the options mentioned below by you in another thread

September = New products at Costco?

When device-to-device communication is enabled (which is the default), Program Synchronization and Environmental Optimizer II are always on. Binaural Directionality, Volume Synchronization, and Comfort Phone (called Focus Phone in the Costco version) can each be turned off separately. If device-to-device communication is disabled, all of these features are off.

the volume synchronization option was green and we tried to disable it by clicking on it. nothing happened. The fitter called the resound rep and was advised that only way to disable volume sync is to disable D-D communication which makes no sense. The software version was 3.51 I think if that helps. I really like to try this setting. Any thoughts?

[rasmus_braun]

the volume synchronization option was green and we tried to disable it by clicking on it. nothing happened. The fitter called the resound rep and was advised that only way to disable volume sync is to disable D-D communication which makes no sense. The software version was 3.51 I think if that helps. I really like to try this setting. Any thoughts?

The box that you’re referring to only shows the status. You have to go to the Beeps and Volume Control tool, and then Manual Controls tab in order to make the change.

[pochoboy]

Wow. I’d be somewhat worried about the fitter and Resounds Rep. or maybe the fitter didn’t come across with the correct question for the Resound Rep… I know there’s a lot of HI’s brands/models but I wouldn’t want to be in the fitters shoes learning on the fly. I mean from that experience above, it’s really showing the client your not up to speed on the product.

[WillyA]

Got a call from my local audi that my Widex Dream 440’s (RIC) have arrived at his office.
Will be getting them this coming Tues.
Hoping for the best.

[trvraya]

The box that you’re referring to only shows the status. You have to go to the Beeps and Volume Control tool, and then Manual Controls tab in order to make the change.

thanks Rasmus, you are a genius…! I Will need wait until next week to try this though.

Wow. I’d be somewhat worried about the fitter and Resounds Rep. or maybe the fitter didn’t come across with the correct question for the Resound Rep… I know there’s a lot of HI’s brands/models but I wouldn’t want to be in the fitters shoes learning on the fly. I mean from that experience above, it’s really showing the client your not up to speed on the product.

I think the fitter at least did the right thing by asking for a clarification for something she had not come across before. She clearly told the rep that we wanted to un-sync volume. At times it might not always be right to expect that everything about the product be known. I am not defending her but I think she had the right attitude and wanted to genuinely help. . It’s actually the rep who she spoke to is unworthy of his/her job. I have come across people who do not know what you are talking about but will go to any extent to convince you that they have all the answers. The rep is of that kind. I always believe in one thing, if you don’t know something all you have to do is ask…

Had I not been in this forum, had guys like rasmus not been a part of it, I had to blindly accept that un-syncing the volume was not an option. It’s great that Internet has given us the opportunity to rosolve our issues in a better way. I am very happy to have discovered this at this very young age…!

On a lighter note…I recently came across a GP with about 35 years in practice who was not very happy with people coming to him now a days with all sorts of information from the internet about their health issues and sometimes questioning his treatment approach… I found that very funny… Internet can sometimes cause a lot of pain…!

[Iris08]

This past Monday I began a trial of the Costco Kirkland Signature 562. I am very impressed. This school year has been a difficult one with the noise generated by 36 kindergarteners. This week I rarely had to ask a student to repeat what they were saying! The sound quality also felt so much less abrasive than my basic Phonak. I also purchased the mini-mic. Unfortunately it would not remain connected to the hearing aids for more than a few seconds. The hearing instrument specialist determined today that it is probably a defective mini-mic and it will be replaced with a new one.

Does anyone know if the volume of the “program changing beeps” or “streaming audible melody” can be reduced? My H.I.S. didn’t know of a way. Perhaps in the “Beeps and Volume Control tool” mentioned above by Rasmus? If so, exactly how, so I can relay the procedure. I don’t wish to eliminate them, only lower the volume to a less distracting level.

[AdamsHouseCat]

This past Monday I began a trial of the Costco Kirkland Signature 562. I am very impressed. This school year has been a difficult one with the noise generated by 36 kindergarteners. This week I rarely had to ask a student to repeat what they were saying! The sound quality also felt so much less abrasive than my basic Phonak. I also purchased the mini-mic. Unfortunately it would not remain connected to the hearing aids for more than a few seconds. The hearing instrument specialist determined today that it is probably a defective mini-mic and it will be replaced with a new one.

Does anyone know if the volume of the “program changing beeps” or “streaming audible melody” can be reduced? My H.I.S. didn’t know of a way. Perhaps in the “Beeps and Volume Control tool” mentioned above by Rasmus? If so, exactly how, so I can relay the procedure. I don’t wish to eliminate them, only lower the volume to a less distracting level.

Yes. I had my “beeps volume” reduced.

[trvraya]

My KS5 is 4 clicks too loud. I hear comfortably by reducing the volume 4 clicks down from my app or remote. To get this adjusted at my next appointment, does reducing the volume mean reducing the gain across all frequencies say by 2 db or so or is there any other way?

Also the default volume is at 70% on the volume Bar. I can only increase 4 clicks but decrease 10 clicks of so. Can the default be set at 50% so that I have equal access to increase or decrease volume ?

[rasmus_braun]

The default volume control setting is a maximum of -12 dB softer and +6 dB louder. This can be changed in 1 dB increments to a maximum of -18 softer and +12 louder.

[trvraya]

Thanks Rasmus,

Am I right in saying volume is same as gain. In the fitting screen on Aventa where is gain is set according to audiogram you select -All (which is one of the options in those red and blue boxes) and decrease the gain using the arrows in the centre to reduce the volume. Is this right? Or is it done from somewhere else.
I have attached the screen just to be clear

[rasmus_braun]

I forgot to answer your other question. Yes, you can reduce the gain for all frequencies at all intensities and everything will sound softer. Gain is the difference between the input signal and the output of the hearing aid. Volume refers to the output. Gain is adjusted on the screen you mentioned, but the volume control buttons are located on another screen.

[trvraya]

Oh, so gain and volume are different. I just want to reduce the default volume 4 clicks down without changing the gain. I am happy with my gain settings. Can you please tell where are those volume control buttons located ?