Hi all - thanks for this very awesome forum. I have owned the Costco K6 aids for about two months now, and am pretty frustrated with them. I’m looking for general advice - is this a programming issue, or a product issue?
The real problem is that they don’t help me hear better in most situations, because they amplify background noise - especially things like air conditioners and fans (which are a constant presence here in Southern California) and make foreground noise, whether the television or conversations, less audible. I especially am frustrated with my inability to make out what my five-year-old son is saying.
I’m a journalist and I often conduct interviews in noisy restaurants. The experience is the same, amplified background noise.
I’ve been in three times for programming, and though some of the modes are better than others, none is really satisfactory. I’ve asked specifically for a mode that I’d use when conducting interviews, where it is hyper-directional, like a shotgun microphone, to the person in front of me, and cancels as best it can everything in the background. I don’t even know if this is possible, but as I watch the technician working the programming software, it seems that at least the commands/features exist - but honestly, no matter what he does, I don’t notice a big practical change.
The aids work best when things are quiet all around, like in the car or when I’m watching television alone. Then, I definitely notice an improvement (on my car radio, for example, the aids let me turn the volume down by about 25%.)
I’ve got an appointment next week for further adjustments, but I am also considering asking for a new pair - maybe the Resound Linx2 that recently is went on sale there for about $800 more. But maybe this is a programming issue. If so, what should I be asking the technician to do?
As far as the product itself, I also have to note that I’m pretty disappointed with the iPhone connectivity on three levels. First, it just seems that if the ability to truly make one’s own adjustments were included, I could possibly get what I need through some careful trial and error (I’m shocked that nobody has hacked these products yet!). Second, the app is poorly made, with frequent crashes and connectivity losses. Third, performance as a Bluetooth headset - for either phone or audio - is awful. I don’t quite understand why a $99 pair of in-ear Bluetooth headphones sound, like, ten zillion times better; audio reproduction on the K6 makes me feel like I’m listening to the Beatles on a transistor radio. A wonderfully nostalgic experience, but…
thanks in advance for your help.