This leads me to believe you interfered with the fitter enough to mess your fitting up. Maybe returning and letting him/her do the job while you watch and learn, maybe ask questions.
Noahlink Wireless is readily available for a little over $200US. It plugs into a USB port. I had done substantial reading before getting mine in the same package with my first aids. However the aids were supposed to be programmed to my audiogram so that I could take my time getting to know how the Noahlink Wireless works with the software. But it turned out the aids hadn’t been programmed, so were useless until I could set up my “clinic.” Got home with the package about 2pm, had the aids and the TV connector functional before dinner. Since then programmed a second set of aids, and upgraded Marvels to 2.0. Many customizations etc. Very happy NLW owner here although self-programming is obviously not for everyone.
Thank you for your experience. It’d be great if you were able to find someone in your vicinity with a KS9 to verify if the software will work with the KS9’s as well as the Marvels.
I too am new to HA and am interested in programing my own KS9 or KS8. Costco is 160 miles away. Is there a good tutorial or thread? The hardware seems easy to get. What about the software? I know it is probably too early to tell yet.
I also know there will be a huge learning curve. Doesn’t it allow you to save and restore the current profile?
Thanks
Update on my journey: I have KS5’s and have done a walkaround with KS9’s(didn’t notice much difference) and had an Audiologist give me a 7 day trail with the Oticon S(same general result). My Costco guy suggested a new option,keep the KS5’s and get a Resound Multi Mic. Trying to find out if they work together…probably will give that a try. then maybe the Resound Preza, which uses the size 13 battery for longer life, and works with MUlti Mic and has a good Costco price. I have mild to moderate loss…a pretty common situation for Seniors. I also tried the Oticon TV adapter…not worth it…and the Iphone support…worked great but I don’t use my cell phone so not really a biggee with me. This evaluation process is time-consuming and a pain. One thing I am coming to realize is that as good as the Costco guy is, he too has certain Leanings based on his experience…hence the focus on Resound which he is much more comfortable and experienced with than the KS9. The good DR. Cliff mentioned this as an important deciding factor…that is, you’ll likely get a better fitting from someone who has experience with that particular aid…and BTW, Costco does REM! All for now.
If you have the Noahlink device, how do you acquire the software? I’m assuming you would need the latest version of Phonak Target.
By clicking Dusty avatar will get you started.
You can find some software on the web, or on file sharing sites. But in the case of Target and some others it’s harder to come by. You have to ask someone who already has it to send you a link.
The technician at Costco told me that their software, while actually being Target, is customized for them. Indeed, some of the names of things are different - such as Feedback Manager (Costco) vs Whistle Stop (Phonak). High Frequency Preserve (Costco) vs Sound Recover (Phonak). There are other differences. He also said Costco aids won’t work with Phonak’s Target software. Apparently they set a bit in the software to identify the aids as Costco. So, my guess is, unless someone can crack it, the idea of self adjusting might not be possible. Just what I heard, when I asked.
I can’t speak for the KS9s as we haven’t heard from anybody successfully self programming them, but others on the forum have successfully programmed Phonak Brio models from Costco. I’d be somewhat surprised if they eliminated this ability, but not shocked.
Do you know if those were Costco branded or Phonak branded?
They were branded as Phonak but specially made for Costco. They did not show up in Target software until the hearing aids were hooked up and software was told to detect hearing aids. I assume your calling Kirkland as Costco Branded. Our previous history where we had something similar with Costco was with the Rexton Trax 42. It was replaced with the KS7 which was also self programmable, but this was with Rexton. It’s anybody guess at this point, but I’m hopeful. I don’t have a lot of faith in what the employees say. They often just don’t know.
Well, I hope it works, I’d love to be able to program my own. Been doing it for 10 years with my America Hears aids.
I have been using the KS9 for 3 weeks. 1st time hearing aid user.
Why does the easy line remote app (on Android)
Show the Left hearing aid as searching but the right shows connected?
Because it only connects to one hearing aid at a time, with the bluetooth signal, it is then transferred to the other one, so you’re right hand side is set as the master hearing aid and the left the slave , this can be reversed in the software if you wanted.
I did not interfere but gave feedback and tried to communicate with him so that i could assess aids while he was programming them live. This is something you hear assess if you feel better or worse and tell. Can’t explain better than that .
I have the Costco Phonak Brio 3. I have the regular Phonak Target. Regular Phonak Target does recognize the Costco Phonak Brio 3 (and prior). In Target the features do have the Costco feature names, so it appears those feature names are part of the hearing aids themselves, or, there is one version of Target and when it sees certain models it uses different feature names.
Anyway, they are not locked to Costco and I expect the KS9 to be not locked, but I dont have those and can’t say.
Raudrive, I’ve appreciated your comments on the KS9. Thanks. One question. Your audiogram looks to be a country mile outside the KS9’s fitting range. If I follow this thread correctly, your wife has a set and you are inclined in that direction. How do you expect that to work given the performance gap?
That’s a good observation on your part.
I have learned that I can not hear sounds from 2000 hertz up in my right ear and 3000 hertz up in my left ear. So what I am doing now is not amplifying those frequencies. I DO NOT need a big powerful aid. I am using the Phonak Audeo B90 13 RIC aid with a power receiver. With aggressive frequency lowering I now am hearing sounds that I have not heard in many years. Speech recognition has gotten much better and is improving.
The KS9 aids would be a great fit for my hearing if you take away the deaf areas. My wife is very happy with hers and I was totally impressed with Costco and the fitter I trailed the KS9 aids with.
Thanks for the insight. The reality is that I’m probably getting very little benefit above 2-3k Hz in my right hear even by wearing Phonak Naida SP aids, with full molds in both ears. Downsizing just might make sense. Something to think about. Thanks.