Thanks, I did like my old resounds,lasted 6 years and still use them as my back ups. They fit so well in my ears and didn’t have much problems at all with them,can’t find anything close to them.
I have had my KS8’s for several weeks now myself. My first pair so can’t compare to anything previous. Also since I’m new to HA’s overall, can’t speak to returning to Costco for any needed tweeking, why I would need tweaking as I don’t have anything to compare it too.
Prior to the purchase of the KS8’s, I did demo a pair of Opticon’s 3. I did think that the Iphone app did allow more user adjusted settings and to be honest I don’t see where the KS8’s software setting does much of anything when I go from Automatic to something else. I also haven’t noticed any difference in setting the microphone directional settings either. Forward/backward/left/right all sounds the same to me.
What I do notice is the extra $4,000 still in my bank account from going with the KS8’s.
I will say at this point, I am very well satisfied with the KS8’s and can hear conversations in noisy situations that heretofore I had much difficulty with.
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Sometimes on a “first fit” the hearing aids are not turned up completely for your prescription. They do that for two related reasons. First, the new sounds can be shocking and they want to gradually bring you along, and secondly, the more they turn it up the more potential problems, and more potential reasons for a return. If you are not seeing some pretty substantial differences in automatic and noise/party, and music, then it might be they are not turned up all the way yet.
I can tell you this, I can tell what program it is on by the way it sounds, and microphone pattern adjustment (the cone of sound) provides significant help with intermittent background noise.
The noise/party program doesn’t handle intermittent background noise well, but, If there is steady background noise from machines or air handlers, it’s like they shut the machines off.
I’m curious about the frequency compression. I’m going back soon for my 2 week checkup for my KS8Ts and I need to ask about that. Does it really help your speech understanding? I am very happy so far. I have an android phone, but I have an IPad. The MFI feature allows me to communicate using FaceTime with my IPad. Very clear audio!
I can’t compare them to the KS7s (my previous were KS4s) but the feature that I like best on the KS8s (which was not available in the KS7s) is the MFI feature. Even though my cellphone is Android, I use my iPad to talk on FaceTime. The audio is excellent!
Yes, frequency compression is very good, for sloping hearing loss.
Do you know if Costco calls the frequency compression by another name. I’m going in for an adjustment next week, and I’d like to try that. Is that feature only in the Automatic program or does if go to all programs?
That’s what they call it. I think it can be applied to any program, but some programs would not make sense, like the music program.
I think it may be bandwidth compression. At least that’s what it’s called on the KS7s. A more general term is frequency lowering. All of Costco’s aids have some sort of frequency lowering, but the Bernafon uses another method that is not called compression. Whether frequency lowering is helpful depends on your audiogram and your own perceptiions. If you don’t have a 70dB loss or higher in the higher frequencies, it’s unlikely to help. Even if you do, some people just don’t like how it sounds.
My hearing loss in the high frequencies is around 80dB, so I think I’ll give it a try.
I’ll almost certainly be buying a set of KS8’s this upcoming week, and I have a question. Does Costco offer any coverage to extended the warranty on the devices for an additional fee? And to they offer any sort of optional insurance on the devices to cover non-warranty losses? I dropped by a location yesterday to ask these questions, but the person at the register didn’t seem to have any answers - she just kept telling me I’d be given that info by the audiologist after my exam.
I’m unaware of anything extra you can buy, but standard is 3 year warranty with a 2 year loss or damage (dog chews it up or you lose it, for example) If you want to extend, the easiest way to do it is to use a Costco Visa credit card, which extends warranty by 2 years. This is assuming you’re in the US.
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Thanks. I applied for and received instant confirmation of the Costco Visa credit card. Will use it if it increases the warranty period. Appreciate the helpful info.
It adds two year to most warranties. You’ll also get a $32 rebate from it next year.
Included with Your Card (https://www.cardbenefits.citi.com/Products/Costco-Extended-Warranty) There is a PDF there with more info/exclusions.
Warranties run out. Get an extra 24 months added to your warranty when you purchase items at least in part with your Citi card and/or your Costco credit card reward certificate. In the event of a covered failure, the item will be repaired or you will be reimbursed up to the amount charged on your Citi card (including Costco credit card reward certificate) or the cost to replace the item, whichever is less, up to $10,000.
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Is anyone else aware of this: that the normal 3yr warranty on Costco Hearing Aids is extended by two years if you use the Costco Visa card for payment? If this is really the case I think many of we KS8 users would be very happy!
I think you need to be signed in to view the extended warranty info.
I didn’t but got to it from Concierge Two Plus Two Warranty | Costco
The PDF can be accessed from any + info point.
Yes, I was told that also (24 months extended after original warranty) and it is on the Citi Visa site, for benefits.
After hearing that term here, I asked my Costco fitter about it and yes, she called it by another name but described it exactly as stated here. I just don’t recall what she called it.
Ordered my KS8’s yesterday using my Costco Citi Visa that I obtained this past weekend (thanks to MDB and KenP for alerting us to the extended warranty). I asked about the extended warranty terms and the folks at the store called for clarification.
As I understand it, buying with the Costco Citi Visa does indeed extend the 3-year warranty by 2 additional years. The only difference is that under the extended 2-year warranty, you must pay up front for the warranty-related repair/replacement and then apply to Citi for reimbursement. That’s fair and well worth it since the additional warranty costs nothing (aside from the 1,600 extra airline miles I would have obtained using the card I usually employ).
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