Agreed. Trying to guess who will make KS11 is like reading tea leaves. As you mentioned KS 5 and 6 were GN Resound, KS 7 and 8 were Rexton and KS9 and 10 were Sonova. KS11 could pretty much be any brand. Hopefully we will know soon.
1 Like
KS5 and 6 ReSound
KS7 and 8 Rexton
KS9 Sonova
KS10 Phonak
They seem to like to stick with the same company for two models (3 years). But yeah, it could be anything.
1 Like
Do you have some info that KS10 manufacturer is Phonak instead of Sonova? Sonova is the parent company of Phonak and from what I’ve seen, Phonak goes to some effort to say that they don’t make the KS10. They state they are manufactured by Sonova. All the literature I’ve seen states Sonova.
3 Likes
The KS 10 is available in Costco stores in the US and it is indeed made by Sonova. I have taken a long look at the specs and features of the KS 10 and there is no way to hide it, for all intent and purpose, the KS 10 is a Phonak Paradise 90. - Hearing Tracker
I’m not sure if there’s a real distinction about the sub-brands, do they all come out of the same factory just with different labels? If the two models per company generality holds then I was mistaken and they are due for a change.
Also, I believe the last half-dozen models have each been $100 cheaper than the previous model, but with rampant inflation it’s hard to imagine keeping that up.
1 Like
Yes, made by Sonova. I would guess the internals are the same. The cases resemble Hansatons. The differences may be slight, but it’s not the exact same product with a different label. Out of the curiousity, who was the quote from? My impression is that the difference in the cases help Phonak models deal better with wind noise. I actually prefer the buttons on the KS10. I just found it curious that you credited Sonova with the KS9 and seemed to make a point of calling the KS10 Phonak.
Yes, they’ve had a trend of dropping the price $100 with each new model. I can imagine several possibilities. They could keep dropping it and make the KS11 an OTC hearing aid. They could just stop the KS line of hearing aids, or they could come out with a prescription only KS11 and price it however they want.
Would Costco still fit that aid? Or would it have to be self fitting? I’d find making it OTC to be very interesting, if indeed it’s an updated KS10 in all regards but doesn’t need a prescription and is a lot cheaper. the beginnings of a new strategy to implement the new law.
Who knows. Pure brainstorming conjecture on my part. I have no idea, just throwing out possibilities.
Stopped by Costco today. No info on the 11. Did advise if I buy the Jabra I can return but then have to buy again for the 11s. Obviously no exchange.
I think directly from Hearing Tracker as stated in the quote?
Some individual presumably wrote it though.
@twilkins10: If one can return an item, get a refund, and then buy another item with that refund, it’s a de facto exchange, is it not?
So … I’m confused: how is it , then, “Obviously no exchange?”
2 Likes
I mean they don’t treat it like an exchange. It’s a straight return and a new purchase.
1 Like
As twilkins 10 said.
And it has to be a return to the original store you purchased it from. After 3 months trying the Rexton BiCores, 4 failures of the left one and a replacement I decided I wanted to try something different and returned them. I have demo’d the Philips and Jabra at another store where the tech there has 35+ years in the industry and has a very good reputation among people I’ve talked to locally and she is a HA user herself. I’m going to demo these two out again in a week after she has had more time to set them up for me but I liked how the Jabra sounded and handled noise around the Costco warehouse on my initial eval. I can only demo them inside the store so I’ll take my soft spoken wife this time to better evaluate them before I pick one to buy. My tech also said the KS10’s are no longer available but didn’t say why.
Yep, the Jabra looks like a good alternative to the K10s. I’m currently wearing a UHC Relate in just my left ear which I’ll return after the trial period. Seems 2 HAs will be better and I had hoped the 10s would be available. I’ll hopefully try out the Jabras on 10/20. Who knows, maybe the 11s will show up by then.
1 Like
It makes sense to me that it should be Sonova again, because they provide the best bluetooth support. I was thinking who could be the next one if the rule is that it must be a new manufacturer. My first thought is a Starkey Evolv based hearing aid.
My Costco HCP told me yesterday: “We no longer have access to the KS10” – strange wording?
1 Like
Fun to guess what the next iteration of the KS will be… my guess is KS11s will either be rebranded version or close-to version of Starkey Evolv AIs.
I don’t think they will be the new Phonaks as I just can’t imagine Sonova letting Costco sell a drastically reduced priced brand new premium product so close to its release (I have no idea what the timing difference between the releases of the Phonak Paradise and the KS10s were though). It seems Costco stays in line with offering versions of most of the “Big 6” manufacturers hearing aids, so there is already the Phillips-Oticon, Jabra-Resound, Rexton-Signia aids, so I can’t see KS11s being any of those since there are no newer models that I’m aware of. Widex would be an option, but given the Moments have been out a while already, I can’t imagine Costco’s new KS line will be an older product, while the Evolvs were just released within the past year. Historically, I haven’t seen Costco offer a Starkey version product either though, but then I’m relatively new to the HA world. Pure fun conjecture, but that’s my guess!
2 Likes
Disagree on the reliability. Picked up my KS10s in August and am very happy with them. Saw my fitter on Monday, said they have postponed the KS11s while the new director of hearing aids goes over the contracts. He told me he’d worked with this new guy for 15 years and was happy he was the new director.
4 Likes