I have profound hearing loss and talked to a new unbiased audiologist. I asked her about the Phonak Brio 3 vs Naida B aids. The Brio is old SWORD technology and Naida B is the new Beyond technology. Costgo sells older Phonak technology hearing aids so Phonak gets rid of older hearing aids.
Brio 3s are based on the Beyond platform. They have a model that uses the Sword chip similar to the Audeo B Direct. They also have BTEs similar to Naida Super Power and UltraPower aids. They’re actually pretty current, but I’m guessing it will be sometime before they have something based on Marvel platform. VA will not have Brio3s. Brio3s are Costco only item, but VA will have Audeo B and Audeo B Direct, and will likely get Marvel platform pretty soon.
Impossible to say if IIC or ITE could meet your loss as we don’t have your audiogram. VA has latest technology so if you qualify for their services, it seems a no brainer to go check them out.
Only you can determine what is best for you, but RICs can be remarkably inobtrusive. I don’t notice mine at all most of the time.
1 Like
No Brainer - Get VA hearing aids.
Beware of tricks, such as Brio2 and Brio3 are the same hardware.
Costco person’s valid point is no such thing. $2500 spent at Costco when you can get better from VA (for Free!) is no valid point. But start a separate thread if we need to go down this rabbit hole.
Costco does not accept insurance, BUT they helped me fill out the form and I filed on my own. My insurance pays $2500 once every 3 calendar years. In Ohio, there is no sales tax on medical appliances. So, my only out-of-pocket was the TV Connector.
Since the Costco hearing aid specialist is not a Dr, she could not write in the diagnosis code on my claim form. So, I looked up the code on the internet and entered it myself. It worked.
I tried and have the KS 8s. After going through a lot of adjustments I still wasn’t happy with them for voice recognition. They seemed too sharp and had a lot of noises just when shifting around. I got the Brio 3 R C about two months ago and the initial settings were a huge improvement. I really like them for the most part. Meanwhile I am seriously considering trying the Bernafon Zerena instead after a basic demo. They sounded very good and higher end sounds I need are smoother. The audi says most people she has put on them prefer them to the KS 8. The feature I miss from the KS 8(that the Zerenas include) is that they can stream and connect through both ears on an iPhone, something the Phonaks cannot do without and extra accessory.
I have the Brio 3 but they don’t work well the the iPhone 10. I can call out but the person called can’t hear me although I can hear them. I have reset the iPhone as well as the aids but that was no help.
You need the ComPilot. Are you using the ComPilot?
No I’m not, the fitter at Costco said nothing about needing the ComPilot. Is the ComPilot something you wear or carry with you?
Depends on which version of the Brio 3s he has. If the one’s based on the Audeo B Direct, he shouldn’t need an intermediary device and it should be hands free as it uses one of the hearing aid microphones.
Ah hadn’t realised there was a Direct version.
Brio 3 problem solved, it was a Wi-Fi problem that cause the iPhone to mess up.
1 Like
When a call is made with the iPhone Xs the called party can not hear you.
What about flip top phones?
If the phone has Bluetooth (it probably does) you could use it hands free with a Phonak Compilot 2 device. The new Phonak Marvel connects to Bluetooth phones directly, without a device.
Thank you Don for your reply,but what I was asking is that everything seem to be about hearing aids and these smart phone connection with them,I only have a flip top and very happy with it ha so my question was, can I use any of the hearing aids without having to go out and buy a $400 or $500?
If you don’t want to use the phone as your hearing aid remote control, then no, no need for a new phone. You can use any new hearing aid without a smartphone.
But, streaming phone calls to the hearing aids does have benefits. People are easier to understand when the call is transmitted to both ears and environmental sounds are temporarily reduced.
Phonak use standard Bluetooth 4 connection when they connect to phones. The Costco versions only connect to one ear for phone calls only. The newer Phonak Marvels can stream to both ears for calls and music but are not available at Costco. They are not made for iPhone aids and do not have the added features - eg. Find my HAs. They also have some issues when used with some iPhones and other Apple devices because they are not recognized as hearing aids but are just another standard Bluetooth device. Flip phones are just a form factor not a “type” of phone. If your phone has standard Bluetooth it should be able to connect. The audiologist or HIS should be able to help set that up and ensure it is working.
Thank you for your feed back,my flip top phone is really all I need,it has served me well for years ha I have my lap top for my computer work,so I don’t have any use for a iphone and I don’t have a need to be checking it every few mintues like most people do.