I recently started wearing the Rexton Reach R-Li T80s from Costco. It’s my first pair of hearing aids. I have moderate to severe loss at higher frequencies. My ears have the sensation of being under pressure, they don’t pop.
So far, the aids have been helpful but I expected more volume. My technician also only loaded 2 programs - Automatic and Party. (Maybe they are using a template for settings that doesn’t include all of the programs?) After doing some research, it seems like I should have 6 programs, none of them named Party. She also didn’t offer or explain the difference between different domes.
I’m starting to think that I didn’t have the best technician. I’ll take advantage of the follow up visit to ask for a pair of power domes, ask for the additional programs and boost up the volume.
I’m interested if others have had successful experiences navigating similar charges and can offer advice, especially about the programs and using different domes.
Posting your audiogram would help (Click on your avatar at right upper corner of the page, then the bell, then My Audiogram)
Your ears feeling under pressure? Is that all the time or just when hearing aids are in? If it’s just when the hearing aids are in it might just take getting used to, or perhaps a different sized or type of dome.
Most people don’t need extra programs. Automatic has a bunch of settings to chose from and takes care of most situations. If there are specific situations you’re having issues with, then a special program might be warranted.
Aids usually have the ability to increase the volume with the buttons on the aid or the app. If you’d like more volume, turn them up. If you’ve got near normal low frequency hearing and primarily a high frequency loss, it’s unlikely you’ll be happy with power domes. They would likely cause occlusion.
I don’t use my Reach ha much because I prefer the Sennheiser Sonite set over them for tech reasons. That said, I was given sealed domes with a longer sleeve initially. Coming from open dome KS9 ha prior, the sealed domes created too much occlusion. I’d rather be partially deaf than spend another minute feeling plugged up like that. I took it upon myself to buy some vented domes and try them because my Costco tech wasn’t hearing me when I said I didn’t like being occluded. She might be technically right on the science, but what good is it doing if I refuse to wear them, or am miserable when I do? Anyway, the vented domes work great even without the aids being reprogrammed for them. The Reach hearing aid is very likely the finest aid for noisy social events that Costco sells. I’ll wear them before heading out to a restaurant or party with my wife so long as I’m not expecting to need to make a BT call.
Raising the volume is a short term solution. Although doing so may increase the volume of frequencies that don’t need increasing.
I suspect Costco set the target setting to 80%. So when this individual goes back for an adjustment, the target setting can be increased to 90 or 100 percent if desired.
So I think it may be their procedure to set the hearing aids at 80 percent and then adjust them to target either at the next two adjustments or if the wearer complains.
I thought that was one of Dr. Cliff’s pet peeves about Costco.
Yes, the option is there, however, Costco fitters may have to follow a set company procedure.
I suspect that there are a lot of hearing aids sold through Costco and private audiologists are not adjusted correctly, simply because they don’t have the time to get it right.
Thankfully, though your help and others in the DIY section, folks at least can try to get their hearing aids correctly adjusted.
When I had aids fit at Costco I asked about gradually increasing gain and they said there was no need as I was already at full gain. Don’t know what their criteria might be.
Thanks! Just added my audiogram from the audiologist (versus Costco).
RE: Pressure…Yes, all of the time. It’s been a sensation I’ve had for about 30 years. No blockages, etc. I tried tuboplasty but it didn’t help. So, it’s not related to the hearing aids.
Thanks for the heads up on the programs. It’s interesting to me that in the Automatic setting I can adjust volume, balance and direction but in the Party setting I can adjust only volume and balance. I’ll ask what direction is fixed in Party when I go for my adjustment.
Yes, I suspect this is the case…“here are the standard processes to follow…” My technician was young and not familiar with the Rexton model. She said they don’t sell many Rexton aids and first pushed the Jabra and Phillips aids. So it could be a combination of both following Costco procedure to start at 80% and also not knowing all of the programs for Rexton.
Highly unlikely you would like power domes with normal low frequency hearing. Do you like how they sound better when you increase the volume? Thanks for posting audiogram.
My Rexton Reach are my 3rd aids and I find I use auto almost all the time, in noisy restaurants I find changing the direction to narrow front focus works great. I also started to diy self program after reading things here. I find that the music program helps with tv shows line the voice but that is the only time i use it. I also made a program for driving with my wife to lower left volume and raise right volume. That reduced road noise and I can hear my wife and the radio better with only one click on my aid without going into the phone app.