Finally ready to replace my Oticon Duals - Now what?

Hearing Aids
#1

Audiologist can no longer program my left aid so it’s time to upgrade…yes, I know, I should have done it sooner but life happens!
I now have a fairly decent insurance benefit but of course prices have jumped since my last purchase…Audiologist wants $7k for the Oticon Intent 1…yikes! I am leaning toward staying with the Oticon brand since I have had such a good run with the Duals!

Any thoughts on Intent 1 vs Real 1 vs More 1? Good reasons to go for 1 or the other? Another brand to consider? Any input welcome…TIA! Happy Fourth!

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#2

Please check out your local Costco before handing over that sort of money, you may well be surprised, unfortunately they don’t stock Oticon at this time.

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#3

Costco have the Phillip aids which are from the parent company of Oticon. And are based on the Oticon aids.

I have the More1, Real1, and the INTENT1 aids. The More1 aids are good, the Real1 are a little better and the INTENT1 aids are awesome, at least for my needs. Now I am a veteran with hearing loss due to my military service and 50% disabled due to my hearing loss so the VA is doing its best to allow me yo understand speech.

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#4

Isn’t the consensus that the Philip models are based upon Bernafon models, with those and Oticon under the Demant umbrella?

Give Costco a try. You can always spend more later. The six month trial might be helpful to test out how modern Bluetooth connectivity works for you.

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#5

I wore the Duals as my first set of Oticon aids some 14 years ago. They were good aids and sold me on Oticon aids which I have been wearing ever since.

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#6

Yes the Phillips are made by Demant, the same company that makes Oticon, Phillips are most likely Bernafon/Sonic, as they come from the same parts bin.

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#7

My very first set of aids were Sonic

#8

The Duals have been my first and only pair so I Oticon has served my well…14 years is a great run! Got an email back from an online seller (Yes Hearing) and can get the Intent 1 for a fair price (a little over $2k less than the Audi) and the Real 1 for $400 less than that. Just wondering if the difference between Intent and Real is worth the $400.

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#9

In my opinion well worth it. But then I am fortunate to be veteran and get my aids provided to me. I have to be honest of all of my aids I have worn the INTENT1 aids are by far the best. But I will make a justification the aids are only as good as the audiologist that is doing the fittings.

#10

Beyond Costco, where the prices are in my opinion extraordinarily reasonable, you might look at some of the online sellers. In my case, I used ZipHearing.com which, coincidentally, had my audiologist on their list of folks they worked with anyway. Personally, I saved a substantial amount and got the Intent 1s.

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#11

what are your needs, or anyway what would you like your next pair of aids to do well for you? The Intents are getting great reviews for how they provide speech in noise. Is that an issue with you? If not, other brands may fit the bill better. I’m a musician, and the Intents are getting poor reviews for their music program. Although I really wonder how much of this last is due to audis not quite being up to speed on how to program these aids. In short, no aid is a panacea. Take some time and try different brands. I have Signia aids and they suit me well. I’ll try Widex next, after several years. the Intents answer a problem that I don’t have, so may not be suitable for me. Etc. Identify your issues first and go shopping from that point. Of course, aids have come a long ways since your current pair! almost any major brand should be an improvement. Enjoy!

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#12

I would use an earhorn before I paid $7K for hearing aids. But, I guess if money is no object, $7K may not seem like a lot.

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#13

Each their own, put i personally cannot function without my aids.

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#14

So I took advice and have been demoing a set of Lucent Liberty 64 from Sam’s Club. While the Bluetooth is cool and not a feature I had on the Duals, I’ve learned these are not the aids for me. After wearing them this week, I don’t like the way my hearing is when I take them out. Maybe these have been programmed incorrectly so I’ll go to a follow up appointment but these are not keepers for my. I’ll try the Phillips from Costco next.
I was able to find Oticon Intent for under $5k so with my insurance the cost will be “better”. I’ll keep updating. Thanks for all your input!

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#15

If your brain is adjusting to hearing with the HAs you should want to keep wearing them. It is like taking glasses off. You were used to not having glasses. Now you are unhappy your vision is blurry after taking off your glasses. Don’t blame it on the glasses (HAs).

As to whether those are the right aids or not, I won’t comment. I don’t hear much good or bad about Sam’s club aids. The Phillips aids at Costco are probably the closest inexpensive premium prescription aids to your Duals you’re going to find.

WH

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