I think everyone would benefit by having the phone call go in both ears, but may be some people would be fine without it.
On the Phonak, is the phone going in only one ear part of MFi or does it work that way through the Com Pilot II also?
The Phonak Direct is NOT mfi. It’s much more standardized. Not locked in to one product for connectivity. I appreciate that from them on this product. It doesn’t stream from the phone though unlike the mfi aids.
I don’t know about the Com Pilot for these aids. I think they offer a device to connect to an audio source and that will come in in stereo.
In Ohio a HAS must pass an exam and be licensed. Don’t just go by degree. Obviously, a Dr of audiology will have more knowledge, but the Costco HAS I use knows her stuff and provides great service. The nice thing about Costco is the price is great, multiple brands to choose from, testing is free, the warranty is great (3 yrs on my Phonaks), and you have have months to return your aids if you are dissatisfied. So. Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it.
For me, hearing the phone call in both ears vs one ear is like night and day. The sound seems to originate somewhere inside my head, so it’s crystal clear and unaffected by outside noise. Its hard to describe for someone who needs it and hasn’t experienced it.
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Dead right. I understand that they are unable to get an aerial in each each for direct connect plus also an aerial for the 2 aids to talk to each other, so if the trade-off is phone in one ear only, then its a deal breaker for me, rather have the streamer to get the full deal.
Just had my fitting at Costco for my new Resound Fortes. I hadn’t expected this, but the fitter conducted a Real Ear Measurement (REM) test. This test determines whether the aids are actually delivering the sound needed to compensate for your hearing loss, given the peculiarities of an individual’s ear canals. In my case, my aids needed further adjustment in order to bring them up to the prescribed performance. On the importance of real ear measures, see Doctor Cliff’s excellent video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHR0Oa6I-wY
Presumably REM tests can only be done with BTE style aids and not CICs?
Useful for me to know as my new aids arrive next Thursday so would be a useful thing to ask about if it is possible.
I believe REM tests can be done with CICs as well as BTE/RIC aids. The REM probe is a thin plastic tube that is inserted all the way into the ear canal, right up to the eardrum, before the aids are inserted. By all means ask your hearing aid specialist and get the test if it’s possible.
Wouldn’t hurt to get that perforation checked. IMHO.
Well…it COULD hurt…a LOT. 
Having now paid $3150 for my two Rexton CICs, I wonder how much Costco are making out of the deal?
Anyone have any insider info on their markup model?
They are famous for marking up things 15% or less. In the case of hearing aids, I would assume they are figuring in all the variable costs (labor, materials) when they pick a price.
Your ENT never told you about the hole?you had better have this checked!
Well it’s funny you should reply at this time, because yesterday after a 6 week wait, I got to see an ENT specialist, who said before looking it was going to be one of two things, either I had a hole, or more likely a very thin and translucent ear drum similar in look and thickness to GladWrap, something that can happen after grommets have been removed, which I’d had about 10 years ago.
It was the latter, and that it is not uncommon, and I had nothing to worry about. Even better, because it took him all of sixty seconds to determine this, I didn’t get billed!!! I expected about $200, so I was a happy chap for two reasons heading out their door. 
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Wow,I didn’t know this could happen after having the tubes removed! I had mine removed 2 months ago,the holes I had in both ear drums were patched at the time the tubes were removed,the ENT said that the holes had heal,but the gel that covered them is still there,not happy about that. The left ear does pop at times the right one never does. I will have a hearing test done next month to see where my hearing is now. I do wear hearing aids, I feel that the grommets should not be put in adults ears and feel that adults do not do well with them and would not do it again,thanks for responding back,
I had them a couple times as a kid. In recent time, I visited an ENT about the difference between air and bone conduction found in a hearing test and the tester said it should get looked at.
I left the ENT with what I interpreted as “we could do procedures, but the risks would far outweigh any gain with the standard, not-terrible hearing loss that you have”.
What I had 1 year ago was fluid behind the ear drums from a bad cold,the cold cleared up,but the fluid that was left travel down to the ear drums,behind them,so that put me in a state of pressure and no hearing at all! the pressure started to be release on the left ear took about a month,but the right ear did not release,so ENT said let’s put in tubes. Something though was telling me this might not be a good idea,did not do enough research on this matter for adults and anyway not much information about adults with ear tubes, I already had a hearing problem,but after tubes were put in had worsen,plus always hearing head noise,my voice sounded like I was under water when I would talk and so did others,so now I have to say low sounds are better and my voice sounds more normal and can also put my hearing aids do help,sorry this message was so long ha
The discussion may be relevant to your situation. Check it out and chime in if you’re interested. At some point in the thread there was a mention of the ENT going in with a tube and I was wondering the same myself on how that’d be possible without rupturing the eardrum.
Volusiano: I’m thinking it’s a different tube. I’d be curious about something like an endoscope to go up the eustachian. But the tubes mentioned here are tiny tubes that are placed into a cut in the ear drum to let things drain. I think the concern of doing this in adulthood is the healing of the ear drum. I think as a kid the ear drum figures this out. But not so much as an adult.
That’s how I understand it anyway
My ENT said to me that the ear drum cells are remarkably adept at repairing tears, hence my ‘gladwrap’ thin drum, and that it’s similar at whatever age, not just kids.
I had tubes/plugs put in for the same reason as you, head felt like it was clogged up after a cold, echoing under water feel to it.
I wear CIC style aids now, Costco supplied Rextons, and they are excellent.