I am looking for a new audiologist in San Antonio, TX. With my hearing loss, I need the latest technology. Unfortunately, It takes a while for Costco to acquire the most recent technology, and there is no telling when they will. My frustration is audiologists won’t let you speak to them without an appointment and a complete evaluation. I don’t want to use my one-time insurance payment for a complete exam to find out the audiologist knows nothing about Auracast, LE Bluetooth audio, or which hearing aids have the best noise in speech ratings. Dr. Cliff stated that the Resound Nexia is the best hearing aid. I went to his website to find an audiologist he recommends, but they recommended another brand and knew nothing about Auracast. I find audiologists get comfortable with a particular brand and don’t keep up with the features of the competition. They say they will fit any hearing aid but always try to steer you to the company they like working with or give them a higher margin.
Same here. Where I live, there’s no such thing as an audiologist or hearing aid clinic that sells multiple brands and can advise which one is best for you. They’re either corporate clinics owned by the parent company of a brand or “independent” that only knows one brand.
The closest ones in Dr. Cliff’s network are 100 miles away. I’ve had enough experience with failed receivers that there’s no way I’ll travel that far for repairs.
I hear that… At least some adjustments can be made remotely, but for a major alignment, you have to go in person.
Dr Cliff recommends this provider in Houston TX.
Unfortunately, Houston is a four-hour drive for me.
Curious where Dr. Cliff says the Nexia is the best hearing aid. I just listened to his review and he says it is the smallest rechargeable hearing aid, has the best app and is the only one with LE Audio and Auracast, but that doesn’t necessarily make it the best for any individual.
“Noise in speech ratings”? I don’t think there is any such relative ranking. I’ll go further and say that a useful ranking of that sort would be impossible to construct at a feasible cost.
Curious, where did you get this information?
Costco has the latest and greatest for the most part.
I listened to the review again, and you are right. He comments that he is “very excited about the new feature.”
A lot of your frustrations are very similar to many who come to this forum. Getting familiarized with hearing aids can be challenging.
My wife and I go to a Costco in SA and have had excellent results. We both have had experience with audiologist/fitters at other places with not so good of luck.
Sharing your audiogram might help us help you better. I ask because severe/profound loses might be better aided at a real deal audiologist clinic where as the less dramatic hearing losses can usually be fit well at Costco with very good results.
Check to see if any universities in SA have a speech and hearing program and clinic. You may, or may not, have better luck with them.
Until I got my CI, I saw the audiologist at my local university. I sometimes had students sitting in on my appointments but they didn’t actually do anything. (She recommended the CI but isn’t certified to program it.)
Your hearing is not worth getting hung up on the Dr Cliff network.
If you haven’t already, things to try… Google “audiologist near me” then check their websites. Your health insurance probably has a provider search on their website. A quick Google I saw a lot of practices!
As for Costco models being behind the leading edge models (I’m in the yes camp, other vehemently in the no camp), and either way you can approach this as “any port in a storm” and more importantly, this is not a buy and forget, it’s buying device and care over years.
You’re starting that process and your needs could be met by Costco as much as an ENT/Audi practice… you can’t know till you start the process. If cost is a major factor, starting at Costo make sense.
I was retested a couple months ago at Costco and found to now have severe hearing loss in some frequencies as per my Audiogram, but my KS9s were reprogrammed accordingly by Costco and I am happy to say I now hear quite well again, as my soft-spoken wife will attest. No more “what-what-what?” much to the relief of friends and family. I don’t know for sure whether my fitter was or was not an audi but she sure knew her stuff!
I agree with you on this personally.
My experience at Costco having severe/profound hearing loss was actually very good with KS9 aids as well.
This was after a demo with top of the line Starkey aids from a local hearing aid shop that was clueless about my hearing loss and how to fit or deal with me. This business was an embarrassment to the hearing aid industry in my opinion.
Costco on the other hand really understood how to talk to me and deal with my hearing loss.