I appreciate the good feedback. I am similar to you…even when my hearing was close to normal I had to really concentrate to hear speech in noise. Maybe that is why when I listen to music I pretty much ignore the lyrics. I do get reasonable test results for hearing speech in noise so maybe its about concentration for me.
I am currently trying out the Resound Prezza from Costco. Before the Prezza I had the ReSound Linx 2. The Prezzas are an improvement over the Linx 2 in that higher pitched sounds are more crisp.
I always turn up the treble when I listen to music . Based on your comments I would probably like the Oticon. How is the Oticon App as compared to ReSound?
Thanks. It is really hard to take the TIME to compare. I have been doing this for ?6 months or more. And I feel my testing is very incomplete because of Covid and no large groups. And a BUSY provider would have a hard time justifying the time this man is devoting to us. Since he is just getting started here, he has more free time than most.
In performing my monthly mold cleaning, I noticed that one factor that helps my Select-a-Vent inserts provided with my ReSound custom silicone molds stay in place is that the vent holes are not a straight-through bore but rather bend a bit to follow the outer shape of the mold. Thus, the springy insert has to bend a bit itself on insertion and I would presume that the spring-loaded bend in the insert creates tension against the side of the mold bore hole and keeps the plugs from moving. I’m wearing an almost totally occluded insert - it seems the more solid the insert, the greater the springiness. It’s my vague recollection from trying the more open inserts that the less material there is in the insert because it’s more hollow, the less “springiness” and lesser tension generated against the side of the bore hole. But I’d say the key ingredient is that if you’re bore holes don’t curve a bit and the bore hole is almost straight through, I’d bet the Select-a-Vents are going to be more prone to migrate in the bore holes and perhaps fall out.
I’ve been wearing my molds with the vent plugs about 1.5 years and usually never see more than a few mm migration in a month before I take everything apart to clean the mold in a mild dish detergent solution. As I clean the molds each day with a Jodi-Vac, if I see any migration, I can just push the plug back in place with the blunt tip of the Jodi-Vac needle but I can’t remember the last time I had to do that. Since I wear an almost totally occluded mold and my molds fit my ear canal pretty tightly, there is perhaps a bit of plus or minus air pressure that might tend to move the inserts as I insert or remove the molds from my ear canal (maybe the +'s and -'s balance out?! - but seriously, my inserts really don’t move - perhaps also some ear wax gets into the bore lining and helps as “glue,” too?!).
How can one’s mold have a curved “bore” hole. I think in the ReSound instance, neither the receiver cavity nor the vent cavity are “drilled out” but rather the mold is created by 3-D printing.
Interesting. I’m thinking that an inserted vent with a hole has more give and is easier to work out. Mine would come out in a matter of minutes if just shoved in. Super Glue helped them stay in a day, but that was it. Interesting how different our experiences were. I should have a new mold soon with a fixed vent.
Will see how it works.
Sorry if my post was so wordy the results weren’t clear. That’s essentially what I found, too, and was describing.
The biggest vent inserts were essentially VERY thin-walled tubes, had little bending tension in them, and when I tried them, they moved and/or fell out over a day of wearing my HA’s - but the inserts that I now use, with at most a thin diameter hole inside for a vent, hold against the side of the mold bore pretty firmly. It takes a modest push with a finger nail to insert or modest push with the Jodi-Vac needle to remove the insert from the bore hole for mold cleaning.
Decent article for somebody unfamiliar with Costco. Two clarifications I’d make: 1) Membership is only necessary for hearing test and purchase. You can let membership lapse and still get free hearing aid service (cleanings, domes, etc.) 2) It’s true that they require full payment, but you can delay payment for close to a month with a credit card and either transfer to a 0% credit card or take out a small loan at a good interest rate from a bank or credit union. (assuming one cannot afford to pay cash) I think it’s a good general rule to not let seller provided financing determine one’s purchase.
- but seriously, my inserts really don’t move - perhaps also some ear wax gets into the bore lining and helps as “glue,” too?!).