"Hear Better Now" article in current Consumer Reports

Hearing Aids
#1

Consumer Reports has made another stab at writing about hearing aids.
I would guess most members of this forum would find it presents nothing new.
To me, the most interesting fact is that COSTCO tops their list of Retailer Overall Satisfaction Scores but I don’t think that is anything new either.
HOW TO Hear Better Now_ EBSCOhost.pdf (306.5 KB)
See if this works.

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#2

I am currently wearing Costco hearing aids. Best aids and audiologist and price yet, these are my third pair of aids.

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#3

Thanks for the article. I wish they said more about how to take their numbers. What’s the quality difference between a ratings of ‘75’ and 69’ (other than ‘6’), for example? How useful are numbers that come from a self-selected sample about something as complex as HAs?

For example, one poster here perceives a very similar difference in how 2 different aids affect sounds, but I like mine, and he seems to prefer the competitor. Can a reader make a decision on the basis of our perceptions? (No.)

As for retailers, Costco is better liked by the sample. Is Costco perfect? (No.). Can a customer extrapolate from that? (Maybe a little.) Does Costco’s survey results ensure a good experience? (No.)

I’ve been reading CR for 60+ years, although not consistently. I’ve never read much in the way of self-examination from them.

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#4

Thanks! Good response.
I’ve read CR for a long time too. When I’ve had specific needs or talents and want the best, I haven’t found them helpful.
COSTCO came to the Canadian market after I had established business with audiologists here. I’ve seen they have had trouble with KS10 hearing aids. Are users of Phonak Paradise P90’s having the same trouble? I think that the KS10 are private label versions of the p90’s.

#5

Although I’d agree that it does not point one to a best hearing aid, I do think it provides useful information.
Regarding the point scores. If one reads the footnotes, one learns that for the hearing aids, differences of less than 6 points are not meaningful. For the dealers, differences of less than 2 points are not meaningful. Observations: They’re all pretty good in quiet. They’re all pretty bad in noise. There’s not a great deal of difference between all of them in the top half. How good of value you consider them likely has a great deal to do with how much you paid for them.