Help!

Hearing Aids
#1

About 6 months ago maybe longer I went for a hearing test and wound up getting a pair of ITC aids from Oticon called the Tego Pro. I did not like the ITC type due to the closed feeling and the high level of background noise, footsteps, chewing etc.

My Audi switched me to the Delta (she is very partial to Oticon, but doesn’t really kw the products). The Delta improved things but after many attempts still were producing loud background noise and I was going to the office twice a week.

Now I have the Epoq and while improvement has happened it is mainly due to the volume control and program control that I can set. I wind up setting the volume very low to reduce the background noise.

I have by the way a pretty flat loss over the range, and not the typical high frequency loss. My lows are affected also.

These problems coupled with the fact the Oticon in my opinion is the worst company manufacturing any product has led me to the point where I am taking them back and seeking a refund (which was promised at the beginning).

Oticon has a European superior attitude and my Audi has many times called them and each time spoken to a different Audi there and gotten different advice, very different advice. Really screwed thing up. When receiving things from Oticon every time things were wrong, like wrong manuals, parts missing, wrong wax guards, no wax guards, etc.

At a seminar they told my Audi that I should not need volume control or program control and the aids should take care of everyting. I explained that without the volume control I would have returned the aids long ago.

Is my experience normal or strange.? Any suggestions or coments would be greatly appreciated.

I am going to try to return and put the money, $6,000, aside and start ovr after doing more research on Audiologists. I believe that between Oticon’s very low customer support and the lack of experience of my audi I have had a terrible experience and should start over.

Meanwhile TV ears have solved my major problem at home (almost).

Help!! How do I find a capable person to work with?

#2

Sorry that you have had such a time with your hearing aids. While I don’t have a lot of personal experience with Oticon, they do have a pretty good reputation among hearing aid manufacturers. Their technology and research and development are very competitive.

As I have argued in a number of threads on this forum, while the internal algorithms of the device can certainly affect performance and how you like the aids, almost all of the parameters are adjustable by the audiologist. Thus, unless the problem is the physical fit or lack of capabilities of the device, I rarely recommend that you switch aids just based on the sound quality. A competent professional should be able to help you with that, or explain why you are experiencing the problems that you are.

With respect to finding a competent professional, investigate their credentials, check out online reviews of their business, make sure you are comfortable with the business practices (financing, trial period arrangements, follow-up, etc) and best of all, get a recommendation from a friend who has had a good experience if at all possible.

Best of luck.

#3

Hi njone

You could also call the nearest large hospital and find out who their head Audiologist is. He most likely has a personal practice as well. Like docg said, if you have friends that wear hearing aids, ask for a recommendation. Whoever you select, find out which brand(s) he or she has the most experience with. A high level of actual patient experience is critical to getting a good fitting. Good luck.

Dag

#4

most pediatrics audis i have meet are pretty good ones

#5

Not all Europeans have a superior attitude :smiley:

Oticon are not bad aids, but clearly things didn’t work out for you.

Try Starkey, they are American, and about as big as American hearing aid company as you are going to find.