I got my new L90 aid on Tuesday and am very happy so far, I only wear an aid in the right ear as the left is very bad. It is physically larger but still relatively small and that didn’t matter much anyway. It does have more power which partly explains the size I presume. So far I am very happy with it. It is picking up things that weren’t with my 5 year old Naida yet I am fairly certain helping noticeably with the background noise not being so intrusive. The old aid also had the Bluetooth fail recently, which was what drove me to get the new one earlier than I had planned, and the rocket switch seems to have failed as well so I really had no control of it. It did seem to have locked into a “good” setting so I wasn’t doing bad with it in the interim. But having BT phone is very convenient and just a new functioning aid is great. My BCBS retirement insurance covers one every 5 years which fell this year I was approved for it. They used to cover one every 3 years but upped that while increasing rates over 10% a year, that’s typical these days.
Why did you go for the 90 tech level? I think most of the features going to 70 and 90 and primarily dependent on having a pair, no?
WH
I’m not an expert by any means so can’t really answer your question. But really I got this one because this is what the audiologist recommended. I do a good amount of research beforehand and am very technically adept but for hearing aids I stick with the audioligists recommendations in general. So far I think she made a good choice for me. Another much more experienced user here had said I probably didn’t need to get this larger aid but the size really isn’t that much bigger and if it gives it more power, which I suspect is the reason, that won’t hurt.
I wasn’t questioning the form-factor aid you got (Naida vs Audeo vs Virto) but the tech level. The higher tech levels (70 and 90) cost a lot more. They have more functionality, but much of that functionality depends on having two aids. But if you are happy, go for it. Some Pholks have been very happy with them.
WH
The pricing on the 70 and 90 are not always that far apart, depending on whatever sales are on at whatever time, and you do get a bit more noise reduction at the 90 level.
I’m in the US and have BCBS over here, which is costly, and pays for a new aid every 5 years, used to be 3. It seems every time I have gotten one using insurance starting about 13 years ago that the pricing always seemed to be $2500 USD. Probably because the hearing aid medical centers knew that so just basically charged that. It was up $200 or so this time so I covered that myself. But as I said, I’m quite happy so far.