Just Getting Started - Wired Smartphone systems via USB

Hearing Aids
#1

My wife has been telling me to get my hearing checked for a while now. So I am willing to do it, but I have many questions and concerns.

She complains when she asks a question out of the blue from several rooms away about something totally unrelated to whatever I may be doing at the time, which may be reading or concentrating on something other than waiting around for a question.

But, I am older and while not around loud noises for extended periods very often, I have been exposed to that sort of thing. There are other causes as well. I’m sure I have some hearing loss. Whether not I need hearing aids and what type is the question.

There are all sorts of hearing test places and it looks like many are affiliated with and sell hearing aids, usually of one or maybe a few brands. I think for the test and advise I want to go to someplace that is not conflicted first off so have asked my doctor or a referral.

I am also assuming the test and any aids won’t be covered by insurance. I know hearing aids are expensive. I see there are some non-Rx ones and they work with a smartphone, which seems like a good idea, but they too are quite expensive.

I see most use the phone screen for the adjustments which makes sense and also use bluetooth which can be convenient, but it can cause problems all on it’s own. I figured something connected by wire to the phone would be better, no potential lag, no connection issues between versions, etc and also the power for the earpieces could come from the phones bigger battery and all the signal processing would be done by the phone. So the hearing aid would be more like a high end earphone Maybe with mikes and would be connected via USB for the microphone, speaker signals and power.

I didn’t see anything like that. But is seems like something like that would be cheaper.

So there are all sorts of variations and I suppose the first step is to get the test and see what if any impairment I have is and go from there.

I am interested in hearing what others have to say to any of my thinking on this? It;s all from conjecture and a vaccum so I may be way off.

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#2

I recently started wearing hearing aids this past February. Here is my experience as I had my of your same concerns. I did an online hearing test and it showed I had moderate loss. That prompted me to visit and audiologist and for my $50 copay she tested my hearing and showed moderate to severe loss and told me hearing aids would help me. She quoted a price of $6300 for top of the line aids. Going into retirement I was concerned with spending that and on this forum found out about Costco. Made an appointment, go a free hearing test that matches the one from the audiologist. Price for aids from Costco was approx $1750 all in for high quality aids so I went that route. As a first time purchase of hearing aids and nothing to compare to, I am pleased with my Costco experience and will go that route when replacements are needed.

Compatibility of hearing aids and phones seem to be driven by both the aids you have and the phone you have. I have Jabra hearing aids and an iPhone and have no connectivity issues. YMMV

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#3

If your area have a Costco, pay them a visit first and have your hearing test done. Trial the hearing aids for a period of 3-6 months before buying it.
Good luck!

#4

I had sent this, as a reply in my email to no-reply…

I should be hearing from my doctor’s office for a referral to an audiologist sometime this week. If Costco can get me something way cheaper it would certainly be worth the membership, but there is only one around here and way across town. I rarely get that far away.

So anything I can learn about them and all their many variations ahead of time. Even the cheaper costco ones are pricey. It may be great that I can just try something else if I don’t like them, I can, but I can’t really. They are too expensive to go that route. Knowing you can try them first sound good. Is this common? Can your try out several types, brands, etc?

Here is what I attempted to post earlier.

Thanks for the reply. I have an android, but I have read the newer versions which I have use the new low power Bluetooth. I don’t know if Jabra has an Android compatible aids yet either.

I don’t know if yours are in ear or behind ear. Either way I wonder of the signal processing is going on in the aids or in the phone. At least to me with the phone I should aready have all the power needed for that. I don’t mean for the settings, but the actual boosts at various frequencies and such.

I also wonder about weather each ear has its own battery. I know there are a some just wireless earphones that are connected together with a wire or a band that goes behind your head so that just one bigger, cheaper battery can power both.

I know many people wouldn’t want wires, they have some disadvantages, but with them you could use the battery from the phone I would think. It also makes it harder to lose one or even both pieces.

The behind ear ones don’t need quite the miniaturization, but it seems like making thins smaller and for specific tasks also adds a lot to the price. If the processing can be done on the phone it is just software, which costs to develop but almost nothing to duplicate and distribute.

I kind of like the idea if it will get me a pair of really hifi earphones as well.

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#5

Go to the main page (home) and run a simple Q & A session survey. Only 9 pages. This might tell you what type of HA is suitable for you.

#6

In regards to your questions about phones, wired connection, processing etc.

All processing is done within the hearing aids. The phone app is used to just make ‘minor’ adjustments to the aids. You dont need your phone at all for aids to work. You may use the phone app 1x a day, 1x a week, or for me after first doing minor adjustments I might open the app once every couple of weeks to maybe check battery level or similar.

There are no aids that I know of that can be or are tethered to a phone via a cable. There was an aid that used a “brain” box to enhance processing wirelessly, that you carried with you in situations. I forget that brand’s name but you can find it on the forum.

Take a drive to Costco. Even across town the FREE cost of a hearing test and potentially saving $4k (in your quotes you listed) is well worth a trip. Initially you will probably make 2, 3, 4 trips to the audiologist over the first few months to get them adjusted and dialed in. After that rarely a visit needed.

#7

This is a very interesting question. In the very, very old days (over half a century back) I saw hearing-impaired kids at school with a small box hanging around their neck with wires running to their earpieces. These days I suspect that smartphone microphones are as good as those in HAs, and, as you point out, these things have tremendous signal processing power (and good, rechargeable batteries). I wonder if HAs rely on specialized chips whose performance cannot be duplicated with what standard smartphones do (?). I know Apple is going down this route (earbuds doubling as HAs), but in my experience, standard BT earbuds lack power (both energy and volume). A smartphone approach with wired output might indeed drastically lower the price for HA solutions. A marketing counterforce is a form of “vanity sizing”- many people want to hide their handicap irrespective of what it costs them…

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#8

I realize people would like to hide an aid. On the other hand people are wandering around all the time these days wearing earbuds and even headphones both wired and wireless.

I don’t think there would be any way for anyone to know they are hearing aid or earphones. I don’t imagine people currently wearing earphones would suddenly prefer to hide them. Particularly if they have to foot the considerable bill.

I’m in the USA and at least normally insurance doesn’t pay for hearing aids. Maybe if the hearing loss was due to an accident or work exposure. Maybe.

Seems like all the processing and batteries in the earpiece is backwards or inside out way of going about this.

I suppose adding a BLE chip to an existing product is pretty simple and using a screen for settings is also easier. But it sure seems to me everyone with a smartphone already has paid for the backbone of a system. Since it has all the other uses a d is made in greater numbers are also cheaper.

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#9

Go to an audiologist at a hospital near you. They are not connected to any outside companies. You will get a first class evaluation and accurate description of your hearing.
Almost all hospitals have outpatient clinics

#10

That’s what I’m doing. It was a wait, but I have an appointment next week. I know there are many places that carry a line or two of products, but I’d rather the tester just do the testing and evaluation, etc. and maybe guide me some, if I need one what type would be best for my needs, what to look for, etc. if I need an aid.