I’m in the market for hearing aids, and could use some advice.
My loss is mild to moderate, in both ears, at high frequencies only. I live in New Zealand. Hearing aids seem to be terribly expensive here, compared to the US or EU.
I wasn’t as bad about 5 years ago, and the loss was only in one ear. I trialed a single Siemens Pure BTE back then. While it helped, the difference wasn’t worth the US$4000 my audiologist was charging. It also never worked right with headphones, which was a big problem back then, and even bigger now.
Audio clarity and quality are extra important to me. I’m also interested in Bluetooth support, to be able to replace the headphones on my PC, TV and ham radio (3.5mm analog connector). I listen to some music, but my main interest is in improving understanding of speech, where ambient noise is either high or low, where the other person is either nearby or distant, and both in-person and online.
I’m looking for suggestions on which brands/models I should seriously consider. I realize different people have different tastes, and of course which ones sound best also depends on the nature and degree of loss. But even some general tips/pointers would be welcome.
Cost is also an issue. Quality is #1 for me, but once I’ve found the best device, I would like to get it as inexpensively as I can. I’m an engineer, so the idea of programming them myself doesn’t scare me – my real concern is making sure making sure the end result is as effective as it can be.
Since I’m new here, you can take this advice with a grain of salt. (I’m less than 2 months wearing hearing aids, and only began shopping in earnest 6 months ago). Though I think all the major brands can service you, you might consider doing as I did and getting a Bernafon Acriva from a Costco in the US. Net is $2600 US for both. Why: 1) Several savvy audiologists pointed me first to Oticon, and this Bernafon is a cousin. 2) At my local Costco, this was her option #1 for quality, 3) The model sold, I understand, is serviced not only by Costco, but on the open market, so if you can find a local audiologist that would work spec per meeting, you may have a lower cost channel for net total cost. Probably a local audiologist would prefer to sell you the whole kit and kaboodle for full cost, and service you for free. But, my local high quality audiologist actually mentioned this possible scenario, without even knowing Costo DID provide this option (she thought they offered no model that was also open to the general public).
Thanks for the Costco info. As far as I can tell, it looks like you need to meet with an audiologist in-store before they’ll sell you one. It also doesn’t look like they ship overseas.
Nearly all major brands are available in NZ. My real question is which top-end models with Bluetooth support should I consider.
They’re all comparable. The Alta doesn’t have any type of frequency lowering; all the others do. The LiNX can stream directly from an iPhone with no need for an intermediary device.
What about price? About the same there, too, including accessories?
What’s the best way to evaluate hearing aids while still at the audiologist’s office? Should I bring an audio source of some kind with me?
How difficult is it to accurately program/configure these devices yourself? If I buy online/direct, prices seem to be about half of what my audiologist would charge.
The ideal situation would be to go to a pro that you like and trust, and try a pair of hearing aids. You will probably need a few adjustments to get them just right, and then it takes your brain a few months to fully adjust. But during the trial period the major problems should be worked out. If during the trial/return period it appears the major problems will not get worked out, return those and either try another brand/model from the same pro, or try a different pro.
That’s the ideal situation so you can see that buying remotely and evaluating for a short time in the office may not going to give you the best results. Many of us, when we got our first ones, assumed it was a little like getting glasses, in that, if you got the correct prescription you could walk out of the office hearing clearly.
About online, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Some vendors can be sneaky about the actual model and a subtle difference can mean a big difference in price. Also, your local pro is bundling the price of the hearing aids with services and supplies.
If I were going to go out right now and hire someone to adjust my hearing aids, I would look for 1) someone who has a broad education in the function of the ears and hearing issues (not just one or two courses in audiology), 2) someone who has adjusted hearing aids successfully for a number of years, 3) someone who is an expert in my brand/model, and 4) someone who has access to manufacturer reps who can help if he/she gets stuck.
For those reasons I would not hire myself to adjust my hearing aids. If I had the setup necessary, I might make minor changes if I knew I could go to my pro if I messed it up.
Decided to try the Phonak Audéo Q90 first, with a streamer. No good reason over the other brands, except it’s the one my audiologist is most familiar with.
Wow, what a terrible, horrible, miserable experience so far:
Frequency balance is wrong. Some freqs too loud, others too quiet.
Volume changes up-and-down, from reasonable to way too loud. The closer it is, the worse. Small rooms are terrible. Dogs barking makes me want to scream and yank the things out of my head.
Loud feedback when putting them on.
No Bluetooth streamer yet, in spite of my making a big deal about this before agreeing to the trial.
I often hear a hiss when there isn’t much going on. Very annoying/distracting.
Can’t tell if my audiologist is incompetent, or if the aids are crap. Could be a little of both.
The fitting process didn’t go smoothly. Lots of “this isn’t quite working right” type comments. The process was almost entirely automated, with little input from me. Very odd.
I spent 8 hours once tuning the equalizer on my ham radio so it sounded just right. Do these companies really think that measuring your response to a few fixed tones is enough to set amplification levels? What a joke.
It is not unusual for some sounds to be uncomfortable at first. Clanking dishes, crumpling paper, even a potato chip bag. You can have some of the highs turned down a little, but you will get used to it and your brain will learn to filter it out.
Sounds like they are changing “environments” based on the situation and that may need to be adjusted. It is not unusual for some things to sound too loud for a while.
Mine have a countdown process so when I turn them on (close the battery door) and put them in, they are “dinging” but not really on until the countdown ends. I think they all have something like that available.
Remember the pro wants the sale and does not want a return, so anything that may lead to a return will be put off until after the return period. You may have to insist on a trial of the Bluetooth device.
Not sure what that is. If you don’t always hear it, it might be picking up some kind of sound. If it is always there, even in the soundproof booth, then I would say something.
Everything is adjustable and it is normal to have several adjustments. Your perceptions of how it sounds will change as your brain gets more and more used to the new sound. So they set them up in kind of a standard way based on the audiogram, and you live with it for a couple of weeks, then tweak, then live with it another couple of weeks, then tweak, and so on.
I’m very new to hearing aids, too - almost a full two weeks. It’s definitely been an eye opening processes because it’s not quick and clean. It is a drawn-out process which I am not very used to.
I was fitted for my first pair of HA’s on a Friday morning based on my most recent evaluation. I walk outside and was immediately surprised by everything I could hear - crunching leaves, the breeze blow, paper, the click of the car blinker, the sound of the car air conditioner, etc. After 2.5 days of hearing EVERYTHING, I was miserable, overwhelmed, and asking myself “why did I just spend this much money for this level of misery?!?”
I kept a written list of everything that bothered my about the HA’s with as much description of the noise and how it bothered me. I have found this is crucial for me as well as my audi
The following Monday morning I called my audi and made an appointment that afternoon because I was ready to chunk the HAs out the window. I took my list with me. It had about 22 bullet points and filled a full 8.5 x 11 inch page. My audi was sooooo happy with getting that list and was able to fix every single problem.
Moral of the story - your HAs will not be programmed perfectly out of the gate. Put them through their paces of how you live your life - be aggressive if you can - the more you know the better your next fitting/adjustment will go. Document all noises that have a negative impact. If your HAs get to the point they are overwhelming, take them out for a spell and rest. Give your brain and yourself a chance to work with them. Go back to your audi as many times as you need to get them “just right”.
Be patient and persevere. The results will reveal themselves and be totally worth it. I am already seeing positive results with mine.
As for the constant “hiss”, could it be the “tinnitus balancer” feature in the Q90’s? Your audi should be able to fix the pitch to a more pleasant sound. Another thing you may try, if your audi gave you a remote, trying the down button to see if you can lower the volume of the tinnitus sound.
Hang in there. Call your audi first thing tomorrow and get an appointment on the books asap for an adjustment.
No “countdown” on these for the turn-on phase. Just a few seconds to boot-up, and they’re live. I’m now not turning them on (inserting the battery) until they’re in my ear. Even then, I’m hearing feedback (sometimes in the other ear!), but not as much.
I mentioned the “tinnitus balancer” while the audiologist was making the first round of adjustments in the office – doesn’t seem to be the cause of the hiss I’m seeing. She just kept turning something down and asking me if it was gone yet.
Good idea to document every small, bothersome item, with examples.
I didn’t receive a remote control. Nor does the Q90 have any alternate programs set (the button on them doesn’t do anything).
I’ll keep working the audi for now, if for no other reason than I’m paying for it as part of the huge fees they charge, but in the long run I’m pretty sure that I won’t be happy until I can adjust the “EQ” / gain myself. I suspect I’ll want to adjust the program settings, too.
I made a follow-up appt on the same day I had them fitted. She only works two days/week, though, so I still have to wait another 4 days to see her again.
I realize this takes special hardware and software. Are there any manufacturers that make this easier for end-users than others? Any suggestions on suppliers for that gear?
The Q90’s were a disaster. Returned them to the audi. In fact, so many problems, I decided to switch to a different audi.
Did a short 4-day trial with the ReSound Verso. Wonderful! Really great.
The new audi decided to repeat my hearing test. He found much different results on the low end (more loss), and about the same on the high end.
After reading about them online quite a bit, I decided to do a “formal” three week trial of the ReSound LiNX 9, along with a full set of accessories. Fitting appt scheduled for next Tuesday.