My CostCo visit today; KS9 pair on order

[Freedom]

I am fed up already! 40 mins drive one way and I had to go there TWICE to get this done. WHY does everything have to be a major ordeal?

Had the hearing test. I told her the man talking, on the left ear, it needed to be louder, as I couldn’t hear him well at all. She said my left ear is worse than it was and worse than the right ear. I asked what the hearing aid receivers would be, M, P or HP? She said the KS9s don’t come that way, they are a different system. Funny, a few hours later my paperwork clearly shows both are M receivers.

@Sierra, I will post my new audiogram. Based on this, she said my left ear is not bad enough to need a P receiver and she would not sell me one. (When I posted last months audiogram, you had suggested my right ear needs an M receiver and left ear needs either a P or an HP). So the order is with both ears on an M receiver. Left ear, everyone sounds like they are down a well. Edit: I have just posted my audiogram. My printout does not even show my word recognition scores. I did take that test. She didn’t do nearly as much testing as the audiologist I saw last month though.

Edit again: The audiogram showing appears to be today’s. But the word recognition scores are from last month, as I do not have any from today’s test.

I walked around the store ‘testing them out’ for about 15 minutes. I told her background noise was too loud. She said background noise was already set as damped as it could go, so I will just have to get used to it.

My old Rexton had separate programs for in a restaurant, listening to music. She said there are no programs on this, it is all automatic.

She said this one is nano coated inside and I do not need a dryer unless I sweat a lot or live in a humid climate; then she said: New Hampshire is not humid. I can order one for an extra $40. From reading on here, seemed to me you all recommend it? I can buy it when I got get the hearing aids in 2 weeks.

The wall poster said the KS9 comes in 5 colors. She said I can get the bronze color like the demos in a week. If I want any other color it will take 3 weeks to come in. She thought the bronze was a good match. I never got to see the other colors. A few hours later, when we finally did paperwork, she can’t get me in for the next step for 2 weeks anyway!

[Don]

They can be set for up to 3 manual programs. I’m not really believing anything she told you.

[Sierra]

I see a number of red flags with the person doing the fitting. I would request a different fitter. The good news is that they should have a stock of the different receivers and fittings at the store, so it should be very easy for them to make a change.

On what is best for you, I compared your new audiogram to the previous one.In some places it is a bit better and in others worse, but not a big change. It could be partly just test to test variation. Your left ear is still significantly worse.

As far as receivers go, I can only tell you what the Rexton software suggests, as I do not have the Phonak software.That said I believe the Rexton aids and the Phonak ones use basically the same 4 power levels. The first 3, S, M, P should all fit the off the shelf fittings, but the HP or UP likely needs a custom mold to hold the receiver.

When I look at the software you could get away with an S receiver in your right ear but you should still go with a closed dome or double dome to avoid feedback. M receiver would be OK too. The only issue with going up in power is that the distortion tends to increase as power goes up.

In the left ear, the Rexton M receiver is not powerful enough for the loss at high frequencies. The P receiver does have enough power though (in the Rexton), but a custom mold with a 1.3 mm vent is recommended to avoid feedback. HP receiver would give you more room for further loss, but based on the Rexton software is not totally necessary now.

On the programs as Don suggests I believe you can add 3 more programs. Seems like the fitter is trying to put you off by saying there are no extra programs. That is one of the red flags…

In any case here is what I see in the Rexton Software with NAL-NL2 prescription formula.

[Freedom]

@Don: I agree!

And I have since checked the KS9 thread on here, yes there are 3 programs.

@Sierra, How do I request a different fitter? Do I just call and change my upcoming appointment and ask for another fitter as part of the reschedule? I can do that. But I’m not sure if that is what you are suggesting.

You said while there are differences, there is not a big change in the audiograms. And left ear is still worse than right. Then you have reversed which ear you suggest a P or HP receiver. That leaves me confused.

Reference for prior test: Your post on Oct 1 in this thread: Where to start; been quite some time

Before, you suggested
Right: M receiver, closed fitting
Left: HP receiver with custom mold and micro vent or maybe a P receiver.

Now,
Right: M receiver not powerful enough, P receiver with custom mold and micro vent
Left: S or M receiver with closed dome or double dome, the M receiver [which is on order] would be OK too.

The suggestions are reversed. That makes it hard for me to understand what I am supposed to do. For the right ear, do I insist on a P receiver? Do I insist on a micro vent at the next visit, so my 180 day trial starts with that? For the left, do I insist on a closed dome or double dome? Honestly, I don’t even know what all these things are, not sure how I would know if someone gave me an S, M or P, a micro vent or a Venta Latte!! Yes, that is how lost I am, ha haa.

Do patients (me) actually tell / ask for a specific receiver? A specific dome? A micro vent?
If I do any of that, and the person comes back with why, or I can’t do that ( as happened today when I asked for a P receiver for the left ear, based on the prior suggestion) I don’t understand enough to explain why I am asking for or want to try that. I can’t point to a region on the test and say this suggests . . . .

[Sierra]

I would talk the manager of the hearing aid department to express your concerns and then request a different fitter.

Sorry, but I did a dyslexia thing with the left and right. The audiologist convention to put right on the left side of the page always confuses me. But, when they look at the patient I guess that is the way they see it…

I would question them about the power needed for the receivers and ask if they have margin for further hearing loss. At the end of the day they are going to give you the one they believe is correct, but you sure can question them.

Open fittings have big holes in them and I would suggest are not suitable for either ear. They should not recommend them. On your right ear I would ask what closed fitting (small vent hole) would be best. On the left ear I would ask if you need a custom mold. It will be an extra cost, but the software would suggest you probably need it. The other way to go is to accept an off the shelf closed fitting to see if it works. If it doesn’t then order the custom mold. They (their computer) should be able to select the correct vent size. Expect it to be small though.

On the receiver size and how you should discuss it, you should ask to see a fitting chart for the receiver. They should have it on their computer screen.

This is what your left ear looks like on the fitting chart for a Rexton M receiver. Notice that the loss dips below the acceptable range. Not by much, but it does not allow anything for any further loss.

This is what it looks like with a P receiver. Not a lot of margin, but at least some…

That is about all you can do. Ask them to show you and discuss it. They should be able to explain how they have come to a conclusion on size.

Hope that helps some…

[lgpiper]

I would say that if you live in NH, then you probably don’t need much by way of a drier unless you sweat profusely almost every day. I live in MA, and my old HAs (Oticon Agil Pro) held up fine for the 7 years I had them. Were I back in Baltimore, where I grew up, and where summer times see days (and nights) on end of >80°F with RH >90%, then I might want a drier. Up here, things invariably cool off and get drier during the night. So, I would think just having the HAs open to the cool night breezes would suffice.

NH, by the way, is a fine place. I found me a spouse up there.

[Sierra]

I missed the dryer question. My thoughts would be to use one. I notice with my KS8’s that every time I open the battery drawers there is some moisture in there. I just bought the $20 or so Hal Hen activated alumina dryer beads in a jar that Costco sells. Seems to work just fine. No plug in needed. Have had it 7 months or so and it does not need regeneration in a microwave or oven yet. I live in what is probably considered a dry climate.

[Freedom]

I’m in Methuen, just up the highway from you. I’m not in NH but the CostCo I use is.

[steve1]

You could go to the Costco in Waltham MA, I think it’s not a lot further.

[Freedom]

Sales tax? I don’t know if there is a tax on hearing aids or not. In general, I do all my shopping in sales-tax free NH.

And, there is one in Danvers, too.

[Sierra]

I looked back at the KS9 Datasheet posted in the KS9 Information thread. I am an amateur at this but I believe the max sound level and maximum gain of the KS9 receivers are as follows:

KS9 Receiver - Max Sound Level - Maximum Gain
M - 114 dB - 50 dB
P - 122 dB - 58 dB

And assuming the numbers given in the fitting chart above are comparable this is what I see for the Rexton (KS8):

Rexton Receiver - Max Sound Level - Maximum Gain
M - 119 dB - 60 dB
P - 124 dB - 70 dB

Not 100% sure I am comparing apples to apples, so perhaps a pro could comment. But, it looks to me that the Rexton receivers may be a little more powerful for the same rated size.

In any case ask them to show you what your loss looks like on their KS9 fitting chart. That should tell the tale as to what power of receiver you need.

[steve1]

You already bought in NH, now get adjusted/tuned in MA.

[Canuck]

See the following detail specs for KS 9 with different receivers.

Hope the photos attach properly. This is a first time effort.

[Freedom]

Many thanks @Canuck. This is more than enough for me to be absolutely PISSED with the fitter I saw. NOT going to continue working with her. Will have to speak w/ the manager and be reassigned. She told me the KS9 does not USE S M and P receivers that it has its own method. Grrr.

[Freedom]

I like the way you think! lol

[Canuck]

Hi Freedom, You said the Costco branch ordered the M receivers. I agree with Sierra that you will need P receivers. From the sound of your posts, it is unlikely that the store will have the P receivers available for a changeout so they will then have to return the aids resulting in another store visit and further delays.
I suggest you call the manager , explain the situation, and have them change the factory order prior to shipping the units with M receivers.
Just my suggestion.

[MDB]

I’ll throw in a different perspective. I don’t think you need to involve the manager unless you want to report the person. All you have to do is request a different fitter. It’s common in the medical field to just not hit it off with somebody.

I also don’t think you necessarily need power receivers. The guidelines I’ve seen (in a Connexx 7 fitting video) are to try to get your 500, 1000 and 2000 hz results in the middle of the fitting range of the receiver. I don’t think your going to get anything useful out of the worse ear at 6khz anyway. I suspect medium receivers would do fine.

From my experience Costco stores carry a range of receivers so if you wanted to try a different strength one it should not require reordering. I’ve had a receiver changed out just dropping in unannounced.

Also consider how well you’ll come off telling licensed professional what to do based on lay people’s advice. Your call, but I’ve had much better luck asking questions and being curious than demanding things a certain way. Good luck.l

[Freedom]

Thank you @MDB. Your last paragraph, that has been one of my big concerns. Why are they going to listen to me? So when @Sierra said ask to see the fitting chart, I thought that would get me a long way. Yes? I was thinking I want a photo of what I am shown, not sure they will like that though.

I don’t know any other way to get a different fitter than to ask the manager to make the change. This CostCo has 3 fitters working there, when you phone you leave a message you never get to speak to someone. Then one of them calls you back, they rotate who has ‘phone message duty.’ 1 of the 3 is manager, I think I know which one. If I call and ask to be switched to another fitter in a message, not sure how that will go over. If I call and ask for a call back, the fitter I saw will return my call. I would have to leave a message for the manager to call me back, I think.

As for changing the order as @Canuck suggests , that would work best if I can ask to see the fitting chart. And that is not going to happen until I go in again. My next trip in happens after the order has arrived, and I go in to get them. Unless I stop in unannounced and ask. Um. They were very brusk with customers when I was in yesterday; no appointment, we will make one for you, but that was it. One woman had to push and say, “but I only want to buy batteries!” So her, they did service.

[MDB]

I think you could just leave a message saying that you’d be more comfortable if you could see a different hearing aid fitter would do it, but feel free to handle it any way you’d like.

Asking questions and asking for a copy of something is fine. I do that all the time and have never had an issue.

[Freedom]

LOL that actually suits me well, because then I do it via voice mail and don’t even have to speak to a person! That would be me, ducking any direct contact. ha haa.