I am 49 years old and got my first HA’s this week. My audiologist recommended the ReSound Alera 7. I don’t have a baseline to judge the sound quality I am getting. It seems my high frequencies are a little artifical and tinny sounding. Maybe its because my hearing is so profound at 90 & 100 db at 8000hz. Does anybody feel that the Starkey WI 90 is any more natural sounding and worth trying? Thank you.
Hick,
The artificial and tinny sound went away for me after several days.
Scott
Particularly with a loss like this in the mid-upper 4K+ register, I’m not surprised that your first pair of aids make things sound tinny to you. Your brain has forgotten what the mid-high end really sounds like. Brains often do adjust to the sound coming in through that first new pair of aids in particular in a few days, maybe a week or two at the most. If it’s still an issue then, go back to the audiologist and ask for adjustment(s). Make a list of everything that’s bugging you, being as specific as you can (such as “too tinny in the highs particularly with” loud voices? quiet voices? rock music? classical music? TV? cell phones? at parties? on a busy street? everything and everywhere?). Alera 7s should work well for natural sound even with the degree of your upper end loss once adjusted correctly and once your brain is working with them.
The long suit of digital aids is that your audiologist can use the manufacturer software to adjust specific registers and settings and make them sound much more natural than the default out-of-the-box experience. It is possible that the 4K and 8K bands are tweaked just a touch too high for you–it doesn’t take much of an overemphasis to sound unnatural. Sometimes with new aids you need it dialed down slightly for a brief time, and then you’ll want it turned back up to where it was originally set because the audiologist was right all along! Eyeglasses, if you’re used to them, are pretty much wash ‘n’ wear, by that I mean, the fitter adjusts them to your face, your brain accommodates to them within a day, so they usually work and you don’t have to go back for a year or two. Hearing aids when new often need more time to be accommodated and several adjustment appointments to get dialed in, so don’t hesitate to ask. Your audiologist should be happy to work with you on this.
I have Alera 7s as well and have been very happy with them.
I tried the Starkey Wi 9 and I am currently using ReSound futures. In my opinion, they can be programmed identically.
My Futures are programmed a bit on high side. I am aware that I am not getting quite as much low frequency sound as I did with the Starkey, But I am getting enough that I can’t say it’s tinny.
I am now thoroughly used to the slightly higher sound and I rather like it. I’d bet you can easily get the Aleras programmed to your satisfaction.
Hick, you may already know this, but just to clarify in case you’re not aware, the Resound Futures John C mentions are pretty much the same as Alera 9s. They’re just rebranded as “Futures” for Costco.
Hick,
Just to let you know, each time you go in for an adjustment the artificial and tinny sound will return for a few days if the highs are turned up . For me it lasted about four days than everything sounded normal again.
Scott
Thank you all for taking the time to respond to my post. Today is day number 3 and things are getting better already. My Audi is great…but there is nothing like the experience and opinions of you people. Thanks again.