It is time for me to get new hearing aids. I don’t have much money and my insurance has no coverage for hearing aids. In looking on-line, Ebay, etc I found two different local audiologists that offer some refurbished aids. Both have good reputations locally. Given that I can actually go there and have them fit me, my question has to do with whether refurbished aids are a good deal. I can get a pair of Siemens Pure 700’s or Rexton Cobalt 16’s for around $1000 with the remote. I know these are not the current models, but I’m not going to have 2,500-4,000 any time in the foreseeable future.
You might want to take a look at the Costco Kirkland Signature 4.0 hearing aids. They retail for $2000 for the pair and are brand new. They come with a three year warranty and a 90 day trial period. Also, the remote control, batteries (both rechargeable and regular), charging and drying station, and carrying case are included. I’m know they are re-branded Rexton aids which are made by Seimens.
No experience with refurbs but if you can get a pair of Cobalts for $1000 that includes adjustments and supplies, it might be a good deal. Siemens has used the Pure and Rexton Cobalt names but changed the underlying hardware/software over the years. One change was an improvement in the feedback processing, so the Pure 700 became the Pure 701 and the Rexton Cobalt became the Rexton Cobalt+. So if it is the Pure 700 / Rexton Cobalt level, it is a somewhat older model.
If your guy has the 701 / + model for just a little more, it might be worth asking about. I trialed the model you are talking about, the Rexton version, and I loved it. I was trying to stay in an open fit and had some feedback we could not adjust out.
Does that price include a custom mold? You will probably need that although you can try it with just the open domes first.
If that price does not include all the things you need and it starts looking more like $1500 with everything, the current Costco deal starts to look pretty good.
Is there a policy of self promotion or selling on this site? Why is the answer to every question go to Costco?
As for refurbished, you must make sure they are good for you, not just the price. The fit must be good, and it must sound good. Why are they available? Were they returned, traded in, or was there problems? Either way make sure you get a good warranty, even if you have to pay extra for it, and make sure service is included.
Cosmo,
If someone doesn’t have the money for HA from the audiologist and they don’t qualify for any state or Govt. program for free HA’s and they are looking for refurbished HA, then what other options do they have? The answer is Costco or Sam’s Club: both offer good service and good products at probably 1/2 what an audi would charge. It’s not self promotion just reality.
Both Costco and Sam’s usually have some kind of payment option as well. I know we do 12 months interest free at Sam’s with their credit card. Also, check your state programs. For example, here in Kentucky we have the Kentucky Assistive Technology Loan, which is prime plus 1 interest over varying times for repayment - 5 years on hearing aids.
Thanks for the replys. I did stop in at Costco today. Of course their suggestion for me would be $2,600. With a kid in college, I really don’t like taking on debt. I am going to pursue the referbs.
I have one dead HA and my other one hasn’t been properly adjusted in 4 years (only at my last visit did they admit that they no longer have the software to adjust my 8 year old Rextons and their “they don’t need to be adjusted” two years ago was because they couldn’t do it then either). Yeah, and I’ve been going to a/the top rated ENT/Audi in my area
I’ve had nice conversations with three different local audis that can help me with this. All three offer standard return periods, fitting and adjustments. We are going to try get by with standard domes -compared to what I have now, I’m sure it will be fine. With my tinnitus (loud and multi tone - since childhood) I don’t ever expect perfection.
They will come directly from the manuafacturer or were referbed by the audi themselves after a short trial use. They all have at least a year warrenty. Although my regular ENT/Audi gave me the runaround on the issue, these three guys have been really forthcoming with information. I think it’s like any profession, there are those out to make a buck and those who really believe in providing service.
I’ve noticed that too. What’s really interesting is I was on Alldeaf.com and they’re all like no!! don’t go to Costco, one guy said Costco was fine for mild or moderate hearing loss but for profound you’re better off going through someone else. I have an appointment for a demo at Costco on monday, I don’t have real high hopes but i am going to give them a shot. I’m more worried about if I lose more hearing will I already be at the limit of their power now and in 2 years my hearing aids be useless if i lose more. I have profound loss in my right ear, and profound to no response loss in my left. So we shall see if they are crap. I tried a phonak about 3 weeks ago, and it was awesome, just not sure about the model.
maybe not “crap” but maybe not powerful enough for my level of loss. I just had a hearing test in january with the audiologist I usually see, but i’m going to have to do another one on monday at Costco. I’m going to ask him if he can email me the results, i have no idea what my numbers are, just the results of the speech recognition test. you know where the guy says “say the word…whatever” I has such a hard time with that!! Because they use such short words, one syllable. Most of the time I could only hear the vowel so I’d be like uhhh…ran? I think I said ran 10 times lol. i got 0% speech recognition at 115db in my left ear, the audi just gave up on that ear, said okay nevermind that. Got 36% correct with my right ear at 110db.
if their Kirkland/Rextons with the HP receiver and molds aren’t powerful enough you have a problem as those are about as hot as they come. I would expect Costco to do another audio-gram. Please post so we can provide more information.
I can get a pair of Siemens Pure 700’s or Rexton Cobalt 16’s for around $1000 with the remote
if you can get the pair for $1k and it includes the remote, at least a 2yr warranty and unlimited (within reason) adjustments all clearly written on the contract/po I would jump at that deal.
So I got my audiogram down there now…and I think I see why a majority of the posters on here love Costco and why they were booing on alldeaf.com. i had no idea what my numbers were before today, and looking at everybody’s on here…I have far more hearing loss than any of you guys…mine STARTS at 90 db at 250 and just gets worse from there. A lot of the posters on alldeaf have CI’s…and are probably more in the extreme range of hearing loss like me. If I had insurance I’d get a CI in a heartbeat!
Before the audiologist at Costco even did my hearing test I gave him my results for the speech recognition test and he went straight for the Xtremes, didn’t even mention the Rextons or Kirklands or Chronos.
The Kirklands can have a 75Db receiver.
The Rexton Bridge can go up to 80Db.
The Bernafon Xtreme can go up to 80Db also.
Remember, these are gain figures, not fitting range or hearing loss. These gain numbers are the super power or ultra-power category.
The Costco pro may have better experience with the Xtreme, but those three are about as strong as they get. The Kirkland and the Rexton Bridge both have wireless and bluetooth capability. I don’t think the Xtreme does, but at your level, getting the best word recognition would be the first goal.
I wouldn’t imagine he has more experience with the Xtreme than the others, becuase you’re right it doesn’t have wireless capabilties, I don’t think it even has much fine tuning sound, it’s very basic. They start at $899. After i told him my word recognition scores he literally went “uhhhhhhh the only thing I have with enough power to handle that is these Xtremes, but let’s go ahead and do your hearing test”. It was loud enough alright. The problem was after he programmed it for me it was pretty much at the limit of it’s power and I got an insane amount of feedback. it would make me insane.
He told me he’s only had one other client with hearing loss as bad as mine and he couldn’t fit her either. he said she ended up getting Starkey Destiny’s and that she’s very happy with them, and I might want to google them and give them a shot. I did, and got very confused because they are for moderate to severe loss not profound. Um Bogo mentioned Oticon Sumo’s. I have an appointment on Monday with the other audiologist I saw that recommended phonaks. I’m going to ask him if he has more experience working with Oticon or Phonak, and pick one he’s more used to the software for.
I decided to go with the referbished Rexton Cobalt 16s. I got them from a local office that mostly does repair but also sells referbished HAs as well as closeouts. For my $900 I got two Cobalt 16’s all set up for me, a year warrenty and standard remote. They are happy to adjust them whenever I want. They are going to get me a Blu in a couple of weeks when I go back for my adjustment (that will be extra). Very nice folks, didn’t try upsell me (I had to ask them about the Blu).
I’ve had them 4 hours and I am amazed at the difference over my old Rexton Regatta half shells. The first hour I felt like I did when I got my first pair (where did all that noise come from) - Now I’m even more ticked at my regular audi who kept saying mine were programed fine (since they didn’t have the software anymore). Now that my brain has adjusted, I love them already. It’s a warm day here and my ear canals are not sweaty! I was able to go with open domes like I’d hoped. My low frequencies are better than they were with my old ITEs so I guess it’s all relative. I grew up never having a new car or the latest model anything, so getting “older” technology doesn’t bother me a bit doesn’t bother me a bit. Since these are RICs, the whole receiver is new anyway.
I’ve met some nice folks in this process. There are some others I’d also would have bought from if they were a bit closer.
In case anyone wants to know my search process for finding my new referbs:
I looked on Ebay for HA sellers within 200 miles of my home. I then contacted each one and asked questions. If I liked what I heard, I googled them to figure out who was an actual HA dispenser vs just somebody selling HAs. I then checked the local BBB and yelp for these brick-and-morter businesses. Then I talked to these (3) again. All three had products other than just what they had listed. They looked at my audiogram and made suggestings. Once I had it narrowed down to 2 businesses I really liked, I chose the one 15 minutes from my house so I really could take advantage of the follow-up adjustments they both offered.
I may have had more options than you will find locally. I live in MN and I think we have more of these here since we have at least three HA mfg located here. We also have quite a few HA repair houses that do much of the warrenty service for some of these mfg.
At close to 1/3 the price of Costco, I won’t be too upset if these don’t last me 7 years like the ones I just replaced. At this price that I can afford, maybe I won’t have to wait 7 years…
but maybe not powerful enough for my level of loss. I just had a hearing test in january with the audiologist I usually see, but i’m going to have to do another one on monday at Costco. I’m going to ask him if he can email me the results, i have no idea what my numbers are, just the results of the speech recognition test. you know where the guy says “say the word…whatever” I has such a hard time with that!! Because they use such short words, one syllable. Most of the time I could only hear the vowel so I’d be like uhhh…ran? I think I said ran 10 times lol. i got 0% speech recognition at 115db in my left ear, the audi just gave up on that ear, said okay nevermind that. Got 36% correct with my right ear at 110db.