I really think this thread is a lesson in the importance of consumers educating themselves.
I wanted to read up on REM as its been suggested I have my fitter try it, and now after reading this thread I am starting to question how decent my fitter is. I have oticon ino, open fit, RITE.
When the aids came in the fitter used the Oticon program, adjusted for feedback, and she asked me to speak to adjust for my voice. Then that was it.
I came back a week later telling her I was having problems hearing men (I could even hear some news channels on TV at lower volume better without the aids), and so she added in some lower frequency tones by tricking the Oticon program into thinking I had different domes. She set the aids to better fit my hearing loss (something to do with the Oticon program). It took all of five minutes. That was it. edit: I notice no difference.
Outside of my adjusting to sounds I haven’t heard for a while, I don’t have this sense I am getting out of the aids what I should. I often can’t hear people three feet away from me if there is any noise at all. I hear the TV better sometimes (not always) if I turn it up without the aids on than I do with them off.
The long and the short of it is: I am clueless. I have no idea what is good or bad. I don’t really have the option of shopping around (I could only afford aids by going through a not-for-profit discount program as I am in school), but man I would love to.