I purchased my Quintras about a month ago and received the charger as a part of the package. I don’t expect to have to replace any batteries for some time. I was given some 312s to take on trips when I don’t want to fool with the charger. I charge them every night and all is a go in the morning.
I get fitted for my Quintra’s this afternoon …then head straight to a Harvest Festival event at a local church that draws about 7000 people. I will get quite an opportunity to see how they work in an environment with a lot of loud background noise …right away!
How many different programs or settings should I have to choose from?
I will be very interested in your observations. I only have one additional program, TV. I am going to request as many others as I can. TV still sounds tinny.
Got fitted yesterday, but seriously had to run from the fitting straight to a VERY challenging, loud Fall Festival environment with 7000 people, tons of jumping castles, slides, rock climbing walls, live band, …your basic mob scene. I had no time to acclimate or adjust. but I will say this; EVERYTHING was louder than with my former 6 yr old HA’s. (Former = Rexton Revo)
So I really need to take some time and see how it goes. Everything initially is louder. Including my own speech. I hear myself very loudly in my head. I have a FU appt scheduled for a couple weeks for evaluation and adjustment. More to come! Not unhappy at all, just too early to make any qualified comments.
The main reason why I would go to costco is due to the lack of non-purchasing penalty and I believe the aids are returnable after 90 days. Typically if you go to an audi you will only get a 30 day trial period and will be penalized $300 if you decide not to buy an aid.
so if you are new to aids I would first go to costco and if you decide not to purchase their aids then try out aids at an independent audi. Preferably one who sells multiple brands like phonak and oticon.
Are Phonak and Oticon really that much better than whatever top models Costco carries? Reason I ask is that I got a call from a rep at Hearing Planet and he swears my local top audiologist will do better by me with their expertise than my local costco. That said, I am going to give these Rexton Quintra’s and Costco a fighting chance since I have 90 days. Today is day 1 and I am stuggling. They are different than what I had, but I was hoping for a “Wow, I can hear so much More” experience. But again, it’s day one and I am going to give them some time.
So far, I’ve noticed that when the dogs start barking, (Chihuahua’s) …OMG is it loud! and my voice to me and sneezing or coughing is really loud in my head.
hearing planet is a well known discount shop here. I highly doubt if you will get much better results via hearing planet vs costco considering hearing planet tendency to restrict what the audi can do to keep cost down.
phonak and oticon top of the line aids will be better than anything you find at costco. However, the differences between what costco sells vs the top of the line aids are so subtle only a long time user would be able to appreciate or even notice them. Plus you have to essentially pay double.
independent audi will be best for those with very unique situations like those with most of their loss in the low frequencies (so their audiogram would look like it’s going uphill vs a typical ski slope loss). Or those who are deaf in one ear and need a bicros solution. But even for these losses I think these users should go to costco first to at least get acquainted with all the lingo of buying an aid.
btw please attach your audiogram results in your signature. those without one are assumed to be audis or new users on this board.
I made my first purchase of hearing aids five years ago through Hearing Planet, and they were very nice. However, the first audiologist they sent me too was awful. He had a very impressive well-furnished office, but he was rude beyond belief. For example:
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When I told him that I was unsure whether or not to press the button for sounds that were so low I wasn’t sure I would hear them under normal everyday circumstances, he simply shouted "Just press the button or don’t press the button!;
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Whenever I asked him followup questions about the hearing aids after the test, his answer was invariably: “I just answered that.” I had to repeatedly remind him that a question is not answered until the patient/customer understands the answer;
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It took me four attempts to try to get an understandable explanation of the difference to my potential hearing improvement between the Audeo V and the IX and I was still not entirely sure I knew the answer when I left his office so I just chose the more expensive model;
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He seemed unaware of paid-for services which I thought were included in the price, including unlimited office visits during the advertised 45-day trial period for fine tuning. He said he would limit those to what HE felt was “reasonable” as if I was lonely and would take time to go see him just for fun;
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He refused to acknowledge the other post-trial advertised services, repair and loss policy;
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He made several comments to my girlfriend, and about my age, which both she and I felt were out of place and inappropriate and made her feel uncomfortable, and then he told her that if these hearing aids did not work out, that she “could just get a younger boyfriend.”:mad:
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He told me his future service to me might depend on whether or not I bought a certain dryer from him, and when I asked how much it would add to the cost, he replied: “That will depend on how many dollars I can squeeze out of you!”
I am NOT making this up!
When I reported this experience to HearingPlanet and refused to go back to him, they did send me to a second, very nice audiologist who proceeded to give me a much more thorough hearing test, answered all my questions, was very professional and reassuring and I did make the purchase.
However, I only learned recently that I just missed out on the “wireless” model of Audeos by perhaps a month, but maybe nobody knew about them at the time. This deprived me of being able to acquire and use the streaming equipment Phonak now offers for Audeos. Maybe it was an innocent oversight. I don’t know.
And they cost me three times what the Costco KS5s I am trialing cost. Of course, I realize that technology improves and prices for sophistication comes down, so this may not be a fair comparison.
Best wishes, Nate 
Thanks for the input and sorry to read about your experience.
I wanted to add in to new users that that I would never recommend hearingplanet for a new user. They are really best for those who have the tools to program their own aids. Long time users who never had problems with having their aids set at the default settings and do not expect a lot of personalization are possibly another candidate for the service.
From what I remember reading about the service is that hearingplanet is just an outsourcing company that assigns the task of fitting and adjusting aids to local audiologists who are willing to abide by their terms. I remember reading somewhere that these local audiologists get very little for each client so they really can’t afford to spend a lot of time on them.
New users really need to do their research and conduct phone interviews for any potential independent audi. knowing what brands (must always be more than 1) they sell is one big indication of how competent they are.
Very helpful. Thanks. Yes, I am a new user here. Not an Audi. But I don’t have an audiogram. Can Costco provide that to me? I go back for a FU in a couple weeks. But feel like I might need to go back sooner. Will see. For now, I am going to try turning these down a few clicks. They seem be gained up quite heavily. When I cough or sneeze, OMG is it ever loud in my head. and Conversation doesn’t seem any easier to hear. Maybe they are too loud?
Also thanks to everyone about Hearing Planet. The guy I talked to couldn’t have been nicer, but I also get the very clear feeling they are simply an outsourcing referral middleman company to private audiologists. and they don’t want to make the referral if I’m not going to ‘buy’ from the local Audiologist. The Hearing Planet rep (Rick) said one local audiologist is the best in the country. But talk is cheap. And I really don’t want to pay more for HA’s not much better or noticeable better than the Rexton Quintras which seem to be very highly regarded. I’m going to use my 90 day trial and try to get these dialed in to my liking. (and better hearing)
Hi all,
I have a new pair of Quintra’s that I got last night. I’ve been lurking here for a bit, and just signed up because I finally had to post. I’m 44 years old and have upper end hearing loss in both ears. It’s most likely due to too many loud concerts and no ear protection when I was young and foolish. A few weeks ago I went to an ENT who did a full hearing test. He referred me to an audi that sold Starkey’s I tried the Starkey Xino’s and she spent about 45 minutes adjusting them including my own voice and hiss and clicks. It was amazing. When I took them off, the change was profound. I had earmuffs on. She then proceed to give me the $$$ at around 6K.
I scheduled a consult at Costco and decided to go with the Quntra’s. Size was a concern and I wanted BT connectivity.
I picked them up last night and as I sit hear this morning, I’m miserable. I don’t think these were adjusted correctly at all. Although this is a complaint, I plan on walking back in today to remedy the situation and would like some guidance on what to ask for/request as far as adjustments.
My appt was at 5pm. The first 20 minutes were spent by the HIS (not an audi) opening up the packages and demoing things like how to use the battery tester, showing me the instruction manual etc. She then finally got around to getting them on me. Loaded the main program and asked me how they sounded. I made the common comments that my voice was too loud, and tinny and that I heard hiss and clicking. She adjusted by pressing a button called “own voice” on the software program. I said that helped a bit, but I explained that the Starkey lady had done adjustments via the graphic equalizer. The HIS said she could do that too. She then appeared to fumble in the software, not knowing where this area was. After she did find it and started making adjustments, I told her they were only being done on one side. She said no, that wasn’t the case. I pointed out and asked her to make an adjustment to the right (red) and watch that the left channels did not move. She then acknowledged I was right and tried to fix it, but she never went back to default to start again.
At this point, she looked at the clock and I asked how much longer I had. It was 5:40 and she said she liked to begin to pack up around 5:45. With that, I felt rushed and said I would try this setting for a while. At that point the HIS asked me which programs I wanted, although she didn’t clearly explain them to me. She downloaded everything and unplugged it. At this point, she handed me the remote and said the programs were on it to adjust. They weren’t. I showed her that it was in setup mode. She then had to hook everything back up and start over with the download.
After I left, I did some reading and realized a couple of things.
- The remote buttons are completely customize able. Right now my is set to the default home and mute on the side.
- It appears the toggles on the earpieces are customize able as well. ie. volume/power/program scroll. I’m not sure what mine are doing.
Most importantly. Their is no wow experience. I know they are working, but their is little to no difference except on very high end sounds such as wind in my car window. There is certainly no feeling of earmuffs when I take them off.
I’m going back over today, to voice my disappointment and get some resolution. The HIS I had is off today, so maybe it will be better.
I know these are great hearing aids. I know it’s going to take me some time to adjust, but my rushed and fumbled experience on pickup was a somber start. If anyone has any suggestions on specifics I could request of the HIS (we don’t have audi’s at mine) when making initial adjustments, I would appreciate it. The lady last night, definitely did not seem familiar with software.
The programs she gave me were:
Automatic
Noise/Party
Focus 360
Outdoors
Thanks in advance.
Ben
When I went to Costco for my first appt, the HIS took my audiogram and did all the settings in the computer and programmed a “demo pair” for me to try in the store. I definitely got the tinny treble sounds that indicated I was getting the boost in high freqs I need. Like you, when I took the HAs off after the demo, I had the heightened sense of muffled hearing that you experienced.
On the day I returned to pick them up, the HIS had already programmed my HA’s and set up the accessories prior to my appt so they were ready to go. He simply walked me through everything, we did the REM, and I was good to go. They sounded exactly as I remember the demo pair sounding previously and I couldnt be more pleased.
I told you all that because I think it is an example of how Costco is supposed to properly treat a customer and ensure that the HA’s are properly fit. After reading your post, I believe your HIS did not fit you properly. I would speak with the manager and explain what happened and ask to work with another more experienced HIS - or perhaps the manager him/herself (My HIS was the manager).
I am very very pleased with the professionalism and expertise of my HIS at Costco and the level of service and quality of HA. Hell, another HIS that I havent even worked with knows me and greets me by name every time I have been there. I am very glad I went to Costco and I would recommend them to anyone.
I see so many different terms being used for the dispensing person in all these posts. I think I have been wrong to use the term audi or audiologist loosely.
The dispensing person at my CostCo fitting had this title on his business card:
“Senior Hearing Specialist” but I don’t really know what that means in terms of state licensure or training. So I googled the term and found this definition being provided by CostCo for hiring purposes:
So I still don’t know for sure what that means in terms of a state license, but it gave me a clearer idea of what CostCo requires in terms of experience, etc.
I will say that my Senior Hearing Specialist definitely seemed very, very knowledgeable and competent in running and reading the test, and in adjusting both the demo HAs and the ones I was fitted with when I walked out of the store for the trial. I was very pleased and impressed both with him and with the whole experience.
Is this term a work of art in the profession, or just an employee title created by CostCo. If I referred to him in future posts as an “SHS” would anyone know what I meant?
If I get a chance to glance at the certificates on the wall at the time of my scheduled adjustment, maybe I will get more clarity on his state certification. But in my layman’s opinion so far he is highly competent.
Regards, Nate
I believe the term Senior Hearing Specialist is a Costco position. He/she would be the manager of the hearing aid center in the store. The term HIS is a licensing term which indicates completion of an accredited 2-year program (the equivalent of an RN). An Audiologist is a doctor although I think Ive seen reference to some of them having “only” a Masters Degree.
At some point, it seems like the magic of a good fitting is dialing in the right frequencies and adjusting any of the other audio settings that cancel noise or attenuate etc. (don’t know all the features) But that’s gotta be the difference between good fitting and bad fitting. It must take a combination of experience adjusting to various degrees of hearing loss as well as knowing the software and eq settings. Just guessing here.
How do you know who’s good at that? Is an audiologist any better than a Senior Hearing Specialist? God only knows. I
I trust you are ok groberts you seemed to stop mid sentence…
I am 51 and have upper end loss from playing in bands and going to concerts. I am a machinery Salesman and over the last few years it has been getting steadily more difficult to properly do my job which involves a lot of listening to help the client make a good choice.
About 3 months ago 3 of my sons traveled to your shores to record an album and we had a dinner before they left and I missed most of the conversation and it was actually quite distressing as you have 2 choices 1. ‘Smile&nod’ (Classic sig) your head as if you understand what they are saying or 2. continually halt the conversation flow with ‘Sorry, missed that’…It was time to stop procrastinating!
After reading and researching and following a lot of thoughts and opinions on here I have ordered a pair of Rexton Quintras with the Bluetooth for A$3K from the Costco in Melbourne.
Unfortunately they don’t offer the ‘demo’ service of trying before you lay down your ‘hard-earned’, but still have the Costco 90 day money back guarantee. I’m guessing that the only time I will be using this is if the Audiologist does not set them up very well and doesn’t work with me, but initial communications have been ok.
I have to wait about 3 weeks to get them, we don’t have a swag of Costcos in Australia yet, in fact a whole 3 stores (Melbourne, Sydney & Canberra) with 3 more opening soon.
I will be making a list of things to check when they are getting setup, but wont be too demanding as I want Audiologist on-side.
But for now thank you to all on here who continually make positive and practical comments for and against and the respect that is shown by all on others comments.
Special thanks to llagerva, iarooster, groberts, ziploc, nates, doubledown, palmfish and minnbobber for starting the thread. Sounds like I have received an award and am doing my thanks:), but really this thread made my decision for me.
Wondering how you went Beninden in getting your pair sorted?
Will still follow thread but wont get them until early December so until then just ‘nod&smile’ 
Thanks again,
Phil.
Phil:
Unfortunately they don’t offer the ‘demo’ service of trying before you lay down your ‘hard-earned’, but still have the Costco 90 day money back guarantee.
Don’t feel deprived about that, Phil. That’s really they way it worked for me here in the States and I assume in all CostCos.
The only free “demo” I received was to spend an hour or so walking around the store shopping while wearing the inhouse demo which was temporarily programmed based on my Audiogram. Once I returned back to the hearing dept. and said “yes I want to start my 90 day trial!” I signed papers charging the full amount to our AmEx credit card, selected my color choice, and the order was placed.
Based upon the reported experience of others, I am confident of a full refund should they not work out within 90 days, but I did have to prepay in full when the order was placed. Of course, I’m enjoying them so much I can’t imagine returning them at this point, but that’s a different issue.
Best wishes, Nate
So far my Quintras are working well. I have had them for a little less than two months and have been back for two adjustments. I only have one program, TV, as the automatic setting seems to take care of most situations. Still have a little trouble with some voices on BBC shows, but it is OK most of the time. However since this is my first venture into HAs I am not certain what I should expect. I wear them from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. each day and only remove them for showering or when playing tennis or shooting trap and sporting clays. I am very happy with Costco and the person that I deal with. Her attitude is “call me if you want help or an adjustment” and she is willing to take time with me. So far, so good. I believe that I made the right decision. Also, I have not yet found a reason for buying any Bluetooth device.
hey Gang, I’ve been wearing my Quintra’s for 10 days. I got 8 days of battery life before replacing. VERY happy with that.
As for the improvement in my hearing, I have been struggling, but think I need to get some frequencies adjusted. They might be set simply TOO loud. and that is augmenting everything I hear, so in any environment other than quiet places where there is one voice or TV, I feel challenged. I firmly believe they will be great once I get them dialed in. They are smaller and more comfortable than my former 6 year old Rexton Revo’s. I will also try to get a copy of my audiogram or take a photo of the frequency curve on the computer screen at the costco audio center. My next appointment is this Wednesday.
I have three programs, Auto, Noise and Music. None are really much different or better than the other. My HIS as Costco said it would be ideal to get the Auto mode properly adjusted to the point where that works for me 90% - 100% of the time. But it still makes sense to have a couple programs that have noise cancelling or maybe more focused / directional settings. What do other users think?
How many programs are realistic and make sense?
Great choice. I love my KS5
Elijah