Suggestions and comments wanted concerning Invisible (IIC) Hearing AIDS from Beltone

[quietear]

Here’s a link to a 3 year-old article on IIC but at least it has some pricing information in there for the Signia and Phonak so you can compare against the Beltone pricing. Note again that this is a 3 year old article so maybe the pricing is a little better now compared to 3 years ago? http://www.ziphearing.com/blog/what-are-the-best-invisible-hearing-aids/

Thank you for the information, I am reviewing it now!

[quietear]

LOL!! I can deaf-inately relate to both sides of this! Luckily, being a woman, my hair is long enough to cover my ears, but even with my ITEs, I’ve found that folks don’t focus as much on my EARS as what I say. O’course, I’m 61, and not 31, which makes that tricky call even easier.

Quiteear: My own 2-cents’ worth is based on experience: I am a bit prone to developing itchy-ear if the canal is firmly sealed. In fact, I’ve had two bouts of otitis (due to allergic reaction to hard shell cases) that convinced me: NO IIC (Lyric, et al) is worth even “going there”.

I’m not familiar with Beltone’s invisible aid, but I’d have a YUGE issue with an aid where I couldn’t swap out batteries myself as needed or get the dang thing out every single night to give my ears a chance to breathe and dry out. I also think Volusiano brings up a valid point about “future growth”. If you want the investment to pay off, perhaps have some built-in range in which to increase gain and fine-tune the frequency ranges.

BEST of luck in what you decide! Be sure to keep us posted. Trials are a great way to test out one aid against another. And Costco seems the most reasonable solution for many here. I have opted for REI, behind-the-ear Oticon Opn miniRITEs, which seems to work with my loss profile.

====================

Thank you for sharing your experience as well as giving me advice! There are so many things to consider when buying a hearing aid. It’s further complicated by the vultures at hearing aid centers; high-pressure sales tactics. The nearest Costco did not have any appointments available, so I will have to wait until Monday before I can pay them a visit. Meanwhile, I’m going to continue to do my research so that I can find a hearing aid that fit my needs.

I appreciate your help and the others who have posted! I will keep everyone updated.

[KenP]

It took me 3 months waiting for my Costco reservation. Now it seems well worth the wait.

[Volusiano]

Thanks for replying!

I didn’t think about moisture issues. My understanding is that most companies offer a protective coating to protect against moisture. Are you saying that even with the moisture protective coating, IIC’s fail at a greater rate than BTE’s? Are certain manufacturer’s protective coating more effective than others?

Btw, I’d rather be kicked, dragged, and have my eyes gouged out than to wear BTE’s :D. However, I agree that my choice should be solely based upon the hearing aid that allows me to hear the best I can. I’m hoping the IIC will give me what I need.

You can probably look at the dust and water resistant rating of the HA you’re checking out to make sure that it has a high enough rating to deal with the moisture issue.

Most of the stigma regarding wearing BTE’s are from the HA wearers themselves, because they care the most about their image and assume that other people think the same of it. But the reality is that most people don’t really care much about what you wear as long as it’s inconspicuous and doesn’t draw attention. I think CICs and newer BTEs/RITEs are much smaller and sleeker than older BTEs, so the newer ones are very inconspicuous and don’t draw attention. Sure, they’re not invisible but people can only see them from certain angles compared to the IICs. The CICs can only be seen if people are looking at 90 degrees at your ear, and the BTE can only be seen if people are looking at you from behind. But most people probably don’t think twice about it after they’ve seen it. There’s a difference between inconspicuous and invisible. In the beginning you said you want the HAs to be inconspicuous, but based on what you said here, it seems like what you really want is invisible, which is OK, too. After all, YOU have to be happy with your choice.

I think it’s similar to wearing glasses. Many people don’t like wearing glasses and prefer contact lens, which is fine. But nobody really cares if those contact lens wearers wear glasses or contact lens. I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you want the IICs because that’s what YOU want, then it’s fine and that’s why there’s a market for IICs. But if you want IICs because you don’t want PEOPLE to know you’re wearing HAs, then I’d say don’t worry too much about what people think because most people don’t care.

I’ve gone through the same concerns you have when I first started wearing HAs when I was still fairly young (well, middle age). But after I’ve overcome those concerns and decided to wear HAs (they didn’t have IICs back then, so I wore CICs), I quickly found out that nobody cared or commented on the fact that I was wearing HAs. I now wear BTE/RITCs because they gave me the most advanced technologies and features for the money. And still nobody cares to say anything about the fact that I wear them. I’m a male and I do have hair, but my hair is short so my BTE/RITCs are visible if people are behind me.

I think in the old days wearing HAs is a sensitive stigma because they were big and ugly and nobody wears it but your old grandmas and grandpas. But nowadays, so many people wear headphones and earbuds and having very noticeable bluetooth devices hanging on their ears walking around, so having a device on your ear is a lot more socially acceptable than before. Even if it’s obvious that it’s an HA and not one of those other devices, the concept of wearables has taken off enough that it’s become the norm instead of the oddball. I actually think that in the future, the wireless conveniences of HAs that allow people to listen to music or watch movies or have phone calls without having to wear more bulky wireless devices that are a lot more conspicuous, plus hopefully the lowering in HA costs, plus the fact that HAs can also be customizable to their hearing loss (even for people with very mild losses who don’t normally need to wear HAs), will make wearing HAs even more common and acceptable to the masses. It’s going to be the direct wireless capabilities and conveniences without even needing a streamer that’s going to open up the door to the popularity of HAs. They’ll probably won’t be called HAs anymore. They’ll probably be called wireless mini universal listening wearable devices. Then it’ll become cool to be wearing them, not a stigma to be wearing them.

[jay_man2]

Nano-coating will protect from environmental moisture/perspiration for RICs and BTEs. With IICs, while they may be nano-coated, they spend all day in a harsh, wet environment, your ear canals. The only aids I’ve ever had to send off for repairs in my decade plus of wearing aids were in-the-canal aids; my first set of aids, Widex Senso Diva ITCs, and a few years later ReSound Future 8 remote mic ITCs.

[JeffBowser]

I see this statement a lot, but my 25yr run of CIC’s does not support that statement. They never succumbed to any moisture issues, and I have lived in the humid and salty deep south for 40 years.

IIC’s have a higher failure rate do to moisture issues than BTE’s, so be prepared to have them in the “shop” periodically so they can be cleaned, serviced, etc. Don’t worry about your bald head and people staring at your HA’s, it won’t happen; HA’s aren’t like glasses, since they are behind your ears and on the side of your head, very few people will notice them. Get the hearing aid that will allow you to hear the best and don’t worry about whether they can be seen.

[Volusiano]

I see this statement a lot, but my 25yr run of CIC’s does not support that statement. They never succumbed to any moisture issues, and I have lived in the humid and salty deep south for 40 years.

I think it varies by individuals depending on how humid or dry their own ear canal condition is. Some people have very dry ear canals and others very humid.

I think I have relatively dry ear canals with minimal wax buildups, but out of the 2 sets of CIC HAs I’d worn over the last 10 years, both sets had failed me after a few years and had to be sent in for repair/replacement at least once or twice already. A couple of those repairs were out of warranty repairs where I had to pay out of my own pocket for the repairs.

They never told me the cause of the failures, probably because they don’t know themselves. But I don’t know what else it could be beside the humidity. In most cases, they told me they replaced the receivers.

[quietear]

Nano-coating will protect from environmental moisture/perspiration for RICs and BTEs. With IICs, while they may be nano-coated, they spend all day in a harsh, wet environment, your ear canals. The only aids I’ve ever had to send off for repairs in my decade plus of wearing aids were in-the-canal aids; my first set of aids, Widex Senso Diva ITCs, and a few years later ReSound Future 8 remote mic ITCs.

Thanks, the information is helpful!

[quietear]

You can probably look at the dust and water resistant rating of the HA you’re checking out to make sure that it has a high enough rating to deal with the moisture issue.

Most of the stigma regarding wearing BTE’s are from the HA wearers themselves, because they care the most about their image and assume that other people think the same of it. But the reality is that most people don’t really care much about what you wear as long as it’s inconspicuous and doesn’t draw attention. I think CICs and newer BTEs/RITEs are much smaller and sleeker than older BTEs, so the newer ones are very inconspicuous and don’t draw attention. Sure, they’re not invisible but people can only see them from certain angles compared to the IICs. The CICs can only be seen if people are looking at 90 degrees at your ear, and the BTE can only be seen if people are looking at you from behind. But most people probably don’t think twice about it after they’ve seen it. There’s a difference between inconspicuous and invisible. In the beginning you said you want the HAs to be inconspicuous, but based on what you said here, it seems like what you really want is invisible, which is OK, too. After all, YOU have to be happy with your choice.

I think it’s similar to wearing glasses. Many people don’t like wearing glasses and prefer contact lens, which is fine. But nobody really cares if those contact lens wearers wear glasses or contact lens. I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you want the IICs because that’s what YOU want, then it’s fine and that’s why there’s a market for IICs. But if you want IICs because you don’t want PEOPLE to know you’re wearing HAs, then I’d say don’t worry too much about what people think because most people don’t care.

I’ve gone through the same concerns you have when I first started wearing HAs when I was still fairly young (well, middle age). But after I’ve overcome those concerns and decided to wear HAs (they didn’t have IICs back then, so I wore CICs), I quickly found out that nobody cared or commented on the fact that I was wearing HAs. I now wear BTE/RITCs because they gave me the most advanced technologies and features for the money. And still nobody cares to say anything about the fact that I wear them. I’m a male and I do have hair, but my hair is short so my BTE/RITCs are visible if people are behind me.

I think in the old days wearing HAs is a sensitive stigma because they were big and ugly and nobody wears it but your old grandmas and grandpas. But nowadays, so many people wear headphones and earbuds and having very noticeable bluetooth devices hanging on their ears walking around, so having a device on your ear is a lot more socially acceptable than before. Even if it’s obvious that it’s an HA and not one of those other devices, the concept of wearables has taken off enough that it’s become the norm instead of the oddball. I actually think that in the future, the wireless conveniences of HAs that allow people to listen to music or watch movies or have phone calls without having to wear more bulky wireless devices that are a lot more conspicuous, plus hopefully the lowering in HA costs, plus the fact that HAs can also be customizable to their hearing loss (even for people with very mild losses who don’t normally need to wear HAs), will make wearing HAs even more common and acceptable to the masses. It’s going to be the direct wireless capabilities and conveniences without even needing a streamer that’s going to open up the door to the popularity of HAs. They’ll probably won’t be called HAs anymore. They’ll probably be called wireless mini universal listening wearable devices. Then it’ll become cool to be wearing them, not a stigma to be wearing them.

You have a lot of valid points as well as others in the forum! I appreciate you sharing your experience and thoughts! I’m still in the deciding stage. When people from the forum, leave messages, I read every suggestion and experience of those that wear hearing aids. Your comment, as well as other’s, are very helpful. Thanks again!

[quietear]

Hey everyone,

I was unable to go to Costco today because of time constraints. Drive time to Costco with traffic is over an hour from where I reside (FLORIDA). However, I did visit two other hearing aid centers (mom & pops type businesses). They were very informative and did NOT use any high-pressure sales tactics. They both told me that RIC hearing aids were best; just as forum members have mentioned. They even showed me very small RIC hearing aids. With all said, at this point, I am considering IIC and CIC hearing aids. I am considering CIC hearing aids because of the added technology. I am also considering them because some CIC aids sit deeper in the canal of the ear and aren’t as noticeable. With the aforementioned stated, I still don’t feel comfortable with over the ear hearing aids. I’m sure that will change with age or experience or both. After all, most people with hearing difficulties will experience further hearing loss throughout their lifetime.

I have an appointment at Audibel tomorrow (it’s closer to my home) and will see if I will have time to make it to Costco. No matter what, I will be making a visit to Costco.

After speaking to a Costco representative over the phone, they informed me that their IIC hearing aids are $1399 each and have what I believe is a 3-year warranty which includes loss prevention (I don’t have the warranty information in front of me). However, the representative stated that many people look at their IIC’s and think that the IIC will be the same size as what’s on view. However, he warned me that the size could be larger depending on my ear canal shape. I wish manufacturers had clear pics of what their hearing aid would look like at different angles when worn; some do and some don’t.

I will NOT be making a decision until I contact Costco and ZipHearing and hear further suggestions and experiences from forum members. I will not be actually buying hearing aids until the end of January to early February.

Does anyone have experience using Beltones IIC Micro Invisa hearing aids? (I have private messaged others in the forum that have posted about the aforementioned H.A.'s but have yet to receive a response)

Does anyone have experience using Costco’s Resound IIC Cala Hearing aids?

I’m seeking the best of both world’s, but I know that I may not get what I want. However, I at least want to make sure that I have done my home-work. I am conflicted as to what to choose which is probably normal. May I add, I’m also angered :mad: by the prices of H.A.'s. I can only imagine what a self-conscience child would feel like who’s parents could not afford a smaller, less noticeable hearing aid :([SIZE=2].

I am appreciative of everyone’s help! [/SIZE] I will continue to read your suggestions and experiences and update everyone!

Btw, if I do not respond to your comment, it’s because I’m new to the forum (previously not actively participating) and may not know all of the functionalities of the forum and have noticed that I do not always receive notice via email that someone has responded. As an added note, I also have vision problems.

Thanks again everyone! I appreciate your input!

[quietear]

Yeah, lots of high-pressured sales techniques with hearing aids. Ticks me off. You might want to make sure you are seeing an audiologist rather than a tech. Because of their schooling, audiologists tend to think of themselves as being in healthcare rather than in sales. You certainly may still run into some nasty sales, but I think you have a better chance of finding someone who will just lay out your options and let you decide in your own time. Independent clinics are often also a better bet for softer sales because they aren’t run by a manufacturer who is calling them about their sales goals every day.

The biggest breakdown I see in custom products, next to wax getting in behind the wax guard, is debris in the microphone covers. People press their buttons all day without thinking about whatever is on their fingers that they are also grinding into the mics, and many people don’t wipe the mics off daily. By the time I see the aid, the debris is often so caked in there that the aids have to go in for repair. For some reason, I see many more broken custom products as well. If you drop your custom product on a tile floor, it seems more likely to break than a BTE. All modern hearing aids have nano coatings for moisture, but those wear down over time (you know. . . whatever amount of time is equal to the repair warranty).

BUT, I see a lot of people who are very successful with CICs and/or IICs. Particularly if they have very clear ears, their ear canals are the right shape for hearing aids, and they are concientious about taking care of their aids. And only have mild to moderate hearing loss. Anecdotally, I tend to see CICs/IICs lasting longer than ITCs/ITEs, but that might be related to the population that tends to wear them.

Thank you! Your experience in the matter is very helpful!

[Volusiano]

I am also considering them because some CIC aids sit deeper in the canal of the ear and aren’t as noticeable.

After speaking to a Costco representative over the phone, they informed me that their IIC hearing aids are $1399 each and have what I believe is a 3-year warranty which includes loss prevention (I don’t have the warranty information in front of me). However, the representative stated that many people look at their IIC’s and think that the IIC will be the same size as what’s on view. However, he warned me that the size could be larger depending on my ear canal shape. I wish manufacturers had clear pics of what their hearing aid would look like at different angles when worn; some do and some don’t.

I think you should heed this warning from the Costco rep that the IIC may not turn out as invisible as you wish, depending on how much room there is in your ear canal. At least to have your expectation set properly and not be disappointed if the IIC is not as invisible as you want.

Here’s a link Signia primax Insio & Pure hearing aid review: one of the most advanced wearable devices - SlashGear of an article about the Signia Primax Insio IIC. I think this is one of the top of the line IIC with the most power per a couple of articles I came across. There’s a really cool video in there where they walked through the entire process of making a custom IIC for the reporter. The bottom line is that if you look at the final picture of the reporter wearing the final Insio IIC, it’s still totally visible. I wouldn’t call it “nearly” invisible like the reporter does. It looks like how my previous CIC looks like in my ear before I switched over to the RITC type.

But maybe you’ll be lucky and your ear canal is big enough to make the IIC invisible for you. The reporter did say that he has super narrow ear canal.

[quietear]

I think you should heed this warning from the Costco rep that the IIC may not turn out as invisible as you wish, depending on how much room there is in your ear canal. At least to have your expectation set properly and not be disappointed if the IIC is not as invisible as you want.

Here’s a link Signia primax Insio & Pure hearing aid review: one of the most advanced wearable devices - SlashGear of an article about the Signia Primax Insio IIC. I think this is one of the top of the line IIC with the most power per a couple of articles I came across. There’s a really cool video in there where they walked through the entire process of making a custom IIC for the reporter. The bottom line is that if you look at the final picture of the reporter wearing the final Insio IIC, it’s still totally visible. I wouldn’t call it “nearly” invisible like the reporter does. It looks like how my previous CIC looks like in my ear before I switched over to the RITC type.

But maybe you’ll be lucky and your ear canal is big enough to make the IIC invisible for you. The reporter did say that he has super narrow ear canal.

Thank you! I will review the article and also research the Signia Primax Insio IIC.

[ohgary]

Your hearing will most likely never get better so get the vanity out the way now and get the correct aid for your needs. May seem a bit tramatic at first but how many times do you look at peoples ears.

[quietear]

Your hearing will most likely never get better so get the vanity out the way now and get the correct aid for your needs. May seem a bit tramatic at first but how many times do you look at peoples ears.

Thanks! I have decided to purchase Beltone’s Micro Invisa or Audibel’s A-4 Platinum; both are IIC hearing aids. I will most likely finalize my decision with a purchase of Beltone’s Micro Invisa IIC’s. I am eligible to receive more discounts at Beltone. Thereby, lowering the overall price. Beltone customer satisfaction ratings seem to be better than Audibel. However, I think Audibel’s A-4 Platinum IIC’s are better overall.

I am a good candidate for an IIC. I will be able to not only hear sound but understand words. I’ve had 4 hearing tests and have spoken to numerous Audiologists.

I wish someone was able to share their experience with the aforementioned hearing aids, but I have not received any feedback. I have received great advice on how to make a decision when choosing hearing aids as well as places to look for affordable hearing aids!

[rasmus_braun]

Thanks! I have decided to purchase Beltone’s Micro Invisa or Audibel’s A-4 Platinum; both are IIC hearing aids. I will most likely finalize my decision with a purchase of Beltone’s Micro Invisa IIC’s.

I wouldn’t recommend getting the Beltone Micro-Invisa. That’s an older model which was superseded by the Beltone Legend. Legend IIC is available in 3 technology levels (17, 9 and 6), depending on your needs and budget. And Audibel A4 isn’t available in IIC format; the smallest device in that product line is CIC. Audibel Invisibel Synergy is their latest IIC model, available in Platinum, Gold and Silver levels.

[quietear]

I wouldn’t recommend getting the Beltone Micro-Invisa. That’s an older model which was superseded by the Beltone Legend. Legend IIC is available in 3 technology levels (17, 9 and 6), depending on your needs and budget. And Audibel A4 isn’t available in IIC format; the smallest device in that product line is CIC. Audibel Invisibel Synergy is their latest IIC model, available in Platinum, Gold and Silver levels.

Thanks for your reply! I looked at the pamphlet that the Audibel Audiologist gave me. She wrote on my pamphlet A4-Plat. Thanks for the clarification. I will be sure to remember that it’s called Invisible Synergy IIC. I will also be contacting Beltone to get clarity as it relates to the Beltone Legend and Micro-Invisa. I appreciate your help.

[_maplesyrup]

Thanks for your reply! I’ll give Costco a try. I wanted invisible IIC’s because I’m bald headed and don’t have hair to cover my ears. I’d rather have people pay attention to what I’m saying instead of focusing on my hearing aids. With all said, I’ll definitely check Costco’s offerings.

My HIS was totally bald and wore hearing aids, the RIC kind. I didn’t even see them until he pointed them out to me. However, my cousin and both grandparents tried beltone, and were not happy. Everyone I know who has been to Costco has had a good experience