Hearing test

[yukonal]

Mine are Starkey, and they are fine. Previous posts from a couple of us describe our experiences with them. The OWNER of the company helped build and tune my set the first day I went there.

I don't think you could go wrong with them. After getting your set, having a good audiologist close, to work out any bugs and tune to your individual needs, will help a bunch.

It sucks that you are getting so many different opinions. Must be making it hard...as I know it's a big decision. Get the custom fit, whatever you do.

 

[JRS]

Thanks JRS, thats good to know.
To all, The nearest Costco is 80 miles from me, so I'll be looking at closer alternatives.
Thanks,

Lloyd

Whatever you do, be sure to deal with a reputable Audiologist who will take care of your "hearing health". It is every bit as important as the brand of aids you choose. Many of the big box centers are in business to sell, not so much about "hearing health". COSTCO is by far the least expensive way to go, with a couple of major drawbacks.

 

[1shot]

JRS,
The original clinical audiologist that I saw works with my wife about 12 miles away. Once I get back from the BSWN, I will be going back t to her. What I was hearing with her "office model" wasn't something I would want.
Thanks,

Lloyd

 

[JRS]

JRS,
The original clinical audiologist that I saw works with my wife about 12 miles away. Once I get back from the BSWN, I will be going back t to her. What I was hearing with her "office model" wasn't something I would want.
Thanks,

Lloyd

Though it is irritating, you have to give your brain time to readjust to the sounds you haven't heard for such a long period of time.

 

[powderbrake]

1-18-18 update,
Went to the "hearing-aid salesman" and was greeted by a "sales specialist". I'm thinking car salesman here, but I couldn't have been more wrong. After looking at my paperwork from the visit to the audiologist the week before she said she wanted to look in my ears. I informed he of the wax plug removal and that the ear canals should be clear, but she wanted to take a look see anyhow. Suddenly, I'm looking at a very high resolution live image of my ear canals! She had inserted a fiber optic camera into my ear and I was viewing it on the screen in front of me. The right side was clear, but the left where the wax plug was removed was all scabbed over and looked like road rash.
None the less, she had me try on an office set of HA, then proceeded to tune them What a huge difference from my experience a week previous! They offered several different makers and a long list of models to choose from. The brands were NUEAR, Audibel, and Starkey. All had four different grades from basic to premium. Prices between brands were comparable within the grades.
Of these makes, have any of you had experience with them?
* As an aside note, the contact person from the company that was contracted by the NRA called me before I even got home from the appointment to see how everything went. How was my experience, did I have any questions, was there anything she could clarify for me.
I was really impressed with the level of customer service for the whole experience.
Any advice you can offer moving forward would be most appreciated.
Thanks,

Lloyd

The customer service you received is a HUGE part of the HA experience.

Knowing you can depend on the supplier to do the adjustments, cleanings, checkups and service if needed, is worth the money. For example when I broke a battery door on one aid, they sent them in and lent me a set of aids, tuned them to my requirements, and I downloaded the app to control them on my iPhone.
A couple weeks ago, (HA are now out of warranty), I went in for a regular checkup. New full hearing test, they reprogrammed the aids, 0 cost to me.

 

[1shot]

Though it is irritating, you have to give your brain time to readjust to the sounds you haven't heard for such a long period of time.

I was hearing an echo of my own voice when I spoke. It was simular to being in a cell phone conversation with someone with a bad connection. As soon as you spoke you could hear it repeat back through your phone. The sound I was hearing was like that without the delay. The audiologist didn't/couldn't tune that out but the HA salesperson took it away in a few minutes.
Thanks,
Lloyd

 

[Hearing Guy]

I just got scheduled for a hearing test with a clinical audiologist. Maybe I should say lack of hearing test! LOL
Regardless, those of you that have hearing issues, what advice can you offer as to what type of devices are out there for daily use? Pros/cons, price etc.
Thanks,

Lloyd

Hey Lloyd, know I'm responding to an old thread here but wanted to give you my two cents.

The motto in the hearing aid industry is "you get what you pay for." Devices cost anywhere between $500 (for entry-level hearing aids) to $5000+ (for premium hearing aids that can connect to your smartphone, block noise, filter sound, etc.). Typically there's a stigma around wearing hearing aids, but these days the tubes are so transparent and clear (especially in "Receiver in Ear" models) that its worth it to cast pride to the side and make an effort to improve your sense. Doing so will make you more alert and give you the situational awareness you need in all your domains of life.

You can check with your local hearing clinic if they offer free hearing tests. If they say yes, take it, and rest assured that you're under no pressure to buy.

If you need amplification at home, you can also spend between $100 - $300 for a personal sound amplifier. This is not a hearing aid, and will help amplify sound of TV & face-to-face conversation - but the problem is it will amplify all sound, making all sounds seem loud.

So that's about it in a nutshell. If you want to see your options you can learn more here: https://saywhathearing.com/en/hearing-aids/types-of-hearing-aids

 

[muleystalker]

My hearing aids are not the smallest one, they said no go on those they wouldn't work for me. I do have the inside the ear but they fit like custom molded ear plugs, you can defiantly see them. They work great just hard to get used to, I feel like spiderman, I can hear things I never could before, and then hard to get used to when its hot out and your sweating. My hearing aids are programable and have 6 different program profiles they just programed for me, like for when Im driving my truck which is a diesel, it blocks out some of the deeper drone/exhaust noise. A program for when I home listening to the stereo, and other situation. The audiologist asked what some of my everyday activities were, and hobbies, different settings Im in on a regular basis and set them up for me, like when Im running my charter boat, I have twin motors and may run 3-4 hours strait to get to a spot and another 3-4 hours back, she set a program to help cancel out a lot of the motor noise. They work real good but I still don't wear them as much as I should, Im only 51 and got my first pair when I was about 35, its just a pain in the butt some times. Good luck.

 

[Buck 89]

I have had hearing loss since I was a teenager. I got it from blasting music constantly and shotgun / rifle shooting without hearing protection. Several years ago I had my hearing checked and spoke extensively with the doctor. It was his opinion that hearing aides would only make "already muffled / distorted" sounds louder. He said that the "crispness" of sounds is lost in my hearing and amplifying those sounds would offer very little in the way of help. Personally, I think he was one of the most honest doctors I met. Have a good talk with a doctor, he may have some better technology answers by now.. I just gave up..

The best hearing aid I have found is Walker's Game Ear,just try them. Better than my $3000 ones. You can hear very well with them.

 

[ShootDots]

The best hearing aid I have found is Walker's Game Ear,just try them. Better than my $3000 ones. You can hear very well with them.

Thank you! I shall check into them!

 

[JRS]

The best hearing aid I have found is Walker's Game Ear,just try them. Better than my $3000 ones. You can hear very well with them.

You can't be serious You are comparing apples to kangaroos. The Walker Game ear is a hearing amplifier. You aren't hearing better, you are hearing louder.

 

[Eric Leonard]

the constant buzzing in my head is what drives me nutz,,

 

[1shot]

**UPDATE**
All,
This is a a long overdue update. After LOTS of research, I finally went with a top of the line hearing aid set. They have been programed for different situations such as outdoors, TV, normal, and crowd. I can regulate the volume individually via my phone. Because of my tinnitus, I also have a masking filter for that issue that I am able to control both the speed and volume with my phone. Another feature I really like is when I get a phone call, it is routed to the HA. Not only is it hands free with much better quality sound than the sound system in my truck, it is also hands free while working in the shop.
As a case in point, as I was driving home from the HA center, I heard a clicking sound coming from my vehicle. Suddenly it dawned on me, it was my turn signal indicator! I've have had this truck for over a year, and never heard that sound.
A BIG thank you to all that have responded with their views and insight, I probably would have got frustrated and not followed through with this if it hadn't been for the good folks on this forum. For those of you that know you need them, but haven't started down this road, I would highly recommend researching reputable HA centers in your area first. If they seem like used car salesmen, you can simply walk back out.
Thanks,

Lloyd

 

[gkgeiger]

I'm about to make an appt. with an audiologist and was wondering if you would mind telling me the brand and model HA you ended up with? Thanks

 

[spclark]

My experiences with hearing loss pretty much mirrors Lloyd’s.

Back in 2007 at the instigation of my wife I bought into a pair of (then) high-end behind-the-ear product made by Siemens. Employer’s insurance plan at that time paid roughly 40%, my portion was close to price of a new action, barrel, stock, and getting them all put together. They worked well enough, replaced once under warranty after a washer/rinse/dryer episode when I forgot to check pockets....

Eleven years later they still worked OK but lack of replacements for ear tubes - the plastic thingys between HA’s and my ears - caused me to re-evaluate current products. Besides I need my hearing aids to keep a part-time job my CDL allows me to hold.

Hearing’s gotten worse in 11 years (no surprise) and improvements in technology are astonishing for what new products can achieve, not only for improving users’ hearing (not like having ten year-old’s ears of course) but also for user experience. Lloyd’s comments are spot-on for Bluetooth connectivity!

I went with a pair of mid-range aids from Starkey, a US-based company in MN. My cost under Medicare supplemental plan’s ~ $130/month for 3 years. And my HA’s will stream music from my iPhone as well as receive audio from phone.

They also have a tinnitus ‘masking’ function, supposed to ‘re-train’ your brain but after six months my sense of things having improved any is pretty much non-existent. Admittedly my history with tinnitus dates back 50+ years so what’s gone is likely gone forever, never gonna get better.

 

[normmatzen]

Norm Matzen again!

Don't believe that you get what you pay for in hearing aids!
Back when digital aids came out in 1995, the amplifier was a VERY costly item and costed about 10 time what the analog amplifier cost. Today, the amplifier is not a proprietary IC but an off the shelf digital signal processor that is VERY similar in all brands of aids. The only difference is the proprietary soft ware in the aid. In fact, most hearing aid companies have one basic platform and only modify the software for the different models. The price today with the very inexpensive digital signal processors should be CHEAPER than the old analog aids as the amplifier is now cheaper thanks to smaller, high volume DSP's than the old analog aids. In today's value of the dollar, I still think one of the few fair priced aids is from COSTCO.

And, it is very important that the relationship between you and your hearing aid specialist/audiologist is good. You must trust him or her and you must listen to their advise, like being patient for 6-8 weeks and always wear the aids for 8 hrs minimum each day to get used to them.

As an aside, I have been involved in the hearing aid business for 30 years including designing the amplifiers, working with the actual aids as well as dispensing the aids. Now I also wear aids and so far I have not found a digital aid I will accept so I wear analog aids as the sound and prescription is better and more life-like than digital aids. And, I was involved in the development of a digital aid at Etymotic back in the early 2000's that I had to wear 100% of the time to aid me in developing the compressor features of the amplifier. I would be wearing these aids today except I lost one of them! And, as most of the hearing aid companies at that time had their own proprietary aids, no one wanted the Etymotic DIGI-K amplifier so Etymotic cancelled the program.
So, the primary items in shopping for hearing aids is find a dispenser you can relate to as well as one with prices in the 2000-3000 dollar range instead of the 6000-8000 dollar range for the same aids!

 

[Dos XX]

Norm Matzen again!

Don't believe that you get what you pay for in hearing aids!
Back when digital aids came out in 1995, the amplifier was a VERY costly item and costed about 10 time what the analog amplifier cost. Today, the amplifier is not a proprietary IC but an off the shelf digital signal processor that is VERY similar in all brands of aids. The only difference is the proprietary soft ware in the aid. In fact, most hearing aid companies have one basic platform and only modify the software for the different models. The price today with the very inexpensive digital signal processors should be CHEAPER than the old analog aids as the amplifier is now cheaper thanks to smaller, high volume DSP's than the old analog aids. In today's value of the dollar, I still think one of the few fair priced aids is from COSTCO.

And, it is very important that the relationship between you and your hearing aid specialist/audiologist is good. You must trust him or her and you must listen to their advise, like being patient for 6-8 weeks and always wear the aids for 8 hrs minimum each day to get used to them.

As an aside, I have been involved in the hearing aid business for 30 years including designing the amplifiers, working with the actual aids as well as dispensing the aids. Now I also wear aids and so far I have not found a digital aid I will accept so I wear analog aids as the sound and prescription is better and more life-like than digital aids. And, I was involved in the development of a digital aid at Etymotic back in the early 2000's that I had to wear 100% of the time to aid me in developing the compressor features of the amplifier. I would be wearing these aids today except I lost one of them! And, as most of the hearing aid companies at that time had their own proprietary aids, no one wanted the Etymotic DIGI-K amplifier so Etymotic cancelled the program.
So, the primary items in shopping for hearing aids is find a dispenser you can relate to as well as one with prices in the 2000-3000 dollar range instead of the 6000-8000 dollar range for the same aids!

Are any companies making analog hearing aids now? If so, which ones?

 

[1shot]

I'm about to make an appt. with an audiologist and was wondering if you would mind telling me the brand and model HA you ended up with? Thanks

My HA are Starkey Halo IQ. They are 16 channel, Bluetooth compatible. I also got 3 years of free batteries with the HA because I’m thrifty that way! LOL
Lloyd

 

[corsair4360]

**UPDATE**
All,
This is a a long overdue update. After LOTS of research, I finally went with a top of the line hearing aid set. They have been programed for different situations such as outdoors, TV, normal, and crowd. I can regulate the volume individually via my phone. Because of my tinnitus, I also have a masking filter for that issue that I am able to control both the speed and volume with my phone. Another feature I really like is when I get a phone call, it is routed to the HA. Not only is it hands free with much better quality sound than the sound system in my truck, it is also hands free while working in the shop.
As a case in point, as I was driving home from the HA center, I heard a clicking sound coming from my vehicle. Suddenly it dawned on me, it was my turn signal indicator! I've have had this truck for over a year, and never heard that sound.
A BIG thank you to all that have responded with their views and insight, I probably would have got frustrated and not followed through with this if it hadn't been for the good folks on this forum. For those of you that know you need them, but haven't started down this road, I would highly recommend researching reputable HA centers in your area first. If they seem like used car salesmen, you can simply walk back out.
Thanks,

Lloyd

Thanks Lloyd for taking the time to post. I have been putting off aids for many years. I have tinnitus 24/7, and in crowds or noisy places cannot make out much, movie theaters being the worst for me. We have a Costco locally, I'll have to check into it. The cost of the aids has put me off for years... and continues to...

 

[spclark]

My HA are Starkey Halo IQ.

Same here.