Hearing aid selection.

[RalphVa]

You need a COMPLETE hearing test at a hearing doctor's office. Audiologists can do complete hearing tests IF they have the soundproof room like the one I use does. HOWEVER, they typically will not do a bone conductivity test.

A bone conductivity is needed to determine whether you might have otosclerosis, which is a cementing of the stapes inside your ears. This can be fixed with one of the very first miniature surgical techniques ever done. They go through the ear canal, cut and flap the ear drum aside and go in there and chip away and remove the cementing and replace the stirrup with a plastic one and affix it to the back side of the drum. Usually done under general anesthesia now; so, you don't know whether it's successful until the doctor removes the cotton plug in your ear canal and speaks to you and KNOCKS YOUR SOCKS off with his voice. Then you go out and drive your (sounds like) log wagon home. Then, if you're in the basement, and your wife drops a pin 2 floors above, you'll hear it.

Have had both ears done and had GREAT hearing in my right ear for about 15-20 years until it declined some. Had one of those in-the-ear Resound aids for the left ear that wasn't worth a **** until my right ear also needed help. Now have the 2 Starkey aids plus a little $500 remote gizmo to work the 3 programs on them. Can also push a button on the right one to raise volume in both or in left one to lower volume in both. This does not work near as well as the programs the audiologist has installed in the remote.

Ralph

 

[brokenknee]

I thought I would bring this thread back up instead of starting a new one.

I am going to try hearing aids once again. I tried them about 8 years ago and could not get used to them. They were loud and sounded tinny. Phonax was the brand.

I am currently test driving a set of top of the line sonic. What I like is the sound quality is much better than my old Phonax hearing aids. I also liked that he did not program the aids to full volume right a way, but he put in a program were it slowly ramps up over the course of a month. He did have the option of slowly ramp it up over the course of 4 months but said most people can get use to it over the course of a month.

I also like the fact that it can connect to my phone via blue-tooth.

My question is for those of you that have tried the higher end hearing aids, mid range and lower end noticed enough of a difference to justify the additional cost? I believe the lower end was $3500, mid range $$4700 and the high end was $6500. Those prices are for both hearing aids. Two year warranty on the low and mid range and three year on the high end. All three have free adjustment for as long as you own them.

My insurance will cover up to $2700. The high end ones he is letting me try out for two weeks are night and day difference from my old Phonax. But to be fair the Phonax are 8 years old. I want to purchase a good set as if the lower end are no better than the old Phonax I will not wear them and it will be a total waste of money.

 

[Doofy]

I guess you really won't know until you test drive them for a bit. If it takes longer than 2 weeks, the audiologist may extend your time with them. The Wife had a 30 day trial period with her hearing aids.

 

[milkman]

I have a set that is 8 or 9 years old and last year, I got a new set from Costco. My first aids were Audifon and I liked them, then I had my hearing tested again and they told me I needed new aids, $5400 for the pair. I joined Costco and had my hearing tested there, more thorough exam and got new aids like the $5400 set for $1799. The difference is night and day, these new ones are behind the ear and have the receiver in canal. These are controlled by bluetooth and can hear and talk through the aids with Iphone. The new aids at Costco are by AN Resound and they also have a set by Rexton, so they are not some off brand aids. Sure is nice that people have stopped mumbling when they talk.

 

[hslogger]

Hearing aids and the technology are advancing exponentially, I think that is the word.
I have worn them for many years, my most recent set of Phonaks are rechargeable, no battery to change. The microphone is at the end of the wire, ie mic is right in your ear, protected by a wax trap and the rubber dome. The body is behind the ear. I think this set blows the doors off my six year old Phonak that I have stashed incase one of these goes haywire.

This is the second set I have had with a remote control that sort of resembles a garage door opener. It is important to maintain these things. You GOTTA change out the ear pieces frequently because of the wax and sweat and dirt. Too many working gents try and go cheap and don't change that stuff as often as you should. It makes a real big difference.

 

[Bird]

Well, I've probably posted this before, but anyway . . .. I've worn hearing aids for many years now, with my hearing getting progressively worse. So . . .

04/24/1992 - received my first Beltones from an audiologist in Virginia Beach, VA. Cost me $1630.
10/24/2001 - received Starkeys from an audiologist in Corsicana, TX. She lied when she said they were programmable.
They were not; simply sound amplification; nothing more. Cost me $2000.
06/27/2006 - received Beltones from an audioprosthologist in Denton, TX, who knew her business. Cost me $4588.
07/06/2016 - received another new set of Beltones with 4 programs from another audioprosthologist in the same
Denton, TX, office. Cost me $4996.

Now before getting the last pair of Beltones, I tried the behind the ear models and rejected that idea. Seems like a good idea, but I had one fall out and I found it; I was afraid I'd lose one (or both) and not be able to find them. So I've always used in the ear hearing aids. I do keep spare wax guards for my hearing aids, but I haven't had to change any more often than about once a year. Beltones are expensive, but I go back any time I want to, have a new hearing test done in the soundproof booth, have the programming modified a bit, etc. at no additional cost.

 

[Doofy]

I've never been to an Audioproctologist. Did it hurt?

 

[Bird]

I've never been to an Audioproctologist. Did it hurt?

I wouldn't know since I've never been to one of them (audioproctologist, whatever that is) either. Naturally, there are audiologists who tell you that you should ONLY see an audiologist and some say the term "audioprosthologist" should not be used. But I used a genuine audiologist once, in an M.D.'s office as the "experts" say to do. I found that she and her boss were nothing more than incompetent crooks. However, the first audiologist I used was quite competent. And both of the audioprosthologists that I used were very good. They had both been doing that for many, many years, and unfortunately they have both retired now.

 

[Doofy]

I would imagine that it is really easy to get snookered by these so called Audiologists and Audioprosthologists. There is not much info on the internet about hearing loss and hearing aids. Everyone has their own brand and everything seems to be a big secret and mystery.

The Wife has BTE aids that cost $599 each. Her ear canals are tiny any even their smallest tips and tubes are to large. The $6K pair she tried fit better but her hearing improvement was about the same. What a Crapshoot!

 

[milkman]

The audiologist that said I needed $5400 aids also provided free testing and adjustments. The $1799 aids also come with 4 programs and free retesting and adjustment, they also provide the domes and wax guard kit and free one time replacement if lost or the dog chews them up. They have a similar set made by Rexton for $1699 and in KY, there's no sales tax on hearing aids. I also got 4% back for using their Visa card so that almost paid for my membership. If it sounds like I'm happy with the deal, it's because I am, 1/3 the price the hearing aid store wanted.

 

[cdaigle430]

I have the Phonac hearing aids, 3rd set since 2004. I do like the Bluetooth features and they are pretty reliable even in the hot high humid amazon jungle. Just need to put them in the dryer overnight. Soon though my hearing loss will be to great for any hearing aid, just hope some new technology comes along.

 

[Aquamoose]

Hearing aids are like shoes, what works well for one won’t work well for another. Born profoundly deaf since 1969 and wear high powered aids since 3 (but just one ear).

Take my advice & go see an ear, nose, throat specialist to ensure you don’t have any underlying causes then visit a reputable audiologist.

 

[Dftodd]

My daughter in-laws dad spent around $1,400 on a set of hearing aids. Said his worked alright. He was in harbor freight and seen a set, and spent $20 for them. When I saw him, he had the $20 set in. Said they worked better

 

[gwstang]

"This is the second set I have had with a remote control that sort of resembles a garage door opener."

Does that come with a button to mute the wife unit? :laughing: I'll take two!

I'm using one starskey unit for the right ear and it's ok. Not great but ok. I just pretend the battery must be dead so I don't have to pay attention to her babbling....lol

 

[brokenknee]

Hearing aids are like shoes, what works well for one won稚 work well for another. Born profoundly deaf since 1969 and wear high powered aids since 3 (but just one ear).

Take my advice & go see an ear, nose, throat specialist to ensure you don稚 have any underlying causes then visit a reputable audiologist.

I have been to the regular ear doctor about 1 1/2 ago, I put off getting new hearing aids at that time because I knew I would be moving. I went to my local health clinic and they have an audiologist that comes in once a week. What I didn't like about him is he would not tell me how much my insurance would pay and I would have to pay for the hearing aids up front and then they would reimburse me when the insurance company paid them.

I called my insurance company and had them give me another company in the area that they worked with. I made the appointment, had the hearing test and am currently 'test driving" a set of the $6500 hearing aids. I do have to say I like them much better than my old phonax that are either 8 or 9 years old. I am just trying to figure out if it is because the new ones are the top of the line, (according to the audiologist) or it is because hearing aids have just gotten that much better.

When I told him who I worked for he told me how much they covered and had his assistant call to verify it.

At the end of my appointment (which lasted an hour and a half) I told him I would most likely go with the middle priced hearing aid ($4500). He told me to try the ones he fitted me for ($6500) for a couple of weeks first. He told me there was some "wiggle room" on the price. This leads me to believe as others here have already stated that there must be a pretty good profit margin on the hearing aids.

I also talked to my sister who has been wearing hearing aids for about 7 years. She just got a new set from Sams club for $1800. She says she likes them but really didn't know anything about them. Not sure what, if any services she receives after purchase. She didn't even know what brand or if they were blue-tooth compatible. I would also have to call my insurance to see if they would cover for out of network hearing aids. If not, there would not be that much of a savings.