Hearing Aids, Who has them, and What do you recommend?

[DavidMcmillan]

I have to finally admit that things are wearing out. After tests with two different doc's, I am now in the market for a set of hearing aids.

So, I'm looking for recommendations. I didn't realize I could buy a nice used pickup for what a set of these things cost.

Comments?

 

[Jon3830]

I have had them for a little over 10 years and I haven't had a pair I like yet.

 

[DavidMcmillan]

I have had them for a little over 10 years and I haven't had a pair I like yet.

Well that's helpful! LOL

 

[Jon3830]

Well that's helpful! LOL

Starkey is the brand I have liked the most the Beltones I had were uncomfortable and they went through batteries really fast.

 

[DRC458]

I've been wearing them since last November. I'm sorry, but I think they were the biggest waste of the largest amount of money in my entire life. I went back countless times and had them fine-tuned. I suppose they are kind of a blessing and a curse at the same time. Mine are Oticon Nera Pro. They can supposedly adjust every way imaginable. Turn up this frequency, turn down that one. Enhance this, suppress that. Mine are behind-the-ear, so they are no help whatsoever on the phone. They still can't tune out those offensive noises/sounds that you would just as soon not hear, or barely hear. I'm better now than the first couple of months, but still. Rattling paper - really annoying. Blender about sends me through the roof. I don't know what to recommend. I don't know how profound your hearing loss is, but I wouldn't even consider it unless my hearing loss was really severe. And, yes, several doctors/specialists told me I needed them. Some days I just don't even put them in and I think I'm just about as well off. Sorry. I wish you the best. Please do let me know what aid you wind up with, and how pleased you are with them.

 

[SPDguns]

CAN YOU REPEAT IN ALL CAPS? I CAN"T HEAR YOU..... Seriously, I need 'em and don't know of anyone who has then that likes 'em. At this point, it's just easier for me to walk around and say "hunh??"

 

[ronny]

Starkey are pretty good. I'm on my second pair. My hearing really sucks. If you have serious problems, don't get your hopes up too much. I have high frequency loss and it really makes conversation difficult.

 

[dennishoddy]

I have been through many models/brands over the last 40 years. What I've found out is that the audiologist will smugly tell you what you need depending on your hearing results, never listening to your protests that type didn't work before, so why would this work now? It falls on deaf ears. (sorry about the pun)
What they think and never understood is that not all people work in AC office environments. Some of us spent our careers in extreme heat conditions like power plants, flightlines, and un-airconditioned machine shops after loosing hearing. Sweat is the enemy of hearing aids. It kills the batteries when the battery pocket fills with sweat, effectively shorting out the battery. Those things aren't cheap.

There are aids out there that are almost waterproof, but for some reason the audiologist dismiss them. I don't understand why...... well, maybe I do. They can't sell another set. (sorry if I'm offending any responsible audiologists)

I've had Phone aks, Starkey, and others I can't remember.

My latest is the Starkey Halo. Pretty impressive except for the lack of being waterproof/resistant in the battery compartment. It burns through batteries like all the rest when sweating. Its behind the ear, small, and the difference for a lot starts here. The mic is in the ear. Most of the others have the mic in the ear piece and a hollow tube into the ear to carry the sounds.
The pickup mikes are in the aid behind the ear. It has one for forward hearing and another for hearing from behind. The Halo, will Bluetooth into your IPhone currently via an app on the phone. I can select what volume I want for each ear, and introduce filters for being in crowds, restaurants, etc that block out some of the background noise. The phone can also be set across the room and used as a mic in front of a speaker in a meeting, so it will blue tooth back to the user.

It also has GPS capabilities that can be programmed. Say you have to go into a room that is constantly noisy on a daily basis. You can program in the GPS location with one touch and tune the aids to the frequency you want to hear in that location. When you leave that location, it resumes normal programming automatically without user interface.

They also act as ear buds. I can play Pandora over them via Bluetooth, or program them to answer the IPhone which is handy. Put the phone in the front pocket, walk around or drive hands free.

When mowing or doing something noisy where I'll sweat, they come out and ear plugs or muffs go on. (when getting an a$$ chewing from the wife, pull them, and keep an attentive look on your face, and it will pass)

So yes, you can buy a used pickup for the price of these, but the quality of life is so much improved that I can't imagine being without them.

 

[DRC458]

Now, Dennis' Starkey Halo sounds like something I could live with! Don't need all that stuff but parts of it sure would be nice!

 

[dennishoddy]

I forgot it also has a feature to help find lost aids. (As long as the battery compartment is closed)
When that feature is activated via the app on your iPhone a screen pops up with a signal strength bar. The closer one gets, the more bars are displayed. Actually had to use it once when going through heavy brush. A small limb caught it and slingshot it. Would have never found it otherwise.