What Hearing AIDS do you Recommend

[Tourer]

This is definitely a topic for this section. There seems to be an abundance of older members on this forum and would like some opinions.

At 72 and having worked in an automotive environment all my life, have lost 60% of my high pitched hearing. Am sure 55 years of motorcycling has also contributed.

Have a set of 13 years old $5000 hearing aids that really didn’t help so looking into getting new ones. Thinking with advancements in technology there must be better choices available.

There are so many choices. So if you have them, please give some comments on make and cost. Thanks.

 

[ARtraveler]

I'll be watching too. :bowdown:

 

[linguine]

This is definitely a topic for this section. There seems to be an abundance of older members on this forum and would like some opinions.

At 72 and having worked in an automotive environment all my life, have lost 60% of my high pitched hearing. Am sure 55 years of motorcycling has also contributed.

Have a set of 13 years old $5000 hearing aids that really didn’t help so looking into getting new ones. Thinking with advancements in technology there must be better choices available.

There are so many choices. So if you have them, please give some comments on make and cost. Thanks.

Phonak Aud`eo P90

Got mine thru the V.A. $0.00.

 

[bigbadbrucie]

Another vote for phonak. Don’y know the model name/number. I made the mistake of trying Costco...money wasted. jmho

 

[CopperSpyder]

They have come a long way with them, they now will blu tooth with your TV or Phone etc. so you don't have to have the volume turned way up on the tv. they also filter out background sound much better. So like anything else shop around, do some research, don't be afraid to stop into a hearing aid store and have them show what hearing aids can do now a days; you don't have to buy. Hearing aids have such a large margin in price range $60 to $6000 each and so many types from all in the ear to over the ear and in-between with hundreds of different brands that it makes it imposable to recommend one over the other; it's a personal preference as to how much to spend, type, features you want to have in the aid ect. I like the over the ear type and have had some cheap 300 ones and some 5000 ones, so they all work the 5000 ones that I got from the VA were a little better. Good Luck shopping lets us know what you find.

 

[Old Willie]

I got mine from COSTCO. They connect to my cell phone and really well.

Willie

 

[Bangorbob]

I got mine thru the VA. I believe they are Oticon. I believe if you are a veteran, they will provide hearing at no cost. I could be wrong though.

 

[Columbia]

Costco

 

[Pooch]

Been through 5 sets of hearing aids through the years.

1st set was a Starky analog. You rolled the wheel up/down/off. I loved these aids. Dog chewed one up..non-repairable. Will have to buy new.. the technology is SO improved..

2nd set was a $5,000 Starky digital set that was customized to my hearing wants with 4 programs... 3 years later they were gonners.. unable to repair the tech said.. will have to buy new...but the technology is SO improved...

3rd set was a cheap $2400 Starky pair over the ear. Interfered severely with eyeglasses, hats, helmets and hairbrushes. Quit working... can't be repaired.. will have to buy new... but the technology is SO improved...

4th set I don't remember the brand but was over the ear... absolutely horrible quality plus the tip end pulled off inside my ear and had to go to ear/nose/throat specialist to have it plucked out - doc said she sees LOTS of this problem ... couldn't be repaired... will have to buy new...but the technology is SO improved...

5th set is Resound LT W7... room for 4 programs... these have been the BEST of the digital aids I have purchased. The big part sits in the round bottom part of your ear and the little hearing tip sits in the groove just above that... does not go inside the canal.. therefore cannot pull off inside your ear. With these I can hear forward, to the side, and to the rear with no problems. It has 4 available program spaces.
The only thing I did not care for about them is that they are plainly visible in your ear - although I got the clear rather than the flesh color...I think flesh color looks a little icky but that's just me. However I have learned to live with the look and my hair usually covers over so they are not too readily visible. They take the brown battery.
I could have gotten it in a tad smaller size but that one would take the yellow battery. From past experience I know that the yellow batteries have to be replaced in about 3 days max. Brown batteries can go to 5'sh days maybe. Batteries are not cheap. I do not wear them when on the Spyder but have them with me.

In summary:
No matter what has happened to your 3+year-old aids, the tech will tell you they are not repairable and you must order a new pair. A new pair with all the bells and whistles because "the new technology is SO improved"...yeah, right...
I paid $5,000 for the 5th set in 2019... I am scared to death to find out what they cost now.
Bottom line as far as my experience is concerned: the hearing aid business is quite a racket and one that you can't do anything about if you want to be able to get along in life... you just pays your nickel and you takes your chances..

 

[JayBros]

I too have the Phonak Audeo P90 models courtesy of the VA. I gave most of my hearing to the VC in 1965 and being a career artillery officer hearing loss was just an occupational hazard. I didn't begin wearing aids until 1985 when I could no longer understand professors in grad school. The VA has been great to me for 31 years and I've had all kinds of makes and models. The Phonak brand is the best I've ever had, three different models, with the Audeo P90s the best model ever. I had an Oticon model on trial before the P90s and did not like them. Battery life was poor, less than a week, and I disliked the Bluetooth pairing with my phone. The beauty of the P90s is they are rechargeable, will fully charge in three hours, so they are slimmer and they are Bluetooth paired to my iPhone. I also have a device connected to the TV set that Bluetooth pipes the audio directly into the aids. If the bride wants to read, I mute the TV and the audio still is live to the aids. Best of all, the slim design lets me wear them with my Shoei Neotec II with little to no risk of pulling one out of an ear when removing the helmet. The only downside is the monthly change of the domes and wax traps, but that's just a function of age, large hands and decreased manual dexterity with each succeeding trip around the sun. I have no financial interest in Phonak.

 

[bigbadbrucie]

JayBros. I also have The rechargeable Aids and really like them. As far as replacing the wax guards and domes....I’m all thumbs. The last time I tried to do it I wound up bringing pieces in to my hearing aid specialist, laying the pieces on the counter and saying I NEED HELP. I visit them once a month...NO CHARGE!

 

[TimKW]

I'm also 73 and have been wearing aids since my 50's. Pink Floyd and auto races did me in. Tried in-the-ear Beltones, a few Costco's, and I'm on my 3rd set of over-the-ear Starkey's (Livio AI). What I like about these is the bluetooth from the phone, and TV (with an accessory), and the volume adjust with an app. All the rest is just fluff as far as I'm concerned. It can translate languages, count your steps, gauge your activity level and exercise, adjust for background and wind noise, rechargeable, volume adjustable in several modes, and on and on. It even comes with a remote microphone my wife has tried in a restaurant, but of course I can only hear her when paired to it; everything else is pretty much silent. They run about 6K or maybe 4K with insurance. The biggest gripe I have is that I have not been able to wear them with any of my helmets, except for maybe a half lid (if I had one). What I've had to do to accommodate them is to just remove and place them in a foam sleeve I have in the glove box. I'm able to turn up the volume on my NCom loud enough to hear music, other paired riders, and my wife on the back. Unfortunately this is probably not helping the hearing loss. I even tried some cheap, tiny, in ear aids that just upped the volume, but they didn't fit well, fell out as soon as I removed my helmet, and got sent back. So, as far as a recommendation, I do like the Starkey product (for reliability and features), but as far as compatibility with full or modular helmets, I have no idea what would work. Maybe I'll try that Neotec II on the next helmet rotation. Keep in mind that (and I think this is nationwide) you can try some out for at least 30 days and still return at no cost. Even the cheap ones. Good luck! Hearing loss can be greatly improved with the technology that's out there.

 

[2dogs]

What was that you said? huh Oh yea, I'll second the motion and vote for Phonak in the canal type. I don't wear mine with my helmet on unless I'm going store to store shopping. The volume on my Sena's can make up for my hearing loss in longer rides.

 

[rtotten]

I have had many sets of hearing aids from the VA. The latest and greatest is from Starkey, their Livio AI rechargeable model. I like them pretty well, I like them because they are rechargeable, and hate them because they are rechargeable. Sometimes when trying the get them to get sit one the recharging post correctly can be a pain as it may take several attempts. They advertise that they is completely in the ear, but mine is not. Glad that I get them for free, Thank you VA!

 

[woods]

Unitron - rechargeable or battery; tv connector (I don't miss nuthin no more); hands free smart phone calls; blue tooth to phone for music (hearing lyrics again); self adjusting; and several pre programs. They work well when riding, and I can wear then in the sled helmet. Cost $4500

 

[Bangorbob]

I have had many sets of hearing aids from the VA. The latest and greatest is from Starkey, their Livio AI rechargeable model. I like them pretty well, I like them because they are rechargeable, and hate them because they are rechargeable. Sometimes when trying the get them to get sit one the recharging post correctly can be a pain as it may take several attempts. They advertise that they is completely in the ear, but mine is not. Glad that I get them for free, Thank you VA!

Did you get them from the VA hospital on Pecos? I got me rechargables 2 yrs ago. When did you get your new ones.

 

[azprince]

Try Audien hearing aids. Not real expensive and good performance. I tried a few others but have settled on these. Been wearing them for two years.