Hearing Impaired: What hearing aids do you wear?

[jordii]

for those of us without insurance backing to cover the hearing industry's obscene profit margins, these approaches become necessary.

I hear you, but the Even H4 headphone is $149....just fifty more bucks. Much better quality, much tighter hearing profile/correction, much more versatile (that box you're using isn't super portable).

Nura hasn't released its Nuraloop ear buds yet, but I'd imagine they'd cost around the same price. Nura's headphones are out of range at $399, but they offer a $15/month installment plan.

Also, to reiterate, there are a jillion apps for iPhone that will apply EQ any signal, and won't add much noise, and will offer more bands, while costing a fraction of the $99. I can't recommend one, you'd need to google around.

 

[a2jack]

Jordii. Yeah ! That one looks good. I like the wired option. Price is high end, but I am in the market for better headphones, so I will look into this. I signed up, so there is a discount. LOL

Any thoughts on the 32 ohm impedance ? Bette than what I have, but I see most high end headphones run higher. Yes, I under stand Matching.

Good post. Thanks. a2

 

[a2jack]

Here's some reviews on Even H-4 headphones. Looking good.

EVEN H4 Personalized Audio Bluetooth Headphones, Over Ear, Built-in Mic, 24-Hour Battery, Wireless, Customized Hearing Profile

We all hear differently. Yet traditional headphones are all one-sound-fits-all. Welcome to EVEN - a new headphone brand with cutting-edge, patented technology that learns and adapts music to your unique hearing. The EVEN H4 over-ear headphones provide outstanding sound quality that is customized ...

www.amazon.com

 

[a2jack]

One day sale today on EVEN h4. At Best Buy for $99. a2

Ordered a set today. I will report here on my results. a2

 

[a2jack]

The music died, for me ,about about 10 years ago. It came back yesterday.

Thank you @jordii .

The EVEN A-4's worked like magic. a2

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

The music died, for me ,about about 10 years ago. It came back yesterday.

Thank you @jordii .

The EVEN A-4's worked like magic. a2

Not sure those qualify as hearing aids, but glad you’re hearing music better.

 

[a2jack]

If it aids your hearing... It's a hearing aid. But, according to the industry, it's not a hearing aid unless they sell it for many $,$$$. LOL. a2

 

[Rosedala]

@victoriani. Thank you for reviving this thread.

There are many members on MR with hearing loss but few posts.

I, like many others, have no Insurance that covers hearing. All is cash out of pocket.

Most full hearing people view other folks hearing loss as an aggravation... And it is, without a doubt.

We talk too loud, misunderstand others communication attempts, and are just plain a PIA.

My years of dealing with the hearing industry, including the docs, have shown their main interest is in selling disgracefully over-priced hearing aids.

I have found a couple of work-arounds that have helped over the years, including lower cost hearing devices. If there is interest here I will post more later. a2

Hello All. a2jack, your post says so many truths about us who suffer hearing loss. I just joined this forum and read all the most enlightening comments from everyone. Some names of the hearing conditions and other terminology were unknown to me so tried googling some. But I hesitated to post here as I haven’t yet gotten my most needed aids so without this experience I couldn’t be of help (maybe this is why others aren’t posting?). Reason I haven’t is I find it too difficult to find the right ones AND invisible ones despite my being a very old senior! Ah vanity thou follow me to the grave! lol Also like you a2, I distrust the doctors AND the hearing aids from the “scentists” to manufacturers to distributors to dispensers and so on.

However, I’ve surpassed the degree of tolerance of my friends and now I’m urging myself to get up, update my testing and definitely start trying some aids to find the right ones once and for all. Even though I can’t help others with hearing aids experience, may I express my problem here and ask for your help?

It’s been mentioned that’s better to see an ENT first? I went to a Doctor of Audiology at Audio Health Hearing Centers near me in NYC. He tested and gave me the report, and after diagrams and other hieroglyphics, the Summary: “Pure tone testing indicates moderate to moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss bilaterally. Word recognition is fair bilaterally. Tympanograms are within normal limits bilaterally.

I understand there‘s not much to discuss once we know we are hearing deficient, but nevertheless I expected him to explain a little the meanings of those signs and widgets, as to which types would fit my case, etc. He was polite but uninterested and gave me their brochure with only 2 types of aids with prices and some promotional offers. I had gone to him with renewed hope of fixing my audio and show my friends how I can stop irritating them with my “whats?”…but came out depressed and again lost interest in the struggle to fix my problem.

Does anyone think testing at Hunter’s College, Center for Communication Disorders, School of Health Sciences, is a good idea? I was tested there about 3 years or so ago. Their testing was very thorough also testing some areas on my head, forehead, etc. And gave me a 3-page report where besides the diagrams they explained under these titles: Otoscopy; Pure Tone Testing; Speech Audiometry; Acoustic Immittance Testing; Otoacoustic Emissions; Speech-Language-Voice. And then a “Diagnostic Summary”. I know they’re probably students, but closely supervised, and I see my Report was signed by 3 persons two of whom were doctors showing next to their names: “AuD, CCC-A Center Director”, another: “AuD, CCC-A Supervising Audiologist.” and the third one: BS ED Student Clinician.

They also wrote they’re giving me a list of hearing aid dispensers, I don’t know what relationship there is between this Hunter College Dept. and the dispensers, but I seem to have lost the list. Please forgive the lengthy of this post… :d

Will appreciate very much any ideas so I can get started on the right foot this time? ? Rosedala

P.S. “I have found a couple of work-arounds that have helped over the years, including lower cost hearing devices. If there is interest here I will post more later. a2.” I’m interested and look forward to reading it. Thank you.

 

[Clix Pix]

One thing it is important to understand is that hearing aids are prescribed and dispensed for specific conditions, so that the patient gets the most benefit from them. There are various types of hearing loss caused by different situations, so for example, someone with sensorineural loss has the need for a different type of hearing aid than someone with conductive loss. The primary benefit which should be derived from hearing aids, of course, is the ability to hear speech and to be able to understand what is being spoken. That is not always attainable, though, and if there is major hearing loss (i.e., profound deafness) hearing aids may not be sufficient, in which case a patient may have cochlear implants recommended.

Since it seems as though your hearing loss has been progressive, and it has now been a while since you last had a hearing check, yes, you should make an appointment and have another audiology exam. Seeing an ENT first can be helpful, as many ENT practices have an audiology office affiliated with them. Those offices usually will dispense the appropriate hearing aid after testing has been done and the ENT has certified medical necessity.

 

[Rosedala]

Thank you so much Clix Pix for your advice, I'll look for a good ENT physician that's associated with an audiology center which I should've done in the first place. Since I'm very healthy, except age causing little things here and there like dry eyes, etc., I imagine my hearing deficiency is similarly caused by my age. However, I like your idea of seeing an ENT doctor and having a deeper examination of the ear as opposed to of the hearing itself.

It's just as well since when I called the Hunter's College for that thorough testing, I learned they're totally closed until new notice.

Thanks again.

 

[dogbertd]

Very interesting thread. I was born with bilateral microtia (ie. no external ears and almost no middle ear) so I can hear things naturally only if they get through my increasingly thick skull. But I have a BAHA! The most fabulous invention of the 20th century (for me) it vibrates sounds through my skull and Lo! I can hear! I've had BAHAs of one sort or another since 1990. Am now on the Cochlear BAHA 5, which is probably the best of the lot so far.

Apple's commitment to assistive technology is terrific, and it means that with my iPhoneX and iPad I can stream directly to my BAHA. What I find completely bizarre, however, is that I cannot do this with my Macbook Pro. No such streaming support - I have to resort to an external dongle ("wireless mini microphone") - for a laptop that already has bluetooth and wifi. How do the iPhone/Pad connect to my BAHA - magic moonbeams? Why can't I stream directly from my Macbook? Seems completely bonkers to me.

 

[Clix Pix]

Hi, Dogbertd, fellow BAHA wearer!!!! Bilateral atresia/microtia here as well, and have been wearing BAHAs since 2001. A huge life-changer, as prior to that I'd worn bone-conduction hearing aids. Started out with the BAHA Compact, then went to the Divino, and from there to the BP 100. In October 2019 I got the BAHA 5, which I love, and am sticking with that for a while, not really enthused about the new Osia, which seems targeted more towards people with single-sided deafness and such. Also I am not keen on the idea of another surgery to implant the "paddle" thingy. I'm perfectly happy with my little screws in there, and the abutments.

Streaming right from my BAHAs really blows my mind -- amazing technology! I have not bothered setting up my wireless mini mic with the computer, though, as it's just as easy to use the bone conduction headphones I've had for a while. I don't really need to set up the thing with the TV, either, I just use my BAHAs on their own. I agree that it would be nice to be able to stream directly from the TV or the MBP to the BAHAs without needing to use an external device. I'm not complaining, though -- I'm still enthralled by what I CAN do with these little BAHA 5s!

In the US we have to pay for our BAHAs, so that can be an issue for some users, given the price tag on these things. Insurance will cover in some cases, but not all, and Medicare (for someone aged 65 and older) covers once someone is receiving it. You are fortunate in Scotland to have the NHS and coverage of your hearing devices!

 

[dogbertd]

In the US we have to pay for our BAHAs, so that can be an issue for some users, given the price tag on these things. Insurance will cover in some cases, but not all, and Medicare (for someone aged 65 and older) covers once someone is receiving it. You are fortunate in Scotland to have the NHS and coverage of your hearing devices!

Well, we do pay for the NHS too: it's called taxation ?

I'm interested to hear that you got on well with the Aftershoks, have to admit I tried them but couldn't really get them loud enough not to annoy everyone else in the room...

 

[Clix Pix]

I live alone so am able to turn up the volume on my AfterShokz as loudly as I please.....but, yes, that's why I don't use them out in public, as everyone around me would be treated to whatever music I was listening to! I love the AfterShokz, and have both BT and wired versions. They are much more comfortable than "cans" and are significantly lighter weight, with better ability to get the volume I need.

I enjoy listening to music in the car, too, and for that, once again Apple is useful, with Apple CarPlay and also the ability to use BT. No more carrying around a case full of CDs! My iTunes library is available at the touch of a button....

 

[drdudj]

for years i noticed a slight decrease in my hearing ability, and then about 8 years ago my hearing was starting to get to the point where i needed to do something about it. turning the volume higher up on the tv and the wife asking, "Why?" and gradually the volume had to be jacked up higher and higher, and along with that, a lot of, "what, what did you say?" so i made an appointment at the local VA, and was diagnosed with 10% hearing loss in both ears. this loss was attributed to my being stationed on a destroyer during the vietnam war, and so i was compensated and approved for hearing aids. i am currently on my 2nd set of hearing aids, these being the Oticon Ope S1 miniRITE's with a tinnitus program to help override that horrible high frequency ringing in my head that comes and goes. but the biggest improvement is the bluetooth capabilities for not only the iPhone, but the tv adapter that pumps the tv audio directly to the hearing aids. now the tv can be at a low volume for the wife or family and friends, and i can jack the volume up in my hearing aids. when the wife tries to talk to me about something i have no interest in i'll tell her, "sorry, got my ears on!" LOL

 

[Bluetoot-]

ReSound Linx 3D; for my moderate, one-sided hearing loss (congenital) it does the job. I would probably need to pair it with therapy of some sort but at this point it’s not really worth it.

forgot to add: I have mid-range hearing loss, so voices are a real chore. The hearing aid and a warranty cost $1,700

 

[Mac47]

Heriditary hearing loss here, severe, running on my father’s side of the family and affecting also two of my kids.

I got new hearing aids in 2017. They are ReSound Enzo2 998DW, in both ears. They work beautifully with a streamer device connected to my iMac, as well as with my iPads (Mini 2 and 2020 iPad Pro 12.9) and iPhone 6s+.

In fact, Apple’s hearing aid support has enabled me to have a new career as an online teacher, and I like it better than in-person classroom teaching.

I just wish my Apple Watch 5 would stream audio to my hearing aids too. Unfortunately, it uses low-power Bluetooth, and the ReSound aids require a different sort.

I also live in British Columbia. The government paid for my aids, which were top of the line when I got them. Earmolds are also affordable.

 

[A.Goldberg]

Heriditary hearing loss here, severe, running on my father’s side of the family and affecting also two of my kids.

I got new hearing aids in 2017. They are ReSound Enzo2 998DW, in both ears. They work beautifully with a streamer device connected to my iMac, as well as with my iPads (Mini 2 and 2020 iPad Pro 12.9) and iPhone 6s+.

In fact, Apple’s hearing aid support has enabled me to have a new career as an online teacher, and I like it better than in-person classroom teaching.

I just wish my Apple Watch 5 would stream audio to my hearing aids too. Unfortunately, it uses low-power Bluetooth, and the ReSound aids require a different sort.

I also live in British Columbia. The government paid for my aids, which were top of the line when I got them. Earmolds are also affordable.

It’s always shocked me that US Medicare does not cover hearing aids, however finally as of 2020 many Medicare Advantage plans starting covering them.

Hearing seems like a pretty fundamental health and wellness issue, particularly for those who have not lived their entire life hearing impaired.

The lack of coverage creates a ridiculously overinflated cash-only market, where the average hearing aid set costs $100-150 to manufacture in China and yet the average price in America is $2500, with prices only increasingly despite a lot of the underlying technology being well established. It’s one of the few pieces of (what is essentially) consumer electronics that have routinely increased in price, more than doubling in a decade, despite relatively minimal technological advancements, relatively speaking. It’s a racket, much like our drug prices here. And that’s before we get into the potential scamming of elders.

It’s much like glasses- the average pair of glasses costs what, $400-600 at a retail optician, when they literally cost $20.

My grandfather got hearing aids less than 10 years ago- $2000 or more as I recall. Unfortunately he never used them because they were too small for him to handle, especially when it came to replacing the batteries. It’s painful to watch how hearing loss isolates people in conversation.

Thankfully he got a new pair with rechargeable batteries and now has a full time, live in home health aid who can help him out with them. I think his quality of living has increased immensely now that he can hear.

If it hasn’t been done already, someone should start the Warby Parker of hearing aids- make a product compatible to the traditional brands and undercut them on the price by 80%. Or insurance should start covering them.

 

[2mnycars]

Fascinating thread.
I'm hearing impaired. Canadian. My second set of hearing aids hasn't worked out. I've fired the audiologist. Found a new one....
Let's see how this goes....
Dave

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

It’s always shocked me that US Medicare does not cover hearing aids, however finally as of 2020 many Medicare Advantage plans starting covering them.

Hearing seems like a pretty fundamental health and wellness issue, particularly for those who have not lived their entire life hearing impaired.

The lack of coverage creates a ridiculously overinflated cash-only market, where the average hearing aid set costs $100-150 to manufacture in China and yet the average price in America is $2500, with prices only increasingly despite a lot of the underlying technology being well established. It’s one of the few pieces of (what is essentially) consumer electronics that have routinely increased in price, more than doubling in a decade, despite relatively minimal technological advancements, relatively speaking. It’s a racket, much like our drug prices here. And that’s before we get into the potential scamming of elders.

It’s much like glasses- the average pair of glasses costs what, $400-600 at a retail optician, when they literally cost $20.

My grandfather got hearing aids less than 10 years ago- $2000 or more as I recall. Unfortunately he never used them because they were too small for him to handle, especially when it came to replacing the batteries. It’s painful to watch how hearing loss isolates people in conversation.

Thankfully he got a new pair with rechargeable batteries and now has a full time, live in home health aid who can help him out with them. I think his quality of living has increased immensely now that he can hear.

If it hasn’t been done already, someone should start the Warby Parker of hearing aids- make a product compatible to the traditional brands and undercut them on the price by 80%. Or insurance should start covering them.

The lack of coverage by Medicare is due to the fact that age related hearing loss is 100% a given in those over 70. There are no odds to play there, they theoretically could end up paying out for everyone over 65. They would have to cap the cost like Medicaid does ($282), in which the hearing aid manufacturers set aside "Medicaid eligible" hearing instruments. So you would get what the federal government is willing to pay for, which ain't much.

In 1998 hearing aids were analog, the were a basic microphone, amplifier, and volume wheel. The patient sat all day turning it up and down. Today hearing aids are digital, programable (can adjust on the computer), Bluetooth, lithium ion, with directional microphones and multiple forms of noise cancellation. The processing power of some of these devices would blow your mind. And they have to design it in as small of a package as they can, because no one wants a huge hearing aid. I would say there been quite a lot of technological advancements.

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

Fascinating thread.
I'm hearing impaired. Canadian. My second set of hearing aids hasn't worked out. I've fired the audiologist. Found a new one....
Let's see how this goes....
Dave

What exactly didn't work out with the second set of aids if you don't mind me asking?

 

[2mnycars]

I can't hear at home.
I can't hear at work, whether it's in the office or in the construction areas I am project manager at.

Watching tv I sit very close; yet I constantly ask for intervention and explanation of what has been said.

The *fired* audiologist sold these hearing aids. I have told her many times that I can't hear, and can't understand what's been said. She has constantly turned up gain. Yet high frequencies haven't been boosted at all. They substituted an open dome almost immediately for a semi closed dome. Twice they have imposed closed domes that are uncomfortable. The supplied HA's are bottom end. The device I use for streaming with my iPhone (ComPilot by Phonak) is an irritant. Their suggestion: turn up the volume on the ComPilot. My solution: remove the closed dome. Use first semi closed (which I had) then fully open domes. Now I can hear moving equipment behind me. That's life and death on construction....the HA's were supplied by workman's comp due to exposure to noise.

the new audiologist is pursuing better ha's that will work bluetooth with the iPhone. It's a request....if it's not honoured then it will be two years before new ha's and hopefully they will work better.

Under Ontario law they compensate the user every 5 years.

I can't hear music such as cymbals at all.

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

I can't hear at home.
I can't hear at work, whether it's in the office or in the construction areas I am project manager at.

Watching tv I sit very close; yet I constantly ask for intervention and explanation of what has been said.

The *fired* audiologist sold these hearing aids. I have told her many times that I can't hear, and can't understand what's been said. She has constantly turned up gain. Yet high frequencies haven't been boosted at all. They substituted an open dome almost immediately for a semi closed dome. Twice they have imposed closed domes that are uncomfortable. The supplied HA's are bottom end. The device I use for streaming with my iPhone (ComPilot by Phonak) is an irritant. Their suggestion: turn up the volume on the ComPilot. My solution: remove the closed dome. Use first semi closed (which I had) then fully open domes. Now I can hear moving equipment behind me. That's life and death on construction....the HA's were supplied by workman's comp due to exposure to noise.

the new audiologist is pursuing better ha's that will work bluetooth with the iPhone. It's a request....if it's not honoured then it will be two years before new ha's and hopefully they will work better.

Under Ontario law they compensate the user every 5 years.

I can't hear music such as cymbals at all.

Without knowing your hearing loss or your word recognition ability, I'm assuming you have a decent amount of high frequency hearing loss. Phonak hearing aids have some of the worst feedback cancellation in the industry, doesn't matter if they're lower end or high end, they all use the same feedback management algorithm in all their hearing instruments. Which means if they keep open domes on your hearing aids and turn up the highs (if the software allows), you end up with whistling (feedback). Closing things off means they have more useable gain with less chance of feedback, at the expense of taking away your normal/near normal low frequency hearing. They ran a measurement with the hearing aids in your ears the first time they put them in that measures just how much sound is leaking out of your ear canal, Phonak's software will limit high frequency gain very aggressively if too much is escaping. This in turn cause you to not be able to hear all the consonants that get you a lot of money on Wheel of Fortune, hence the lack of clarity. Patient will always prefer the feel of open domes vs. closed.

 

[drdudj]

I can't hear at home.
I can't hear at work, whether it's in the office or in the construction areas I am project manager at.

Watching tv I sit very close; yet I constantly ask for intervention and explanation of what has been said.

The *fired* audiologist sold these hearing aids. I have told her many times that I can't hear, and can't understand what's been said. She has constantly turned up gain. Yet high frequencies haven't been boosted at all. They substituted an open dome almost immediately for a semi closed dome. Twice they have imposed closed domes that are uncomfortable. The supplied HA's are bottom end. The device I use for streaming with my iPhone (ComPilot by Phonak) is an irritant. Their suggestion: turn up the volume on the ComPilot. My solution: remove the closed dome. Use first semi closed (which I had) then fully open domes. Now I can hear moving equipment behind me. That's life and death on construction....the HA's were supplied by workman's comp due to exposure to noise.

the new audiologist is pursuing better ha's that will work bluetooth with the iPhone. It's a request....if it's not honoured then it will be two years before new ha's and hopefully they will work better.

Under Ontario law they compensate the user every 5 years.

I can't hear music such as cymbals at all.

I have the Oticon Ope S1 miniRITE hearing aids and if there's a better one out there I don't know what it would be. I love these HA's, bluetooth to the iPhone and so easy to hear the other person. bluetooth to the Oticon tv adapter that let's me crank up the volume to what ever level I want without it affecting the in room tv volume, solving a lot of problems with me not being able to understand low level conversations on the tv. if there is a downside (don't know why that would be..lol) it is that while I have my HA's cranked up to hear the tv, I can't hear the wife most of the time. ahhhh, too bad! LOL. if you can your insurance to provide you with the Oticon Ope S1 miniRITE's you won't be disappointed. get the t.v. adapter too.

 

[2mnycars]

Thanks. Something I can understand. Much appreciated.

means a lot.
DaveL
Toronto