Hearing Impaired: What hearing aids do you wear?

[2mnycars]

I'm assuming you're using the wax guards that come in the disk, they're a PITA and I really wish some manufacturers would just stop trying to be "proprietary" and just use what's easiest for the patients.

You're right!
My audiologist fit me in today and spent a lot of time with me.
What he did:
* put my aids on the computer
* took the speakers + wires off. put on new ones
* watched as i changed the little PITA wax guards. did it 5 times; found out my problem.
* gave me a handful of the little black frisky things that hold the wax guards.

I've always used the clear plastic strips to help hold my behind-the-ear hearing aids in place. This is the 3rd pair of Phonaks I've done this with. If I don't hold it back out of the way the wax guard doesn't go all the way into the orifice on the speaker. Then it gets pushed aside and I can't hear sound coming out of the speaker. Hearing aids don't work as my wife said. My fault...old hands, nerve damage and the wax guards are as small as a flake of dandruff. exaggerating a little.

He even called Phonak Canada and told them about my problem. They're here in my town. Answer? I'm the first person in the world that has ever complained.

My audiologist spent over an hour with me today. I'm very grateful. Truly.

I'm 75 and still working. Point is i'm in pretty good shape. However, I have nerve damage in my hands and poor sense of touch; and I have glasses. And my hearing is bad so I wear hearing aids. I can't hear the "click" using the dispenser. The PITA wax guards---they should have considered older users.

Oh....he told me the active vent receivers aren't available in Canada. Chip shortage? Or just not here yet?

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I was at my whit's end last Friday. Used my Swiss Army Knife to remove the jammed wax guards in my Paradise speakers. And left them out.

 

[2mnycars]

as a young lad I made Heathkit stereo amplifiers. I even modified them successfully as my needs changed. Never had a fire!
Bose makes hearing aids now. But they are not available in Canada. It'll only be time before there are other solutions that work. Heck my iPhone 8 is quicker than my old iMac made in 2010!

 

[CartesianProduct2014]

Interesting thread.

As of yet my hearing loss does not cause a significant life impediment to seek help. I compensate with speech to text aids and lip reading. The widespread but temporary use of masks and plastic barriers posed a challenge.

 

[2mnycars]

I waited too long getting hearing aids.
I found in business meetings the talk had moved on before I figured out what was said. I felt stupid. I'm not.

 

[Clix Pix]

OTC hearing aids won't work for me because of my particular situation, but certainly if someone just has mild hearing loss (usually age-related) it is worth trying them out to see if they take care of the problem. If they don't, this is the indication that it is a good idea to make an appointment with an audiologist to get a professional opinion and recommendations for the hearing instruments that will really help.

 

[JonLa]

I’ve got Oticon hearing aids free via Britain’s NHS. They connect great to my iPhone and iPad but the Bluetooth in my old MacBook Air isn’t the right kind. Do the latest MacBooks have the right kind to connect directly or will I need some kind of dongle? Anybody know?

 

[dogbertd]

I’ve got Oticon hearing aids free via Britain’s NHS. They connect great to my iPhone and iPad but the Bluetooth in my old MacBook Air isn’t the right kind. Do the latest MacBooks have the right kind to connect directly or will I need some kind of dongle? Anybody know?

I've been banging on about this for ages to anyone who will listen (ie. nobody).

Apple's hearing aid support only works on iOS (ie. phone and pad) but NOT on macOS (ie. the macbooks). Which to me is nuts, since I find it hard to believe the hardware in a macbook is inferior to that in the iphone, and I don't see why the software should be inferior either. Doubtless there is some bloody licensing issue at the heart of this, but the upshot is that to get a connection to my aids using my macbook, I need to use an external dongle.

I wear a BAHA, so the dongle I use is this Cochlear mini-mike, however for a BTE (your oticons) this may not work. Perhaps your audiologist could help? Good luck!

 

[Clix Pix]

I wear bilateral BAHAs but when I want to listen to something (music, a video, etc.) on the computer most of the time I simply use my bone-conduction headphones, which work really well for me, since I don't always have my BAHAs on at home (I live alone, no real need, no one to talk to).

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

Good to see this thread still alive.

I've been banging on about this for ages to anyone who will listen (ie. nobody).

Apple's hearing aid support only works on iOS (ie. phone and pad) but NOT on macOS (ie. the macbooks). Which to me is nuts, since I find it hard to believe the hardware in a macbook is inferior to that in the iphone, and I don't see why the software should be inferior either. Doubtless there is some bloody licensing issue at the heart of this, but the upshot is that to get a connection to my aids using my macbook, I need to use an external dongle.

I wear a BAHA, so the dongle I use is this Cochlear mini-mike, however for a BTE (your oticons) this may not work. Perhaps your audiologist could help? Good luck!

One of the huge benefits I've found with Phonak line of hearing aids (Marvel, Paradise, and now Lumity) is that they bypass Apple's proprietary Bluetooth stuff for hearing aids, and just use normal Bluetooth. Unthinkable for hearing aids of the past due to battery draw, but Phonak has figured it out and is still the only hearing aid maker that has been able to pull it off. Phonak paradise hearing aids to two iPhones (personal, work) and my Mac. I love it. Having previously been on the Made for iOS hearing solution, this has been much better and much more versatile.

 

[Hallstar]

I’m in the UK and have NHS issued Phonak Naida V-70 SP - BTE.

I have been wearing HA’s in both ears since my early 20’s (I’m now 43)

I had Siemens models early on, but mostly I have had Phonak.

**UPDATE**

Toward the end of last summer I raised a concern with my audiologist that I was struggling more and more with the Phonak Nadia’s and was at the point that I was mentally exhausted from the poor performance they were delivering.

I was subsequently fitted up with Signia Stretta UP-A and after a strange week during which my brain calibrated to them, I felt like a new person. They are fantastic HA’s that have BT built in and a companion app that works very well..

If you’re in the UK and have NHS provided HA’s, I definitely recommend talking to your audiologist about the Signia’s.

 

[Mac47]

I currently have Resound Enzo GN 998-DW hearing aids from about 4 years ago. They are nice, and play well with my iPads and iPhone. My one wish is that I could stream from my Apple Watch S5 so that I could go for walks and listen to podcasts without bringing my phone — and, indeed, could take phone calls on my watch without my phone.

I have a severe hearing loss, so I need high-powered BTE aids with 675 size batteries. I’m not sure if there are any such aids that can stream from an Apple Watch directly without an iPhone.

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

I currently have Resound Enzo GN 998-DW hearing aids from about 4 years ago. They are nice, and play well with my iPads and iPhone. My one wish is that I could stream from my Apple Watch S5 so that I could go for walks and listen to podcasts without bringing my phone — and, indeed, could take phone calls on my watch without my phone.

I have a severe hearing loss, so I need high-powered BTE aids with 675 size batteries. I’m not sure if there are any such aids that can stream from an Apple Watch directly without an iPhone.

Phonak Naida Paradise - take a look into this. or Phonak Audeo Lumity with Ultra Power receivers could possibly do it depending on your audiogram. I have a severe-profound hearing loss, and was previously using ReSound, then made the switch to Phonak and never looked back... (Phonak allows you to pair bluetooth with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch - virtually no restriction)

 

[anitak1982]

I just saw this thread. I have a serious hearing loss. I have worn hearing aids for 10 years. I just recently got truhearing HA. These connect to my iPhone too. I can finally actually hear normal which thrills me to no end. These are my 3rd pair and my first time using this brand.

 

[raythompsontn]

I am fortunate that I get hearing aids at no cost to myself. That includes all supplies. Support is also at no cost. Otherwise I could not afford my Current Phonak Audéo Lumity devices.The cost of hearing aids is one of the great rip-offs in the U.S. I have been wearing for about 3.5 years as my hearing has gotten worse. I wish I had known to protect my hearing when I was younger.

I had ear molds created with a pass through opening that makes the sounds more natural. The devices are rechargeable which is a change from my prior models. I can get new devices about every 3 years, at no cost to me, if there has been significant changes in technology or my hearing issues.

 

[dogbertd]

Made for iPhone hearing devices can now pair directly with Mac, so users with hearing disabilities can take calls and have conversations more conveniently.

Hurrah! At last! it looks as if the next MacOS - Sonoma - will finally allow me to hear the sound directly streamed through my BAHA aid on my Macbook Pro in exactly the same way as I can with my iPhone! I'll no longer need to use the horrible dongle.

Terrific news. .... but wait: it seems that all the features of Sonoma will not be available on older, intel-based macs - like mine (old, as in 2019 old). Sigh. Will have to wait and see what actually transpires.

 

[Clix Pix]

Yes, I, too, am pleased that finally I can enjoy music or watching a video wearing my BAHAs instead of the bone conduction headphones I have been using over the past several years. I have a 2021 M1 MBP so I should be able to get great benefit from this.

 

[victoriani]

I’ve got Oticon hearing aids free via Britain’s NHS. They connect great to my iPhone and iPad but the Bluetooth in my old MacBook Air isn’t the right kind. Do the latest MacBooks have the right kind to connect directly or will I need some kind of dongle? Anybody know?

You will need to use the Oticon ConnectClip for now as an intermediary device.

 

[anitak1982]

This is an old thread I know. I have tru-hearing hearing aids that connect with Bluetooth to my iPhone. I now never want to get a set that doesn't connect to my phone. It is just that awesome.