Any Audiophiles Here Have Experience with Hearing Aids?

@2psyop, thanks for the response.  I have to admit that it seems counterintuitive that hearing aids would make a system actually sound better, given that there is no way that that little miniaturized amplifier could have anywhere near the fidelity of a high end system.  I would think that the little amplifier in the hearing aids would actually introduce a lot of distortion in what one would hear as far as music goes.  in addition, it seems light one is introducing a little amplifier that will introduce distortion throughout the frequency range, and cut down on intangibles like soundstage, etc.  On the other hand, I can imagine that if the hearing aid just boosts the missing or reduced frequencies in order to correct the frequency response of one's ear, I suppose that it is enhancing frequencies that one would otherwise not hear and therefore, perhaps the distortion effect may not be as significant.  How has it affected your tinnitus?

moto-man

I can speak of my experiences.. understanding others might have a different one and some may be much more skeptical about the therapeutic value of hearing aids.

When I got my first pair of ReSound hearing aids from the VA some 7 years ago they were calibrated and tailored to my hearing loss. After leaving the fitting area and going to my car I had reached for a bag of potato chips on the passenger seat and heard clearly the crinkle of the plastic bag the chips were in. Recently I updated my hearing aids to Resound Nexia and upon putting on my Goretex jacket I heard the crinkle of the jacket (which sounds like a paper bag being smashed down) When I got home I decided to listen to the TV in my living room and I had heard the faint beep of my refrigerator alarm in the kitchen which tells me I didn’t fully close the door. These are sounds I was not hearing. The sounds that fall within the frequency range I happen to have a deficiency in. Later when I listened to music on my stereo, I was hearing sounds I had not been hearing (for who knows how long). I don’t really think about hearing aid amplifier distortion, I think about re-listening to music and hearing all that is there... that I have been missing.

@2psyop, I just had my audiogram yesterday and although my hearing has stabilized since last year, I am down 70 dB below 125 hz, which my ENT categorized as moderate to severe hearing loss and although I have no problem with recognizing speech, he said that a hearing aid, properly calibrated, will boost the low end and the high end.  I will try one out and see what happens.  I'll probably go for the Widex, which seems to be a popular choice for us aging audiophiles!

@moto_man - if you've got a Costco nearby, you might want to investigate their hearing clinic; I sure did like buying a pair of last year's top-of-the-line Jabra hearing aids there for $1500 instead of the $6000 - $8000 I'd paid at regular audiologists for several hearing aids in the past. Quality is better than my last pair of those as the tech is 4 years more advanced. Appointments are not as convenient, so it's a bit of a tradeoff. 

@moto_man I think you made an intelligent and informed decision. Give the hearing aids a try. I have found mine have not only enhanced my experience with audiophile listening but additionally they have given me much more enjoyment with aid in hearing better…everything else in life.