Hearing Aids in 2023 .. Questions

OTC aids are weaker, strictly for beginners.

My hearing isn’t that bad but I’ve been wearing hearing aids for 5 years. Long story how I ended up there but suffice it to say, we wear glasses when we have just slightly imperfect vision. Should do the same for hearing.

High end hearing aids through an audiologist can run $8000 to $12000. That is a huge markup. the audiologist I went to had a hardwood office like a law firm.

Costco sells pretty much the same thing with great customer service. Make sure you get a brand with a hifi music feather. Hearing aids are aimed at those with severe hearing loss and they use AI to make voices easier to understand which is most hearing aid user’s goal. That ruins music. The hifi music setting eliminates the AI and just lets the hearing aid act to fill in the frequencies you have lost--like and equalizer. Music sounds to me like I’m 20 again.

I am currently using the phillips from costco.  Less than $2k.

Jerry

I had to get hearing aids a year ago. Moderate hearing loss. I did a ton of researchand ended up with Widex Moment 440's. Very expensive but they have an app that lets you customize the curve through a series of A/B tests for different listening environments. There are also pre-configured ones but I've set one strictly for listening to my system. I don't know of another brand that has this. I would recommend giving them a try or at least discussing this with your audiologist.

@vonhelmholtz I’m not sure if they’re still available, but growing up I had fully analog hearing aids. My brother wore them and hung onto analog aids for as long as he possibly could. I’m on digital aids. I’ve worn Phonak aids for the last 15 years or so, upgrading along the way. I actually am still wearing my second-to-newest model because it sounds much more natural than my newest ones, which sound processed and mechanical. I can’t say what works for you, but hopefully your audiologist will let you demo a few types. 

I have Signia brand for a year and a half.  They're not perfect or cheap but do have some great features.  They're app controlled meaning I can adjust volume (per ear), bass and treble.  There's also an AI that offers solutions for my approval and then applies them if I like what I hear.  

Their (optional, same app controlled) TV bluetooth dongle plays TV sound direct, no need for captions!  My iPhone plays direct too for music and conversation (dongle not needed) so another big plus there.

The downside? My audiologist advised that there is a feedback protection circuit that can sound like a "phone ringing" and I do hear it at times.  There's a cure and next visit I'll bring it up.  It may involve an upgrade, not sure.

I had prior reservations about hearing aids but no longer.  They add only what I cannot hear, everything else remains.  Mine are behind the ear with split "tulip" tips that are transparent to the lower frequencies.  It's a win-win for voice and music.