Hearing Aids in 2023 .. Questions


My hearing has always been bad and audiologists have told me that they can’t help me. This is because I was born with a loud tinnitus. Now, any loud noise masks frequency bands that are needed to understand speech and I feel more like I’m listening under water. So, I’ve scheduled an appointment with an audiologist, but would like some advice.

Are there hearing aids that you want to wear when you listen to music. I’ve always considered them to provide a low quality audio path. Are there hearing aids that are better than others for listening to music?

vonhelmholtz

I have had very loud tinnitus for many years. I have worn aids for about 15 years now. Do the aids help with the tinnitus? Not as far as I know but I can understand speech better and I have a TV unit that feeds my aids. As soon as my insurance carrier offers the new AI version of my aids (Starkey) I will get them. 

$8000 - $12,000??? I don't know where Jerry gets his hearing aids but I've been getting flagship model hearing aids for 20 years, most recently about 3 years ago, and the most I've paid for them for was $6000/pair. 

I’ve been using Signia’s for the past 5 years or so and they’re a game changer. Absolute necessity in the office, and when I take them off for the day, it feels like jabbing a pair of cotton balls in my noggin. Love their flexibility and sound quality, but haven’t experienced the "phone ringing" that @wlutke  mentioned. I’ve got very mild tinnitus and mild high frequency hearing loss, which are probably related, so what I lose while listening to music is the air and ambience. Your application may be different which will affect your use case.

I now wear them all the time to the symphony and theater performances. Even have worn them to amplified concerts without any problem (the aids automatically compensate for loud noises). But the purist in me (coupled with just my mild hearing loss) takes them off while listening to two-channel in the media room - I just turn it up. The day of reckoning will come for sure as my hearing gets work as I get older: I won’t be able to turn up the volume any more without forcing my family out of the home or pissing off my neighbors. 😏

@christian 

I’ve recalled more detail of the feedback conversation (Hey, I’m 69 and it was a year and 1/2 ago!)  The high frequency gain is borderline max and I may (now do) need a step up to more power.  

I purchased in 2023 Rexton bi-core ITE (in the ear), rechargeable, hearing aids from Costco, Canada. $3400 CAD a pair. These are a custom mold acrylic shell. I use two programs and switch and configure them with the Rexton iPhone app. One program for speech and one for music. For the music program I lower the volume and the treble. Speaker or live music, via HA microphones, is better as the midrange drop is EQd, the electronic circuits are high quality, and there is plenty of bass. I prefer listening to speaker or live music with the HAs in. Bluetooth support is good for control and speech (phone call) but not for music as the bass is filtered out.