I have 2 LOKI Mini's @ $149 ea. FANTASTIC eq's...bought the Loki Max @ $1500....It's already on the way back...The Mini's are more "Musical" Spend $149 and fix your problem.
Results of Actual Hearing Test and Next Steps
Like probably many on this forum I’m getting into that post 60 age where hearing may not hear as well as it once was. To baseline where I stand today, I arranged a professional assessment. Results:
- 10dB loss at 2K Hz
- 20dB loss at 4K Hz
- 20dB loss at 8K Hz
- Word recognition 100% at 70dB
- Sound tolerance to 110dB (that’s loud)
Summary; mild to moderate loss at higher frequencies; muddled conversations in group settings. No urgent need for hearing aids but higher volume may be required for media.
I listen to music mostly at the 70-85 dB range; most theatrical movies and concerts can go as high as 95-100dB which is too loud for me. My McIntosh MA352 has EQ knobs which I rarely use. I prefer direct sound without boosting and play mostly vinyl. Also have EQ in my car.
I tried enhancing EQ settings at 2K and 10K Hz and found it did add more detail; at least it was an agreeable sound. My hope is to avoid hearing aids for as long as possible and still get maximum music enjoyment.
Anybody else encountering this or have some workarounds to suggest?
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@mbmi that's exactly what I did since left and right ears differ in frequency/overall response. Curious as to why you also have 2. The OP using Treble controls while likely not exactly centered at his needed points is likely getting 90% of the correction he could possibly need. It's a hi-fi solution using some very nice gear. Most "audiophile" pre and amps don't have tone. As this is demographically a, shall we say, older persons pursuit, maybe more designers could include them. With bypass for the rest or who don't need them. Without monitor or a process loop its hard to execute. Again, outside the listening chair, pop those aids in if needed. |
The hearing aid recommended by ny audiologist at University of Chicago costs $5600 if I purchase through them. Costco offers the same for $1500. The Costco is also half a mile from my home, vs the 20 mile commute to U of C and the 10 buck parking fee there, which is an issue if one needs adjustments or has issues. I’ve long heard (no pun intended) that Costco was the place to go for hearing aids, but this pretty startling |
@mahler123, Ditto! Can't beat Costco. I went to both Costco and HearUSA yesterday and found similar results. BTW; found similar with optical the same frame with prescribed lenses at Costco were hundreds less than private. Hearing Aid Price: its a bit of apples and oranges; Costco didn't carry the exact same brands as HearUSA. Costco carries Jabra Pro (latest version $1600 and Philips (latest version $1500). 6 month full refund policy. HearUSA carries the Widex and Signia plus an in-house option. Widex and Signa model comparable to Philips were $4550 with a 60 day return policy and this was after my Kaiser $1000 benefit was applied. So figure $5550 at HearUSA. Note: I found Jabra 200's direct from Jabra online store at $1900. Philips (new) on eBay for $2600. Philips, Widex and Signia not sold direct online only Jabra. Consultations: Both Costco and HearUSA technicians advised while I could benefit, I should have limited expectations since my hearing loss is minimal at higher frequency. They both said results are very individual and it can take months to get used to wearing the aids. The Costco tech advised he had patients with musical needs, but he said the aids are optimized for human voice, not music. Even after many fine tuning adjustments and using music mode the results in music applications were mixed. My likely next step is order a pair of Philips at Costco (recommended by tech for me) give it a few months and see how they work. But I may just put this off as the music I listen to sounds just great. For TV / Movies, I have a B&W / Sony 5.2 AV system. I can raise the center channel for vocals or just increase overall volume. The musical presentation with 5.2 is strong and I sometimes lose some background dialogue, but closed captions are an option to just higher volume. |
thanks for that. My actual appointment with Costco is this afternoon (I have to go to work to turn in my laptop, ID Badge, etc in the AM-I retire today). I was at a wind band concert Friday night. It was a great concert, but there was a lot of percussion, and at one point the triangle player (apparently) had a prominent part, whacking the thing, and I couldn’t hear any of it. It’s the first time I’ve noticed any defecit listening to music |
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