Hearing problems and speaker upgrade

Also, to those of you with hearing aids, do you listen with them or without them? I know aids are designed for speech but some like my Signia aids have a music setting that the audiologist customizes. I use it occasionally but often listen without the aids, though clearly something is missing - clarity of highs - tho there’s also an edge sometimes so maybe not clear cut. But what do you folks do? 

Im with Mahler123 on this one.  The "HiFi" setting on the hearing aids produces a very high end raised fake presentation of what music really sounds like.

I recently tried a pair of expensive over-the-ear type hearing aids and I am returning them. I hated listening to music through them even though they had a music setting and some EQ on my phone.

They had a tiny microphone on the back of my earpiece and who knows what for a speaker in my ear canal. They sounded terrible. They showed me how much of the highs I have lost, but through the hearing aids the highs did not sound natural or pleasant.

I will consider getting an equalizer for my stereo and some ear bud type of hearing aid for conversation but I was greatly disappointed with the aids I tried.

So much depends on the severity and type of hearing loss you have.  Many people have sensorineural loss of the higher frequencies that can be compensated with programmable digital hearing aids.  Some people have frequency blocks and cannot hear accurately within certain frequency ranges.   Their audophile days are over.  I've had a sensorineural loss of higher frequencies for 30 years and still enjoy my audio experience so it can be done.  Highly recommend staying away from cheap, generic aids that are not programmed to your particular loss.  No hearing aids will fix your loss, but high quality aids programmed by a professional Audiologist can be life changing.  Don't go cheap on aids and continue to be an Audiophile!