I was displeased why my Costco technician asked me why I wanted to upgrade my 5-year old Kirkland Signature 8.0 hearing aids when they’re working fine. I said to her: 1. I want rechargeable hearing aids as I am tired of buying batteries which aren’t good for landfills. I hated carrying spare batteries and the hassle of changing dead batteries. 2. I was interested in the new technology that modern day HA’s have. 3. My group insurance plan will cover up to $2,000 for new hearing aids every 5 years. The Rexton Bicore Lii RTC cost $2,100 so I only have to dish out $100 of my own money. 4. Lastly, she irritated me when after telling me that my next appointment won’t be until 5 weeks into the future, however my existing hearing aids will get me through until then. She didn’t understand why I was super excited about getting brand new hearing aids.
Thank you Dr. Cliff. I get my hearing aids from the VA for free. Well not exactly free as It was our duty to serve our nation. I currently have the Resound HA and they work but the VA said I was due for an upgrade. I will keep the old ones as a backup. I hope they give me the new Resound ones as they sound like they are again the best of all again. I’m impressed by their technology, and their quality. Thank you for providing us citizens with your instructions and opinions and keeping us well informed on what is available. Real time measurement was one of the best things of all as a few years ago the VA doctor failed to do this. So I requested a different Doctor. Sure glad I did as the new doctor gave me a proper fit and real time measurement and it made a Hugh difference! The original doctor is no longer there as he was finally removed after several complaints by veterans that were mistreated by him. It is very important that veterans follow up on any mistreatment and complain to the top boss. Bad news travels down hill much faster when the right pressure is applied to a jerk.
I currently have resound hearing aids that are 3 years old. These are my first hearing aids so I do not have anything to compare them with. I like the warranty that resound offers but I have needed to use the warranty several time on each side. Are there other brands that offer a 3 year warranty that might last longer? In fairness I work in a very hot boiler room and at first I would just put on earmuffs and I think that I was causing the problem with moisture but after the first couple of repairs I take them out when in the boiler room.
Another reason: Upgrade when your insurance or coverage allows you to do so. Obviously, any of those given are solid reasons for an upgrade. My current pair is beginning to show a little wear, but they’re still solid. This suggests to me that I should consider upgrading in about 8-10 months. New insurance also offers a set amount (USD) for coverage, annually. If I upgrade one ear in December, and the other in January, I’ll might have a new pair of top of line in 15 months. Just more food for thought.
You mentioned regular preventive maintenance. I have had a set of ReSound LINX Quattro for 2 years. My audiologist never mentioned anything about preventive maintenance. As it stands now, I just call for an appointment and go in whenever I get aggravated enough at not hearing very well. At that time he usually makes some computer adjustments, cleans them and replaces the rubber cones on the receiver, and sends me out the door. This could be anywhere from 4 -5 months between visits. What is the recommended or optimum time to have preventive maintenance done? Thank you! And thank you for doing these very informative videos!
Hi Doc. Im from Philippines. May problem is Sudden Hearing loss. Then vertigo.. Now may doctor recommended Hearing test. The result is Profound Conductive hearing loss.. Please help. What should i do??
As for the Vertigo, please talk with your Doctor about the possibility of Meniere's Disease. I had Sudden Hearing Loss with tinnitus and a real increase in Vertigo. My primary care found no ear infection so she referred me to an ENT who on hearing my symptoms told me I had Meniere's and hearing loss. The Vertigo can be helped with watching your sodium intake, using something like valium for severe attacks, and if needed steroid injections through the ear drums all of which I do when needed. this may not be your problem, but please ask to be checked.
Thanks for this, Dr. Cliff. Can you address whether the M&RIE feature would be a good option for stethoscope use? Or how well other solutions such as Bluetooth stethoscopes work?
Hi Dr Cliff... and off topic Q.... I have Kirkland 9.0 purchased roughly 4Q 2019. Recently the left hearing aid seems to cut out or lowers it volume such that right hearing aid is doing most of the work. At times , by opening and closing the battery dept it will start working again. Any thoughts?
Definitely miss the luxury of the pinna effect on my current aids. Also wind noise is a problem. But, I just cant afford another 6 grand or more to upgrade my 2 year old hearing-aids. Hopefully by the time mine wear out, the market price will have improved.
if you could answer my question about tinnitus i would be very greatful, i started hearing crickets from one of the sound therapy videos alongside the ringing in my ear, is this normal? The medical system where i am is worthless so medical imaging and a doctor are several months out.
Dr Cliff is there any use case for a person with moderate to severe hearing loss using over ear headphones (in addition to hearing aids) as opposed to directly using bluetooth. Aside from the obvious like really noisy environments (ie planes).
A few questions/clarifications: 1. Where did you get the 4 year mark from in order to consider new hearing aids? 2. Can you elaborate how a user might quantify "significant difference" in terms of comparing two hearing aids or how to quantify if a new feature is worth while? Are you having them complete APHAB or IOI-HA or aided speech perception in noise to compare these two options? 3. It's been my experience that even a 5+ year old hearing aid can be repaired for under $500 with a one year warranty. if that's the case, how is that not more cost effective than new devices? Wouldn't that warranty cover the "ongoing repair costs? Where is the evidence that hearing aids older than 4 years old need more repairs than newer ones? Thanks in advance for any clarification.
I understand that cost is a barrier for some, but not all. The good news is, you can make a pair of hearing aids last a REALLY long time if you have a good provider who helps you take care of them.
Thanks, Dr. Cliff. As you know, my company still pays for my hearing aids, so these recommendations will work fine for me. Perhaps we should add one more for many people: 6 - Upgrade when you recover financially from the last $7,000.00 that you spent on hearing aids.
Haha exactly! Although my audiologist tells me that generally the base models for 3k have most of the features you need so there are diminishing returns on a 7k spend
Great video with some very important info inside thank a lot! Before you there was nothing on the web.... A remark: i have to admit that i m a bit confused by the fact that some videos are sponsorized: it is a fact that you can not be completely impartial in this case... Nevertheless i take it as it is because i have the feeling that you are transparent in particular because you say you are .. sponsorized 😉. Bye.
Here's the problem with sponsored videos i'd actually want to know what is a more worthwhile feature this or the waterproofing done by the phonak life. Also can you do a video on whether spending the extra 4k on additional features is actually worth it (remembering that you can save it and buy a newer hearing aid in 3 years).
I was very interested in this innovation with ReSound and mentioned it to my VA audiologist. She suggested OTICON, so I'm waiting for that unit to come in. I would be interested in your opinion on the two. I'm convinced the natural penna effect would be superior; however, she is more impressed with the "Nural" aspect of the OTICON product. No doubt, she may not have had sufficient time to evaluate ReSound's newest technology; therefore, she is hesitant. I would like to have the opportunity to try both, but that is not available to me. Your opinion would have value to me, as I believe there is a grace period with the new hearing aids before keeping them.
Mark, I am not an audiologist but recently tried the Oticon More. It is a fine hearing aid but like all other RICs definitely disappoints if you are looking for the penna benefit. I found that it made my high end stereo equipment sound like a high quality monophonic setup. There was no sound stage at all and placing instruments, vocals, etc, was impossible. I also like to accompany my wife when she goes out birding. Although Oticon overcame much of my high frequency hearing loss so that I could hear birds, it was not possible to accurately find them. I am convinced that most RICs are in truth TICs(transmitter-in-canal). I am currently trialing Signia's Insio AX ITC, which is much better than Oticon for penna, but sill not perfect(it does not sit far enough in my ear).
I just got back from Costco and ordered the Kirkland 10 T . I was told, contradicting to you, that Costco blocked the Tinnitus effect on the their hearing aids. You owe it to your listeners to find the truth on their Tinnitus features. I believe you are wrong concerning this major problem.
Yeah...they lied to you. All they have is a white noise masker and no guarantee that they will block the perception of tinnitus. You need to watch more of my tinnitus videos.
Different strokes ... It's a lot like buying a car, innit? (But without the secondary "used" market, unfortunately; on the other hand, when did the VA ever give you a car? 😂) Some people want and can afford the latest model, some like sporty bells and whistles, some choose quality over fancy, and still others just want a basic vehicle that works for the next decade or two. They all need good maintenance, though some don't realize it. So, when, actually? When you have a "good" reason according to your buying style.
I do think you made one mistake if you have a 500 warranty it is cheaper than 6000 aids. I am lucky every 4 years my new aids cost around 440 because I have goo dinsurance with my state job.
Of course purchasing a new warranty is cheaper. So is fixing an old car. The question becomes, is it better to invest that money into a new set of aids or keep repairing an old set over and over?
@@DrCliffAuD I think you could pay for the warranty for a year or two while saving money for rhe next pair. I am lucky the insurance I get with my state job I pay 420 dollars for my new Mores that are on order and wll use my opn as back ups. I can get new aids every four years
Hi Doc, I'm very new to hearing aids and I found the entire process really abysmal. The first and most glaring problem I encountered was that audiologist and the audiologist's helper (salesperson) the is also the vendor for the hearing aids. The second major problem was the hearing aids were selected for me by who knows who. I was never presented with choices/alternatives or options. The third problem I encountered was the audiologist's helper (salesperson) made a point to inform me that if I need help with Bluetooth, I'm on my own. This is very interesting since a lot of the features that the manufacturer brags about requires the use their Thrive cell phone app. My Samsung Galaxy is using Bluetooth 5.0. and the connectivity with my Starkey Evolv AI aids are so sporadic that I've stopped using it. I've contacted Starkey tech support and they walk me through a bunch of steps and say they have never seen this before. Also finding any kind of documentation or specs on these units is near impossible. As a retired IT tech for major corporations for nearly thirty years, I get the impression that the hearing aid industry is a total scam. Especially at the prices they charge. Sorry Doc but that's my impression. By the way, great videos, and information. Thank you and I wish I had been able to find someone like you. The whole experience would likely to be much better.
I was displeased why my Costco technician asked me why I wanted to upgrade my 5-year old Kirkland Signature 8.0 hearing aids when they’re working fine.
I said to her:
1. I want rechargeable hearing aids as I am tired of buying batteries which aren’t good for landfills. I hated carrying spare batteries and the hassle of changing dead batteries.
2. I was interested in the new technology that modern day HA’s have.
3. My group insurance plan will cover up to $2,000 for new hearing aids every 5 years. The Rexton Bicore Lii RTC cost $2,100 so I only have to dish out $100 of my own money.
4. Lastly, she irritated me when after telling me that my next appointment won’t be until 5 weeks into the future, however my existing hearing aids will get me through until then. She didn’t understand why I was super excited about getting brand new hearing aids.
Thank you Dr. Cliff. I get my hearing aids from the VA for free. Well not exactly free as It was our duty to serve our nation. I currently have the Resound HA and they work but the VA said I was due for an upgrade. I will keep the old ones as a backup. I hope they give me the new Resound ones as they sound like they are again the best of all again. I’m impressed by their technology, and their quality. Thank you for providing us citizens with your instructions and opinions and keeping us well informed on what is available. Real time measurement was one of the best things of all as a few years ago the VA doctor failed to do this. So I requested a different Doctor. Sure glad I did as the new doctor gave me a proper fit and real time measurement and it made a Hugh difference! The original doctor is no longer there as he was finally removed after several complaints by veterans that were mistreated by him. It is very important that veterans follow up on any mistreatment and complain to the top boss. Bad news travels down hill much faster when the right pressure is applied to a jerk.
So are you telling us that the Resound One hearing aids are clearly superior in terms of understanding speech as compared to the competition? Thanks.
I've had my Resound's for about 5 years. I've been pleased with them, as has my wife. I wonder about the cost of upgrading.
Will an audiologists buy my present HA as a tade in??
Good info and advice Doc, but how do I convince the VA that my Oticon OPN1 hearing aids need to be replaced? JimE
I currently have resound hearing aids that are 3 years old. These are my first hearing aids so I do not have anything to compare them with. I like the warranty that resound offers but I have needed to use the warranty several time on each side. Are there other brands that offer a 3 year warranty that might last longer? In fairness I work in a very hot boiler room and at first I would just put on earmuffs and I think that I was causing the problem with moisture but after the first couple of repairs I take them out when in the boiler room.
Another reason:
Upgrade when your insurance or coverage allows you to do so.
Obviously, any of those given are solid reasons for an upgrade. My current pair is beginning to show a little wear, but they’re still solid. This suggests to me that I should consider upgrading in about 8-10 months. New insurance also offers a set amount (USD) for coverage, annually. If I upgrade one ear in December, and the other in January, I’ll might have a new pair of top of line in 15 months.
Just more food for thought.
Unfortunately my insurance doesn’t cover hearing aids.
You mentioned regular preventive maintenance. I have had a set of ReSound LINX Quattro for 2 years. My audiologist never mentioned anything about preventive maintenance. As it stands now, I just call for an appointment and go in whenever I get aggravated enough at not hearing very well. At that time he usually makes some computer adjustments, cleans them and replaces the rubber cones on the receiver, and sends me out the door. This could be anywhere from 4 -5 months between visits.
What is the recommended or optimum time to have preventive maintenance done?
Thank you! And thank you for doing these very informative videos!
3-6 months is ideal in my opinion. Of course, everyone has their own opinion.
great information thank you
I wore a pair of starkey hearing aids for almost eight years with very little maintenance. Just goes to show the build quality of those things.
Hi Doc. Im from Philippines. May problem is Sudden Hearing loss. Then vertigo.. Now may doctor recommended Hearing test. The result is Profound Conductive hearing loss.. Please help. What should i do??
As for the Vertigo, please talk with your Doctor about the possibility of Meniere's Disease. I had Sudden Hearing Loss with tinnitus and a real increase in Vertigo. My primary care found no ear infection so she referred me to an ENT who on hearing my symptoms told me I had Meniere's and hearing loss. The Vertigo can be helped with watching your sodium intake, using something like valium for severe attacks, and if needed steroid injections through the ear drums all of which I do when needed. this may not be your problem, but please ask to be checked.
What is the best hearing aid for tinnitus
Thank you for all your advice, blessings to you and your family. Merry Christmas🎄
Thanks for this, Dr. Cliff. Can you address whether the M&RIE feature would be a good option for stethoscope use? Or how well other solutions such as Bluetooth stethoscopes work?
Do these hearing aids come in a CROS model?
what is the best solution for the old hearing aids you still have? Donate? sell it, which I think is a bad idea! any suggestions on your part?
back ups duh
this. thus why I kept some older models just in case!
Hi Dr Cliff... and off topic Q.... I have Kirkland 9.0 purchased roughly 4Q 2019. Recently the left hearing aid seems to cut out or lowers it volume such that right hearing aid is doing most of the work. At times , by opening and closing the battery dept it will start working again. Any thoughts?
Yeah, you need to take it back to Costco because it will need to be repaired.
@@DrCliffAuD Thank you!
Any hearing aid for hyperacusis
Definitely miss the luxury of the pinna effect on my current aids. Also wind noise is a problem. But, I just cant afford another 6 grand or more to upgrade my 2 year old hearing-aids. Hopefully by the time mine wear out, the market price will have improved.
How many people, especially in retirement, can afford to replace their hearing aids every 3, 4, 5 years?
if you could answer my question about tinnitus i would be very greatful, i started hearing crickets from one of the sound therapy videos alongside the ringing in my ear, is this normal? The medical system where i am is worthless so medical imaging and a doctor are several months out.
Dr Cliff is there any use case for a person with moderate to severe hearing loss using over ear headphones (in addition to hearing aids) as opposed to directly using bluetooth. Aside from the obvious like really noisy environments (ie planes).
A few questions/clarifications: 1. Where did you get the 4 year mark from in order to consider new hearing aids? 2. Can you elaborate how a user might quantify "significant difference" in terms of comparing two hearing aids or how to quantify if a new feature is worth while? Are you having them complete APHAB or IOI-HA or aided speech perception in noise to compare these two options? 3. It's been my experience that even a 5+ year old hearing aid can be repaired for under $500 with a one year warranty. if that's the case, how is that not more cost effective than new devices? Wouldn't that warranty cover the "ongoing repair costs? Where is the evidence that hearing aids older than 4 years old need more repairs than newer ones? Thanks in advance for any clarification.
Yes, clarification needed. Silence is deafening.
My Kirkland 8.0 are still working fine after 5 years.
Cost Dr. Cliff, cost is the major factor why heard of hearing people do not upgrade. The cost for these device are just to much to bear.
I understand that cost is a barrier for some, but not all. The good news is, you can make a pair of hearing aids last a REALLY long time if you have a good provider who helps you take care of them.
Thanks, Dr. Cliff. As you know, my company still pays for my hearing aids, so these recommendations will work fine for me. Perhaps we should add one more for many people: 6 - Upgrade when you recover financially from the last $7,000.00 that you spent on hearing aids.
Haha exactly! Although my audiologist tells me that generally the base models for 3k have most of the features you need so there are diminishing returns on a 7k spend
Great video with some very important info inside thank a lot! Before you there was nothing on the web....
A remark: i have to admit that i m a bit confused by the fact that some videos are sponsorized: it is a fact that you can not be completely impartial in this case... Nevertheless i take it as it is because i have the feeling that you are transparent in particular because you say you are .. sponsorized 😉. Bye.
Here's the problem with sponsored videos i'd actually want to know what is a more worthwhile feature this or the waterproofing done by the phonak life. Also can you do a video on whether spending the extra 4k on additional features is actually worth it (remembering that you can save it and buy a newer hearing aid in 3 years).
As always, it depends on the individual and their specific wants and needs.
I was very interested in this innovation with ReSound and mentioned it to my VA audiologist. She suggested OTICON, so I'm waiting for that unit to come in. I would be interested in your opinion on the two. I'm convinced the natural penna effect would be superior; however, she is more impressed with the "Nural" aspect of the OTICON product. No doubt, she may not have had sufficient time to evaluate ReSound's newest technology; therefore, she is hesitant. I would like to have the opportunity to try both, but that is not available to me. Your opinion would have value to me, as I believe there is a grace period with the new hearing aids before keeping them.
Mark, I am not an audiologist but recently tried the Oticon More. It is a fine hearing aid but like all other RICs definitely disappoints if you are looking for the penna benefit. I found that it made my high end stereo equipment sound like a high quality monophonic setup. There was no sound stage at all and placing instruments, vocals, etc, was impossible. I also like to accompany my wife when she goes out birding. Although Oticon overcame much of my high frequency hearing loss so that I could hear birds, it was not possible to accurately find them. I am convinced that most RICs are in truth TICs(transmitter-in-canal). I am currently trialing Signia's Insio AX ITC, which is much better than Oticon for penna, but sill not perfect(it does not sit far enough in my ear).
wow what A good video I where hearing aids as well
Any news on when the Paradise custom ITCs are expected?
Nope
Best IIC solutions? Anyone who uses them?
So expensive- wish I could afford
Linda, you might check out the Costco hearing aid center, if there is one close to you.
I just got back from Costco and ordered the Kirkland 10 T . I was told, contradicting to you, that Costco blocked the Tinnitus effect on the their hearing aids. You owe it to your listeners to find the truth on their Tinnitus features. I believe you are wrong concerning this major problem.
Yeah...they lied to you. All they have is a white noise masker and no guarantee that they will block the perception of tinnitus. You need to watch more of my tinnitus videos.
Different strokes ... It's a lot like buying a car, innit? (But without the secondary "used" market, unfortunately; on the other hand, when did the VA ever give you a car? 😂) Some people want and can afford the latest model, some like sporty bells and whistles, some choose quality over fancy, and still others just want a basic vehicle that works for the next decade or two. They all need good maintenance, though some don't realize it. So, when, actually? When you have a "good" reason according to your buying style.
Her in Denmark we get new hearing aids every 4th year. And its 100% free for everyone.
Bravo! First mention of RIC being called out for what actually is…transmitter in ear…with the sole exception of Resound 1.
$2500 - $8000 every 4 yrs is just too expensive.
Agree
Nope ... not time for me to change my hearing aids yet! 😁😘
😭
I do think you made one mistake if you have a 500 warranty it is cheaper than 6000 aids. I am lucky every 4 years my new aids cost around 440 because I have goo dinsurance with my state job.
Of course purchasing a new warranty is cheaper. So is fixing an old car. The question becomes, is it better to invest that money into a new set of aids or keep repairing an old set over and over?
@@DrCliffAuD I think you could pay for the warranty for a year or two while saving money for rhe next pair. I am lucky the insurance I get with my state job I pay 420 dollars for my new Mores that are on order and wll use my opn as back ups. I can get new aids every four years
Hi Doc,
I'm very new to hearing aids and I found the entire process really abysmal.
The first and most glaring problem I encountered was that audiologist and the audiologist's helper (salesperson) the is also the vendor for the hearing aids.
The second major problem was the hearing aids were selected for me by who knows who. I was never presented with choices/alternatives or options.
The third problem I encountered was the audiologist's helper (salesperson) made a point to inform me that if I need help with Bluetooth, I'm on my own. This is very interesting since a lot of the features that the manufacturer brags about requires the use their Thrive cell phone app. My Samsung Galaxy is using Bluetooth 5.0. and the connectivity with my Starkey Evolv AI aids are so sporadic that I've stopped using it. I've contacted Starkey tech support and they walk me through a bunch of steps and say they have never seen this before.
Also finding any kind of documentation or specs on these units is near impossible.
As a retired IT tech for major corporations for nearly thirty years, I get the impression that the hearing aid industry is a total scam. Especially at the prices they charge.
Sorry Doc but that's my impression.
By the way, great videos, and information.
Thank you and I wish I had been able to find someone like you. The whole experience would likely to be much better.