What do you wear?
Aug 3rd, 2007 | By Steve | Category: Information
I have some questions for you, dear reader.
I’m guessing that many of you already wear a hearingaid, so, I’d like to know what model you have and what you think of it. It would be cool to put together some stats to see what aid is most popular and which ones are rated best.
So, if you can spare 5, can you leave a comment and answer these?
- What type of hearingaid do you wear?
- What did you wear before and why did you change?
- How do you rate your current aid? Is it perfect or how could it be better?
- Are you happy with it?
- Where did you get it from and when?
- How much did it cost?
- When do you think you will buy a new aid?
(Go on, you know you want to…..)
The hearing aids I wear are “Nothing”. Because they’re cheap, healthier for my ears (i.e. ear infections) and never requires batteries.
Being Deaf is very cheap! Same for 20/20 vision too. No need hearing aids and glasses! lol
I have been thinking about getting hearing aids for employment purposes, ‘though I wouldn’t wear them at home. I threw away my last pair of BTE hearing aids sometime in 1991-1992, so I am behind news on which hearing aids work the best.
I’ll bookmark this post to see if anyone else would post their findings and what they have.
For a severe-profound hearing loss, I’m satisfied with my Widex Senso BTEs.
I made the switch from analog to digital aids about 8 years ago (can’t remember the brand/make). The batteries seem to last longer for my hearing aids than for other hearing aid wearers, and there’s not too much feedback- which may have more to do with the ear mold.
After 7 years of use, I had them replaced this year (same exact model). Hopefully the new pair will also last me 7 years, because I paid $1800/aid.
I really don’t have any complaints- once you get used to a pair of hearing aids, it’s hard to imagine wearing anything else.
There should be a tangent discussion on HA batteries. Duracell seems to be the worst for me, personally.
I currently wear Phonak Claro ITE with watch pilot. bought them 2.5 years ago for $3300 after tax and fitting for 2.
these replaced my much smaller widex senso CICs that I purchased in late 1998 for about $3500/pair. they were no longer powerful enough as I lose more and more hearing ability.
I bought both from the same local audiologist. he seems to keep up with the newest techs, and seems to know which instruments are good at the time.
the watch pilot really is the key to the phonaks. I can turn up or down depending on how loud it is. I almost always turn them DOWN because our world is such a noisy annoying place.
I hope I dont have to buy another set for a few more years. I will probably go BTE next time with an open-ear fitting for less hassle in re-fitting. my hearing is WAY too poor to be without my aids for a couple weeks. I hadnt liked going ITE after CIC because of how much more obvious they are, but now I actually use that to my benefit. before, nobody could immediately tell that I was HoH, whereas now it kinda clicks with people. BTE would get me an FM also, which would be nice to have.
I have two digital Siemens BTE hearing aids. Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) paid $3300 for the pair, and later VR paid for the Phonak SmartLink (FM System). I’ve been having some problems with the Smartlink (right now it isn’t Bluetoothing with my cell phone), but it amplifies really well.
In a couple of years I’ll get Phonak brand hearing aids just so I won’t have to wear the boots (that work in conjunction with the SmartLink) on my hearing aids.
Technology is wonderful!
I wear widex senso BTEs in both ears but been told it is now time for an upgrade as these are no longer powerful enough for my severe hearing loss. These are my first set of HAs and not sure if I should stick with Widex or try something else. Hate to rely totally on the Audis recommentations. Any advice ?
Hi Margie,
I had a quick look at the fitting range for the Widex Senso P37 High Power BTE and it has a high range - up to 110db in the low frequencies and 120 in the high. It may be that you have an older version of the Senso, the P37 is quite a powerful aid!
If you already have the P37 and are looking for something more powerful then I think your options are going to be quite limited.
Try and get several opinions from different audiologists and always ask them why they are recommending a particular aid over another one. Also, if you get a copy of your audiogram you can look online to see which aids cover your loss - most of the big hearing aid manufacturers publish technical specs showing the fitting ranges.
Good luck!
Steve.
Very intresting to see others’ opinions. I have only recently started to wear hearing aids (I’m 43) and I am very impressed by how many H of H / deaf people communicate on the http://WWW. Currently I have a Senso Diva in my left ear; Octicon Delta in right. Both are good aids - will get a Delta before too long in my left ear. What I’d like to know is what is the best type of aid for ‘noisy resturants? My HA’s are OK up to a moderate level of volume, but if it gets “too loud” the claritity of speech becomes ‘muffeled’ To conclude; interesting article - I don’t feel so isolated anymore!
Martin
What about the mold?
I wonder why everyone seems to focus on the hearing aid only. I have done quite a study on the mold design aspect. I now wear very deep molds that go to the bone area of the canal; I did the final fitting my self under the guidance of my fitter. Now I have no occlusion, the speech in noise is much clearer, they are (now)comfortable. If anyone is interested I can give more info. (I wear Oticon Tego Pro BTE’s). Some say that fitting to the bone is only in theory, I am proof that it is also practical.
My audiologist gave fitted me with a very deep & tight mold a few months ago. It was the most uncomfortable feeling! I had to go back and have your grind down the mold a few times to make it less painful. I think a deep fitted mold works well. But if you have any pain when its being made…then you will have pain when you recieve the mold. And if its too tight or deep…it will sound as if you have been submerged in water.
I got the new mold this week. It is soft clear mold. I hate it because it is very deep and tight. It hurt my ear. I cut some part and it is much better. I don’t have time to go back to have it fixed cuz I am going on a cruise this Sunday.
Hi, I just got the Widex Bravo hearing aid for my left ear. I’m severely hearing impaired in that ear. (I’m totally deaf in my right ear.) I hear better, it picks up soft sounds and amplifies them, but not too thrilled with the speech (can’t quite understand my oldest child) and the volume control is very limited. I am still on the trial period and will try some other brands. This is my first digital, I’m told most digitals give clarity, but don’t always amplify that well. Shoot! I’ve been wearing aids since age 2. Will try out several more that my audiologist recommends.
What type of hearingaid do you wear?
I wear an America Hears BTE hearing aid with the old VTEC technology and a half-shell mold.
What did you wear before and why did you change? I had CIC Widex which could not deal with my worsening hearing loss.
How do you rate your current aid? It is pretty good, not great.
Is it perfect or how could it be better? It has some tendency to chirp with high volume noises esp. in the car. The sound quality is ok and it gives good highs for a birdwatcher BUT it is not as good sound as the Widex was.
Are you happy with it? Sort of, but I am thinking seriously about trying the new speaker in the ear technology aid.
Where did you get it from and when? America Hears, about a year and a half ago.
How much did it cost? Mightly little! Just a bit over $2000 for the pair.
When do you think you will buy a new aid? In the next year if the speaker in the ear works for me.
Please help me. I have finally found page that could help me. I had a Widex cic analogue. I have been deaf since a child and I am now 25. I am currently trying a GN resound metrix and It is just horrible. I sadly lost my aid two weeks ago in an accident.
I have nearly severe hearing lost on the left ear and I am profounded in the right. People think I have done amazingly well. I have a great job etc.
But since going from a digital my confidence has dropped and I am also having a lot more problems with the feedback on the digitals. Are digital hearing aids really the way to go? I cope so much better with an Analogue can anyone point me in the right direction?
Hi Lorna,
I had problems moving from analogue to digital too. Have a look at this: http://www.deafness-and-hearingaids.net/2007/03/08/moving-from-analogue-to-digital-hearing-aids/
Can you explain why the digital is horrible? Is it just the feedback?
I live in Bangalore, India. I have worn hearing aids for nearly 34 years - I’m 35 now. I was born with profound hearing loss.
I currently wear a pair of Siemens Triano SP hearing aids. I have worn this for about 3-4 years now. It suits me very well because I enjoy a couple of recent innovations
- directional hearing : it works very well with mobile phones and with headphones
- filtering of GSM background noise when on conversation over the mobile phone.
These features make it indispensable.
Going forward, I would love to see a blue tooth link between my hearing aid and the mobile phone so that I can enjoy music and conversations.
Another feature I would dearly love to see is waterproofing. It would be great if I didn’t have to worry about sweat getting into my hearing aids while playing tennis!
The one thing that I continue to struggle with is - hearing in noisy environments and in groups. If I don’t get a chance to see the person talking, I very often miss it.
I wear bilateral Phonak Savia Art Aids and use the Smart Link FM. I also have the Palm Pilot remote. I also use the Clear Sounds CLA7 for phone use.
Hi Steve,
Sorry it has taken such a while to get back. The feedback is one issue the other is the fact that everything sounds unnatural and I hate the fact that there isnt much control on this aid. Plus although it is very quiet some noises sound a very micro phone type noise. I just know it is there and cannot get comfortable ether.
It is very hard to explain which is one of the reasons why it is so frustrating it is becoming rather embarrassing that I am not picking what people are saying. . The noise reduction is a pain in the back side too. As well as everything beging controled in
I am going to the audiologist on wednesday at a new branch. I absolutly hate this one metrix resound. Any suggestions on what to do.
I have looked into the Phonak Supero. Surely there is somthing out there that is better than my old analogue.
How did you cope?
Hey Lorna,
First of all, unless you have the ReSound on a trial then don’t jump into buying something else straight away. I don’t know the spec of that ReSound but it should be far better than an old analogue aid.
Interesting that you say that you used to wear an analogue an now you can’t hear what people are saying with a digital aid. I had exactly the same problem when I switched from analogue to digital about a year ago. I must have trialled about 5 different digital aids and none of them allowed to hear as well as I did with the analogue. It wasn’t until I switched to a different audiologist and he realised that the problem was that I was so used to having all sounds amplified with the analogue that my ears simply couldn’t cope with the noise reduction.
Ask the audiologist to remove noise reduction - or at least set it to a minimum - and see how you get on. My plan with my aids is to slowly increase the noise reduction over time. The problem you may then find is that some things are too loud - do you have a volume control?
Feedback should not be a problem with a new hearing aid - hopefully your new audiologist can sort that for you.
The feedback may be causing much of the unnatural sound. The audiologist can run a feedback reduction programme to hopefully get rid of it - if that doesn’t work they should check the fit of your moulds.
Adjusting to a new hearing aid can be difficult and it’s probably going to be difficult to get the new one to sound exactly like your old analogue.
Give your audiologist all the info you posted here and make sure they sort it out for you!
Good luck!
Steve.
Hi Steve,
Thank you for all you info this was much appreciated. I needed to know from someone elses experience. I feel the world is not on my side at the moment.
I am all very emotional as I cant seem to get by !!! I will definitly run by what you have said to my audiologist. I am also thinking of a Savia Art? Any experience. I do have a volume control on this one currently and it is no good. As I will be on a phone to a client and the noise reduction goes so far that I cant b****y hear them and that is on the acostic telephone program. So what hope do I have.
It is all so muffled. Me and my friend were walking our dogs and she was only a couple of feet in front of me and I could’nt even grasp what she was saying!!!
Hi Lorna,
I recently changed from Siemens CIC to Phonak Savia Art BTE + Smartlink system.
Siemens was a great digital aid and worked fine for almost 7 years.
I switched from CIC to BTE because of the in the ear fit CIC, often had a problem with sound echoing because of an not so snug fit after all these years. Plus wind distortion when riding a bicycle or just walking outside in windy conditions (I live in Holland, that’s why)
But the Phonak Savia is 100% better. Crystal clear sound through more digital filters than the Siemens and no wind jitter.
Your audiologist can put extra manual to select program’s on the Savia. The Smartlink gives me just that extra comfort by being a remote control to select programs and volume. Smartlink furthermore act as a transmitter for my cellphone (by bluetooth) and audio input by TV or a mp3 player.
Greetings,
Cor
Hi Cor,
Thank you for you input it is nice to hear from someone that has some experience. Did you have an analog previously?
Can I ask do you think that the aids produce natural like sounds. I am currently borrowing metrix resound and I seriously cannot get along with them.
Steve on this site was spot on about the noise reduction effecting the speech it has helped alot but still not great, I am still struggling to understand what people are saying!!! But I think it may just be this make. I need some hope out there!!
I would probably get the smart link as well.
Regards
Lorna
Hi Lorna,
I don’t have any experience with analog aids.
I do find the sound quality very natural.
(MP3 files are also played digitally, do you notice any difference with the original played on a oldfashioned recordplayer?? ;-))
But with my electronics engineer background I’m a true believer in digital sound processing.
Like Steve was pointing out, noise reduction can only be achieved by digital processing.
For instance, my Savia’s have a speech in noise program.
It’s noticable in noise reduction while speech stays unchanged.
Hopefully this will help you a little bit.
Regards
Cor
Hi Cor,
Thanks for you input. I am sure hoping that I can adjust to the Savia’s. What Battery size do you have? I had a 13 in my analogs?
Just wondering the size of the actual BTE aid. I have found Steves information a great help and has helped me get by on the Metrix.
Did you have any problems with Savia at the begining?
Regards
Lorna
Hi Lorna,
The Savia’s takes a size 13 battery as well.
I suggest you take a look at Phonak’s website (www.phonak.com). If you haven’t already done so
Look for the Savia art.
The moment I stepped out the audiologist centre with my new savia’s I noticed a much clearer sound. (I must admit that the old Siemens ones has not been readjusted for 5 years).
And yes there are smaller BTE aids than the savia’s. But in order to work with the smartlink system, I think the savia is one to be.
The only thing I cannot get to work right is the possibilty to answer a regular phone by means of the magnetic acoustic program build in the Savia’s. Without it I can still get along.
But the combination cell-phone - smartlink works great.
Greetings,
Cor
Thank You,
I have had a look at the web and it sounds great but I dont want to build my hopes up.
It is interesting you say about a reqular phone as this my main problem at the moment as I am always on the phone to clients or colleague, what are the main problem you have with the main phone?
Regards
Lorna
Hi Lorna,
Well, the aids are provisioned for magnetic induced switching for the use of a normal telephone. It works by means of a stick-on magnet at the speaker side of the telephonehandle.
Somehow I don’t notice any difference in hearing, though I do hear my hearing-aid switch, by means of a switching tone.
Maybe your audiologist is able to demonstrate to you how this feature should work.
By the way, here in the Netherlands I get a month of free testing for a hearing aid. Perhaps also in your country?
Regards,
Cor
What type of hearingaid do you wear?
I’ve just got a new pair of ‘granite’ Siemens Prisms from the NHS - I had an old pair of pink slugs - also Siemens digital but an old fashioned design.
What did you wear before and why did you change?
I’ve also had a widex CIC senso (only one) that I paid a fortune for: it kept breaking down, or I’d lose it: I asked for BTEs from the NHS because there’s less to go wrong - they’re less likely to get affected by moisture/wax etc.
I also find NHS moulds soooo much more comfortable (though I ask for the vents to be made as huge as possible because I can’t bear the occlusion effect).
How do you rate your current aid? Is it perfect or how could it be better? I’ve had them a week - fab! They’ve been reset, so it’s almost like it was when I first had aids - I’m hearing noises I haven’t heard in a while, and music sounds better. I heard a phone ring from the OTHER ROOM the other day!!!
Are you happy with it? You bet.
Where did you get it from and when? NHS, last Wednesday.
How much did it cost? free on the NHS (though I pay my contributions!) - and I’ve lost a couple of aids last year so I got charged £63 for each replacement.
When do you think you will buy a new aid?
I won’t - the NHS does me proud.
Hi There,
I was just wondering how you managed to get the NHS to provide you these hearing aids. Did you get the Senso form them?
I am enquirying about the Savia Arts and I unfortunatly had a car accident so I didnt managed to get to the appointment but have the appointment on Friday now?
Lorna
I was just wondering if anyone can help me!! I am yet in another situation!!! I am trying the Unitron Yuu on trial and I am already having problems. I have the mini BTE with a dome I was suprised how loud they were. However as usual I stepped out side and was on my way home and I noticed that the car noise and the cars out side was very noticable but I couldnt hear the radio.
But I am prefering the directional rather the every day sort of program but it is still disturblingly uncomfortable. My footsteps are incredibley loud and everything around me is so in your face. Your help will be much appreciated
I wear Oticon spirit 3 open fitting. Would like to purchase something more discreet but have no idea what to get and what works well. Have high frequency loss. Am very self conscious about the aids too!
Had horrible experience with David Oremond (will put that on the other page though!)
Any advice re best makes etc would be fab.
Jen
Hey Jen,
I can’t suggest anything myself - I currently wear a pair of Starkey Destinys, which are fine but I’m sure you could get something far more sophisticated!
I would suggest paying Specavers a visit - I have been consistently happy with their service. They are also cheaper than most other places in the UK right now.
Do let us know how you get on!
Steve.