Are Phonak hearing aids still the top go to brand? I am looking to get/need some new ones and would like to get recommendations from this auspicious board. The world is well populated with hearing 'specialists' that compete with used car salesmen for top honors when it comes to integrity. My current Phonaks need replacing. There is no Costco near me. I wish there was!

The last two sets I've gotten from the V.A. are Phonak. The first set were in the ear, the 2nd over the ear.

The first set seem to have better clarity and I could hear better.

Do they definitely need replacing?

When one of my my Widex hearing aids stopped working the audiology tech just put a new transponder in it for $75.

How do you like your Widex aids?

I currently have Kirkland KS9 hearing aids which are made by Phonak. They have provided good reliable service for about five years.

Costco currently does not sell Phonak hearing aids but some Costco locations are carrying Sennheiser Sonite R hearing aids Sennheiser hearing aids are made by Phonak.

I have ordered Sennheiser hearing aids and will be picking them up in two weeks. I will post an update when I get them. The hearing aids cost $1600.

Y’all have me interested in your thread.. I’m fixing to get a hearing aid from Costco for my right ear only. I’m still learning..

Here’s my experience:
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...0601935/m/8230013415

Second set of Phonaks here. First ones were Costco, Got the second set from my local EENT/audiologist a year ago. I was in for a hearing test and noted they sold Phonak. I was happy at the time with my old set and they were working fine, but knowing how fast technology is moving, I asked the audiologist if the new Phonaks were noticably better. Better than talking about it, she programmed them up and let me test drive them.

The new tech made a _notable_ difference. Night and day, compared to my then-5 year old Costco-Phonaks, which as I say I had been happy with.

Phonak did not make their latest-and-greatest available via Costco, so not only were mine 5 years out of date, they didn't start out as Phonak state-of-the-art 5 years ago. Bottom line, I now can easily have conversations in noisy restaurants whereas the older set was not up to that task. And they are far better in less challenging environments as well.

I'd suggest you consider asking your audiologist and checking if you could get a pair programmed up for you to listen with, maybe a couple pair at different price points.

quote:

Originally posted by clipper1:
How do you like your Widex aids?

I like them; they perform well, and I've had them over 10 years now.
They're not cheap, either.

As you said, the providers ARE like car sales people.
The office I first got the Widex hearing aids from wanted to sell me new ones for $4K when I had the problem.
Having had other previous issues with that office, I decided to find another.
That's when I found the one the fixed the hearing aids I had rather than selling me new ones.

I got a left ear Phonak aid from the VA. They think my right one is ok.

And this one trip into the morass that is the VA was enough for me to know why they forbid weapons from the property. I’ve heard people have had good experiences-even at the one in Temple, but I won’t be going back for some time due to the incompetence, inconvenience and bold faced lies and that they billed me for a physical that they said I was required to do to get into the system.

The phonak aid is great but I don’t have anything to weigh it against. It was simple to set up on my phone and tune to my needs. And I haven’t had to take it back to them for repair or anything-I’m sure that’ll be a giant PITA.

My last two sets from the VA have been Oticon, I have been happy with them.

Thanks for your input Waterbury Bob. Lots of good information here and in the other thread. I think I'm going to find an independant audiologist as mrvmax shared on his experience in selecting hearing aids in his current thread. You have all been very helpful, thank you again.

I'm on my second set of Costco hearing aids.
I had Kirland 8s and now Kirkland 10s.
I'm due with insurance for my 3-year replacement.

I've decided to go with something other than Costco this time.
They are great for the price, but they've become useless when I need them the most.
Trying to hear the wife is getting difficult.
As well as in background noise, such as restaurants and other crowded environments, I can't hear anything but the noise.
The Kirkland streaming is hit and miss as well.
It is time to step up.

I've been researching online and I've narrowed it down to these 2 choices;

Phonak Audéo Sphere Infinio

Starkey Edge AI

I have an appointment with my ENT office for another hearing test tomorrow and see what they have to offer.

I went to Livingston a few weeks ago and got a hearing test.
Compared it to my last three-year-old test and it was about the same.
They suggested one of the two choices above would work for me.

Livingston Hearing Aid Centers

I have been wearing Phonak ear aids for 7 years. I did a lot of research before I bought and Phonak was at the top.

My right ear is deaf and my left is in very good shape but not perfect. So I have a CROS B on my right and Audeo B on the left. The CROS picks up the sounds on the right and sends to my left ear. Works especially well in the car when I'm driving and the passengers are talking. Also good in a room when someone on the right talks to me.

The units have performed perfectly for 7 years. I have them service every year.

quote:

Originally posted by 1lowlife:
I'm on my second set of Costco hearing aids.
I had Kirland 8s and now Kirkland 10s.
I'm due with insurance for my 3-year replacement.

I've decided to go with something other than Costco this time.
They are great for the price, but they've become useless when I need them the most.
Trying to hear the wife is getting difficult.
As well as in background noise, such as restaurants and other crowded environments, I can't hear anything but the noise.
The Kirkland streaming is hit and miss as well.
It is time to step up.

I've been researching online and I've narrowed it down to these 2 choices;

Phonak Audéo Sphere Infinio

Starkey Edge AI

I have an appointment with my ENT office for another hearing test tomorrow and see what they have to offer.

I went to Livingston a few weeks ago and got a hearing test.
Compared it to my last three-year-old test and it was about the same.
They suggested one of the two choices above would work for me.

Livingston Hearing Aid Centers

I considered Phonak but ended up with Resound and every problem you state you are having was corrected with the Resound. Did your hearing test include testing for hearing with lots of background noise? Just wondering if that is a common test since it was the first time I ever had that done.

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:

quote:

Originally posted by 1lowlife:
I'm on my second set of Costco hearing aids.
I had Kirland 8s and now Kirkland 10s.
I'm due with insurance for my 3-year replacement.

I've decided to go with something other than Costco this time.
They are great for the price, but they've become useless when I need them the most.
Trying to hear the wife is getting difficult.
As well as in background noise, such as restaurants and other crowded environments, I can't hear anything but the noise.
The Kirkland streaming is hit and miss as well.
It is time to step up.

I've been researching online and I've narrowed it down to these 2 choices;

Phonak Audéo Sphere Infinio

Starkey Edge AI

I have an appointment with my ENT office for another hearing test tomorrow and see what they have to offer.

I went to Livingston a few weeks ago and got a hearing test.
Compared it to my last three-year-old test and it was about the same.
They suggested one of the two choices above would work for me.

Livingston Hearing Aid Centers

I considered Phonak but ended up with Resound and every problem you state you are having was corrected with the Resound. Did your hearing test include testing for hearing with lots of background noise? Just wondering if that is a common test since it was the first time I ever had that done.

I did 2 tests in the last month, one with Livingston and they did the background noise as part of the test.
It was brutal, I couldn't hear much of anything.
The test at the ENT office last week didn't have the background noise part of the test.

They recommended Octicon Intent.
She says that is the brand she finds most patients happy with.
She also says she has many to choose from that I can try for a week at a time until I find the one I like the most.

The Phonak I was considering is big compared to most hearing aids.
I'll pick up the Octicons on Wednesday and try them out.
They've got to be better than what I have now.

One thing about the 2 pairs of Costco HAs I have is I'd like to donate them.
But Costco puts a lock on them, like a locked cell phone, and I would have to pay to get them unlocked..