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Hearing Aid Wisdom


Seadoc

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Just picked up a pair of Beltone's a couple months ago.  I could have used the VA but many have said you pretty much take what they have laying there.  Beltone will sell you a pair of $6500 ones for #2k now just to compete w/the VA for those that want a choice and more personal service.  A friends daughter hooked me up w/mine and after the hearing test I found out just how bad I was.  They had an immediate impact on my hearing.  First time I could actually HEAR my system.  I HAD to be slamming people into the wall and didn't even realize it.  Going back in soon for a check up and perhaps a bit of tweeking.  You'll roll your windows up driving because of the wind noise but aside from that they work well.  I'll keep ya posted.   :)  Once it's gone though you're pretty much toast she said.  50 years is a long time to not hear thanks to Nam.  

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I've been taking care of my father and his hearing aids for the last couple of years . He currently has Beltone In ears which he does not like. This may be due to the fact he has very small ear canal's that are very hairy. We have to have them cleaned and trimmed every 4 months. I just ordered him Phonak P90's which several Audiologist recommended. I ordered from onlinehearing.com . The prices are fantastic , we will see how the service goes. We are trying the behind ear because I read somewhere the in ear close you off completely which can be a hindrance. The Phonak's strongest point is supposedly their connectivity is well ahead of everyone else.

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29 minutes ago, Dave1291 said:

I could have used the VA but many have said you pretty much take what they have laying there.

Absolutely not true.  I had a choice of 4 different models and manufacturers.  All were excellent and pretty high end.  And free.

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Like I said before I stay away from the VA for a very good reason.  A local lady who sells them said her husband got Phonak's there and they worked fine.  I'm sure they have diff types since a couple guys I know have been there.  The guys told me they tried to push a bit on what they had there.  All I know.  The one thing we all can agree on is the fact once it's gone it's gone.

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3 hours ago, Seadoc said:

It's that time.  I just wanted to get some input from current users about choices.  Good features and ones to avoid, in the ear/over the ear.  It's still all about the music !

custom hearing aids are the best  ---

 

if you Served in the Military  ,  reach out to the VA -  

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6 hours ago, Seadoc said:

It's that time.  I just wanted to get some input from current users about choices.  Good features and ones to avoid, in the ear/over the ear.  It's still all about the music !

I just got my third set the other day.  I've had two IN ear and one Over the ear.  I prefer the In ear as glasses and masks get tangled up in the over the ear ones and I've ripped off my t-shirt and had my hearing aids go flying. So, this time, I went back to the In ear ones; but the doctor warned me that I currently have the most powerful in ear that are available and next time, I'll need to go back to the over the ear ones. 

This time I went with the bluetooth feature to sync with my cell phone. So phone conversations should be easier from now on.

Sadly, and I questioned the doctor about this, I find that music listening isn't as good as with a fully functioning ear.  Doc said that music listening just hasn't become a priority for manufacturers. I can still hear it and enjoy it; but the hearing aids do stupid stuff like automatically adjust the volume or power to the aid. So, I can be listening to a song or playing guitar and suddenly the volume drops significantly.  It's frustrating. Audiologist made some adjustments that helped; but it hasn't eliminated that from happening. 

Funny, just a few minutes ago, I asked my brother if the refrigerator was always this loud or are my hearing aids (which I'm still learning the bells and whistles of the new ones) was turned on full power. he said the fridge is LOUD.  I was able to lower the television volume by half though. 

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5 hours ago, Dave1291 said:

Just picked up a pair of Beltone's a couple months ago.

my very first pair were Beltones ... back in 2012.  Paid $3000 out of pocket.  I hadn't yet applied for VA disability although I'd been out for many years. It took my employer calling HR twice concerned about my hearing loss.  Boy was that a hostile meeting with HR, with me finally losing my cool and walking out of the meeting. My boss was embarrassed because he had no intention of them ganging up on me and questioning whether I was physical able to continue doing my job. That was NOT the intent of my boss, he wanted to know if HR could help me -- he had NO complaint about my performance. 

I've gotten two sets from the VA and have ZERO complaints about the aids or the VA service. Doctor said VA will give upgrades every five years unless your hearing loss changes and requires new ones sooner. I got new ones in the fourth year and nobody asked why I was getting them early. 

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I have Starkey Livio AI 2400 from the VA, which I understand retail for approx. $3500.  I have had them for two years and am satisfied with the performance.  They have all kinds of connectivity options which I never use.   Like Steve,  I've gotten two sets from the VA and have ZERO complaints about the aids or the VA service.

And the price, FREE.

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16 hours ago, jimjimbo said:

I have Starkey Livio AI 2400 from the VA, which I understand retail for approx. $3500.  I have had them for two years and am satisfied with the performance.  They have all kinds of connectivity options which I never use.   Like Steve,  I've gotten two sets from the VA and have ZERO complaints about the aids or the VA service.

And the price, FREE.

Thanks for the input.  I have a hearing test at the VA this month.  Deuce and 1/2, 5 ton, 10 ton diesels and large caliber munitions.  FREE is a good thing.

 

17 hours ago, BigStewMan said:

I hadn't yet applied for VA disability although I'd been out for many years.

Follow through on the paperwork !!  A painfully slow process though.  Worth the rating in the end.    

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I'm beyond the in ear aids.  Mine are over the ear w/all the whistles & bells, which I also don't use.  Sure you can get them for free thru the VA but...  :)  

 

"Follow through on the paperwork !!  A painfully slow process though.  Worth the rating in the end."  Sooo very true @Seadoc  Especially if you are retired.

 

 

 

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  • 3 months later...
15 minutes ago, Crankysoldermeister said:

This thread makes me sad.

Sad, indeed. Especially when reading about it on a forum all about…sound. My mom had to get hearing aids and I couldn’t understand why. She never worked in the usually suspected noisy environments. Some time before she passed, I asked her about it. She said it may have been from the years she worked at the IRS back in the ‘60s and ‘70s as a keypunch operator. She said all of the typewriters and keypunch machines operating in those large rooms were deafeningly loud. She probably never thought about wearing ear plugs in an office environment. I can see how 8 hours of exposure to that can cause some hearing damage. At work, I’ll occasionally open up my SPL meter app in a noisy environment (mechanical room) and I’m always surprised at how easily it gets to 85+ dB, the threshold of where long-term hearing damage can occur. I carry foam ear plugs in my pocket at work and I also wear them at ALL concerts. Once our hearing is gone, it’s gone for good. Wear your damn hearing protection, kids!

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I worked with CDC and IBM mainframes in the 70’s - I’m real familiar with the sound of key punch machines. I was around a lot of high speed printers, and those were going non-stop. I wore my gun muffs because the sound drove me nuts. 

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