[lonewolf5347]

I hate to say it and I have been putting if off for years but my hearing is failing.I just got tested again and it seems the both ears need help.I did visit 2 different hearing care networks and both had the same numbers left ear about 60 percent ,right ear at 45 percent.I was fitted with a few over the ears type hearing aids and man what a world of difference.
I like to ask if any one has a little more knowledge about the different type of hearing aids on the market.
I was at Audibel care and she said she offered a LX SP MODEL RECEIVER IN CANAL MODEL for $3,100.00
I did stop yesterday and at Miracle-ear they had offered a VIVATONE-ME 950 16 CHANNEL a pair were on sale at 4,500.00

[kingpin008]

Unfortunately, this really isn't the place to ask. We're a firearms-focused board. Might I suggest you take it to our sister-forum APS? There's a link at the top of this page on the far right side.

[.38 Special]

There are maybe half a dozen top names in the hearing aid business right now. Siemens, Phonak, Oticon... Audibel is not one of them. Neither is Vivatone. Siemens has probably the best stuff available right now. Background noise has been one of the biggest complaints with hearing aids; Siemen's "SoundSmoothing" technology, available in most of their line-up now, seems to be the best so far. My patients say it's much better than anything else they've tried. Chances are all the manufacturers will have something like it within six months.

Receiver-in-canal is the latest-greatest. Lots of places are pushing them. They're pretty comfortable and cosmetically better than most other hearing aids. They are not as secure in the ear as custom molded instruments, and the receiver (loudspeaker, in plain English) is susceptible to damage from ear wax. There are several different ways to minimize this; none of them work perfectly.

After the initial excitement, I'm starting to move away from RICs. The technology stems from "open fit" hearing aids that are/were a wonderful solution for folks with normal hearing in low pitches and poor hearing in higher ones. Those folks used to be a real PITA to fit, with a high return rate. The open fit solved most of those problems, and soon everyone was hearing about how wonderful they were and demanding a pair of their own. Problem was that open fit is a lousy hearing aid for folks with poor hearing in low frequencies and/or severe losses. The RIC is supposed to extend the advantages of open fit to folks who aren't candidates for the open fit. In my experience, the range isn't extended by much, and the window of "Hearing too poor to be a candidate for open, but not so poor that a custom is absolutely necessary" is pretty small. Most folks who are not candidates for open fit are not very good candidates for RIC. Unfortunately, expressing the degree of hearing loss as a percentage is just an easy way to give a number to the patient. It really isn't very meaningful, and an appropriate hearing aid cannot be prescribed according to it. If you can tell me "mild", "moderate", "severe", and if it is "high frequency" then I might be able to give you better info. If you can post your audiogram...

Sorry to be vague and long winded. I'd be happy to answer any other questions.

[Friendly, Don't Fire!]

ear. I also was told that the hearing was all high frequency loss and my low frequency is still all there along with some of my mid-frequency.

I was told that an open-type hearing aid, to allow the lower tones to go right through the opening and amplify the high tones that I am missing.

So, I need two hearing aids at about $3,500 a pop.

Time to re-mortgage the house.:rolleyes:

[.38 Special]

$7000 for a pair of hearing aids is close to retail for the very best technology available. There's no reason to pay retail in such a competitive industry, and you may not need the very best. The actual quality of sound does not diminish much when dropping from best quality to second best, third best, etc. You do lose bells and whistles, which may or may not be useful to you. Ask your dispenser/audiologist what you are getting for the money, and if he/she isn't willing to take the time to explain it, leave. The industry still has more than its share of charlatans.

At any rate, very good hearing aids can be had for about $3000 a pair, though I wouldn't drop significantly below that level if I were you. Drop the price much below that and the trade-offs start getting severe.

[Friendly, Don't Fire!]

It was the hearing specialist doctor and that is about what they cost. He said the ones with the holes are more expensive (and also larger) than the ones that amplify low frequencies.

[Art Eatman]

APS is the place...