OTC Hearing Aids

[sp_clark]

Been available for awhile now, wondering if there are any here willing to share their opinion on how these perform?

I've had a pair of Bluetooth-enabled Starkey's for over five years. Both units have had amplifiers replaced at least once since then.

The left one started acting weird again last week; it works (kinda; I can hear better with it but that's it) yet my iPhone app doesn't "see" it. I've changed batteries (do that once a week anyway) as well as deleted & re-installed the latest Starkey app release to no positive effect.

Have an appointment with my healthcare provider tech next Tuesday to look into whether the unit needs to be replaced. As they're now out of warranty, and the original cost was close to $2,500 each (24-month 'free' financing thru the provider) I'm interested in what end-user opinions might be for the new OTC hearing aids that have become available in the last few months.

Now that I've benefitted from the experience with Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids for phone calls and playing music from my iPhone I want that feature in anything new I may be considering.

[Jim Bow]

SONY is marketing a set currently. Samsung is about to. They’ve probably got some interesting features, such as on-line testing and configuring.

[ron ll]

Bose might be worth a glance. I agree about the Bluetooth. If my hearing magically came back to normal, I’d be reluctant to give up the always on phone, YouTube and Pandora.

[Tom from Rubicon]

Wadya say?

[Canoeyawl]

I doubt that you will get the voice recognition software and "tuning" to your particular loss in an OTC pair of aids.

[George Jung]

From what I've heard ( ) - 'it depends'. If profound hearing loss, the OTC are 'restricted', and won't be able to compensate, like an over-priced, audiologist-tuned set. If less of a loss - maybe. They seem to be competing pretty hard for the market, so I expect they will only get better.

[mike9199]

Following this thread. So far I didn't meet anyone who used OTC hearing aids.
The prices seem to be much more affordable, but what about the quality?
Can we still expect to have a perfect sound and no technical issues?

[RCRVRP]

There is another alternative and that is a "professional" hearing aid fitted by an audiologist at Sams Club or Costco. I have ones from Sams, they were about $2200 for the pair. Bluetooth ready, full featured, control with your smart phone.
My best friend has the same type from Costco for about $1600 a pair.

We are both very happy with the aids and the service. Free cleaning, free ear wax stops, questions answered and help given if needed. The audiologist at Sams has become a social friend. She used to work for Miracle Ear before moving to Sams. She tells me the only real difference is that I'd pay $4000 more at Miracle ear for about the same product.

You can get rechargeables or battery operated. I have batterys, friend has rechargeables. Next time she will go with batteries. Batterys last me about 4 days and cost less that 50 cents if I buy in bulk from Amazon. When they go dead I just change them , when the rechargeable goes dead you are without them overnight as they charge. Sams now has OTC ones as well, I don't know much about them but since they sell both they should be able to give you an objective comparison. The gal at Sams tell me they should last 7 to 10 years, ironically thats the same as my first wifes first prison sentence.

For anyone who needs aids but hasn't bought them, I say do it. This is my first pair and I wish I had bought them years sooner. Better hearing of course and I love being able to listen to the radio, podcasts and the telephone without headphones.

[sp_clark]

Just yesterday I was at my club's indoor range for this week's winter 3P smallbore league targets.

Ran into another club member who was using something that looked a lot like the cheapo JBL Bluetooth earbuds my wife got me for Christmas last year.

His device was tagged with a logo for this outfit that I just sent some questions to, asking about their line and what features their products enable that compare & compete with the high$$$ items like the Starkey's I've had since 2017.

That you mentioned Sams's & Costco RCRVRP made me remember what Axil's website mentioned about retailers.

Will return here once I've heard back from them.

[ron ll]

Just a note on battery vs. rechargable. I have batteries, and its sometimes a little annoying to have to change them. But I've heard from others who have rechargables, that running out of power when away from the charger and/or waiting for them to recharge can be even more annoying. I usually have batteries stashed in cars and at the boat, plus I always carry two batteries in a keychain pill container but have very seldom had to use them.

Here’s the little keychain “pill container” I use for extra batteries.
931A7BD6-9593-4A75-9473-65E4DF8D2AB2.jpg

[Concordia...41]

I read an interesting article when the legislation was announced about allowing OTC hearing products. The analogy was that OTC hearing aids would be like reading glasses.

If you needed something basic, it would be easy enough to find something for yourself. Something basic would be helpful (reading glasses scenario).

If you had a complex condition, then you probably needed a professional audiologist.

I just wish this had come out 10 years earlier. My dear dear aunt spent her last few years isolated by hearing loss after loosing a 3k set of hearing aids when she was hospitalized and then having a 5k set ruined when a hairdresser got water in her ears. And that's just two sets I knew about

[hawkeye54]

Similar to post # 11, in my late father-in-law's last year's - he hid a pair of hearing aids in his bedding, stashed another pair behind his dresser, and put a pair in the washing machine, as they 'needed to be cleaned' - it really made his caregivers days difficult .

[hawkeye54]

Just a note on battery vs. rechargable. I have batteries, and its sometimes a little annoying to have to change them. But I've heard from others who have rechargables, that running out of power when away from the charger and/or waiting for them to recharge can be even more annoying. I usually have batteries stashed in cars and at the boat, plus I always carry two batteries in a keychain pill container but have very seldom had to use them.

Here’s the little keychain “pill container” I use for extra batteries.
931A7BD6-9593-4A75-9473-65E4DF8D2AB2.jpg

Ron, I considered both battery and rechargeable hearing aids - I went with rechargeable because mine have 28+ hour battery life, also, I considered power-failure issues with home power ( have had a couple since I got the aids ) - but I have a couple of small battery power unit 'car starters' which have an AC receptacle - I have had no interruptions to charging thus far with this setup.


Rick

[ron ll]

I have no doubt rechargable works better for some. Just want new buyers to consider pros and cons.

[hawkeye54]

Post # 14 - you are absolutey right. I have some large degree of hearing loss due to firing 5" guns and .50 caliber machine guns , using needle gun paint chippers, and adjusting printing on high speed chain printers. I went with one of the major providers to tailor the units to my particular hearing profile .



Rick

[ron ll]

Post # 14 - you are absolutey right. I have some large degree of hearing loss due to firing 5" guns and .50 caliber machine guns , using needle gun paint chippers, and adjusting printing on high speed chain printers. I went with one of the major providers to tailor the units to my particular hearing profile .



Rick

As I’ve posted on other threads on this subject, I’m a big proponent of going to a real audiologist and getting real hearing aids that the audiologist can tune to one’s specific hearing loss. I think the OTC law change may help prices and tech get more competitive, but I’m skeptical of a DIY plan when it comes to hearing.

[hawkeye54]

Right with you there, Ron, I am quite skeptical of some of these on-line or smart phone based hearing and vision testing diagnostics.




Rick

[sp_clark]

As I’ve posted on other threads on this subject, I’m a big proponent of going to a real audiologist and getting real hearing aids that the audiologist can tune to one’s specific hearing loss. I think the OTC law change may help prices and tech get more competitive, but I’m skeptical of a DIY plan when it comes to hearing.

Got a link to this just now, adds perspective to both sides of the conversation. Years ago I had carpy outcome from a discount optician's prescription & the eyewear that came out of it so I side with the skeptics when it comes to augmentation for senses.

I had my Starkeys checked out on Tuesday, had been having some issues with the left device's performance. Check-out proved they're both working 100% as intended.

I attribute those issues to any combination of factors: wonky batteries, recent update to the Starkey app for my iPhone, overlooked details when I'd updated the iOS on that iPhone that may have affected how the Starkey app behaves.

[ron ll]

“Lifestyle Hearing Enhancement Devices” not intended to be worn all day, but rather for social outings. To me that flies in the face of how hearing aids work. As I’ve mentioned in other posts, the brain takes time, sometimes months, to adjust to the new sounds. That isn’t going to happen if only worn for special occasions.

Also another new study links dementia to hearing loss.
https://news.google.com/articles/CBM...S&ceid=US%3Aen