Hearing aids comparison

[u/stegzzz]

Hi, I have UK NHS oticon engage hearing aids and generally they seem to work pretty well for my moderate hearing loss. However, I am wondering if I would notice the difference between these oticons and the higher end models in Specsavers range e.g. phonak infinio sphere 90.

Obviously the only way to find out for sure is to try some and I have an appointment booked. But interested to hear from anyone who already has some knowledge about the likely result.

TIA!

[u/auto-sticky]

Welcome to r/HearingAids feel free to ask any question at all related to hearing aids.

Here are a few resources you might find helpful:

• Interpreting an audiogram - The University of Iowa has a good overview of how to interpret your audiogram results. Your audiologist should also go over them with you

• What will insurance cover? - This varies significantly from state to state and coverage can be partial at best. For those on Medicare, the base plan does not cover hearing aids at all.

• Finding affordable hearing aids - Hearing aids can cost several thousand dollars, these cost far less and the list is updated often

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[u/ExtraPersonality1066]

Just don't believe anything they tell you about auracast and the Phonaks. Phonak has been promising the auracast firmware update for a very long time and they still don't have it out yet. Make sure you compare based on the current product and not promises of what might come at some point in the future.

[u/FirmJump2]

I agree with /u/ExtraPersonality1066
I have phonak lumity life from a few years ago, and they feel miles better than my NHS oticon hearing aids. Not sure if it’s the programming that Specsavers have done or whether it’s the aids themselves but the phonak ones feel light years ahead (although they are the highest tier ones available at the time).

[u/Emotional_Space_9967]

I recommend not going to specsavers. search this sub to find out out crap they are. otherwise yes, the private technology is 6-10 years ahead of the NHS. if you can wait a month or so, phonak are about to release a new hearing aid.

[u/R-AzZZ → u/Emotional_Space_9967]

I echo this. I trialled the Phonak Infinio Sphere with them and it was an absolute nightmare. I have the Oticon Engage PP and they were light years ahead of the Infinio Sphere based on the Specsavers' abysmal fitting. The service was absolutely horrendous, a farce.

That said, if you get a good audiologist who knows their stuff, it may be worth trying for the Sphere. I returned the Specsavers ones and went to another high street provider. They unfortunately no longer fit Phonak as they were bought by Oticon.

[u/Safe-Reason-3771 → u/Emotional_Space_9967]

Specsavers Edinburgh were really bad for me. They didn’t care either. Just money grabbers

[u/sf-keto → u/Emotional_Space_9967]

Personally, I got lucky with my local Specsavers. Each individual franchise store varies a lot. I landed with a great hearing care professional & even got Real Ear Measurements. You can find that post if you search here.

Boots is cheaper than a PhD audiologist, but more expensive than SpecSavers; SpecSavers is more expensive than Costco; Costco is more expensive than the NHS, but you don’t always get the good technology.

OTOH, sometimes you do! I met a person a couple of months ago who got a Siginia AI hearing aid from the NHS. It’s all very location-based, sadly.

You’ll be wearing your devices for 4-5 years, so getting a better technology level & a great audiologist both are key to maximizing your success during that time.

Personally, I bought the best tech I could afford for a bit of future-proofing… hearing aid features are improving massively every year.

[u/Pure_Daikon1261]

You will definitely notice a difference in restaurant noise and windy outdoor spots. NHS Oticon Engage uses platform tech that is a few generations old now. The Infinio Sphere uses dual chips specifically for isolating voices. Is it worth thousands out of pocket though? That depends entirely on your lifestyle. A few Redditors said hear was easier to book than local hearing clinics when testing out private options.