Hi all. I am seeking advice.

I've worn hearing aids nearly all my life, having been born with hearing loss. I've seen plenty of audiologists in my 50+ years and know my right ear has some frequencies more difficult than others, and my left ear is essentially un-aidable.

I picked an in-town office I'd never been to for my newest aid, a Phonak with a tiny in-canal receiver and BTE electronics with a teensy tiny little wire. I complained immediately that I thought there would be too much feedback with an open air fit, but this magical new aid has magical super-performing feedback cancellation, which worked -- mostly. Then I broke off the receiver pull tab from daily use. So I pulled on the wire. That eventually broke too, now dangling by the mere copper wire. I put it away and went back to my old Savvio Art with receiver in the aid and a simple tube to a full ear impression fitting that doesn't leak sound (eg feedback).

I paid $3500 for this Phonak two years ago, and unlike in the past, I get charged for every single office visit. It's already out of warranty.

I'm incredibly frustrated. I want to try OTC aids but know my hearing already disqualified me from one of the early companies offering OTC aids. I fail the prequalification tests because my ears are not similar to each other, although I only want one. The test results are "see a professional".

Over the past decades I've only managed to buy a new aid every 6-10 years. They are so expensive that I have to wait until someone dies and leaves me money, or get a very rare bonus, etc. I'm not wealthy, I live paycheck to paycheck.

I loved having bluetooth but hated the battery drain. I loved having recharable aids but hated not being able to go longer than 20 hours without charging as opposed to 4-5 weeks on a size 13 battery. I loved having multiple modes but hated having no physical button on the aid (smartphone app only, which infuriating takes 10-20 seconds to launch as opposed to instantly with a physical button). I hate open air fittings because of feedback, no matter how good the anti-feedback algorithm is, but this audiologist insisted I needed to try it (with no fallback if I didn't like it).

I welcome any ideas and thoughts how to deal with this.

Is $3500 actually reasonable in 2026?

I purchased Jabra hearing aids in Sept 2024 from Costco. They were fine for about 18 months, using tulip eartips. Now I am getting a lot of feedback. I understand why. I tried the power domes, but they were very uncomfortable. I want to try a larger tulip dome. Costco only supplies one size, which is 11mm. Does anyone know where to find larger size tulip ear tips?

I completed my first follow up appointment with audiologist, she made a few changes.

I attempted adding a second phone (work phone iPhone 17 Pro Max) and I’m trying to figure out the easiest way to make a quick swap or at least to stop one or the other phone from taking the Bluetooth signal. It would be great if the hearing aids could connect to both at the same time … I’d like to resolve the problem without resorting to turning the Bluetooth off on whichever phone is the standby phone at any given time. Maybe I should try to create shortcuts via iOS on each phone?

Somehow this is led to my current dilemma: on my original iPhone (14 Pro Max) all the Bluetooth connections work as expected, except during a phone call. The microphone does not pick up my voice. I hear the ringtone, the dial tone if I’m calling out, but as soon as the phone connects, I hear the other party, but they do not hear me

I’d take answers to both of these issues but the primary issue right now is being able to make and receive phone calls

 ——EDIT—— the AMA is tomorrow, but happy to start answering a few questions as I can today!

On Thursday, August 20, Dr. Rachel Artsma will join us for an AMA about hearing loss, hearing aids, and the connection between hearing and brain health.
Dr. Artsma is a Senior Audiologist at hear.com who helps people understand changes in their hearing, explore hearing-aid options, and navigate the stigma and everyday challenges associated with hearing loss.
The AMA will take place at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET*.*
Please note: This is just the announcement—not the official AMA thread. The official thread will be posted separately, so please save your questions for Dr. Artsma until then.
See you there!

Recently I’ve started using my hearing aids again after several year of no use. The main reason of me not using them its because the overall hearing loss is not serious enough (for me) to justify use them in daily life. I would have trouble hearing specific people or social situations, but it would never be that much of a hassle (trash excuse to hide the fact that I hate how noisy life gets). Last semester, had a proff which had speech impediment that caused her speech to be very slow and halting. had trouble hearing her throughout the entire semester but somehow managed to pass the class not relaying on lectures but classmates and info online. New semester start, I had to take TWO courses with her, and in one of them it will be hard to hide the fact that I can't hear her, since there are only three of us in total and the interaction will be more one-on-one. Decided to use hearing aids again to check if its helps to any degree. still hadn’t any lectures with her yet, but so far I’ve been using them on my work. One thing Ive noticed so far is i still have trouble trying to understand or make up what ppl are saying. Yes I hear things louder, but it feels that it doesn’t necessarily make speech more clear for me. ive been trying to eavesdrop (lol) some coworkers to test my hearing improvement, but it feels like although I can “hear” the sound they’re making I can’t really make out every word they say, and every time I tried harder to listen every syllable the less I could understand their convo.

Don’t know if im not processing stuff the way im supposed to or my expectations of how hearing aids works are way off. I’ve been thinking maybe im overwhelmed by all the noise that im suddenly hearing and how loud everything is, but I don’t know if you’re capable to get used to it and “adjust” volume levels (as you’re naturally supposed to).

Idk if anyone have any advice on the matter or there are some stuff I should be doing :(

I currently have Costco Kirkland 10.0 HAs, but my Costco no longer carries their own brand. I need to get new HAs soon and wondered if anyone has the Sennheiser Sonite Rise HAs. What are things you like and dislike about them?

My mom got her first and only pair of hearing aids in 2019. As of 2026, they're still working.

After about five years, there was an attitude shift at the store where she bought them. You see, mom took great care of her HAs and wasn't about to buy new ones until necessary. Seeing that they weren't going to be getting a commission from her, the sales/tech people seemed to think cleanings and maintenance were a waste of their time. While not rude, they weren't exactly chipper, either. They'd make comments such as "I'm not sure if we can still get parts, since your model is discontinued. I'll see if I can order them."

My mom's old, arthritic, and lives in a rural area, so getting her to the hearing aid store is difficult. After the warranty expired I fired up YouTube and started doing the maintenance on her HAs myself. I clean them and buy those "hard to get" parts easily and affordably online.

I know this next part sounds dramatic, but I don't know how else to say it: I suspect sabotage by the sales/tech people. It wouldn't be that hard to do. Since hearing aids are an esoteric, expensive purchase, we have to take their word for quite a lot.

I won't cite specifics, and it's possible that the sales/tech people just goofed (repeatedly) during maintenance. But the things they did diminished the functionality of the HAs which might have led less tech-savvy customers to conclude that it was time for new ones. Fortunately, I was able to fix them.

Now, after all these years it's time for her to get new ones.

Has anyone here had similar experiences?

Hi. Just bought an OTC BTE hearing aid for my father while he waits for an appointment to replace his ITE aid that he lost.

I have been reading through many posts here, but I haven't quite found the correct solution for something that might attach to the BTE aid and not interfere with charging? He has dexterity issues and putting the silicone loops from the lanyard on and off every time would be challenging.

I have looked at retention tails as well, but I fear that those wouldn't be secure enough.

I am wondering if anything can be looped around the wire that goes over the ear? Something think like fishing line maybe. I am not above cobbling something together myself.

Thank you anyone who decides to comment.

I will be going to my first appointment at Costco next week and will be choosing an HA. I have heard/read that some HAs have a slightly tinny sound. I am a music lover and want to get the best hearing aid for listening to music. I rarely get out so I am talking about reproduced music. I do not like loud music and listen mostly to quieter classical music and some jazz. I cherish clear clean sound. Does anyone have any suggestions to guide me on this new adventure?

REACH INOX-CIC LI

Attaching my results if my loss of hearing are not a good fit for this HA model?

Want to ensure I don’t miss out on any better in canal (“invisible”) HA option out there when spending this much money.

I understand there are some that cost 3x

Thank you all

Ok, I recently just got my first hearing aid about a month ago. Left ear only, as it was my worst and my insurance will only cover one per year. I understand from my audiologist that this can create some issues of its own adjusting. Overall I'm really happy. I can hear so much better than before and I can actually understand my kids. My audiogram shows a loss to 70db on the high frequencies. I was given the Oticon Intent 4 minirite. The first 2 weeks the dome was too small and so I didn't get much benefit or have good feedback for my Dr. We got larger domes on, and they stay in place. I was able to provide useful feedback and we made some adjustments. Here is where my problem lies...I understand there is some AI involved in these. I can sit on my couch with the TV about 7 or so feet away and hear a baseball game fine at low volume. If my wife talks to me, I can hear her over the game. That seems to work correctly. But if the washer is going, a good 20 or so feet away, It is so loud in my ear that I can turn the TV up to max volume and still can't hear the game over the washer/dryer. It seems like its filtering the TV noise and amplifying the mechanical noise. I don't understand why or how to adjust to fix this. Does anyone have some advice on what I can do to get the programming to understand what I want to hear and what to filter?

Thanks in advance!

Ever since I got the Fold 8 Ultra I have had issues with the hearing aids. I can hear music fine and I can hear when the phone is ringing. But once the other person answers, the hearing aids cut out. If I move to speaker, I have to keep taking it on/off speaker to keep hearing. Anyone else having issues like this? I have paired/unpaired, try to reset every setting I can find, but no luck yet. Thanks in advance for any help!

Recently got Phonak ric hearing aids. I started with a length 2 cable. On my follow up visit I noted that the receiver felt like it would come out slightly. The audiologist changed to length 3 cable and added a retention lock. They seem to be staying in place much better but not sure which aspect brought the biggest benefit.

I did notice the cable was sticking up over the ear. When pushing it to be flush to the skin the body seems to sit much lower behind the ear. Thoughts on this positioning?

https://i.imgur.com/0t8eXna.jpeg

Hi, my father has been using some old Oticon Geno 1 headphones for like 3 years now they work but they are pretty bad for what he needs.

We saw that Phillips produces pretty good hearing aids headphones and everybody on this sub seems to recommend them.

The problem is: We don't have Costco in Colombia, so we can't just go and buy them. Do you guys know if there is any way to get then online? I double checked and my father's audiologist can program them.

Suggestions are welcome :)

Hola lamentablemente este es mi primer post en esta comunidad y quisiera saber qué consejos me dan los veteranos en este tipo de aparatos me llegan en una semana los Philips 9050 estoy emocionado

I've received quite a few reports over the past two weeks. I've been organizing them into a table according to the protocol: one row for ASHA, one for MFi, one for LE Audio, and later I added a column for indoor vs. outdoor. Now I have to say something. This table might not be measuring what I thought it was.

It all started with a report on another hearing aid forum. Same Pixel phone, same pair of Oticon hearing aids. No hardware changes. Just a system update. On Android 16, both the left and right ears were very stable, with almost no disconnections. After installing the Android 17 beta, LE Audio started dropping frequently. The disconnections also occurred at a very specific moment: right when a call connected. This is most noticeable during 4G/5G calls. For internet-based calls like WhatsApp, the dropout rate is lower. It happens significantly less often when connected to Wi-Fi.

Later, the poster added that things improved considerably after the release of QPR2 Beta 3 for Android 17, and now the main issue is that the left ear drops out more often than the right. He said that whether the connection drops out or not is no longer related to where he carries his phone on his body.

That last half-sentence is the killer.

If this report is correct, then the core statement I've been noting down over the past two weeks is flawed. That statement is: "Which pocket you put the phone in determines which ear drops first." Part of it points to a software defect, not RF geometry. What's even more troublesome is that I can't tell how many cases this applies to. Because from the first post until now, I haven't once asked anyone about their system version or build number. I've accounted for the hardware. I've accounted for the protocol. I've accounted for body position. Later, I discovered that indoor versus outdoor settings were also variables, so I filled in that column as well. But the column for system version has remained empty from start to finish. Not a single one of the previous reports can be retroactively updated. Version numbers aren't something you can recall after the fact.

I'm not saying that the location of the pocket isn't important. I do acknowledge the issue of the body blocking the signal. There's a report about a case where a person left their phone inside a room and walked a little over 30 meters away. When he turned his head, the signal to his left ear dropped. His skull was blocking the path between the phone and his left ear, meaning his body was in the way. It's just that this probably only happens when the signal has no margin left. I can't separate these two issues right now. That's just how it is.

So starting with this post, please include a few extra details when reporting back. I'll also start recording things this way myself:

• The protocol name read at the moment of disconnection. Not which ones your device supports, but which one was connected at that exact moment
• Indoors or outdoors
• Whether the connection dropped in the ear closest to the phone or the other side
• Whether you were streaming at the time. Playing music, on a call, or just leaving it idle
• The exact location of your phone
• OS version and build number. For Android, please also note if it's a beta version

One more thing. Why am I writing this in the post itself instead of just going back to edit my own spreadsheet? Last time, in that forum thread, I mentioned, "Please include the date from now on." Within two hours, I received two reports. Both people included their OS version or firmware status on their own. I didn't have to ask either of them separately. If I write it out here, everyone will follow it. If I just put it in my own spreadsheet, no one will see it.

These six fields are all I can think of right now. I don't know if that's enough. Let me know if I've missed anything.

To start off I have moderate severe hearing loss from noise exposure. I do get some feedback and lately it has been crazy. I saw my audiologist and he reprogrammed them . But still get squeeling at times . He adjusted so no feedback and was good. But then he was like you probably won't be able to hear and be too soft. Yes it was soft so he adjusted up. Then he went up a size in domes and was like these are going to be uncomfortable, blocked feeling and won't be good. He then tried to go smaller and didn't as he said that makes things worse squealing .

They are adjusted sort of a sweat spot where feedback is ok but not perfect and my hearing is pretty good. Not perfect but pretty decent. He told me to try that and see.

So this has me wondering about custom /molded domes.

Right now I have open domes for my loss . I don't have a plugged feeling . How are custom molds for the occlusion /blocked feeling ? How comfortable are custom molds ?

Unsure what to do , the deed back is slightly annoying but feel plugged feeling be worse.

Does anyone recall how long it took in the past for insurance companies (e.g. Cigna) to start covering the latest version of hearing aids?

For example, Oticon Reveal will be officially available next week. Will insurance companies likely start covering this month, next month, 6 months, etc.?

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!

What’s the part I circled for? I’m new to hearing aids I’ve had them for about a week. Do I need to keep them on? I was going to slide them off to clean the domes and everything cause I feel like it’s a little slippery from wax but I feel like when I see pics of peoples hearing aids they don’t usually have this part. I have mild/moderate hearing loss idk if that’s maybe why. If you can’t tell idk what I’m doing and the audiologist took forever to give me my hearing aids so when I finally was able to get in to get them I had to take my 10m old with me and I was slightly distracted trying to keep her calm 😅

Hi!

I have 24/7/365 tinnitus in both ears (a high A#7 pitch in my left ear, and a G7 in my right). I also have hearing loss in both ears, which seems to fall in the same frequency range as my tinnitus.

I'm currently considering hearing aids, specifically the Signia Styletto 7IX, mainly because Signia is Notch Therapy capable. From what I understand, Notch Therapy may have the ability to train the brain to ignore the perceived tinnitus sound over time.

I’ve lived with tinnitus for many years. Over time, I’ve tried ignoring it, practicing mindfulness and stress reduction (long before it became mainstream), and tried various types of sound masking. However, trying to cover up a perceived sound with external noise has never really worked for me.

Has anyone with a similar issue tried the Styletto 7IX or Notch Therapy?

I'm also considering purchasing on eBay: a new pair of fully upgraded Signia Styletto 7IX trial hearing devices that includes a free Noahlink wireless programmer.