Buying Hearing Aids

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Fog

372 posts

Ultimate Geek

#318412 15-Jan-2025 11:11

I have been putting off getting hearing aids for some time, but have now reached the stage that I need to do something about it.

I am elderly and I have the problem of where do I go for this purchase. I am not limited by the price but I would appreciate any advice from those that have been through the procedure. There are several audiology places to choose from in Kapiti.

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#3331750 15-Jan-2025 11:26

I went through this at age of around 58...

I have somewhat diminished hearing on one side and no hearing at all on one side, the latter since toddler age.

I held off considering HAs for all that time because the technology wasn't that great and the price was very high. I was finally pushed over the line when SpecSavers got into audiology and disrupted the market pricing. The cost of a set of Bluetooth enabled, advanced digital processing, rechargeable hearing aids dropped from around $9k to $3k almost overnight.

The end result has been very good for me. Not only can I understand people in noisy crowds, I have a vague sense of hearing direction, and the streaming from cellphone to HAs is beautiful.

For me, the must haves are: rechargeable, BT streaming to cellphone, and digital processing built in and tuned to match your hearing loss (in particular high frequencies).

I was told that the older you are, the harder it is to adapt to HAs. It seemed pretty painless to me. Hearing loss is very socially isolating. It is worth giving this a really good try.

I would recommend going to a SpecSavers audiologist (I saw Columba at the Botany Shopping Center branch) and getting a hearing test first. The audiologist will explain the government subsidies available. Everyone gets at least $1k subsidised IIRC. Some may get more.

With SpecSavers and probably all of them, you can buy the HAs and use them for a period of time, but if they don't work for you, return them for a full refund. Risk free.

gehenna

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#3331751 15-Jan-2025 11:39

Everyone I know with hearing issues (3 people, so far) deals with Bay Audiology and rates them highly.

Handsomedan

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#3331752 15-Jan-2025 11:39

Bay Audiology or Specsavers Audiology seem the easiest options and the most cost effective.

If you have Southern Cross or AA membership, check to see if you're eligible for any discounts.

The good thing about Specsavers is that they have their pricing on their website so you know what you're getting into.
https://www.specsavers.co.nz/hearing/hearing-aids/digital-hearing-range-and-prices

EDIT:
Looks like Triton also have their pricing up on their website: https://www.tritonhearing.co.nz/hearing-aid-cost-pricing/prices/

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robjg63

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#3331754 15-Jan-2025 11:54

johno1234:

For me, the must haves are: rechargeable, BT streaming to cellphone, and digital processing built in and tuned to match your hearing loss (in particular high frequencies).

I thought about rechargeable vs battery and decided that the battery lasts around 8 days. You switch them off each night when you go to bed.

I just replace the battery each Monday morning. Easy. They never run out of juice and its something less to go wrong. A pack of 6 batteries is $5. So 3 weeks for $5. Depends what suits you though. If you are travelling, its easy to take spare batteries. More difficult to recharge on a plane for example.

BT hooking up to your phone/devices is very handy.

I went to Bay Audiology and have been very good to deal with. They are just down the road from me. I had been bouncing the idea around of what to do and one day just decided - they won because they were very close and I decided it was a 'Do it now!" thing. I was around 59 when I first got them. Around $6k for a pair.

Can't say they made much difference to being able to hear in crowd/noise - I gather that is often a brain thing as much as anything.

The music setting was a revelation. Didnt know how muddy music was sounding until I listened with the HAs. That is amazing!

I still leave the subtitles on the TV on - Sound mix for modern media is awful - even young people tell me so.

I would investigate Spec savers as they are probably better pricing - like possibly thousands cheaper.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

nutbugs

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#3331758 15-Jan-2025 12:20

I used Bay Audiology - partly due to the AA benefits and location and Spec Savers were not an option then. I have been really pleased with the service form Bay Audiology - the couple of times I have had issues and expected to need to pay for repair the HA's have been fixed without question or cost.

It was a real eye opener as to how bad things had got and how much I was missing. One thing I found really interesting is that the longer you leave it the more your brain needs to relearn language - what sounds equate to what words.

Rechargeable BT was the key for me. The recharging case is portable so does not need to be plugged in all the time - great when travelling for example.

Those around you will thank you for getting your hearing sorted :)

Fog

372 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3331786 15-Jan-2025 13:56

Thank you ALL for your helpful advice which is much appreciated.

I didn't know about the AA involvement so will check that out.

With Specsavers I am a little confused with the cost of the aids. I see that the Advance and Phonak have the same facilities, but the Advance aids are about $1800 less, surely that this isn't entirely due to the named aids?.

I hadn't looked at Bay Audiology because one of my neighbours had a bad experience with them, but she may have been at fault.

Handsomedan

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#3331788 15-Jan-2025 14:00

Fog:

With Specsavers I am a little confused with the cost of the aids. I see that the Advance and Phonak have the same facilities, but the Advance aids are about $1800 less, surely that this isn't entirely due to the named aids?.

I think it's probably just a factor of them using a third party to make their own in-house brand and getting a massive supply discount as they're a global business and would have very large volumes.

Their eyeglass frames are similar - Ray Ban vs Specsavers (almost identical to look at) are $99 vs $499 for frames alone.

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johno1234

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#3331791 15-Jan-2025 14:05

Fog:

Thank you ALL for your helpful advice which is much appreciated.

I didn't know about the AA involvement so will check that out.

With Specsavers I am a little confused with the cost of the aids. I see that the Advance and Phonak have the same facilities, but the Advance aids are about $1800 less, surely that this isn't entirely due to the named aids?.

I hadn't looked at Bay Audiology because one of my neighbours had a bad experience with them, but she may have been at fault.

SpecSavers go to the big brand manufactures e.g. Phonak and contract them to make SpecSavers branded hearing aids on their behalf. So a SpecSavers Advance branded hearing aid is going to be a re-badged Phonak, Siemens etc. Probably the exact same unit. Why is it cheaper for the same HA? I don't fully understand why. Something to do with brand marketing?

Jvipers2

215 posts

Master Geek

#3331799 15-Jan-2025 14:33

If you're using an iphone, probably can have a look at getting the $479 AirPods Pro 2?

Fog

372 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3331801 15-Jan-2025 14:36

No. Using Android but thanks for the tip.

k1w1k1d

1519 posts

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#3331819 15-Jan-2025 15:06

I am 67 and got Elite rechargeables from Specsavers about 15 months ago. Cost $3,575, Triton quoted over $7K.

The first pair just sounded scratchy, so they swapped them for another type. These were better, but not much. Some sounds like crunching up paper seem to get amplified, but speech is still not good, especially in crowds etc. I often just turn them off in noisy gatherings.

I can't tell any difference if I take them out when watching tv, listening to the radio, or family talking. Playing with volume and balance settings on the app has no noticeable effect.

johno1234

2797 posts

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#3331826 15-Jan-2025 15:26

k1w1k1d:

I am 67 and got Elite rechargeables from Specsavers about 15 months ago. Cost $3,575, Triton quoted over $7K.

The first pair just sounded scratchy, so they swapped them for another type. These were better, but not much. Some sounds like crunching up paper seem to get amplified, but speech is still not good, especially in crowds etc. I often just turn them off in noisy gatherings.

I can't tell any difference if I take them out when watching tv, listening to the radio, or family talking. Playing with volume and balance settings on the app has no noticeable effect.

That's a shame but not unusual.

When I first got my hearing aids I was warned that they would seem very sensitive, but that would mellow as my brain adjusted to them. The audiologist started off with them set at a lower level to accommodate this. When I first had them in, sprinkling salt on a plate sounded like I was dropping ball bearings rather than grains of salt! Rustling my hair or touching the HAs would make a very loud crunching sound. All that slowly filtered out over the first couple of weeks and became a non issue.

As I am totally deaf on one side I got Bi-CROS technology HAs where the side I am deaf on sends the sound with a digital delay to the other hearing aid which blends them. This means that I would initially hear any sound twice with a small delay. I played golf the day I got the hearing aids and certainly could hear a double click on the ball impact. However as I was told, my brain learned to eliminate the double sound from my conscious hearing but rather attempt to interpret it as a sense of direction. Not really sure that I am interpreting direction though.

After a couple of weeks the above just became normal and I could then turn the HAs up a bit. I was warned by the audiologist that not everyone gets over these issues and they end up just not liking the HAs. That's why they have the option to return the HAs for full refund if the customer can't get used to them.

I don't use the MyConnect app. I just use the iPhone built-in controls which works well.

mckenndk

911 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3331840 15-Jan-2025 16:07

I've had resound ones for the last 10 years which have been good.
Main issue i've had is they did not work directly with an Andorid device but would an Apple.
If you don't have long enough hair in the wind it can cause them to make the noise you get blowing into a microphone I wear a hoodie to stop this.

Can hear birds with them and music soungs better etc and don't have to turn up the tv. (I know how annoying this is for other people as my dad use to do it with the TV and radio so we ended up wearing ear muffs as he did not think he had an issue even with us turning them down all the time)
Flushing the toilet can be lound initially as well.

Bay Audiology is who i've previously been going with but am going to try Spec savers next time around once i've saved some $.
Most places usually charge you $7K minimum for a good pair and I can't afford that this time around.

The noname brands are usually made by a reptable company, the likes of Cosco does this in the states and possibly NZ if your in the Auckland Area.
Was hoping some of the other companies were going to go down this track as well but not enough competition yet I guess.

Fog

372 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3331842 15-Jan-2025 16:16

I have been hoping someone who has resound aids would reply. I think that Resonate here in Paraparaumu would be ideal for me, but they appear to be very big, and I don't like the way the connecting cord protrudes above your ear. How have you found these hearing aids.?

Fog

372 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3331843 15-Jan-2025 16:19

I should have added that Resonate Health in Paraparaumu have the OMNIA9 model.

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