Skip to content
HearingTracker
Log in

Hearing Aid User Survey for 2026

73 replies7.2k viewsLast reply

Jump
Link to this topic
Reply

In reply to @PeterH

@PeterH said:

We are different types of users. You’ve bought the latest model at retail prices, which has an extra large rechargeable battery, to cater for the Deepsonic chip. It should last well over a day, for now.

I will never spend that much on hearing aids again, as I self program. I will not buy rechargeable hearing aids for four reasons:

Seems like I am a very different type of user than you think!
I am a DIYer. Got them brand new, via an online vender/dealer of NEW aids.
Great price.

I’m glad to fill this out. It’s strange that, as far as I can see, no particular questions are asked regarding self-programming, tool access, “mail-ordering” as a purchasing option, how frequently our needed repairs, or those expenses. The last question completely baffled me (perhaps because I’m not a native English speaker?) Additionally, I had trouble selecting “nothing” when asked to rate the factors that delayed the acquisition of my HA.

Thanks

Visit Now : SOFTHEAR

I tried to fill it out, but somehow I got thrown out.

Why didn’t you ask it we were asked to send in an ? (I had to do that)

This topic was pinned across the forum.

Thanks for this it’s a good read, and explains a lot. I see he’s avoiding the “self programming option”, and probably rightly so.

Another point he didn’t mention, was another reason that Costco may be cheaper in the USA. I don’t live on the USA, but in the UK (2022) I asked a licenced Phonak Audiologist to provide me a pair of “Audeo Paradise P90-13T”. I found a UK registered online provider that would sell me the exact model (programmed to my latest , with ), loads cheaper than he could buy them. He suggested, I bought them online, and he changed his pricing structure, for his services. It worked well. Recently, another local Audiologist has changed their pricing policies too.

It’s a racket, with the manufacturers at the top of it. For example, Roger devices have been vastly overpriced for years, and Phonak didn’t even pay for the R&D. Only now are they offerering unlimited licenses. On other threads, we should all know how badly made the RogerOn is.

It’s not all “a racket”. It costs a lot of money to invest in and develop new technology, much less to produce it. People seem to think that HAs fall out of heaven ready made and evil people proceed to fleece the public. Not so. And yes, your provider and audiologist work long hours and need to be compensated–they all have school loans to be repaid, after all. Or would you rather have no audioligists and available? And how many folks here want to work long hours for free? “the worker deserves her compensation” Christ says, or something like that.

@jeffrey said:

People seem to think that HAs fall out of heaven ready made and evil people proceed to fleece the public.

If you think Phonak’s business practices have been ethical, to maintain market share …

Roger’s R&D wasn’t funded by them.

All private companies, including those in healthcare, will price their goods at “what the market will bear”- this may be unethical but is clearly supported by society as a whole, and strongly drives innovation. Moreover, Phonak has certainly no monopoly anywhere.

The problem with is that they are almost exclusively offered as a bundle with fitting services- there are no (official) channels. Also, I feel market elasticity is untested, iow, if prices came down (a lot), wouldn’t that boost sales? We all know that the HA market is vastly underserved (in most places the majority of the hearing-impaired are not equipped), so higher sales volumes could very well match (or exceed) profits as they are.

Outside Bluetooth reception must be improved. Walking outside & listening to music from your iPhone is basically impossible. No issues inside sitting down. If Apple can do it for iPods, then the hearing aid manufacturers should match it. The prices they are charging should demand it.

Unfortunately that may not be possible. Apple uses a protocol with its airpods that it keep a secret from the other companies. Apple is protecting it’s advantage. I have the Oticon INTENT1 aids with my Samsung S25FE phone with very few disconnects. I also have the Phonak Spheres with very few disconnects. The Oticon INTENT1 has le audio as does the phone. At my last check apple still doesn’t support le audio. The Phonak aids uses classic Bluetooth. The Phonak Spheres has the capability to have at some point in in the future when auracast becomes readily available. If my INTENT1 aids were updated they will be compatible with auracast. But where I live at with my needs auracast isn’t available unless I purchased another device. I have no interest in doing so. By the way I hike the forest trails and have no connectivity issues with my Samsung S25FE and either set of my aids.

Edited

True, the apps to control are extremely limited. Manufacturers still treat the totality of their endusers as half-demented dummies. My Phonaks only came to life when I got my own hands on the tools to fully control them (Target software and a Noah transmitter). Having said that, modern, well-tuned HAs run without needing any day-to-day controlling, even for volume control. I only look at the app to see how well my HAs are charged. Fine-tuning your HAs can really only be done behind a PC, not on a smartphone.

So as far as I am concerned “the action should be” on putting full control of the hands of all customers who can handle it (i.e. just putting Target on a website), rather than squeezing more features in the apps.

This topic was unpinned.

Related discussions