One of two local Costcos is recommending Sennheiser. According to them:
Sennheiser are the closest to the ones I’ve been using for the past 6 years (Kirkland Signature KS9.0t)
most appropriate for my hearing loss
have features they believe I will appreciate - something to do with compatibility and audio streaming
(I try to not use my current ones for that for a variety of reasons - yet this does come handy once in a while on phone and video calls when my AirPods or other headphones aren’t close by)
They also offered to include two different types of domes - vented and closed, set up two different profiles for them, and show me how to change them. The closed ones (or custom molds) match my hearing loss better yet I have a pretty severe reaction to occlusion and disorientation when wearing those (tried several times for weeks). So this would be a good and a welcome way to compare them at will. I suspect I’ll get better speech recognition with , but will be more comfortable generally with vented semi-open ones.
Some context:
Been wearing KS90.t for the last 6 years. One of them quit - sent both for repairs; the world is much quieter since - yet I do need to hear my wife better and some of my coworkers… Hence - shopping for a new pair hoping they are an improvement over KS9.
KS9 HAs - while a lifesaver - have a few annoying quirks that I haven’t been able to figure out or address, even with multiple visits to Costco audiologists: random crackling sounds, wind buffeting, a strange sensitivity to white noise - which they seem amplify at the expense of speech and other sounds, and a few more. (Some of them are likely due to my own stubbornness in not acquiescing to closed domes or molds.)
Is there a consensus on which current Costco HAs may be best for my hearing loss, and with the focus not just on speech clarity but also quality of life - which means hearing as much natural sound as possible? (I.e. I may end up using them with semi-open / vented domes more than closed ones even though closed ones are a much better fit for my type of loss - which may also require some additional programming to reduce feedback, the effects of wind buffeting, etc. - and further degrade speech recognition.)
P.S. ChatGPT seems to disagree with Costco’s Sennheiser recommendation, after taking a look at my . It’s tying Jabra Pro 30 and Philips 9050 for the top recommendation, followed by Sennheiser Sonite R, with Rexton Reach last.
If I had to rank them for your audiogram and history, assuming competent fitting at Costco: Jabra Pro 30 ≈ Philips 9050 > Sennheiser Sonite R > Rexton Reach, with caveats below.
I have yet to do any substantial research - is there substance to ChatGPT recommendations?
(ChatGPT very often gives me wrong and incomplete answers - i.e. not to be trusted w/o verification.)
The prompt:
Based on the recent audiogram (attached) where my hearing loss is shows as moderate to profound, which hearing aids among the four models available at Costco ( Costco Hearing Aid Center5 ) would you recommend? Which model is the most advanced, most recommended, most reliable?
Sennheiser Sonite R
Philips HearLink 9050
Jabra Enhance Pro 30
Rexton Reach RiC
(all costing roughly the same)
The Costco Hearing Aid Center is recommending “Sennheiser Sonite R” as the closest to the ones I’ve been using for the past 6 years (Kirkland Signature KS9.0t), most appropriate for my hearing loss, and having the features they believe I will appreciate.
Thoughts?
Full response from ChatGPT:
Short version first, then the justification.
Bottom line
Most advanced overall:Philips HearLink 9050
Best “do-everything well” and safest pick:Jabra Enhance Pro 30
Best match to KS9 lineage / familiar sound:Sennheiser Sonite R
Most robust for very high power needs:Rexton Reach RiC
If I had to rank them for your audiogram and history, assuming competent fitting at Costco: Jabra Pro 30 ≈ Philips 9050 > Sennheiser Sonite R > Rexton Reach, with caveats below.
What your audiogram actually implies (no marketing fluff)
From the attached audiogram:
Bilateral, sloping loss
~57 (R) / ~68 dB (L)
Mid-to-high frequencies pushing severe → profound
Speech understanding still workable with amplification ( ~85%), which is critical
This puts you squarely in high-gain territory, borderline where fitting skill matters more than brand. You do not need exotic “” features as much as:
Clean high-frequency amplification without feedback
Stable compression behavior
Good noise handling without killing speech cues
Enough headroom so you’re not riding the ceiling all day
Model-by-model assessment
1. Jabra Enhance Pro 30
Why it’s near the top
Successor lineage to ReSound / GN, which historically handles severe HF loss + speech clarity well
Strong wireless, solid directional mic behavior
Consistently good feedback management at high gain
Generally predictable, conservative processing (good thing)
Downsides
Less “wow” factor in demos
App ecosystem is fine, not magical
Some users find it slightly less forgiving if under-fit (needs proper )
Verdict:
If you care about speech intelligibility and long-term reliability more than bells and whistles, this is a very safe choice.
2. Philips HearLink 9050
Why it’s compelling
Internally close to Oticon Real generation
Excellent environmental awareness and fast processing
Often perceived as more “open” and natural
Strong performance in complex soundscapes
Risks
Can feel too aggressive or too busy for some users with severe loss
More sensitive to fitting philosophy; sloppy programming = fatigue
Costco audiologists vary in how well they exploit Philips/Oticon logic
Verdict:
Technically excellent. If you like richer sound and Costco assigns a skilled fitter, this can outperform everything else. If not, it can be irritating.
3. Sennheiser Sonite R
Why Costco is steering you here
Direct descendant of KS9.0 / Signia platform
Similar compression behavior, similar sound signature
Easy transition psychologically and acoustically
Adequate power for your loss if fitted with correct receiver strength
Limitations
Not the most advanced signal processing in 2025–2026 terms
Noise handling is competent, not class-leading
Less future-proof
Verdict:
Costco’s recommendation is defensible, but also conservative. This is the least risky transition, not the most capable option.
4. Rexton Reach RiC
Where it shines
High output capability
Durable, workhorse design
Good choice if feedback margins are tight
Where it falls short
Sound processing is more blunt
Speech in noise often inferior to Jabra/Philips
Less refined overall
Verdict:
Pick this only if you’re consistently maxing out gain or having feedback issues with others. Otherwise, it’s not optimal.
What Costco isn’t telling you (but should)
Fitting quality matters more than brand
A well-fit “second-best” aid beats a poorly fit flagship.
Real Ear Measurements (REM) are non-negotiable
If they don’t do REM at full target for your loss, brand comparisons are meaningless.
Receiver strength matters
You should likely be in High Power (HP or UP) receivers, not standard.
Trial behavior matters more than first impression
Speech fatigue after 2–3 weeks is the real test.
Devil’s advocate: reasons not to change from Sonite R
If KS9 worked well for you for 6 years, sound familiarity has real value
Learning a new processing philosophy can be annoying, not enlightening
Costco’s fitter may be most experienced with Signia/Sennheiser
Conversely, reasons to push back:
Your loss has progressed
KS9-era processing is now dated
You may gain measurable speech clarity with Jabra or Philips
My practical recommendation
If Costco will let you trial two models sequentially:
Start with Jabra Enhance Pro 30
If speech clarity or comfort disappoints → try Philips 9050
Fall back to Sennheiser Sonite R if neither beats your KS9 baseline
If they will only fit one and you want lowest regret:
→ Jabra Enhance Pro 30
If you want, next steps could be:
Interpreting your audiogram frequency-by-frequency against each model’s fitting range
A checklist of questions to ask the Costco fitter that will quickly reveal competence
How to structure the trial so you get real signal instead of showroom bias
Is there a consensus on which current Costco HAs may be best for my hearing loss
Sorry but there’s no such thing as the “best” you’d need to trial before finding the one that works “best” for you, Costco was thinking because your using Phonak now ( KS9) that the Sennheiser ( again another rebranded Phonak Lumity model) would be a fair bet, but you just need to trial yourself to be sure, please forget all that nonsense replies, do your own trial! Phillips are no better or worse then any of the others, maybe Bluetooth is important to you, but do try to put speech comprehension at the top of your list.
Just a thought: What I did to let me try and evaluate both the Jabra 30 and the Philips 9050 at Costco, to compare them together, was to “buy” both at almost the same time so that I can have 180 days to get used to and compare them directly with each other. I will return one of them before that 180 day trial period is up. (I am fortunate enough to be able to handle the “Cash flow” impact for that 180 days.) At this point, there are things I like about each and things I don’t (the world is full of trade offs). The Jabra is very crisp and sharp - so sharp that at times I have difficulty understanding what is being said. On the other hand, the Philips is excellent at bringing out speech, but it can be too mellow. I miss the clear chirping of the birds and the barking of dogs when I walk. I hear them, but they are muffled. The Philips philosophy is “put it in your ears and forget it. Let the automatic system do its thing” I’m leaning toward Philips, but I have another 6 weeks to think about it. I really recommend that you try them. Coming from the K9s, I think the sound from the Philips will be the most familiar to you, but you have got to try both.
Thank you - really appreciate the advice and the thought!
Sounds like you decided Philips and Jabra were the top choices for you, too, over Sennheiser and Rexton? What dome types do you use, if you don’t mind me asking?
The Philips philosophy is “put it in your ears and forget it. Let the automatic system do its thing”
That’s the thing that’s driving me crazy with KS9s - it unexpectedly switches programs when it thinks it’s appropriate, sometimes with a few seconds of delay between ears - and that’s quite disorienting and fatigue-inducing for me. Tried manual programs - and just haven’t been able to settle down on one - as the reboot back to default settings, and going to the audiologist for every minor adjustment didn’t work for me - and for them.
Based on your experience, I am kinda excited to try Jabras.
There is no such a thing as a hearing aid hardware being better than other major brands (there maybe exception to this) . This forum has several discussions about this.
Sometimes fitters have more experience with one brand than others and recommend the one they are most familiar with.
if you have rebadged Phonaks then the Sennheiser recommendation makes sense because you are used to Phonak’s sound profile and you like the aids.
Many people in this forum make claims than one brand is better than another . The truth is that sound preference is very personal , people have different types of hearing loss, different lifestyles . What works better for one person may not work for you . I fully agree with @tenkan statements for this .
Go to Costco , try different brands in their noisy warehouse , have an open mind , choose your preferred one. After that, you have 6 months to return the device.
IMHO, asking “what is the best aid” is like asking “what’s the best car” . After all , the success of a hearing aid is mostly dependent on the programming .
That’s the thing that’s driving me crazy with KS9s - it unexpectedly switches programs when it thinks it’s appropriate,
Yep this is just one of the reasons I dumped Phonak, Autosence just couldn’t get it right no matter how much I made adjustments, yeah you either like it or you don’t.
As mentioned above you’ll need sort though all the blurb and decide yourself, good luck.
The EP 30s are generally considered to be ReSound’s best technology; there are multiple data points of toatl identity in the Vivia 9s and EP 30s. They use the same fitting software, and seem to have the same controls and same number of controls. They use the same accessories - if you buy a TV streamer from Costco, for example, maybe it will be unbranded, and maybe it will have the ReSound brand. I’ve used the ReSound-branded app for my Jabra EP 10s, though I’ve read reports that the Jabra app won’t work for ReSound aids.
The 9050s may be internally the same as the high end Oticons, but Philips uses different fitting software and the accessories are not interchangeable.
Both 9050s and EP 30s are - and -capable. IIRC, the Rexton is neither, and Rexton has sated the current model won’t ever be Auracast- or BTLE Audio-capable.
Sennheiser is a generation behind.the other 3 brands. Jabra or Philips are probably the most sophisticated technically.
Costco won’t tell you the fitter matters more than the , but neither will Audi or hospital practices. Audis won’t tell you that if you move, you may not be able to get local support in your new location, even if you’re will to pay extra for it. If you need service on a Costco aid, you’ll get it at least at any US or Canadian Costco - at no charge if the service is under warranty. A corollary is that you may be able to find a new, better fitter if you’re Costco has multiple fitters or if you’re within reach of multiple Costcos. (I can’t try out Starkey HAs at ‘my’ Costco, but I can at one that’s even closer to me (but which takes more time to get to.)
Costco standards call for . Many audis don’t do REM.
Costco has a 180 day return period. The most I’ve heard of from other practices is 90 days. I decided to return a pair after 130 days; I was glad to be a Costco customer.
You can’t get the newest Phonaks or any Widex aid from Costco, and so far you can get only a very limited Starkey selection at Costco. Musicians like Widex; I was a music listener, and Widex interests me. Phonak does tap to use the phone for, apparently, and phone ever made. (slight hyperbole)
RE why I think there would be less difficulty encountered coming from K9s to the Philiips 9050: The Pro 30 is very sharp and different then Sonova K9 or K10. The Philips 9050 has a much more mellow sound (at least to me) and is closer to the K9 and K10.
RE lowering the hi frequency to reduce the sharpness of the Pro 30: I’m trying that right now. I also trying to make the Philips less “mellow”.
Yes, we all hear differently. You’ve got to try them yourself.
I did trial the 9050’s but found them to have a quite dull and closed sound compared to my K10’s which to me are more open. Costco audiologist mentioned that some other customers had experienced the same, and suggested I try the Pro 30’s for a brighter sound.
Yes Signia (Rexton)released it quite a while back, for some unknown reason they didn’t offer at the time, it’s obviously coming in the next platform, still we need more public places to offer it to make it worthwhile.
The EP 30s are generally considered to be ReSound’s best technology…
Thank you - exactly what I was looking for - a high level summary or a roundup highlighting key differences and features.
(I stopped by a different Costco today to ask what are the top choices for my level of hearing loss - and they said Jabra, mainly. Sennheiser - not so much. Makes me wonder why the other Costco recommended Sennheiser. Looks like we have a consensus…)
I stopped by a different Costco today to ask what are the top choices for my level of hearing loss - and they said Jabra, mainly.
This makes no sense, there’s no “better” models for yours or anyone else’s hearing loss, YOU need to decide to know which works “best” for you, which only a trial period will answer.
Sennheiser - not so much. Makes me wonder why the other Costco recommended Sennheiser.
So I mentioned many times before, Sennheiser is just a rebranded Phonak Lumity, so older tech trying to make out it’s the new kid on block, well I think for now you have a bit to think about, let us all know what you finally get, should be interesting.
We all have different needs/wants and should work to find what meets them. When I lost my KS9s, I did want Phonak aids again. I loved the KS9s and mourned their loss. At that time the Sennheisers were just coming to some selected Costcos, and I couldn’t wait on them being available to me, so I got Phonak Lumitys. A bonus to that was that I could get Lumitys with disposable batteries, which I prefer. In addition to the fact the KS9s gave me good hearing, I wanted the way Phonak aids work with my phone, with the tv, with the Partner Mic, and didn’t want to buy a new phone just to work with hearing aids when Phonak aids make that unnecessary and suit in all other ways to boot.
On the other hand, when the KS10s were out, I tried them and turned them back in because while they worked fine, they didn’t seem to improve my hearing over what the 9s did, and since I didn’t consider the rechargeable feature an improvement …
I want to add agreement to the statement that the fitting and attention given by the audio person is more important than the brand. I bought the Jabra at Costco 2 years ago. I received no support from the Costco audio folks until a few months ago. My feelings about the HAs were “meh” until recently. I finally got an appointment for a checkup and had an adjustment to the HAs. It has been like night and day. Now I can hear things that I couldn’t before the adjustment. It’s all about your audio person and how skilled they are at setting up the HAs for your particular hearing deficit.
This is so true. the audio person is very important. I have K10s for a few years. One just “died” & so called Costco to send them in & give me loaners. My usual tech was out so I saw the “audi”. Got loaners but they were horrible. got home; took them home as is because the audi didn’t seem to know what she was doing; called for apt w/my usual tech. went in & hooray, these are as good as my K10s if not even better. It’s the person who’s so important.
I now have the Jabra Enhance Pro 30 hearing aids from Costco. I previously had the Kirkland 10.0T. The Jabras are much better at speech recognition and the options in the app for hearing in noise, speech clarity, etc. is better than the Easy Line app for KS 10.0T. The only problem I have is streaming and phone calls. The sound level is really spotty. Sometimes I can barely hear, sometimes its normal. Also, with the Jabras I can’t hear high pitched beeps/sounds like my Security Alarm keypad, or the egg cooker beeping when its done. Previously I could hear those with my KS 10.0T. Honestly I was hoping for more with the Jabras since they have built in. But, its a tradeoff. I kept them because speech is most important, but the phone call issue is quite a problem.
Topanga, CA
Hence - shopping for a new pair hoping they are an improvement over KS9.
San Francisco
(slight hyperbole)
Scottish Borders
Poland