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OTC Hearing Aid Candidate?

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Edited

Hello! Happy I found this forum. My was generated by Apple’s hearing test using Airpod3’s. I added some interpolated numbers for frequencies not included in Apple data. I am 77 with normal hearing issues…difficulty following conversations especially female voices with background noise. Just a couple questions to get started. Do you think I am a candidate for an ? I have started experimenting with my Airpod3’s.

I watched a video attached to another thread in this forum. It was from Hearingup. The audiologist, Dr Cliff, was explaining why he is no longer positive about Costco. He sounded believable until I realized he was selling his network of audiologists that he has personally screened to ensure they are following best practices, etc. I am 25 miles away from the closest audiologist in his network. I am willing to drive that far if it is worth it, but seems like I should be abe to find an acceptable audiologist closer to home. Do any of you have comments re Hearingup and his network?

Thanks!

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No one can tell whether you’re a candidate. Each OTA manufacturer will have you take a hearing test using their app on your phone. Can you unlock the functionality with your AirPods?

I wouldn’t trust anyone’s claims they are the best. Costco is fine for the vast majority of people. If you suspect issues with your ears, I’d also encourage you to visit an to rule anything else out.

are for mild to moderate hearing loss. Your shows that you are not within this range. If you get them , buy from a place that accepts returns in case they do not work for you.

I’m not a fan of Dr. Cliff. Costco is his competitor, and he seems biased when he analyzes it. There are many users here who are very happy with Costco. I find the reviews by HearingTracker much more useful and detailed.

Apple says I have left mild loss and right moderate loss. Apparently they take an average and discount losses at higher frequencies. That is why I asked if I am candidate. I guess there is not a standard definition or maybe just not meaningful to average losses across frequencies.

Edited

Agree that your loss is greater than the current generation of aids is designed for although you may get some help. But it does seem that your loss, according to the , is within the range that any competent audiologist, and any of the newer top rated hearing aids, can successfully address.

And, I share your scepticism regarding Dr. Cliff and his network. Costco is fine unless you have complex hearing loss.

In reply to @Jackhammer

Some formulas calculate the degree of hearing loss by averaging the thresholds at 500,1000, 2000 and 3000. (This is the one used calculate % disability for disability pension eligibility, some insurance companies and some apps). If you have a ski-slope HF loss, this formula will likely say this type of loss is considered normal or mild .

How to Read an Audiogram8.

If your is accurate, then you want prescription hearing aids, and not .

Dr. Cliff is a business man, so while I agree with his issue in that Costco isn’t able to fine tune the hearing aids, I don’t think the service is going to be that much better at a private practice.

Frankly, unless you want the Phonak Spheres, I would give Costco a try first. After all, they have a 180 day return policy if they can’t make the hearing aids work for you.

Cliff Olsen recently posted a summary on the internet of the current state of play regarding . It wasn’t a good picture with a very high return rate.

FWIW, a friend recently purchased a pair of Jabra OTC aids based on the results of the hearing test they suggested she use. While she has definitely gained back some hearing with them, she still has trouble hearing me in a calm situation. She therefore purchased their “partner mic”. If I wear that she can hear me. My impression is that her hearing loss is definitely not “mild to moderate”. More likely moderate to severe. She paid over $2K for the OTC HAs. For that she could have gone to Costco and obtained a much better outcome. She is now regretting her purchase. YMMV.

Thanks for the great feedback. I am going to Costco. I will update and let you know about my experience and choice.

In reply to @OcramSagev

@OcramSagev At the end of one of Cliff Olson’s videos about Costco Hearing Centers he said you may get a competent hearing care professional but that it is a hit or miss! I got a kick out of that, as this forum so well attests, getting a competent audiologist in private practice may fairly be said to be a hit or miss.

@Jackhammer Your ears are not made to experiment around. Usually it is good advice to do the hearing test properly by an or Audiologist. with the curve you show is certainly not ideal.
Finally what matters is that you find a well trained expert, that takes you to this journey rather than experimenting with consumer devices. Usually a proper hearing test and even wearing test devices is free for you, so why hesitating?

You still can decide for your own journey in a second step, but an initial reliable test is usually the best way.

AirPods can compensate for your hearing loss up to 2000 kHz, but not beyond. Regular will definitely help you, even if they represent a steep price jump. As comparison, for my type of hearing loss Airpods are totally useless (even as regular earbuds, where other brands are simply louder).

In reply to @Michael_Phonak

@Michael_Phonak It is understandable why a representative of an established legacy hearing aid manufacturer would advise “not to experiment”. As a consumer I have a different opinion. It just so happens that I just yesterday received a pair of Apple Earpods Pro 3 myself.

In the space of three hours, I am duly impressed. As Blake Caldwell put it, they will not take the place of traditional hearing aids but you may find them useful as another item in your hearing health tool-kit.

Apple, Sony, Elehear etc. are market disruptors. Consider your company, an excellent one, to be disrupted.

I wore my airpod3’s to lunch with wife. Wow, it was amazing to hear server explain specials and not ask wife to repeat herself constantly. By experimenting, I meant trying out the various settings available with Apple hearing assist.

@Jackhammer I’m glad to see you are enjoying Apple Airpods Pro 3 . (As I am.) Before I got my traditional hearing aids, I missed out on many years of Daily Specials.

In reply to @portage

@portage believe it or not, my advise is not monetary driven. I am not sure why nowadays so many people have such a negative spirit against companies, as if we all would be money sucking bastards. The oposite is true. Most in our domain are truly driven by the wellbeing of humans. And maybe I know a bit more about hearing loss than the average human. And this is why I say a proper investigation is the gold standard, completely independent from selling stuff. Did I advice against your solution? No I did not. What you do with my advice is your decision, but folks, please, stop accusing the wrong ones.

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