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In which case you will just waist $3000. They are not stripped down. But, hay, if you are more comfortable paying $5000 for the same aid, I say go for it.

In reply to @DonsHA

Anybody who doesn’t believe that Costco can offer a pair of top-of-the line hearing aids for $1700 should look at the Veterans Affairs department report on how much they spend on average. I assume it’s per hearing aid (not for a pair).

The link has been posted on this forum before:

https://www.va.gov/opal/docs/nac/csas/summaryVAhearingAidProcurement.xlsx7

This is for Oct. 2025 to Feb 2026 for aids:

image

@rwin1592 said:

Phonak aids that never really did much anyway

Your comment on your Phonak aids I find interesting. Phonak aid are a good aid until they don’t suit your hearing loss anymore. Even with a newer Phonak aid, and programmed accurately. I had phonak all my life until I got my . They worked well for me until my loss became profound. Then they didn’t work for me either.

In reply to @DonsHA

@DonsHA said:

Lots of apples to oranges comparisons. Hard to find exact specifications.

Nope not when it comes to , it’s not that hard to find the spec’s, Google is your friend,

@DonsHA said:

Horizon GO 7IX

Hear. com are just resellers of rebranded HAs, you don’t actually believe they make them do you?

@DonsHA said:

Rexton for $1690 is likely NOT simply a rebranded $5000 Horizon GO 7IX.

They definitely are all the same, Rexton, Signia,Horizon, TruHearing etc, again you can’t possibly believe hear.com actually make their own models!

Screenshot_20260609_141130
Screenshot_20260609_141202

I do a lot of research on everything I buy. At the same time, I don’t believe everything I read. I weigh the odds, apply some common sense, and make a decision I can live with. Yes many products are manufactured by a single supplier for many brands. However, each of those brands have their sorvifucations to make them “different”. Sears wash machines were made by Whirlpool but they specified a thicker sheet metal for the cabinet. Two sofas setting side by side, from the same manufacturer, covered in same looking fabric, but have different grades(thread count) and different number of springs. Lots of difference that aren’t obvious.

@DonsHA said:

Lots of difference that aren’t obvious.

It’s not entirely true tho, if you could state these “not obvious” differences that would be a good start,yes some do have different housings for microphone placement… Reminds me of the old argument of the Mazda/Ford marriage, exactly the same vehicle, only real difference was one said Mazda the other said Ford, yes they had different interiors/colours but used exactly the same engine and parts, it’s all in the eye of the beholder :wink:

In reply to @wtolkien

I, for one am not doubting the COSTCO selling price of anything. Veterans paying roughly $1000 for a pair of hearing aids that meet their needs, and the government (you and I) paying the balance is absolutely wonderful for those that have served our country. I only doubt that people are getting THE highest performing options within any of the brands that are offered by an audiologist. Plus all the other benefits of free checkups, replacement receivers, , possibly chargers, etc.

In reply to @raylock1

I never said they are stripped down. Every vendor has several options within the same product line. Like an SUV vendor offers EX, SX, S or whatever. My Horizon branded ’s offer GO 3,5, and 7 IX depending on your needs. I need the 7’s for my range of loss. Next step would be cochlear implants, which I will not do.

In reply to @DonsHA

@DonsHA said:

I only doubt that people are getting THE highest performing options within any of the brands that are offered by an audiologist.

I can’t speak to all of the brands offered at Costco (I haven’t checked every model specification) but the Sennheiser Sonite Rise is certainly equivalent to the latest & highest performing Phonak Infinio Ultra (i.e. the i90 technology level).
The only things Costco don’t currently offer are Tinnitus control features & an equivalent model to the Phonak Infinio Sphere Ultra.

@DonsHA said:

Plus all the other benefits of free checkups, replacement receivers, wax guards, possibly chargers, etc.

free check ups :white_check_mark:

free replacement receivers :white_check_mark:

free :white_check_mark:

free charger :white_check_mark: (additional/replacement charger at much lower cost than audiologist)

In reply to @DonsHA

I think this is the key distinction. The Costco value argument is strong enough without overselling it: Rexton Reach may well be a very good premium alternative to Horizon Go 7IX, and Costco clearly is not selling bargain-bin hearing aids. But “comparable premium alternative” is different from “exact same, rebranded.” Same parent company or same general IX/Rexton/WSA technology family does not prove same model, same firmware, same features, same fitting behavior, or same real-world result.

The burden of proof is higher because the claim is stronger: “Rexton is a strong comparable premium alternative” is easy to support; “DonsHA bought the exact same aid for $3000 more” requires exact spec evidence. Without that, the evidence supports “possibly comparable” or “worth comparing,” not “identical.”

Thank you hearing Mac, I Agree!
I am not a Costco member because the closest one is about an hour away. The products I’ve tried, while shopping with other family and friends memberships, did not whew me into believing any of it was that great a bargain or superior to what I conveniently purchase at Kroger, Walmart, Kohls, etc.

In reply to @hearingMac

@hearingMac said:

But “comparable premium alternative” is different from “exact same, rebranded.” Same parent company or same general IX/Rexton/WSA technology family does not prove same model, same firmware, same features, same fitting behavior, or same real-world result.

Yes it does, it’s nonsense what both you and @DonsHA are saying, they do of course have different firmware, but so what that doesn’t mean anything, they are exactly the same! I know it’s hard for those to accept when they pay 3 or 4 times more, that they believe that because they “paid more” then they must have “better more premium” then other’s please show your evidence of the differences, come on.. just one thing to us..just something other then your opinion…

The exact opposite of your statement is true. You don’t believe another is better because you bought something cheaper. Neither of us will ever know for sure, because you won’t be going to a more expensive audiologist to try another brand, and I won’t be going to COSTCO to try their cheaper brand. Technology is changing all the time, so grab what you’re happy with if it suffices your need. I’ve just been trying to help the original poster gain some knowledge/advice from 18 years of practical experience. My wife is frugal and bases all her decisions on money rather than quality or value. I worked hard to enjoy life and spend my savings conservatively yet without fretting if it’s what I need/enjoy.

@DonsHA said:

The exact opposite of your statement is true. You don’t believe another HA is better because you bought something cheaper.

Oh what nonsense, you guys come along every now and then on the forum but never offer any evidence, you guys don’t even do a little research before posting comments you know nothing about, but your always good for a laugh!

@DonsHA said:

I’ve just been trying to help the original poster gain some knowledge/advice from 18 years of practical experience.

All good but just be sure it’s truthful, your not the only one who’s had years of “practical experience”

In reply to @DonsHA

@DonsHA said:

Neither of us will ever know for sure, because you won’t be going to a more expensive audiologist to try another brand, and I won’t be going to COSTCO to try their cheaper brand.

You don’t realize many of us on this forum self program hearing aids. I have bought many used top of the line aids and have also worn Costco’s equivalent hearing aids. So many of us have compared these aids first hand

My point is they are pretty darn close to exactly the same aids just rebadged for Costco. Same fitting software fits both.

In reply to @DonsHA

@DonsHA if you don’t want to accept the collective wisdom of this forum, that’s fine. You are free to believe whatever you want.

None of us is any worse off if you skip Costco and pay more elsewhere. However, you might be worse off. But that’s your choice.

Edited

In reply to @hearingMac

@hearingMac said:

aids. But “comparable premium alternative” is different from “exact same, rebranded.”

This has been covered so many times.

Personally , I prefer facts and specifics instead of “thoughts”, maybe it’s my engineering background:

(1) The Signia and the Rexton have the same FCC ID: the hardware is identical .

(2) Rexton app does not have the health features of the Signia app. Otherwise the apps are identical .

(3) Services: No one offers better bundled services than Costco (no one else offers 180 days money back guarantee for example).

(4) Signia and Rexton can do tinnitus masking . Costco won’t enable this feature but if you have the programming software , you can enable it yourself .

(5) Same fitting software, different colors: I have not found a difference between their programming software. Fitting-wise : same receivers, same domes .

(6) differences in firmware are minimal : different branding, item (2), etc . In fact , the notes of the firmware release are almost identical .

(7) Same world result: as I said , HW and SW are almost identical but yes, the real world experience will be different because it is not the same person doing the programming . The fitting formula they use is the same , feedback measurement is the same and Costco, unlike some , uses .

I fully agree with @tenkan on this one .

I’ve provided some specifics. Could you please show us a document that highlights the differences or provide detailed specifications explaining why they differ, as you claim ?

These same old arguments remind me of banned members.

Interesting that many of these members wanting to argue about things have only been members a few days or weeks. When I joined this forum the last thing I wanted to do was argue with members. I just wanted to be a part of the forum.

Sorry to get off topic.

In reply to @DonsHA

@DonsHA said:

Veterans paying roughly $1000 for a pair of hearing aids that meet their needs, and the government (you and I) paying the balance is absolutely wonderful for those that have served our country.

Under US Veterans administration health, the vets pay nothing. I have been a patient since late summer ‘21. Those prices from the table above are the rates the govt pays the vendors, not what “vets pay.”

I have phonak Infinio spheres. I90. Top of the line. Cost me nothing beyond the taxes I and other us tax payers pay. Oh, and a few years of my life with the option to face combat. Nothing of significance happened during my time in…

WH

I’m a retired senior level RN (Tucson). Here is what I always told my vet patients because they were always trying to thank us, at times with food or candy gifts: “You served our Country. You don’t owe us anything. We owe you.” Being a V A nurse was the very best job I ever had in my lifetime. We had to work harder, with far less help but, to me, it was a great honor as well as rewarding to have been able to “give back” to the men and women that served our country.

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