Should I get a second opinion

They should, but bear in mind in can take awhile to adjust to any HA, both it terms of physical fit and CNS auditory processing.

@tomseeley said:

I had my 1st appt last week with an audiologist. He did the usual tests. He explained the basics of the types of HA, BTE, ITE, etc. He talked about the range of features and technology available in each type.

But he did not say anything at all about letting me try a couple right now, before I even decide whether to go ahead at all with anything, regardless of type.

I get the impression from some msgs here that I might be well served if I could find another provider who would let me do that.

Or do I misunderstand? Will any provider let me put a device in my ear at all and see how it feels or sounds, before I have decided I will definitely buy something from him?

I think this is a critical part of testing. Knowing at least how a patient responds to amplification is a vital tool in correct selection of hearing aid technology.

I wouldn’t buy without trying something.

Well, you should first make a first decision about what you want to try, then the audiologist would make you the hearing aid, you need to choose the hearing aid that suits you.

Also, just in case you don’t know, once you get the hearing aids, they need programming to suit your hearing. First they are roughly programmed according to your audio graph (you don’t do anything), then they are tuned according to the sound quality you are getting (for example, is there a lot of noise, is your voice very visible to you that it’s annoying you, etc…).

One thing to note: As far as I know, the shape of the hearing aid usually doesn’t make any difference, except maybe for the amount of amplification. The features in Completely-In-The-Canal hearing aids usually have the same features of the Behind-The-Ear hearing aids.

Actually, the features of a CIC can be limited especially when compared to a BTE because there simply isn’t a lot of space in many canals for a larger aid. The specialist shoud be up front about what they can do with such a fitting, however.

Keep in mind that a lot of independent audiologists do not keep stock available because the warranty starts burning once they get their hands on the device. Check your local laws, because most have a guranteed return period.