High price for custom molds - $180 - Yikes

@pvc said:

Long time ago I recall the price for a pair of custom molds with regular size acoustical tubes was around $80. Then maybe four years ago it went up to $120. Now it’s $180. Yikes!

But then I checked with Costco and it’s $40 each or $80 for the pair. That’s much better.

An audiologist or HIS can charge whatever they want for earmolds, or hearing aids, now that doesn’t mean you have to pay it! You sent him the right message, you went elsewhere with your business.

Westone is a large quality ear mold company in Colorado. Costco must get a significant volume discount. Considering the 2 way shipping cost, the ear impression material, labor,The cost of the ear mold to the Audi and their over head and it is obvious that no private party can compete with Costco.
My wife and I make our own custom flexible DIY silicone rubber ear molds which cost about $4 to $24.77 each, (free shipping) depending on the hearing aid type. We get better satisfaction than using hard lab molds.

Vents on Lab molds are holes drilled the entire length of the ear mold. The HCPB silicone mold-in-the ear are vented by cutting a groove along one side or by filing down one or more sides of the length of the mold. I prefer to use a finger nail file to work down the bottom of the mold which gives more comfort from the upward movement of the jaw when talking and chewing.

My wife has Open Fit hearing aids and very small ears and canals, so she uses the 4mm Domes and the silicone putty is added to the tubes beginning at the dome and covering the slim tube out to the tragus. It takes less than an 1/8 th teaspoon for each ear of the putty for her ears. Her right ear hasa plugged feeling ,so I cut a small groove in the bottom of the ear mold and finish off with a nail file. Her left ear doesn’t need any vent, so I don’t do any modification. She had surgery on her left ear for a cholestiatoma about 35 yrs ago, so her canal is scarred and very sensitive. Even the plain dome hurts her ear if it isn’t the smallest and only makes partial contact. But these DIY earmoldshold the tip and tube securely in the ear without feedback, discomfort and provide great hearing.

My right ear has a mild loss in the low freq. as you can see below. So I need a vent to give a natural relief for the inflow of these external sounds. I begin modifying with a file on the high spot on the canal past the second bend. By smoothing that area, it is easier to insert the mold. Then I file down the bottome edge starting at the dome all the way from dome to concha. If I get any silicone in the dome bottom opening, I pick it out with a tweezer. This makes sure there is a channel the entire length. By gradually removing material and testing, I can get perfect control and don’t over-vent the fitting. The Audi fills the drilled lab mold with lambs wool to fine-tune the degree of venting, with some success.

I have been wearing Silicone rubber ear molds since 1970. After the VA fit me with my new hearing aids 2 years ago with HARD, CLEAR, VENTED ear molds, I went home and made my own custom ear molds from HCPB. The quality of my hearing with them is light night and day. They stay in place without any discomfort and I get exactly the seal or vent action to suit my satisfaction. When I go back to the VA for retest, I bring the lab molds in a bag in my pocket and invite her to test with either ear mold. My speech score are much better with my custom silicone ear molds.

I hope this was helpful

Freq R- L
250 45 35
500 50 40
750 50 40
1000 50 40
1500 65 50
2000 80 60
3000 90 65
4000 90 70
6000 85 70
8000 85 80

This is very interesting! Let me make sure I understand…

You are starting with acoustical tubing with a dome on the end. Then you add the silicone putty around the acoustical tubing from the dome out to the tragus. Then you place this into your ear and wait for the silicone putty to cure/set? Is that correct?

What about excess silicone putty out near the tragus. Can you just file that off?

@pilot85 said:

Silicone rubber

I am wondering about using this procedure used with RIC (Receiver in Canal). After you add the Silicone rubber around your receiver/speaker then if the need arises to do this again, then you would need to get a new receiver/speaker, right? Or can the Silicone rubber be removed fairly easily?

After I have made a DIY ear mold, if I want to do a remake, I use my thumbnails to cut through and break away the cured material from the tube. I carefully remove the cured silicone around the Dome, so as to not tear it. If I tear the dome, I pull the old one off and replace it before the remake. I had to remake my wife’s molds several times until she was satisfied with them, because her canals are so very narrow and sensitive. Now she can put them in her ears easily without any problems.

Some RIC fittings have the RIC without a dome cast in a lab ear mold… I don’t recommend that you make a DIY mold without a dome. The dome acts as a backstop when applying the putty. It prevents the putty from getting into the speaker opening and prevents the very soft putty from going past the dome to the ear drum… So it is very easy to do a remake and very inexpensive. I buy their bulk kits with the 24 ear mold size and do a remake about every 4-6 mo. Except my wife’s ear molds which need more frequent remakes due to the very narrow canals. By getting the bulk kit we get ear molds for about $1 each.

@pilot85 said:

After I have made a DIY ear mold, if I want to do a remake -<snip>- By getting the bulk kit we get ear molds for about $1 each.

I didn’t realize this spam was here too. Bottom line; $80 at Costco is a good deal for custom molds.</snip>