Costco Kirkland Signature 6.0

Thanks for the reply KenP. With my current HA’s (Quintra’s) I find I don’t touch the volume control on the HA much at all. But it sure is nice to access on the Hearing aid itself without needing an external device. How valuable and useful is the cell phone connectivity I wonder? (Rhetoric for myself) But I do wonder if others find it useful on a regular continual basis?

How is the speech quality and overall sound quality of the Kirkland Signature V6?

If you click on my link below, you’ll see my word recognition sucks. I am having no trouble with understanding with the KS6. I am in the profound category. Even the worst ear gives me a nice improvement. It isn’t as crisp as the other ear but they combine for a very full tone for all speech so far.

Pulled the trigger today on the KS6, fitting in a week. It was one of three HAs the fitter recommended after running the tests, which is good- the streaming feature is important to me. Time I replaced these old Rextons, and I was told my hearing wasn’t bad enough to warrant the ear moulds I’ve been wearing with them for the past 8 years. Oh, well, the Kirklands were amazing walking around the store, hard to credit how well they deal with background noise.

@groberts said:

BUT …I do NOT use an iPhone. I have an HTC One M8 Android Cell phone I am very happy with. Is is true you cannot adjust the volume manually on the Kirkland Signature V6.0? Is an external controller or remote required? That’s a pain if I have to carry around another device.

And after researching and reading this thread, it seems more people have issues with the Bluetooth cutting in and out, switching from ear to ear. Is the technology ready for primetime?

The button on the KS6 (based on ReSound Linx) will only cycle through the programs (up to 4), but can not control volume. The newer ReSound Linx2 has a programming option for long and short press, thereby allowing for volume control and program control on the same button, but of course it is not available at Costco. Like you, I prefer Android. I have the phone clip+ with my KS6, and allows for volume control (but not left and right independently), program control, and mute. It also has a mic, and can be used for hands free calls via bluetooth. The android Kirkland Signature Navigator app has the same basic functions as the phone clip, but allows for independent volume control for the left and right, and streaming volume can be adjusted independently. I stream music via the phone clip and have no issues with the sound dropping, perhaps this is more of an iphone issue. I have no problems having the phone clip in one pocket and my phone (Galaxy S4 mini) in the other pocket, and streaming music. I have even walked around my office leaving the phone and phone clip on my desk without the stream being affected. Bluetooth phone calls work great. There is apparently an android app in the works for the KS6 similar to ReSound Smart which will allow direct connection to the HAs without the phone clip, but it will likely only support the Galaxy S5 (same as ReSound Smart), and will not allow direct streaming like the iphone.
As for sound quality with the acoustic guitar, you may have to decide for yourself. That’s where it is handy to have the Costco 90 day trial. But the KS6 seems to be very well received so far judging by information posted on this forum.

I could use some assistance. I am coming up on my 4th week with the K6 and have yet to be able to get a satisfactory setting. These are my first experience with hearing aids so that is a factor I realize. Secondly I work as a manager in a very busy and noisy restaurant. That I realize is also a challenge, but my job and future really depend on my success with these hearing aids. Additionally I have a reverse slope loss rated as moderately severe. The point is with any program so far given me I still find it difficult to understand most speech while at work. I can be right in front of a guest or employee and still only hear garbled sounds. Current settings are restaurant with high noise cancelation, all round, and party that is set to pick up just sound in front of me. I’ve been back to Costco each week trying to get the settings right, but still little change. Does anyone have experience with this type of situation and what seemed to be the best solution.

I have just finished my 5th week with my HA’s noted below. I have no experience with the K6’s but I can say that I have been happy with mine from Day 1 with no issues other than for a while the left one was sliding out of my ear. The only reason I mention this is that this is also my first experience with hearing aids so I don’t think that is an excuse for them not working properly. It seems to me that if they’re set up right they will work. Granted it takes some time to get used to them but the issues you’re talking about don’t seem to be related to that. Good luck!

@Bunksbbq said:

I could use some assistance. I am coming up on my 4th week with the K6 and have yet to be able to get a satisfactory setting. These are my first experience with hearing aids so that is a factor I realize. Secondly I work as a manager in a very busy and noisy restaurant. That I realize is also a challenge, but my job and future really depend on my success with these hearing aids. Additionally I have a reverse slope loss rated as moderately severe. The point is with any program so far given me I still find it difficult to understand most speech while at work. I can be right in front of a guest or employee and still only hear garbled sounds. Current settings are restaurant with high noise cancelation, all round, and party that is set to pick up just sound in front of me. I’ve been back to Costco each week trying to get the settings right, but still little change. Does anyone have experience with this type of situation and what seemed to be the best solution.

Can you post your audiogram and word recognition scores? It is hard to provide suggestions when we don’t know the severity of the hearing loss…Thanks.

I am tempted to try the Signature V6.0, but it seems that most people posting on this thread have some sort of issue. Somewhat concerning. When I asked the clerk at my local Costco HA center about them she said they are selling tons of them and people are happy. I am wearing Rexton Quintra 2C HA’s that I got from Costco in October 2013. They have been very reliable (until one died last week). But they will replace that. When it comes back, I am tempted to demo and try the Kirkland Signature V6.0. Welcome any feedback from those who might have tried the Quintra’s but prefer the Kirkland Sig 6?

I think our grousing is the normal hearing loss individual looking for more. I’m wearing the KS6 now for several weeks and I’m not complaining. It a solid aid and my loss is a profound one and I have word recognition issues. I will say I am not overly impressed with the iPhone setup. I got it to use as a controller and am finding I don’t really need the control. The aid is pretty good about controlling the environment without my intervention. My “real” phone is an Android and I find I have a good experience with it off my ear a couple of inches. I’ve actually had to turn down the phone volume.

@Brad109 said:

Can you post your audiogram and word recognition scores? It is hard to provide suggestions when we don’t know the severity of the hearing loss…Thanks.

Here are my audiogram and word recognition scores. My desire is to have the ability to direct the fitter to give me the best settings for my unique environment. I believe these are very good HA’s, its just my learning curve I have to deal with. I appreciate any help you all may have.

SRT R 50 / L 30
WRS R 70dB 96% L 65dB 100%

@lmhost said:

Ist this HA able to cover my hearing loss or its waste of time for me to look at?

The KS6 datasheet shows 4 different fitting ranges based on one of 4 receivers used (S, NP, HP or UP). The datasheet shows a fitting range up to 110-120 dB HL with the higher power receivers. This should accommodate your loss, but I am not an expert in this area, so perhaps the pro’s could provide some additional information. The Costco fitters should at least be able to tell you if the KS6 would be a good option for you.

@Bunksbbq said:

Here are my audiogram and word recognition scores. My desire is to have the ability to direct the fitter to give me the best settings for my unique environment. I believe these are very good HA’s, its just my learning curve I have to deal with. I appreciate any help you all may have.

SRT R 50 / L 30
WRS R 70dB 96% L 65dB 100%

	250	500	1K	2K	3K	4K	6K	8K
L	55	50	50	30	25	45	25	60
R	45	60	65	35	40	40	15	50

What type of domes are you using? Open domes may not be the best option due to your low frequency loss. If you have more than a 40 dB HL at 1K and below, you will get very little gain at these frequencies with open domes. Tulip domes, double domes, or custom molds would be better. Your WRS is awsome compared to mine, so you should be able to find a good setup for your work environment. Sometimes an old fashioned acoustic solution works better than a programming solution.

Thanks for the reply. I have tulip domes now, but was thinking of asking for double domes. If by acoustic solution you mean just straight volume, I was thinking the same thing. It seems that with all the voices around me at work, they just have a hard time determining just what is to be filtered. I was going to ask for a fourth program that just added volume and see how that worked.

Your aids can’t selectively filter out voices. You could have them install a forward, strong directionality. That would emphasize where you are looking.