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Any experience with Costco audiologists?

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Unfortunately new hearing aids would be out of my budget at a private audiologist, but the Brio SP or UP at Costco might be a good route as I’ve read it’s the same chip as the Naida Q.

Anyone have any experience with their audiologists?
-Chris

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Quite a number of us and they are referenced in many threads. The more popular are the KS6 and the Trax42. The KS6 is about 2/3rd the price. It is what I wear. My audiologist is superb. A very limited number haven’t had as good results but Costco has help them get the solution they need.

I had a lot of tests and saw a number of audiologists and hearing instrument specialists in a short period of time. The Costco hearing instrument specialist seemed to have recent technology unlike some of the other audiologists. He had excellent recommendations on fitting, dome styles, etc. I am very pleased with my hearing instrument specialist at Costco. Some audiologist like to speak the lists that are part of the test. Costco uses a computer to generate the words and I found it easier and more repeatable when the words were generated and spoken through the computer.

It will be time for new aids later in the spring. Has anyone used the Costco at King of Prussia or Montgomeryville, outside Philadelphia? How comfortable were you with the audi? Which aids did they favor?
Thanks for the info. Medicare and disability means no insurance.

Edited

I went to the one in Montgomeryville. They recommended the Trax 42 for me.

I ended up going back the day after I received them (not scheduled) and they adjusted them for me as I was being overloaded.

Think I’ve been back two more times after that… they gave me extra domes and so I could do my own maintenance.

I had to be very involved in expressing my concerns and expectations to make the Hearing Aids really work for me.

Good luck!

@japple said:

I had to be very involved in expressing my concerns and expectations to make the Hearing Aids really work for me.

Good luck!

This is not unusual. I too have Trax42s and I’m going back tomorrow for further fine tuning. They are almost at the point where I’m pretty comfortable with what I’m hearing. Just trying to coax a bit more bass and mid-range into the adjustment. I generally keep it on the Auto program, but find the Noise/Party program helpful in a crowded restaurant.

Bob

With my Trax 42s, I only had to one adjustment. I felt an imbalance, like the right ear was a little bit louder than the left. They adjusted it in a ten minute session and I’ve been completely satisfied.

She was very thorough in asking me what I needed for programs. I have Auto, Restaurant, Television and Music. I have the Smart Connect, Remote control and I use the Android app on my Samsung S4.

Everything works.

Costco has been fantastic

Totally happy so far with the experience Costco’s Hearing Center and their “Hearing Aid Specialist”.

I have been going to an Audiologist that is associated with my for the last three years and decided to pull the trigger on my first set of hearings aids. After getting the demonstration on a set of Starkey Halos and getting a quote for$5200 - I decided to try my local Costco’s Hearing Center after reading positive (and some negative) reviews to see for myself.

I met with a Hearing Aid Specialist at Costco who performed the tests (same ones as my Audiologist) and came up with the nearly identical results and conclusions. I am 4 days into my trial period of a pair of Phonak Brio’s that were exactly 1/2 the price of what appear to be comparable ’s - I am very satisfied with the Phonak Brio’s and the new experience of hearing clearly again!

To the original poster’s question - The Hearing Aid Specialist was a younger woman who had been working with Costco for over 4 years - she knew how to use the equipment (both the testing and HA programming equipment), was able to answer all my questions in a technical and understandable way. Spent all the time that was needed to make sure the Phonaks connected to all the mobile equipment as well. Easy to get the appointments within a 1-2 days. There is also an Audiologist there, but I did not met with her and at this point, I have not had the need to.

  • Rick

I have my second appointment with an audiologist attached to an practice tomorrow, to try out some brands to see if any show better results with tinnitus mitigation/reduction. I tried the Phonak Audeo V series on my first visit, and liked the improvement in speech, but couldn’t tell a lot of difference in tinnitus with the white noise generator. We met with some old friends last night, and the husband wears aids, which he got from Costco. He didn’t seem all that happy with the performance of his in crowds, but I did go out to the website to look at their prices, and the difference is pretty compelling (about half the price, even at the top end of the Costco price range, compared to the Audeo V70 (what they call the “advanced”). I’m sure there could be any number of reasons for his experience as far as their performance in crowded situations, but that’s where I have the most difficulty, and for the amount of money even the Costco units are, they need to significantly improve that situation for me, or they’re not worth it.

Anyway, after so many glowing comments here, I think I at least need to go there for an evaluation - it’s too much money not ot at least talk to them. Anyone happen to have experience with Costco in the Plano, TX area? Also, anyone know if Costco offers any no-interest financing? That’s one advantage of the one I am currently talking to - I could spread out the cost over a year, which would help with reimbursement.

Thanks,
Robert

Edited

Huh, I have a Costco AmEx, I guess I need to log in and take a look at that. I don’t remember that as a feature, but my memory is not much better than my hearing. :slight_smile: Thanks!

BTW, avoid the East Plano Costco at any cost for hearing aids. Not worth typing in the details unless someone is actually interested, but trust me - just say no. I’ll be trying another location tomorrow.

Thanks again,
Robert

I just spoke with a specialist at a different location, and wow - night and day difference. He said they hear a lot about the other location, and agreed it was best to just stay away. I am going to meet with them tomorrow. The Phonaks they have are certainly more than the KS6 (but still half the cost of the other dispensary), but I can try both, and with their liberal return policy, can probably even switch if the first one I get is really not working out.

Edited

He’s on his second pair, and unfortunately I don’t remember the brand. His first set were Burnafone, and he liked those more.

I have a full appointment scheduled at a Costco on 5/10, and honestly, I plan to go in with no preconceived notions about brands. I’m going to let them do a hearing test, talk with them about my situation, and just see what they recommend to try out. I’ve read a LOT on many different threads in the past few days, and am now convinced there are quality units at Costco, and I am happy with the specialist I talked to on the phone at that location.

Thanks everyone for your input! I’ll definitely post back after my visit, but it’ll be a while, unfortunately. I’ve lived with it this long, another couple of weeks is livable. I’m very fortunate that my loss is a significant nuisance rather than a full impairment.

You have the right plan. Many audiologist will recommend the aid using the software they’re most familiar with. Each brand’s software is different and optimization needs familiarity. That isn’t all bad. But, your ears are the real expert.

DD, how can you make a recommendation on a hearing aid, without even seeing the ???

Are you a Rexton shill, stock holder, or employee?

RodeoGeorge

In reply to @roybiv99

I have been deaf in my left ear since I was 14, about 60 years ago, due to an infection that led to the blockage of my Eustachian tube. When I was about 40 I went to an physician and his audiologist. Both, of course, recommended that I try a hearing aid. It worked perfectly but covered my entire ear. I found that it had created a situation where due to normal perspiration I was causing ear infections. I returned it and refused to try another until this past year when I noticed that due to age I was losing hearing in my other ear. I went to a different ENT in a different place and had an ear test an exam during which the ENT removed accumulated wax in the canals, something I have to have done every couple of years. Both the audiologist and the ENT recommended that I get hearing aids for both ears. I told the ENT about my previous experience of infections. He took his hearing aid off and showed me how small a contemporary hearing aid is.

I made an appointment at the clinic to be fitted for a . Then I began googling for information. Nearly everyone sang praises about Costco, its prices and professionalism. Indeed, Consumers Report, a place I respect, suggested that if you were not eligible for benefits go to Costco. I cancelled the appointment at the clinic and made one at Costco.

Yes, I had to wait a few minutes, beyond my appointment time, but who doesn’t wait for health care visits? The Costco dispenser/audiologist commented that my test, taken 2 days before, showed a major difference between my hearing in my right and left ears. He too gave me a hearing test which exactly confirmed the clinic’s test. I was glad to be retested and find matching results. He toyed with several ideas, mostly talking with himself before suggesting a Trax 42. However, he said he would check with a techie at the Rexton or Siemans company. He had it on speaker phone when he related my statistics and his recommendation to the techie. The techie and he talked about the possibilities and both suggested the Trax 42. He had to make a mold of my left ear since I needed a larger ear piece on my left side.

Three weeks later I went to Costco for my fitting. This time with another dispenser/audiologist. Yes, he too was late for the appointment, but I soon found it that he was programming the HA to my profiles. We spent at least an hour together going over some basic and more advanced parts of my new HA. Since there a week ago, I love my Trax 42 hearing aid. Yes the sound has some problems perhaps too loud or tinny, but I could hear again in both ears. I have another appointment in about a week. I have read the User Guide several times and choose what seemed like good programs for my device. I plan to discuss them with him and ask him to program them into my HA.

The only part of the package I bought came with an accessories kit so I could hear our TV directly through my HA and allow my wife to adjust the volume for her. It does work, but is a pain resetting it each evening. Rexton needs to make that device more reliable. Included in the accessories was the device I hang around my neck. It was the far cheaper device than my ENT showed me he was wearing. If it was guaranteed that the better device would work better, I’d buy it despite the high price. Rexton also needs to upgrade and fix its smart phone apps, which are also clunky.

So far my experiences with Costco and the Trax 42 are first class. I would recommend them to anyone in search of a new hearing aid.

All the best,

Ed Eckert
Menlo Park, CA

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