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Trying kirkland signature 7.0

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In reply to @corona

Yes its ontario only requirement for costco.
I see they started taking order for KS7 in your city. Good luck, do provide some feedback.

Thanks;

@corona said:

I didn’t know what that was, so I googled it. It’s an Ontario program, isn’t it, with financial support for people with disabilities to get devices like hearing aids. Nothing like that in BC, unless you’re on welfare :frowning: And maybe not even then…

But thank you! None of the Vancouver-area Costco clinics seem to know anything.

However he was not very supportive of their new KS 7 hearing aids. He said they are a repackaged Rexton Trax 42’s with a couple ad on features.

you need to find either a smarter aud or an honest one.

In reply to @Doc_Jake

@Doc_Jake said:

However he was not very supportive of their new KS 7 hearing aids. He said they are a repackaged Rexton Trax 42’s with a couple ad on features.

you need to find either a smarter aud or an honest one.

+1 I’d go somewhere else if I’d gotten a line like that.

In reply to @truck12

Truck12, can you fill in some details regarding what is included for $1700? I want to compare with what came with the Trax 42s.

  • Is the warranty still 3 years, with a 2 year loss coverage (one time per ear)?
  • Were there any 'free' offers e.g. smart remote or smart power charger or smart connect (bluetooth connector)?

Thanks…

In reply to @oetbyg

I’ll answer after a trip to Costco

@oetbyg said:
  • Is the warranty still 3 years, with a 2 year loss coverage (one time per ear)?

Yes.

@oetbyg said:
  • Were there any 'free' offers e.g. smart remote or smart power charger or smart connect (bluetooth connector)?

No.

In about 20 minutes, I returned the Trax 42s for full credit and ordered the KS 7.0s.

HIDs explained I couldn’t go back to the Trax 42s (presumably because they no longer sell them as such), and that battery life would be shorter (I had the XMs using #13 batteries). For $900, I can deal with that.

You could call one of their clinics and ask these questions. In my experience, they’re very straightforward.

In reply to @corona

just tried out new ks 7 and phonak brio at Costco on 9/24, this was just the first shot programming according to my . Both sounded natural to me, the phonaks did a better job of filtering out the low frequency hum of the store refrigerators and ventilation system with voices sounding a little crisper overall. I would rate the k7 's which are rexton trax 42’s, about 90 percent of the phonaks and cost $900 less per pair. The Rextons are made by Siemens I believe, and the brios the best I can tell are phonak v90’s with some features disabled in the programming. The Costco dispenser refused to comment on which model the phonaks are, claims they don’t tell him and he doesn’t know BS

10 10 10 20 50 70
10 10 10 40 50 70

In reply to @ck2

@ck2 said:

So does the new KS7 have rechargeable batteries, since the Trax42 does?

The KS 7 spec sheet shows a rechargeable battery lifetime for the lowest powered model, the S receiver, of “up to 16 hours”. All other receivers have a " - " in that field. I’d take that as a warning.

Discussions in the Trax 42 forums had many references to the rechargeable 312 batteries (which the KS 7’s use) having a hard time lasting through the day. With the Trax 42 @ $2600, one could get the charger and battery as a free accessory. That doesn’t appear to be the case withe KS 7.

Given that Costco batteries cost about $0.18 each, the rechargeables need replacement yearly or sooner, and the charger and batteries aren’t free with the KS 7, you can decide which way to go.

Doc Jake and corona, I’m surprised that you’re disagreeing that the KS7s are repackaged Rexton Trax 42’s with a few more features. I’ve looked through the KS7 manual online34 and at the printed manual that I got with my Trax 42s, and as far as I can tell, the content is identical. The only differences are the names, formatting, and that the KS7 manual is online, and the Rexton is not. Am I missing something?

@eek said:

Doc Jake and corona, I’m surprised that you’re disagreeing that the KS7s are repackaged Rexton Trax 42’s with a few more features.

Oh woops I’m not disagreeing (or necessarily agreeing, either) with that. It’s even what I heard at Costco. But there seem to be a lot of benefits to buying the Costco brand, rather than Rexton. That’s the first thing. I guess the other is that I really expect thorough, detailed information in an encounter like this. But maybe I misspoke.

I just got back from taking my Dad to Costco for his first appointment for hearing aids. His hearing loss is primarily high frequency, moderate on one side (rifle club in high school), severe on the other (car accident/skull fracture etc…).

The tech pulled out the KS7 and the Rexton Trax 42’s. Yes, the KS7 is similar to the Rexton Trax with a few more features. Since my father is a big music listener, she emphasized that they have programs pre-set for listening to live music, music through speakers, and if you are playing the instrument yourself. The tech admitted the new KS7’s are a great deal.

The only reason she had the Rextons out at all was she heard he had an interest in rechargeables and she said that the KS7 is only available in the smaller size with 312 batteries or rechargeable equivalents. The smaller rechargeable batteries with the KS7 doesn’t last long enough for many people. She said up to 10 hrs but this varies greatly depending on your battery use of course. She had one patient with more severe loss who had his die mid-afternoon. She pushed this hearing aid as one you can “grow” into if your battery needs increase. But my Dad decided that didn’t necessitate an addition ?$800 bucks. So he’s giving up on the rechargeable battery ideas, and hopes his big hands can manage the battery changes with the magnet.

We didn’t have time to do a full trial/fitting today, but my Dad has already decided to take home the KS7’s for sure. Will return next week to pick them up and sign the contract.

Spent day with family, grandsons, daughters-in-law, wife etc…definitely caught more conversation with ks 7.0 than pre 7.0. Most impressive to me was ability to hear everyone while we ate at restaurant. I’ve noticed that if my voice sounds tinny to me, it’s because I have receivers in too far. I don’t have anything on my receivers because my low frequency hearing is fine.

In reply to @KenP

I got my Resound Calas last week and they are an improvement over my Phonak Naidia, and I really like the iPhone app. Not too intuitive, but better than nothing. I have been wearing for 15 years and get new ones about every three years, at about 5,000 to $6,000 a pair. This is my first experience with Costco and so far I am impressed. I do find the new HAs too shart on doors shutting and toilet flushing, but I intend to wait until my brain adjusts. I am however becoming more interested in the KS7, so I too am looking forward the the review, but since he is new to HAs, he will not have any way of knowing how good they are.

Do a little research… the ks7 is basically the Signia px7 without the tinnitus feature. The trac is the Siemens bx7 without the tinnitus feature. I wear the carat bx7 with the hot receivers and size 13 batteries. I was offerred and tried the px7 I couldnt tell a difference and stayed with the bx as they are fine tuned. In the spring Signia is bringing out an aid that will no longer need the easytek to communicate with bt devices. I would go replaceable size 312 batteries and with a size 13 it’s a toss up.

@Ranger9 said: (unavailable)

I recently purchased Trax 42 HAs from my local Costco. After reading through this thread, I contacted the HAS I had worked with to inquire about two things,

  1. Was the KS7s actually Trax42s, and if so, what recourse do I have? Can I trial the KS7S and potentially save $900?
  2. What would replace the Trax42s in Costco’s product portfolio? I cannot imagine they could sell two products with the same specs with such a price delta. If there was new technology going into that product slot, I may want to trial that as well.

The HAS stated that the KS7 was not a rebranded Trax42. He said it was an older Rexton dual core HA not a quad core product like the Trax 42.

Am I getting film flammed? Does anyone know for certain what the story is?

You can only operate in the realm of present product offerings. If it were me, and if I was within the 6 month purchase window, I would return the Trax 42 and purchase the KS7. If not within the 6 month window, there is nothing to be done.

@AdamsHouseCat said:

You can only operate in the realm of present product offerings. If it were me, and if I was within the 6 month purchase window, I would return the Trax 42 and purchase the KS7. If not within the 6 month window, there is nothing to be done.

Pouting is working for me. :slight_smile:

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