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ANY Analog HA's available...ANYWHERE?

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Have you had success with tinnitus options?
From what I gather, there’s still no scientific proof of efficacy. Lots of anecdotal seeing as how many have had some successes.

In reply to @mark_h

I would suggest one of the differences between analog and digital is that the analog versions are more limited in what they can do with compression. It is now common to amplify soft sounds more than normal sounds and loud sounds less than normal. This is used because many of us lose our hearing more at low levels of sound than at high levels. Our hearing response to volume or amplitude is no long linear or normal. Compression if properly set up can restore some of that linearity.

That said, one of the prescriptive options to set up a digital hearing aid is the 1/3 gain rule that was used with older analog ’s, because that was all they were capable of. It is linear and amplifies all levels of sound by a constant amount. Someone that has used that prescription potentially gets used to it, and prefers it.

One thing you could do with a modern digital hearing aid is request that a demo pair be set up with three programs adjust to different prescriptive formulas using the Real Ear Measurement. I would suggest trying most common standard one which is , the less common but modern v5, and the 1/3 gain. The specific HA manufacturer may have a proprietary method which could be worth a try two. So if the hearing aid can handle 4 different programs then take them home and try them all to see what you like.

I think a digital aid tied with linear programming, maybe consider fit tied with a good audiologist tied with some patience to adjust will be your best bet.

In reply to @mark_h

One of the things I notice with the Kirkland Signature 8.0 ’s (like the Signia 7Nx) is how the noise reduction works in a quiet environment. If it is very quiet, or if there is a constant noise level with no intermittent higher levels like the TV or someone talking, the HA’s will slowly apply more and more noise reduction until it gets very quiet. It can get so quiet that I start to hear tinnitus to some degree. Luckily I do not have much of an issue with tinnitus.

My thinking is that if tinnitus is a problem, one could potentially turn down the noise reduction. My HA’s I believe have 7 steps of noise reduction, and if this “too quiet” thing was an issue for me, I would ask to have the noise reduction turned down.

In reply to @mark_h

I wear the General Hearing analog (k-amp) aids. Note, that these are not linear but use compression similar to digital aids. For my mild-moderate loss, I have yet to find another aid that matches their sound quality. However, they do have some limitations like feedback, wind noise, and moisture. If I turn the volume up past about 2/3 I can get some feedback. Wind noise is bad. I can’t wear them if I’m sweating (working out) and I always wear a hat/hood if it’s raining. I still struggle in noise but can usually get by. I’m trialing the Costco KS8’s to see if their directional mics and noise management will work better. Right now the jury is still out.

I heard the newer, digital version will have some sort of feedback management and can be programmed to your hearing loss for an additional fee.

@john9317 said:

I’m trialing the Costco KS8’s to see if their directional mics and noise management will work better. Right now the jury is still out.

With your hearing loss, I would think the KS8’s should work quite well for you. They work really well for my right ear which has less loss, but more than yours at higher frequencies. I am struggling with feedback in the left ear which needs more gain. Next step for me is to try an earmold.

Some things you should ask Costco to give you to try is both an open sleeve fitting, as well as a closed sleeve. Also make sure they do the Own Voice training and turn it on. I helps especially with a closed sleeve. A closed sleeve should give you a bit more directional control of the microphones.

I find the directional microphone control with the app works quite well when you adjust it down to a narrow front beam.

The Noise/Party program is the one I find best and use in the gym during a workout.

The iFocus 360 seems to work really well in a car/truck on the highway.

The listening to music program seems to help with the music quality issue.

I’m not real impressed with the wind noise reduction in the Outdoor/Traffic program, but I have never had any other ha’s to compare it to.

Some Costco’s don’t turn the optional programs on, or do the Own Voice unless you ask them.

You might want to check out the
Oticon sensei SP ha I just got mine a week ago.
I am 58 yes been wearing ha since March 1966
Had analog until a few yrs ago
The only way to go is get a children’s ha usually has analog properties even though it’s digital

Thanks for all the info and feedback. I asked my new audi for my latest test results to post here, but haven not received it yet.

Side Note: I heard back from General Hearing regarding their “Musicians Digital Circuit” He gave me the info below…do these hold any potential promise for me?
Thanks.

  • 16 band Equalizer / Biquad filter – Fine tuning
  • 4 channel – Less distortion
  • Adjustable volume knob
  • Low distortion compression limiting – Smoother sound
  • Directional microphone – Listen to what you are looking at
  • Speech enhancement
  • Peak clipping – Reduce loud sounds
  • Adaptive feedback management – Stops squealing
  • 4 channel compression (less is more)
  • Evoke Lite - low battery indicator
  • Frequency response shaping
  • Noise reduction
  • High quality 20-bit audio processing
  • High fidelity audio CODEC
  • 32 kHz sampling resulting in a 16kHz Bandwidth
  • HRX Headroom extension (115dB microphone limited)
  • RoHS Compliant Hybrid

It sounds like that might be a Widex Evoke hearing aid. They do have a name for good sound quality. If you really want a linear correction you should ask the fitter about using the 1/3 gain formula. It does not use any compression. Many different hearing aids could probably be set up to use the 1/3 gain. It is seldom used now as more sophisticated hearing aids can use compression and most benefit from compression. What you might want to try is a trial of a hearing aid that can do the common prescription, v5, and 1/3 gain. Ask to have the hearing aid set up to put each prescription forumula in a different program. Then you can compare at home how each formula sounds in comparison to the others.

Edited

In reply to @Sierra

Talked to my Audi today and shared some reverse slope info that I have gathered here. I am trialing some Phonal Marvel Audeo 30 (Low/Entry Level) that he insisted on my trying with and a preset that makes them semi-linear. Had them for over a week and didn’t like them, my ears felt plugged (He tried smaller domes too, same issue) and my overall hearing was about the same as my Oticon Ria2’s I’ve had for 4 years. One thing I did like was hearing in the car was slightly improved.
Anyway, today he set them to NAL-NA2 with gain off above 6K, he turned off some other bells and whistles(sorry not sure what) with some open domes and they were immediately more comfortable in my ears and sounded better. We walked outside his office with some traffic noise, birds etc and I could hear him speaking pretty well.
I’m looking forward to going home tonight and seeing how my wife and 2 year old daughters voices sound…A big issue I have is hearing/understanding their relatively soft/high voices.
Additionally, he is pushing Phonak hard as he says he sells 90% Phonak and knows the software the best. He has no Signia’s (I’m interested in the Styletto possibly) or any other brand to demo but I can test/demo Phonaks as much as I’d like. I think he’s interested in learning more about RSHL which is nice.
Thanks.
Mark

*I also added my hearing test here today.

You should have no trouble getting high frequencies with that type of loss even with open fittings. The problem may be in getting enough gain in the low frequencies (below 2 kHz). An open fitting essentially lets sound pressure leak out and can restrict the gain the can supply.

In reply to @mark_h

That is an interesting loss. Here is what I got for four different types of fitting formulas:

Connexx SmartFit, molds with 2.5 mm vent in right, and 2.0 in left. This formula uses compression. The upper lighter line is the gain for soft sounds, and the lower lighter line is the gain for loud sounds.

image

image

v5

image

And here is the 1/3 gain which does not use any compression. Notice that there is no upper and lower gain lines. I reduced the vent size to 1.6 mm to increase the bass.

image

The point is that they are very different prescription formulas and they will probably sound very different. The trial and error method would be to get some trial ’s programmed with the different prescriptions in different programs so you can compare them on one hearing aid when at home. Then when you find the best formula then tweak it until it sounds as good as it can be.

Some comments on each of the prescription formulas:

SmartFit - You would have to use a Signia, Rexton, or Kirkland to get this one. It has fairly high compression, and follows your specific loss more closely than the others. Each manufacturer probably has a proprietary formula that may attempt similar things.

- More smooth response over the spectrum that does not fluctuate as much across the frequency range for your specific loss. It has a higher amount of compression.

v5 - Has the least amount of compression for the formulas that use compression, and essentially no compression at higher frequencies. I would put some money on that one possibly working…

1/3 Gain - No compression. It is going to make loud sounds louder than the rest of the formulas across the whole frequency range. And, soft sounds are going to sound softer than the rest. Although it may be similar to DSL v5 at higher frequencies.

Again, the ideal way to trial them would be to put each formula in 4 different programs and try them all at home. The Kirkland HA’s could do that for you.

Thanks again and again for your time and opinion.
I want to piggy back my other post here so I have a one-stop location for all the info I need. I have 2 seperate questions:

  1. Can I, in your opinion, achieve quality hearing with any style or is far and away the best choice for me? If ITE is still in the mix, what style specifically?

  2. I have the opportunity to get any of the devices from the list below for $599 per aid w/ a 1 year warranty, batteries (if applicable) for a year, and unlimited office visits, will any of these specifically outperform another or offer better bang for my buck over another?

*I would like wireless streaming capability (on iPhone) if at all possible but I’m not opposed to a streamer device as I’ve become used to wearing one from my current Oticons. I don’t really have any other “must have” requirements.

@mark_h said:

Can I, in your opinion, achieve quality hearing with any ITE style or is RIC far and away the best choice for me? If ITE is still in the mix, what style specifically?

You have a very different loss in the low frequency range. In the higher frequencies should be no problem with feedback. In the lows, I have no experience. Will defer to others on this one…

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