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Costco Kirkland Signature 9.0 (Product Information)

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I started with open click sleeves, then closed click sleeves, (off the shelf), and then tried the custom molds (3 pairs in total), before returning them and going back to the closed click sleeves. If you are wondering which to go with I think it makes sense to try the off the shelf first, and then if you decide on custom, you will know what your alternative plan B is. For me, the alternative turned out to be the best.

Edited

I am using the closed molds, called cShells, as a matter of the prescription recommendation. Ater my current hearing test we tried single domes, which wasn’t much of an improvement, then the double dome, which was much better, The program recommended the cShell and my explained if they could make them, my ear canal is narrow and vertical, so the receiver had to be molded further back inside the mold and extended to the canal by a short tube, my hearing would be improved over the double dome as feed back could be controlled while giving me the volume required. I can now hear better than my first two ’s starting in 2003, even though my loss has increased a lot.

RDB

In reply to @listeningout

My impression from past experience is that if the molds do not fit correctly the mold maker must remake them without charge, and Costco will back you up on that.
OTOH, if a customer just changes their mind after ordering the molds made, then there is no refund.
This could be a thin line in some cases, between a subjective and objective complaint about the molds.

Edited

I can only say what my experience has been stateside. The receiver is part and parcel to the hearing aid and its price, I have not heard of or see how it could not be a total refund, including the molds, as the molds can not be easily separated from the receiver. I was assured, without asking that the $76 per pair mold price would be refunded, even if I didn’t like how they looked and wanted new receivers and double domes, or a total refund. You don’t even have to say why, as then the why would come into judgement, they may ask, but any reason is honored.

I returned a rug doctor, $480 dollars, 4 years after buying it, after using it once early on, it didn’t work 4 years later, full refund. Remarkable. Using their Citi card, which has great rewards is a plus as well.

RDB

Edited

In reply to @Sierra

Wow, this is amazing. I believe Costco hearing centres lack a coherent set of rules in their practice. You have farther reinforced my belief. I’ve experienced inconsistency within a same city. I can name several other examples. Since this is not a KS9 topic per se I won’t say more (may start a new thread).

You also have to be aware to not abuse the inconsistencies like with frequency. If you’re buying and returning things all the time then they will eventually just ban you from the store or simply not let you return things. Particularly bigger ticket things like ’s. You’re not a useful customer to them then.

Agree. I heard numerous stories about their generosity with respect to returns, in general, which I appreciate but do not abuse.

In reply to @z10user2

I have heard of someone actually being banned. He was in the business of flipping houses. He would use Costco to “stage” the house with furniture, and then return it all when the house sold. They caught on, and withdrew his membership.

Edited

Friday I returned for an adjustment appointment with my new KS9s, as I had explained that I am hearing and understanding all male and female voices with the important exception of my significant other, whose voice is very soft and high frequency. The fitter is familiar with the challenge from my six years with the KS5s. I expected her to kick my high frequency volume up a bit higher by adjusting the . Instead, she surprised me by suggesting we try replacing the receivers with the high power model. Sure, let’s try it.
So she did and so far the results are a bit mixed:

  1. I believe we have substantially reduced the frequency of how often I need to ask my beloved to repeat herself and/or my “whats?” and that is good. And I have not experienced much if any feedback which she warned me of so that is good too. But some sounds and voices do seem to be a bit crisp and unwrapping sounds are sharp and annoying. I am wondering - is that something my ears/brain might adjust to and cancel out, or do I need to ask to tone things down?
  2. The original receivers on the KS9s had double domes and pre-curled canal whips on the receivers which fit perfectly from the get-go, whereas the “high power” receivers were fitted by her with single domes plus canal whips which she shaped by hand. When I left the store, everything seemed to be locked perfectly into my ears, but within about a day and a half later, the canal whips seem to have lost most of their curl and stick straight out of my ears and the single domes don’t seem to stay buried in the canal as deep as the original double domes. I am familiar with some wires having a permanent memory to which they return, so I am wondering how to overcome the problem, especially since I no longer feel secure against loss of the hearing aids.
    Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Edited

On a more serious note, I have been fitted so many times I have lost count. My experience is that when everything is supposed to be the same, the results differ. I have concluded that perhaps more by chance than anything else, I can get a “hot” or “quiet” REM curve. With a hot curve when I am walking out of Costco, I hear every beep of the cash registers, all the carts with squeaky wheels, and the crunch of every bit of dirt under my feet. Then with the quiet fit, all that settles down. Right now I have a quiet fit, and am liking it better than the hot fit. I suspect the gain difference between hot and quiet is very minimal. At some point you go over the line into “too much” territory.

Edited

In reply to @glucas

Hi Glucas - I’m picking up my KS9s from Watford Costco next week, so hope I get the same positive fitting experience you did. I wondered how you are getting on with them after your initial impressions? It’s interesting that you were set up with NAL2 - was this your idea, or the preference of the fitter? I’m currently using Phonak Adaptive with my Brio 3s.

If the KS9s look a good option for me, i’ll also be looking for the Noahlink.
Looking forward to your latest thoughts on the KS9s,
Cheers
Bob

Edited

Hi Bob,

was not my preference.The audiologist had set up the equipment for and it wasn’t until later, when Target was loaded, that I realised that NAL-NL2 had been used. The problem is, that when the REM is done, it’s on the basis of using the prescriptive formula, so when I asked her to change it to Phonak Adapative Digital, she said she would need to do the REM again, so I left it at that. That said, I am pretty happy still with the NAL-NL2, so I don’t feel any need at this stage to go back and get it re-programmed, even though I have a follow up appointment in mid december.

I’ve already got a Noahlink on order thanks. I’ll hook it up primarily to add a couple of manual programs - speech in loud noise and duophone.

I am still getting on fine with the devices thanks. I haven’t yet had an opportunity to test them in noise, but since the original post, I have a few more observations - 1. These devices are extremely smooth, unlike the previous generation, the autosense switching is really seamless - usually when in the kitchen, because of various noises, I would notice it transitioning more from comfort in noise to calm situation or music, but with these I do not notice it going more silent or the music sounding suddenly louder. 2. The pick up of soft sounds is superb. I can hear my 11 year old daughter much better, whereas previously I was struggling. 3 The transitioning between the TV Connector or bluetooth back to the hearing aids is also smooth and whereas before sometimes it would stay connected and attenuate the mic quite heavily, this is not quite as bad - in fact it disconnects pretty fast. 4. Battery life is good so far - 5 days so far and with a reasonable amount of streaming. 5. Can hear over distance better, without the volume being bumped up in order to do so. 6. Pick up of cashiers in the supermarket was reasonably good.

Will post more thoughts once I’ve tested them in noise.

Good luck with your appointment in the week, and please post how you get on.

Cheers.

I’m new to the forum and hope I haven’t overlooked a previous answer to this question, but if it’s been asked and answered, I can’t find it. Does anyone know how I can get a list with descriptions of the nine (I think) automatic and three manual programs available for the KS9 aids? Mine are on order to replace seven year old ReSound Futures, and when I go to get them, I want to know the options. The user manual says the button on top of the aids can control either volume settings or manual programs depending on how the devices were set up. Many thanks.

In reply to @NateS

I had to have my programmer disable the auto-connection to my streamer. It drove me nuts if someone was watching TV and it started streaming to my ’s when I wasn’t expecting it. Now if I want to hear through the streamer I just press the button on top of my HA or use the app. A side benefit is that it seems to connect just a bit faster.

I’ve ordered and am waiting for my fitting for the new KS9’s. I was reading the through the user manual and see the domes are very different to my KS4’s.

What’s the difference between the following domes?

  • dome
  • slimtip
  • cshell

Thanks
Rob

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