I read your message and thought it would be interesting to view the adjustments available in Target 7.1 fitting software. Paradise P90-RT vs. Kirkland KS10.0. The attached chart is the result of that compare. Click here to view: Target Fitting Compare KS10 vs P90.pdf (638.2 KB)
I did find that Phonak is releasing myPhonak 5 which cannot be used with the KS10.0 . There appears to be 2 features in v.5 that would be nice to have for the KS10.0 if Easy Line gets the upgrade also.
A) Users can make custom programs in myP 5 and have them written to the HAs (Phonak says this is possible because the P90 chip has more memory room). That would mean all your custom myP programs won’t erase every time you go for a fitting session.
B) Phonak says that the myP 5 will give users the ability to make some program adjustments that in the past have only been available to the fitter in Target 7 sessions. Not sure what those will be, seems like Easy Line added some already.
I read your message and thought it would be interesting to view the adjustments available in Target 7.1 fitting software. Paradise P90-RT vs. Kirkland KS10.0.
As I suspected, it seems there’s some kind of “thing” going on in the background, with people trying to discredit Costco products/services, both here and from YouTuber Clifford, but I guess it should be the manufacturers taking the heat, as they are the ones offing almost “identical” models with the same chip/processor and algorithm (with only a few features missing, app features between the two) to Costco and undermining the local clinics,there’s no way local clinics are going to survive if they have a Costco nearby!
That is true but often there are manufacturer’s apps or third party apps that can be used like a tinnitus generator. For instance, I have Resounds from Costco and use the Resound Tinnitus app. It is free or you can get more stuff if you do a subscription for 6.99 per month. Works well and offers more then the built in generators.
At the same time as Costco were selling the KS 9, Phonak’s Marvel was its most successful model ever
Yes that’s right, but that’s the point, KS9 is a Marvel, like Phonak don’t separate them except for marketing purposes, so I would say they had a massive boost thanks to Costco selling the Marvel platform ( but calling it a Kirkland ) but also getting back to another point, I remember not so long ago when Phonak announced that they would be selling their to Costco, it caused a massive upset within the industry, to the point a lot were saying they would boycott Phonak, so the clinic’s know how bad this is for their business model, it’s been a bonus for Joe public but definitely not the clinic’s.
To me it’s amazing how long the private audiologist has been able to hang on. Privately owned pharmacies and optometry practices are essentially gone. More and more hearing aid manufacturers are opening their own chains that sell only their own brand. Costco is just one more nail in the coffin.
I use the bluetooth connection for several hours a day to stream audio from my iPhone and iPad. I usually put them in at about 7:30AM and put them back in the charger at about 11:30PM. They start out at 100% and usually have dropped below 20% when I take them out. On a night that I stayed up until closer to 1:00AM they were both below 10%. Today, after four hours of use and no streaming, they are at 85% and 86%. Streaming seems to take a heavy toll on battery life. I suspect that this is why they are rechargable.
The KS10s are built for streaming. Streamed audio suddents substantially richer than it did on my KS8s. The Bluetooth handoff between my iPhone and iPad is essentially seemless.
The KS10 App, Easyline prompted me to create a profile on my.phonak.com5. Registering the hearing aids is part of the profile creation process. However, the my.phonak.com site uses drop down menus to complete the registration process. However, the drop downs do not have an option for registering KS10 hearing aids.
I keep accidentally triggering Siri on my iPhone when I scratch my right ear.
It’s been a week and I still haven’t received my Powerpack or TV streamer. Perhaps they are behind on production. These types of accessories used to come in within several days.
MDB is correct for better or worse this is the future. What we used to call wholesaler’s are now retailers. I expect in the future we will also see hearing aid manfacturers consolidateing.
Hearing aid manufacturers are already pretty consolidated, with the big 5 making, under the different brand names, most of the stuff on the market. I believe it was already mentioned that the same chip used in the KS10 is the same as in other Phonak devices across different brands.
Costco is in a unique position because of their sheer size and ability to negotiate pricing. Costco also sells not only Kirkland, but as I’ve been informed here, other brands, all of which are made to Costco specs (I’m not sure if Costco creates the specs, or the manufacturers simply select what specs and features they’ll set a up for to sell at Costco locations). Those differences may be minor in actual use, but apparently not all fitting software will work with every HA sold under a brand, requiring you to return to Costco for adjustments. I don’t view that as a major drawback as few HA users have the skills or desires to dig in that far on their own, and retail audiologists aren’t forced to fit a HA under a given brand name they sell for a lot more money (not all Costco HAs have that issue but I’ve seen it on here before).
It’s one way manufacturers can play nice with their retail audiologists who also pay more for the retail version they’ll sell than the cost of the aids to Costco.
It reminds me of the mattress business model. All the retailers can say they’ll beat anyone’s price for a given mattress, but the mattress manufacturers will brand a specific model under one name for one seller and a different name for another. So tough to make a store match a price when they can claim it’s not the identical mattress so they can’t price match. This is despite the fact it may be exactly the same model, just with a cosmetic change to justify the action.
Obviously HAs are far more complex than a mattress. An audiologist is not a mattress salesperson. But the similarities are there to manipulate the market pricing on HAs (and mattresses).
One big push around that is the whole hearing story. Unfortunately it still doesn’t exist under specs and approvals, with it seemingly pressed farther back in implementation. I think they’re now saying maybe next year, 2022, but they been saying next year for years now. When that comes about prices will likely be driven down, and services will begin being marketed as the key to the higher price differential, not just features.
The number of people who qualify for HAs by insurance or the is pretty low and the current entry costs too high for many. A lot of hearing loss occurs in an older population, and they don’t have coverage from Medicare (Medicare Advantage programs may help but the extent of coverage is variable) and live on fixed incomes. I’m on disability in an assisted living facility. No, I didn’t expect at my age, 63, to be in this environment. I had to jump through hoops to get covered for one HA. I decided to pay for the second out of pocket. That was a hit to my wallet, especially given other electronic devices I had to buy since December. I’m fortunate I could at all, as I see other residents here who definitely would benefit but can’t afford it at all, and have no insurance coverage to help out. They might possibly benefit from the OTC offerings, but quality ones may still be several hundred to over a thousand dollars. They won’t be like $20 reading glasses you can now get at CVS or Walgreens.
Regardless, it will be increasingly difficult for a retail audiologist to maintain their business. There are already groups and networks forming for pooled marketing, and to service a larger number of customers. They will likely get bigger. As they do grow in store size, they’re going to bring pressure on the big manufacturers to start treating them like Costco, whether lowering prices in general for volume sales, or by offering specific models sold only through their large network. The latter might complicate things by tying in your ongoing care and service at only network members, rather than say changing an audiologist for someone you prefer who’s in a different group or network who finds your HA “locked”.
If any pressure can really affect current retail pricing, it will be the more affordable OTC aids, which will be, or should be, even easier to get and set up than Costco.
Can you please tell me what is tv connecter and power pack
I thinking about buying KS 10, they hearing aid I have it old school no Bluetooth and when I wear mask it lost it align and stop working
TV connector is an accessory which connects to TV via optical cable or audio cable that streams direct to hearing aid .Here is the youtube31 video and check out accessories for KS1026. KS10 has built in rechargeable battery i.e no battery door to open.Power pack is like a rechargeable battery brick(slim) that attaches to the bottom of the KS 10 plastic hard case that can charge when you are traveling or don’t have access to power outlet or if you are camping etc.
Edit:-Other name for power pack is travel pack21 check the video skip to 2.25 in the video(although video was about Phonak paradise but it will be similar to KS10)
The TV connector is a Bluetooth device that hooks up to the optical audio out on your TV and streams audio directly to the hearing aids. The Powerpack is a battery pack that plugs into the charger so that you can charge the hearing aids when you don’t have easy access to an outlet.
usually have dropped below 20% when I take them out. On a night that I stayed up until closer to 1:00AM they were both below 10%
It will be harder on the long-term lifespan of the Li-po batteries if you let the charge drop so low day in and day out (~10% or so). Might be good to find a short break to top the batteries up a bit before they get so low. ReSound claims just a 10-min charge adds 3.7 hours of use to Quattro’s. Maybe a similar sort of thing obtains for the KS10’s? OTH, if you’re just planning on getting the ’s replaced under warranty if the batteries get too weak and moving on to new HA’s in three years, maybe it’s not worth charging up your HA’s a bit before they get too low. I like taking a break from wearing mine and just tell Alexa, “Set a charger charging time for <whatever>.” Preserving the batteries helps in a very small way to limit environmental waste.
Just some info for the wider hearing community - Costco (Australia) have Just (ie within the last week) released the KS10s. AUD$1799.99 a pair (around US$1395). For the record, I have NO IDEA what the terms are compared to the USA. ie warranty/exchange period etc.
Any other Aussies here tried them yet or can expand on the local Costco terms/conditions?
Re the KS10.0’s at Costco in Australia, particularly re the batteries I was informed by my Audi there that the rechargeable battery in each aid is guaranteed to last the entire hearing aid lifetime - 3-5 yrs. However, if they become faulty they fall under Costco’s repair policy, which is free of charge within the first 3 years (manufacturer warranty). And then you can pay an extra $200 per aid for one year extended repair warranty to repair/replace battery when they are more than 3 years old.
Australia
