Costco Kirkland Signature 10.0 (Product Information)

I expect to be soon in the market for a new pair of hearing aids to replace my 10 year old Bernafon Verites. The KS 10 is high on my list already.

A few questions for forum members to would help inform and educate me. Please overlook the fact some of the Qs may seem naive (they only reflect my lack of understanding of current tech…)

1. Is the microphone in the BTE to pick up my voice (for transmitting to the phone via BT) in tel conversations?
2. is there the equivalent of an external microphone that I can clip on to my collar (as they do in TV interviews)? incoming voice would be streamed into my BTEs whereas outgoing voice would be picked up by the external mic and passed on to the phone. I ask this as in a noisy environment the mic in the BTEs may not be picking up my voice as well as would an external mic.
3. Can I wear a headphone (i.e., covering my RIC and possibly obscuring the BTE too)? or would it produce feedback and create other problems?

1)Mic is for both receiving environmental sound and for sending voice to phone
2)This is a downside. If external noise is to great, it will be difficult for the other participant in the phone call to hear you above backgroind noise.
3) Maybe. You’d just need to see how it works.

MDB, I appreciate your prompt, concise, and detailed response to my Qs.

@MDB said:

If external noise is to great, it will be difficult for the other participant in the phone call to hear you above backgroind noise.

Ok, I understand why so.
It’d be good if HA manufacturers offer an accessory that is a small, clip-on mic that pairs with the phone (and HA, possibly) and replaces the mic in the BTE for outbound voice. Placed closer to the speaker’s mouth, directional, it’d do much better in eliminating background noise and improve signal quality for tel conversations. If they can do Partner Mics and such it shouldn’t be too hard to make a clip-on mic.

Oh well…

Most other hearing aids use the phone’s microphone. It could help if the KS9, KS10, Marvel and Paradise hearing aids offered that at as an option, but they don’t.

I called Phonak today and asked about the size difference between the Paradise R-T and the 312 model.
I was thinking this would be a way to compare the size difference in the KS9 and KS10. They said the length was 4mm (.157") longer for the R-T.
With the other dimensions referenced in these posts along with comparing the KS9 and 10 in person today I can see that the size is much larger.

PartnerMic streams from itself to hearing aids. I think questioner wants it to stream to phone and to other listener.

@Raudrive said:

I believe the partner mic would do what you are asking in question #2.

Maybe I’m missing something…my reading of the PartnerMic brochure (on the KS10 user portal) says it won’t address the issue described in #2. i.e., it doesn’t sync with the phone, it doesn’t replace the mic in the BTE for outbound voice in phone conversations, etc. It works as a remote mic and pairs with the BTEs but that is for a different problem and situation than described in #2 .
Could I be wrong?

I think I am going to wait and see. I have VA Marvels and don’t wear them because they don’t really do any good. Not to mention the bother, especially in the time of COVID. I have given up on the VA. They are like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Maybe in another year when my hearing has gotten worse, Costco will have even newer aids.

@DrBob said:

switch between my iPad and my iPhone and they always seem to get confused. In order to get them to connect to the right device, I either have to restart the IOS device or delete the KS8 profile and re-pair them to the device. The KS10s should solve the problem

KS8s are made for iPhone (MFi) while KS10s are not. I don’t know if you’ll be able to connect KS10s to your iPad — I have KS9s (aka Phonak Marvels) and the iPad is not supported. I wish I’d’ve gotten KS8s when they were available — I had KS6’s and I really liked the MFi aspect. “Regular” bluetooth is a little clunkier IME.
Anxious to hear how things go,
-kate.
PS I got the KS9s in mid-Feb since my KS6’s were out of warranty. But I hope I can exchange for KS10s — the newer technology sounds awesome!

The Phonak Paradise can be recharged in the back country via a couple of ways.

The combo charger case has an available integrated battery. I got a week of charges with that setup when backpacking last fall.

You can also use a rechargeable battery pack with either Phonak charger.

Jim

@meaningfullyhappy said:

Can I wear a headphone (i.e., covering my RIC and possibly obscuring the BTE too)? or would it produce feedback and create other problems?

I where Bose Quiet Comfort 35 over the ear headphones with no problems with feedback. My hearing aids are Starkey Halo 2 i2400 RIC 13.

I could walk in Monday and see a tech, I could get an internet appointment by the end of the week from the medical center and within 2 weeks from local clinic. I can get an in person with my AuD in my clinic easily with a month.

Is there a price difference between disposable and recharge models of K S10

There is no disposable battery version. The $1399 price per pair price includes the charger.