How to identify hearing aid maker, technology and features

Looks like you are figuring things out.

The XB7 is the middle technology of the XB hearing aids. Not the top XB9 or the bottom XB5 hearing aids. This should help you understand a little more from a price point.

My wife bought the XB7 ITC. AU$4,400 incl the charger. The XB9 is AU$1,700 more. Currently they offer a AU$500 discount for the top models, but even $1,200 is too much.
We are old, not exactly swimming in money, mostly at home or in the garden. We have given up on travel, see our friends in the pub once a month.
She coped without HAs, so this middle-of-the-road should be enough. So far she is happy and she is in the first phase of fitting.

I see there are Costco stores in Australia. If they have hearing centers and are even near you at all they are great for hearing aids at a fair price.

My wife wanted rechargeable ITC, and Costco did not have those.
She is happy with the ReSound-alike.

We just wanted to be sure that what she bought is not old technology.
In the US, the Custom by ReSound comes with the latest Omnia, and it may only be a matter of a few months before they come to Australia, but she does not want to wait.

Hi, I would be gun-shy of large hearing aid companies, franchises or whatever, that market single brand aids and especially an aid that is locked and not able to be programmed by anybody or other audiologist.

I believe those practices are market restrictive and limit consumer choice. However, there may be a payoff in receiving hearing aids at cheaper prices (but verify which I think you might be aiming to do).

An independent audiologist who will sell you any brand would be my preference as they are not locked to one manufacturer and are more likely to recommend the most suitable brand and fit for you (rather than the just the plain vanilla company brand).

If you haven’t already committed, I recommend that you seek out such an independent Audiologist (or even a large company that covers a range of brands - SpecSavers has at least a small range of brands).

Then compare the products, prices and any commitments that might bind you to the supplier.

All the best…

Edit: Oh, I have just noted that “Hearing Australia” is an Australian Government funded company. As such to qualify for service you must be entitled under the system it operates under and therefore treatment and supply of devices is heavily subsidised. So my comments are rather moot in your situation.