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My brand new hearing aids turned out to be the Costco ones I already have!

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Edited

I have eagerly awaited Costco’s 2023 line of H/As to replace my KS9s:
(Costco Kirkland 9.0 Vs Phonak Marvel 9013),
which were great when I got them and for a long time thereafter but gradually I began to have a more difficult time hearing. After doing endless reading and research on the three 2023 choices, I was catapulted into action when unfortunately my wife fell and broke her leg and I was unaware of her calls for assistance. And we are both in our 80s.
I managed to schedule a new hearing test at a more distant Costco to avoid delay, and was tested by clearly the best fitter/audi I have ever encountered in over 15 years of wearing hearing aids, who went over the results with me in detail, demonstrating that I had a big drop in almost all frequencies since last tested, and who presented me with the option to program the new results into my existing KS9s and see what happens, leaving open the opportunity otherwise to try the 3 new 2023 brands.
With the new settings and a power receiver, and the latest update to the myPhonak Android app, my KS9s came alive! I couldn’t believe the huge improvement! I could clearly hear everyone in the hearing center, people walking by in the store, cashiers ringing up purchases, etc. Believe me, it was a profound emotional experience. Driving home, I had to turn down the fan speed on my air conditioner and adjust to the seemingly “new” road noises. Arriving home, I could hear and hold a conversation with my wife, and with guests who dropped in the next day. And for the first time, all phone conversations worked flawlessly through my Pixel 4a phone.
So my plan to choose between the three new 2023 Costco offerings is shelved for now, and I would never go elsewhere than Costco.
I will put up my revised chart shortly.

17 people in this conversation14 min readJump to latest

Thank you for the update.

It’s always great to hear success stories concerning hearing. My wife still loves her KS9 aids too.

Wow, you got an excellent fitter there at Costco!!! That is inspiring. Hope your wife’s leg is better now, too, and you’ll hear her calling your name loud and clear. :slightly_smiling_face:

Edited

I’m going to take this opportunity to comment on Dr. Cliff and why his utter contempt of Costco is severely misplaced.

He’s stated in the past that because Costco patients don’t purchase new hearing aids at the same rate as patients that go to other clinics, that costco isn’t doing a good job. Well that’s a load of bullocks.

In this exact same situation, had you gone to a private practice audiologist they would have seen you as a walking dollar sign. Somebody to sell to. Since you went to a place that doesn’t work on commission, and where you purchasing isn’t their #1 goal, you were done right.

EDIT: link to the video where Dr. Cliff says this (time stamp is 1:50)

I really appreciated reading your experience. I was thinking how lucky you were to find an honest and helpful Audi who knew what he is doing. Makes me feel happy knowing there are still good things happening

Edited

In reply to @Benji

@Benji said:

In this exact same situation, had you gone to a private practice audiologist they would have seen you as a walking dollar sign. Somebody to sell to. Since you went to a place that doesn’t work on commission, and where you purchasing isn’t their #1 goal, you were done right.

Exactly! I’m just surprised that Dr. Cliff made that statement. He provides a lot of useful info, but that statement makes him sound like a total Bozo.
No question that had I gone to a private audiologist, I would have walked out naively wowing how much better my new $6-7000 +hearing aids were than my KS9s! He or she would never have bothered to reprogram my existing hearing aids. (Upon further reflection, I am thinking that maybe this is an unfair generalization, giving undue weight to my personal negative experiences pre-Costco,)
Way back 15 or more years ago, I went to an audiologist on “referral” from an outfit called Hearing Planet. His office walls were covered with impressive framed documents. He was extremely arrogant, shouted at me when I said I was not sure whether I heard a faint sound or nothing; when I asked whether his hearing aids included service after sale, he said that would depend on whether I bought a dehumidifier from him; when I asked how much the dehumidifier added to the cost, he said “that would depend on how many shekels I can squeeze out of you.'”; when my girlfriend asked what if he still has trouble hearing me, he said “Then I would just get a new boyfriend!”
Complaining to Hearing Planet, I was sent to a second audiologist who as promised was “The nicest guy you ever meet!” which was true except I spent $6000+ for then top-of-the-line Phonaks plus hours of my time and trips back to his office for “corrections” which never gave me satisfactory hearing during the entire 6 years I suffered with them, and he struggled with trying to adjust them so that I would be able to hear and understand her soft-spoken voice. (During the last 3 of said 6 years I was charged and paid an additional $300 per year for “maintenance visits.”) In desperation he ended up demonstrating how she should SHOUT at me in order to be heard!
By contrast, in the 7th year, my first trip to a Costco Hearing Center was the beginning of improving and maintaing my hearing.

In reply to @Benji

Sorry, but you’re painting with a broad brush. Not all Costco audis are as competent as the OP’s. Not all private audis are incompetent money gougers. Come on.

I’ve been going to my private provider for decades. They’ve always been professional and generous and care about their clients. It’s insulting and untrue to suggest otherwise.

@jeffrey said:

Not all Costco audis are as competent as the OP’s. Not all private audis are incompetent money gougers.

I’m sure that’s true. But I didn’t see anything in jeffrey’s post or mine to contradict that, But how do you feel about Dr. Cliff’s statement quoted above, if he said that?

In reply to @jeffrey

@jeffrey said:

Not all private audis are incompetent money gougers.

I believe that, and yes I was being somewhat hyperbolic and painting with a broad brush. But when somebody needs you to purchase to keep their lights on, there is a high likelihood of them seeing you as a walking ATM; whether you know it or not.

Well, I’m 68 years old and have a highly developed sense of when I’m being taken for my money. My audis (and my ) don’t see me as a walking ATM. They know my hearing profile and my special needs and desires, especially my musical requirements.

Nurses, food bank managers, dentists (yes, dentists!!) and EVERYONE works for a living and has to charge for services. Every single person isn’t looking at every other person and only seeing a “walking ATM machine”. It’s possible to be committed to your work and to take satisfaction from providing excellent help while still charging for your services.

And yes, even (some) politicians and beauraucrats who make the gears spin also take pride in their work and try to help their constituents.

All too often on this site I see folks disparaging providers as being nothing more than money grubbers. Well, right back at you if you ever worked for a living! You charged others too for your services.

Life is seldom 100% in anything, except, of course: Death. That we can count on being in our future which is coincidentally when we cease to have a future on this earth.
Some people are top notch reliable, others not so much and they come in all shapes, sizes and disguises. My solution to that conundrum is be prepared, be watchful until I have no more need nor capability to hear.

In reply to @jeffrey

It’s a shame that my report about my positive experience has deteriorated into generalizations about sources for purchase. To the extent that i may have contributed to that, I apologize. My original intent was to just share my own personal experiences and to give credit where credit was due.

@NateS

I’ve just had a wonderful experience after changing suppliers. My hearing aids are set up really well now; they didn’t work before.

I’m grateful for my success. And yours.

The supplier/set up is the key. Good people care and do good work. I’m glad you found one!

DaveL
Toronto

In reply to @NateS

Happy to read your good report!

My current Costco hearing aid person is absolutely top notch! A treasure. Several times she has pulled a rabbit out of the hat and sent me off hearing much better, without selling me anything I did not need.

The first hearing aid I bought at Costco - in 2010 - was a Bernafon. The instrument turned out to be good but the person who sold it to me was not very experienced, effective, or capable. A marked difference.

As far as private small businesses, I’ve had a Beltone, a Siemens, and a Starkey from three different vendors over the years, and the aids and dispensers were good and capable. But I bought a Phonak in 2018 that the Audiologist who sold it to me was not able to program properly - amplified background noise, suppressed speech - and maybe my fault for not making the problem clear.

So yes, the person doing the work is key, whether at Costco or a small business.

Glad your experience was good, and I hope it continues so.

I recently went from Costco Bernafons to the Phillips 9040. This thread has me remembering that I had a more porwerful end piece on the Oticons that I had before the Bernafons. I just pulled them out and looked and yes they are larger. I’m thinking that they were a 100 power and what I have on these 9040 is an 85? I am going to ask next week because I don’t think these are helping enough. I have tried simply turning them up and that only gives me a louder distorted sound not as clear. Mabe if I could get a 100 power like the ones before were it might help with that?

Your audiologist will direct you further. Because in addition to changing the receiver to a stronger one, it is also necessary to adjust the hearing aid with appropriate adjustment equipment.
I also noticed that with my hearing aids that at the highest power it distorts the sound, but luckily I don’t need the highest power of the receiver yet.
I’m not sure, since Philips and Bernafon have the same manufacturer, demant group. I am not sure if the receivers are the same and the connection. If they are the same, your audiologist may be able to use your old receivers, but your audiologist must do this for you.

@markoo355 said:

I’m not sure, since Philips and Bernafon have the same manufacturer, demant group. I am not sure if the receivers are the same and the connection. If they are the same

They all use from the same “parts bin” a bit like the Volkswagen group.

I too recently had my KS9s updated post a new Costco auiogram I also had a great experience and outcome.

The team at Cpstco West Winsor NJ has been stable for a while and do not push new aids just for the sake of sales.

Re Dr Cliff, his bombastic side has taken over for what ever reasons. His Costco rants are a distraction. Im waiting for him to aknowledge that lower cost aids and instruments open up hearing to many that cant afford high end brands and providers.

I think that Dr C hit the wall. His videos were helpful for me; qualifying audiologists? Didn’t help me at all.

DaveL
Toronto

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