Will AI Hearing Aids be Boom or Bust?

Yes, some companies use it in the name of the hearing aid model itself - clearly a marketing tactic - while others, like Phonak and Signia, use it but hardly mention it. Of course thy all use it differently. It’s hard to imagine that anyone isn’t using AI or some form of machine learning today.

Well, as usual I’ll be a bummer. The senior executive of Signia talking up AI in their latest aids, signia 1X, is to be expected. Signia wants to get onto the ‘me too’ train. Everybody’s talking about AI in breathless tones. It’s the latest and greatest (mashed potato!) (oooh oooh oooh oooh…) (this being Halloween season I hope y’all will get the musical allusion.)
Fad or fallacy? Probably something in between. I watched a video review of the Signia 1x. The conclusion? Improvement in speech in noise was marginal at best.

To be fair, in the context of AI he was talking about the future, not it’s implementation in the Signia iX, which does not currently use AI. But it does sound like their next project.

But I do agree with you, but not over cynically, that there is a mismatch between the claims and the results. Some are really happy - others not. I read a post yesterday on FB about somebody profoundly deaf saying the Oticon Xceed was awful, which shocked me as I know that aid is one of the best in dealing with severe/profound loss.

I think we don’t appreciate quite how much that the more severe the loss, the less likely all these benefits and inprovements are realised.

@glucas said:

I read a post yesterday on FB about somebody profoundly deaf saying the Oticon Xceed was awful, which shocked me as I know that aid is one of the best in dealing with severe/profound loss.

I think I fell in the same category - albeit my last Oticon aid was the OPN several years ago. I think some brains are simply not capable of sorting through the sounds delivered in the Oticon algorithm. Maybe it’s a function of age or degree of loss, but my brain at 60 or so yrs old was unable to make sense of ANYONE talking around me - no matter if I was facing them. It was just a soup of noises. So I can relate to that assessment of Oticon Xceed, but totally get how MANY MANY people are very happy with them. Their brain is able to sort through all the sounds and distractions and they do great with speech comprehension.

@jeffrey said:

Fad or fallacy? Probably something in between. I watched a video review of the Signia 1x. The conclusion? Improvement in speech in noise was marginal at best.

Can you tell me where to find this review, Jeffrey? I’m considering the new Signia’s, so this review would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

It’s in the recent thread here called “Signia Introduces new hearing aid…etc.”

Thank you, Jeffrey. Much appreciated.

I trialled the More 1s when they were first released. The way they managed wind noise was incredible. I didn’t keep them, however, due to connectivity issues.

I love my More1 aids, and i am hoping when i get my Real1 aids later this week that they are as good as my More1 aids.
I don’t judge my aids on connectivity, i judge them on how well I hear in my environment.

@cvkemp

Me too. I just want to hear better.
(In two days I have a second appointment with my new hearing aid practitioner. I asked them to schedule a new Audiogram. The last one showed I hear better than some years ago! That’s a miracle! Not.

And I asked them to set them up and would they please use REM.

So Oticon More aids come out in 2021 and now you’re switching to Oticon Real1 aids. So you’ve had More aids for less than two years, maybe less than 18 months - love them but throwing them out the window to purchase Oticon real aids. Must be nice to buy new aids every 18 months or so or more likely in your case just pumping Oticon aids in general.

Personally I prefer to follow posters who purchase aids for medium to long term use and don’t go shopping every other year to buy new ones. To each his own but most aid users don’t throw money at aids every two years or less in your case. Time to get real here.

Well you don’t understand my situation, I am a Veteran, I get my aids from the VA, I am a Veteran with disabilities also. My More1 aids are now my backup aids and will see weekly use. I wear my aids every waking moment of my life. So my More1 aids aren’t being discarded they are just getting some well deserved rest.

My apologies if you’re over your 3 year waiting period for new aids. Seems math though doesn’t back up your (some what) high rate of aid turn over. Since three years has not elapsed from 2021 date the More aid came out. And everyone knows Veterans medical service (aid service) is (1) on the slow side and (2) not going to issue you new HA’s at two years or 2 and 1/2 years. Sorry don’t buy it.

In the United States, Military veterans with hearing loss are eligible for Free Hearing Aids and Services through the Veterans Health Administration, otherwise known as the VA. These veterans can typically get a new set of hearing aids every 3 years .

It depends on disabilities, how much hearing loss changes, and to be honest the pull that the audiologist has. My disability is my hearing loss, but I have secondary issue that has been diagnosed as the result of my hearing loss, and that is my high blood pressure has been determined to be a direct result of my hearing loss and my struggle to understand speech.
I have gone as long as 5 years without getting new aids and I have gone as short as 18 months then got new ones. I have used 5 clinics for my hearing loss in 2 different states but in the same VA benefits regions. I have been getting aids from the VA since 2004, and have been wearing aids since 2000. My Navy medical records show that I have had hearing loss since 1972, and that I have had blood pressure issues since 1974, none of this was ever told to me while I was in the Navy or even at the time I was discharged. At this time I have a combined claim open about my hearing loss and the effect it has on my blood pressure. I have written testimony form three different audiologists and 5 different doctors. And now with my medical records finally found and recorded in my VA records, the benefits board is still dragging its feet.