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Costco will stop selling the Rexton Reach and replace it with the Sennheiser Sonite

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In reply to @MDB

Great into post.
I almost didn’t look because of the make “Sennheiser”.

Workman’s comp provided my Paradise P90R’s…I’ve had 3 sets of Phonaks.

In reply to @raylock1

@raylock1 said:

Don’t underestimate how important being able to connect to multiple devices including your analog phone and laptop are to many.

I’m not underestimating it, technology should be backwards compatible.
+ Bluetooth Classic is the way to go. I like what Phonak did with the Infinio.

The Sonite is a let-down for me. Instead of being backwards compatible, it’s stuck in the past.

Edited

@schacja, welcome to the forum! Post your (Forum, My Hearing Tests at the top of any site web page).

I think it’s been determined that the Sonite R is equivalent to the L90. The answer is probably because, with Costco, you’re getting a brand new hearing aid, full service, and great prices on accessories like molds, TV Connector, etc. I’m not sure where you’d get the L90 at the same price (eBay?), but maybe not from a full-service . And if you bought the L90 at a low price used, it might come with rundown Li-ion batteries.

In reply to @viffer

@viffer said:

Not for old technology. This would require changing the Bluetooth device, new firmware, new testing, and possibly new FDA registration. No company is going to do that. At least none that I came across in 35+ years designing electronics.

Of course, that’s completely bonkers. Who would think about upgrading or redesigning parts for a “new” product. Preposterous!

Worth thinking about the bigger picture here. Yes the Sonite R appears to be a purposefully safe pick, under ambitious even, and is basically a raid on the parts bin dressed up in new housing and branding. I’m not sold on the two tone paint job…

However, barring awful sales or a repeat of the recharge issue, it puts Sonova back in the Costco fold. World’s biggest provider and all that. If it goes well next gen devices could follow this potentially.

Just the name and branding…given the mixed reviews for the I’ve seen under the Sennheiser brand I might imagine Sonova wanted to have a solid effort this time round. I mean, the real Sennheiser team might feel their brand is being dented.

Their Sennheiser effort was still fully Phonak’s, they rebranded their Slims for it. It was shortly after they purchased them so there wasn’t even time to develop anything new.
I’m starting to think that this was the plan, just bought and use it for the brand, which would be an insane waste.

In reply to @raylock1

@raylock1 said:

Keep in mind that the memo saying they would drop Rexton was intended for only 100+ stores

Hmmm. that would be unusual, to say the least. Has Costco ever allowed certain stores to carry . brands and not others? when Costco discontinued other brands before, it was store wide–that is ALL stores stopped carrying those brands. And vice-versa–all stores carry the brands that costco advertises. I’m hardly and expert, so maybe others will correct me here.

@jeffrey Since everybody seems to be posting searches, here is the Copilot response to the inquiry about the Costco memo:

Costco announced that they will be selling the Sennheiser Sonite R hearing aids. These hearing aids are designed to help people with mild to profound hearing loss. They feature advanced technology like Bluetooth connectivity, smart machine learning, and durability against dust and water. Initially, **They’ll be available in 107 Costco locations across the United States, with plans to expand over time.

In reply to @Um_bongo

Yes, that’s right. I think the Phonak sphere was an experimental project and that’s why they also offered a smaller infinio. Since the sphere is in such demand, I think that for the unitron they will choose only the larger one that has the sphere, and on the same model offer a smaller technological level that does not have a sphere but can be unlocked if an upgrade to a higher technological level is purchased. What do you think?

In reply to @markoo355

I reckon they’ll duplicate the entire line as it’s a no-cost (in terms of tooling) option and it represents upgrade to the Vivante. The level of U-Sphere (or whatever they call it) performance will be determined in the software.

I don’t know where he’s getting his Phonak, but he’s talking about the L70, and not the L90.

Right now I can get the L70 from my insurance company for $1899. Let’s remember that the Lumity series is now old technology which has been replaced by the Infinio series, so prices for those “old tech” hearing aids have dropped. That price is not $1500, but I don’t know Costco will be selling these Sennheiser hearing aids for. Probably $1600, maybe more. Who knows what deal they made with Phonak? Regardless $1899 isn’t far off the Costco price. And that’s just my insurance plan. I’m sure that there are places where the L90 cam be obtained for less than what I’d have to pay for them. And yes, they come with a 3 year warranty, support, etc.

Just stumbled on this thread the day after my adjustment appointment for my Rexton Reaches which replaced my KS9s (which I loved until I started having to replace the batteries every day and a half). Any reason to wish I should I have waited for these Sennheisers? I do miss connecting to my laptop (whenever I misplace my Shokz), as I could do with my KS9s. Otherwise am happy with the Reaches.

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