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Advice needed for selecting hearing aid for first time user

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am helping my mom to get a hearing aid. She has not worn any hearing aid before. She did a hearing test with audiologist and was seen by doctor at a medical clinic. She was diagnosed with mild to moderate-severe hearing loss loss due to age. The medical clinic is not in the network for hearing aid for her insurance. Her insurance referred us to another local hearing aid company. The hearing instrument specialist at the local company recommended the following models based on her audio test results and a few questions without giving us much technical details:

  1. Phonak Audeo Infinio I50-R

  2. Signia Pure Charge&Go 3IX

Based on my research afterward, I found that these 2 models are standard models that would probably work OK for my mom. However, with the insurance discounted price and credit, both models are $200 to $500 per pair more than the current Costco models, which seem to be more advanced at a lower price.

I would appreciate some advice on what other models to consider based on the following criteria:

  1. The first priority to get a hearing aid that will work well in different environments without her going to the hearing aid app in her iPhone to make adjustments.

  2. Connectivity to her iPhone and streaming from TV will be nice-to-have.

My questions are:

  1. Are the current Costco better hearing aids in general better than the Phonak Audeo Infinio I50-R and Signia Pure Charge&Go 3IX? Which of the current Costco model will work well in different environments without user intervention?

  2. What other higher end models should we consider from the local hearing aid company? They carry different brands and models. But, they don’t have any in stock to demo. So, we need to pick a model so that they can order it through the company outsourced by the insurance company to do the trial.

Thanks for your comments and advices.

16 people in this conversation11 min readJump to latest
Edited

Call the Costco hearing aid department and book an appointment for a consultation. Take a copy of her if you have it. At a minimum they can give you some good advice. There is no charge - including a hearing test and walking around in the store with a demo set.

Edit to add: Costco hearing aids are pretty much top of the line or possibly one technology level down. Their Jabra brand that I’m currently using is actually a rebranded Resound Vivia (top of the line). It has more potential functions than a brand new user can keep up with, but it’s absolutely a wonderful product. Cost is $1,699 compared to $6k for the comparable Resound.

It’s a no brainer, Costco hands down will give your mum premium models over the crippled defeated from the clinic.

In reply to @shootist

For 1st time user of Hearing Aids, Costco is ideal. Your mom has 6 months to trial each type of ’s. If not happy, trial another model. There are a lot of things to consider when using HA’s. It is not just technology alone.

The hearing aid models proposed by your insurance directed audiologist are the lowest level technology with many features removed to reduce the cost. Costco sells only the highest level technology aids with all features activated. The Costco aids are the same aids sold by audiologists but with different brand names so as not to appear as direct competitors. By all means, as recommended above, go to Costco. Many of us have purchased our aids from Costco.

I recently got my first-ever pair of hearing aids. Because I pay for extra benefits through a Medicare Advantage plan, my hearing aids are partially paid for by the insurance. I chose to get Phonak I50-R because I didn’t want a higher tech level than I need now, or expect to need sooner than the 3-year interval. I’m quite pleased with the I50-R Phonak aids. THAT BEING SAID, if I didn’t have insurance coverage for hearing aids, or didn’t want what they could provide at the price I had to pay… I’d go to Costco and choose from their selection. The prices and quality seem hard to beat, and they allow a long trial. Any decent hearing aids that are properly programmed should be able to run on the “automatic” program setting without a lot of fuss.

Edited

In reply to @raylock1

@raylock1 said:

hearing aid models proposed by your insurance directed audiologist are the lowest level technology

The Phonak actually offers one level lower, but it is the third of four (90, 70, 50, then 30). @shootist said the Costco might be one version lower, but I don’t think that’s the case. Only knock on any is the sennheiser sonites are effectively equivalent to the Phonak audeo lumitys at the 90 level, thus one generation behind. (Infinio is the newest generation vs the lumity).

Costco really is a bargain when you consider the workers are salaried, not on commission.

WH

@WhiteHat said:

@shootist said the Costco HAs might be one version lower, but I don’t think that’s the case.

Correct it’s not, they are premium latest model (except the Phonak as you mentioned) they don’t get the latest straight away tho, always have to wait a bit for this to happen.

I just wanted to make sure that isn’t something that she could benefit from having. For example for folks who square dance or go to church regularly, the Auracast is a game changer.

So I would read up on Auracast before purchasing any new hearing aid.

Auracast | Bluetooth® Technology Website5

INTRODUCING Auracast™ broadcast audio is a new Bluetooth® capability that will deliver life-changing audio experiences. It will let you share your audio, unmute your world, and hear your best…

Compatible 3rd party LE Audio and Auracast devices - a technical deep dive
Oticon doesn’t support Auracast capability? I thought they did, if not that’s nuts! it’s one of the main reasons LE Audio is implemented in HAs, well Signia (Rexton) and obviously ReSound (Jabra) are, Starkey as well.
Auracast transmitter tests
TOSLink input on the 3.5mm jack too!

https://news.samsung.com/us/global-accessibility-awareness-day-samsung-auracast-transforms-cathedral-acoustics-with-unmatched-audio-clarity/

Upgrades for church sound system? Auracast? Anything else?
I heard mention that there are plans to upgrade the sound system in my church this year The current system has a very weak FM transmitter and they have loaner FM receivers with headphones. I bought my own receiver with neckloop to use with my T-Coil aids… but the FM coverage inside the church is weak and I get lots of static unless I’m very close to the rackroom door where the transmitter and antenna is… I was thinking that maybe I should put a bug in the ear of the sound guy to consider Aura…

The Best in Audio Solutions | Avantree1

Never hear the same again! Let us enhance your audio experience with our wireless headphones for TV, Bluetooth transmitters, wireless TV adapters and more!

Thanks for all the comments. I took my mom to Costco Fremont today. The hearing aid technician did some hearing tests. The results were pretty much the same as those from audiologist a few months ago. He recommended Jabra Enhanced Pro 30 and Philips HearLink 9050. My mom tried both in the quiet sound room and outside in the Costco store. She could not tell which one was better other than that the Jabra was louder. We ended up taking home the Jabra Enhanced Pro 10 (2 generations older) on loan to try at home for a week to give her some experience with hearing aids. I think either Jabra Enhanced Pro 30 or Philips HearLink 9050 will work for her. I will do more research before we decide. Thanks for any advice for Jabra Enhanced Pro 30 vs Philips HearLink 9050.

It’s good that she has you to help her navigate, as it’s a whole new world. And it does take some getting used to, but will be well worth it to open up her life more.

Edited

In reply to @brigadoon0

They are both top of the line hearing aids with the latest technology.

Jabra Enhance Pro 30s are reported to be Resound Vivia 9s (sold under the Jabra name at Costco)

Philips HearLink 9050s are reported to be Oticon Intent 1s (sold under the Philips brand name at Costco).

My wife and I were looking at both the Jabra Enhance Pro 30s and the Philips HearLink 9050s in May and our Costco fitter recommended the Jabra Enhance Pro 30’s for us, which we both got. We are happy with them and the Costco experience. I am guessing we would probably also be happy the HearLink 9050s as well.

I would ask the Costco fitter for their recommendation (and how many of each they have fitted). It is tough in the store trying to decide if one sounds better than the other. Your mom probably needs at least a couple of weeks trying whichever she decides to start with. Costco will normally do a follow up fitting two weeks after the first fitting to make adjustments etc.

In the end if she tries one and decides she doesn’t like them she has 6 months to return them and try the other ones.

The Jabra Enhance Pro 30’s are the smallest and support (new tech being slowly adaopted for broadcast at churches, moves theatres, airports etc) if either are a consideration.

I am less familiar with the Philips HearLink 9050s but I am sure others can share their experiences.

If you (and your mum) are Ok to post your mum’s that might also help when people are giving feedback.

Hearing Tracker has a comparison of the Oticon Intent 1 and Resound Vivia 9 here11

Edit: That Hearing Tracker review suggests the Oticon Intents support Auracast? That seems to be new and I didn’t think the Hearlink 9050’s had Auracast support (at least not yet)? People who have Hearlink 9050s can confirm or not?

Edit 2: More reading Costco Hearing Aids in 2025 - Models, Features, Prices, and Reviews12

It’s impossible to know for sure but the features and software is more likely Sonic/Bernafon then Oticon, of course all these are from the same company so obviously some overlapping,if the Phillips used Genie2 then we’d have to say 100% intent.

I have the resound vivia 9 hearing aid. Little costly after ins. But these are the latest technology for resound. I currently use behind the ear hearing aids, and use domes for in the ear

Something no one has mentioned. I have been wearing Signia’s for over 3 years and just purchased a pair of Phonak Infinio Sphere i70 for their superiority when trying to understand speech in noise.

I noticed you mentioned Mom has an iphone. I am almost 80 but have been wearing aids for about 10 years and dealt with a husband who wore aids from about age 30 so am relatively familiar with a lot of things. However, I was NOT expecting the difference in using Classic Bluetooth vs MFI.

with my Signia’s I can set my iPhone to read texts to me when they come in and calendar notifications come thru the same way. With Classic Bluetooth, I get only a “notification” sound and I have to pull out my phone to see what it was about.

I am not sure about , but I use the setting in my Signia’s at church, at our local theater, and in the auditorium of the Senior facility where I live and the Phonak’s do not have a T-coil.

FORTUNATELY I can AFFORD to have 2 working pair of hearing aids. Both are rechargeable, so I keep both in their chargers and decide each day after checking my calendar which ones to wear. If I am going to be in a group setting - - going out to lunch? - - I wear the Phonak’s and thank the Lord for their ability to let me understand speech in those circumstances. If I am attending a play or church service, I wear the Signia’s for the T-coil.

Not IDEAL, but it is working for ME!!

I use Costco. I’m on my 2nd set from KS9 in 2018 to Rexton Reach in 2024. They originally gave me the Jabra Pro in 2024, but it required constant fiddling with the app in restaurants etc. to change programs. After 4 months I traded them in on the Rexton Reach, they just work on automatic mode. If you want to skip the app, request the Rexton Reach from your Costco fitter.

The PA at my doctor’s office actually recommended that I go to Costco. Hearing aids from the doctor cost significantly more and he said the wait time would also be longer. My indicated that I had moderate hearing loss, with severe at higher pitches. When your Mom goes for a fitting, she can try more than one brand. I tried Sennheiser and Rexton. They also carry Jabra and Philips at Costco.
I got the Rexton Reach but the choice depends on the individual. my choice was based on reviews and hands on in the store

is not yet implemented, although Janbra has it built in. Rexton has , which can be upgraded to Auracast with a firmware update when it becomes available.

As for TV, I believe that all models have TV adapters. One adapter is included with the Sennheiser.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

In reply to @EDS

I have seen positive reviews for Rexton Reach from Costco. I asked the Costco hearing aid specialist about Rexton. He still recommended Jabra Enhance Pro 30 and Philips HearLink 9050 based on his experience with his clients. He also mentioned that Jabra Enhance Pro 30 and Philips HearLink 9050 were better due to newer technology.

I’m not sure. The Rexton Reach has and is made for iPhone (mfI). Bluetooth works but if you go from iPhone to iPad and vice versa you have to turn off Bluetooth on the device you are not using, so it is not completely seamless.

There is a website called Soundly that does hearing aid reviews, including Costco. Last time I was there they hadn’t yet reviewed the Sennheiser.

Costco Hearing Aid Review (2024–2025)12

In this review we're going to Costco to try their free hearing test and top products.

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