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Advice on Selecting New Hearing Aids

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In reply to @aky13rx

My experience with Kaiser was similar: that didn’t listen , all my questions were answered by “I know what I’m doing” “ you will get used to it” “I do the same for all my patients “. The 45 day return policy is a joke because getting an appointment takes longer than that.

In the end , I was extremely unhappy with my Infinios , I was not able to return them. But thanks to that experience , I found this forum , I learned how to program the aids myself and I have been a member of this phenomenal group since them.

Maybe I should thank Kaiser for being here.

And of course , thank you guys. You are true gems .

Merry Christmas!

Ocram,

I am 3,000 miles east of you. About a year ago, I volunteered to be a member of a Kaiser “Patient Advisory Council.” Mid-Atlantic Kaiser ALLEGEDLY wants to learn of and from the council members’ personal experiences. I’ve told them in painful detail of my experience to date (NOT GOOD).

Since your comments support my request that the trial period be extended to AT LEAST 4 months, I am COPYing and PASTEing your comments (without your name) and sending it to the management people with whom I interact.

N.B. I was allowed to return my Phonak Audeo Sphere i70s well after the 45 days because I made a loud racket! I was told that the trial period CAN be extended. NO WHERE is this written, NOR has anyone ever told me this. IF you are within 4 months or so of receiving your unsuitable HAs … tell them what I was told in writing: “We reached out to our audiology team with your message and they are working on extending your trail period – this is an opportunity we offer all members if the initial 45 days is not long enough. AND SCREAM. File a complaint with Member Services (mostly useless, but ….)

In reply to @MikeRelaxer

Mike,

A GOOD, caring, Audiologist or even a knowledgeable Hearing Aid Dispenser* CAN adjust hearing aids to suit the needs of each individual patient. You make a very important point that I am stressing to Mid-Atlantic Kaiser management: even the best hearing aids require 2 or more appointments to adjust optimally for each patient!

BTW, since I was finally allowed to return the Phonak Audeo Sphere i70, I need to choose between Oticon Intent and Resound Vivia models. I was also offered Phonak Infinios (without the Sphere chip), but do not want to try Phonak again, even though my now 6-7 year old Phonak Breo 3 still work well (except they turn off unexpectedly every now and then). Your comments about the Oticon Intent are important to me.

  • some states license NON technicians to dispense and adjust hearing aids. In Maryland, they are called Hearing Aid Dispensers.

In reply to @Roberto

I tend to agree with this, tho from the other side of the equation, no doubt because my working in audio and music for 30+ years gives me a different focus. For me, the Oticons were amazing in able to understand speech but the level of compression used turned non-speech sounds into a digital mess and I absolutely hated them. Resound was OK, but ultimately the Widex had a sound I could best live with, and I realized this even tho the audiologist I trialed them with didn’t do a particularly good job setting them up (he mostly did Oticons). I could tell with a better fitting that these were going to be a much better way to go, and once I found another audiologist who had lots of experience with Widex, it got much better. That’s why i think it’s vital to trial different brands when you can, because the sound profile, overall the feel of them, can be very different and hearing is the only way to know what works for you

As soon as Kaiser can find an appointment for me (likely Spring 2026), I will choose between Oticon Intent, Resound Vivia. They also dispense a Widex model but do NOT recommend it, although I know not why. I am told that the Oticon has a more natural sound, but had brief, but positive, experience with Resound years ago. I also listen to a lot of music. But I need that will connect either directly or through a proprietary TV bluetooth transmitter to my TV and NOT screw up the “ambient” sound because of that connection. This was a huge problem with the Phonak Audeo Sphere i70s!

I would appreciate any thoughts you can share!

Arthur

Edited

I haven’t done the connect to TV thing that Widex has so I can’t make any comments there. The streaming from phone/ipad is OK but is not great for music - but I’m not sure anyone’s is if you’re picky about sound quality (I wear over the ear headphones - if you position them right, no feedback! - when working on music). I don’t know what Kaiser’s issue is with Widex, but if you can trial different ones, you might try it to see what you think of them. Good luck!

EDIT: I will add, tho, that I am able to create my own adjustments on the Widex app and save them as presets; did this for TV watching and that helped tremendously. Other brands likely have some similar function

In reply to @aky13rx

@aky13rx said:

use of that connection. This was a huge problem with the Phonak Audeo Sphere i70s!

I would appreciate any thoughts you can share!

Arthur

Did they say why they don’t recommend them?
I was told the same thing (by KP) about a year ago, and when I asked, she said, “I don’t know, that’s just what we were told.”

No explanation about the Widex. I never heard of that brand, but that doesn’t mean anything. Someone here mentioned that they had learned how to adjust their themselves. I am only familiar with the Phonak app and it is virtually useless. PLUS, it must use battery power to keep them connected to your phone or tablet or something.

I THINK I know enough about sound to adjust HAs for my own needs using the proprietary professional software. I am certainly NOT an Audiologist, but I have a strong science background plus years of experience using frequency equalizers and I understand the principles.

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