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Costco Hearing Aids ARE NOT LOCKED! except KS5/KS6

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Every time someone has a programming problem with a Costco hearing aid, this locked hearing aid issue keeps coming up, over, and over, and over.

GN ReSound is the only manufacturer that used a Costco-business-model of locking Costco/Kirkland brand Hearing Aids/ to a Costco version of their Aventa fitting software, and that was only for the Kirkland Signature5 and Kirkland Signature6 (KS5 and KS6). The not-locked Costco Phonak Brios always had the ability to be programmed with the normal version of Target fitting software

However, beginning with the Kirkland Signature 7/KS7 Costco has switched away from GN ReSound to using Rexton as the KS manufacturer. Therefore the KS7s can now be programmed with the normal version of Connexx fitting software.

From this point forward Costco has never again used a locked version of the fitting software. I guess they learned their lesson. The used KS5 and KS6 became worthless bricks unless you were a Costco member and demanded that Costco program them for you.

Now can we put this issue to rest?

9 people in this conversation3 min readJump to latest

Thanks for the clarity on this. I knew the Phonaks weren’t locked, and plan to give them to the audiologist I went to before using Costco. She uses my old aids for patients she know who need but can’t afford hearing aids. This will be the fourth pair I’ve given her over the years.

But you’re depriving people of a an excuse to bash Costco. :>)

I’ve noticed a lot of Costco Phonaks on eBay. That’s good there not locked. Especially good for DIYers.

It seems that GN ReSound and Costco have teamed up again to bring back software locked hearing aids. Scroll down to the bottom of this post to find a list of locked hearing aids;
How to find Fitting Software to Program Your Hearing Aids [] (unavailable).

I happily bought some 2016 Phonak Brio P-UP for £245.00 off eBay.

They connected happily to Target 5:3 with my iCube I today.

Corona, Welcome back! PVC has decided to retire from the part of the forum. Dusty has been keeping things going. Guess we won’t know for sure if KS9s are unlocked until somebody tries it, but since Brio, Brio 2 and Brio 3 were unlocked, it seems likely that KS9 will be unlocked to (as well as presumably upcoming Brio 4. Hope all goes well. Still using your KS7s? I’ve still got mine.

Is this still true up to this day Jun 2022? Hope this info can be updated for those who want to buy latest Phonak Brio 5 from Costco and into programming

Great info PVC! Thanks a lot. It seems that from the beginning Phonak models sold at Costco were always unlocked. :grinning:

@nc2kids

Confused about Phonak programming cables
I’m confused about Phonak programming cables. The cable chart below shows Phonak programming cable CS44A for many of the Phonak BTEs. Sorry, the picture was lost. The CS44As plug directly into receptacles on the hearing aids. Sorry, the picture was lost. For other non BTE hearing aids the chart shows (Size 10a, Size 312, Size 13) depending on the battery size. What the heck are those. Are they flex strips? If they are flex strips do you attach the flex strip onto the end of a CS44A cabl…
Edited

In reply to @nc2kids

Phonak/Unitron use a CS44a cable. It looks exactly the same as a standard CS44 cable except that pins 3&4 are reversed.

ETA; This post is still relevant though the pictures are gone;

Cable Pinouts for Hearing Aid Programming
This is an attempt to demystify three types of common hearing aid programming cables. For most hearing aids you must use the standard CS44 cable. For Phonak/Unitron hearing aids use the CA44a cable. For Starkey hearing aids use the Starkey Purple/Straight cable. Some say that the Starkey Purple/Straight Cable can be used for Phonak/Unitron hearing aids, but I have not tried this. CS44 Standard Cable CS44a (aka Phonak/Unitron) Cable Starkey Purple/Straight Cable Don’t try to use cables other t…

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