Sennheiser Sonite R (Exclusive to Costco 2025 ) Review

First someone has to diagnose tinnitus so that requires a doctor. Patient can’t self diagnose.

Kind of similar to how I can’t go to Costco and buy hearing aids unless I’ve had a hearing exam within the last 6 months. Even though I’ve had hearing issues since birth.

One day I’ll study hard enough and pass the test. HA!

@japple said:

Patient can’t self diagnose

The professional does the diagnosis by asking the patient if they have tinnitus… ?

@TimGNO said:

Are there any tinnitus-related features built into the Sonite R HAs or the companion app?

@tenkan said:

but Costco won’t activate it for you, you’ll need a DIY project to get it up and running

There are tinnitus apps (free trial) that produce all the different types of noise. Pink, white, brown etc. I was super excited to try it. I thought it would be like noise cancelling or even just less tinnitus after listening to the stuff for a while, but alas, it did zero for me. Just more listening to noise.

@Dave4 said:

I thought it would be like noise cancelling or even just less tinnitus after listening to the stuff for a while, but alas, it did zero for me. Just more listening to noise.

Yep seems a known fact, I only notice mine when I remove my HAs.

@japple said:

Patient can’t self diagnose

@d_Wooluf said:

The professional does the diagnosis by asking the patient if they have tinnitus… ?

Exactly…as with a lot of things in this industry it really relies on client input for the clinic to have any idea on what’s going on!

@Picassocat said:

just got the Sennheiser Sonite R from Costco

Welcome to the forum.

Are you sure you got the R hearing aids or maybe the Rise hearing aids? I would recommend the Rise since it is the latest technology.

My wife bought the Sennheiser Sonite R hearing aids this past year. The charger just stopped charging. I contacted Sennheiser customer service, which kept me on the phone a long time and then hung up on me. I went to their chat box for help and they told me I'd get a phone call from someone but I had to enter a credit card first. A credit card for warrenty support? It turned out to not be Sennheiser but a third party, apparently. I got angry and had to go back to the bot to have my "membership" with the support company cancelled. Then Sennheiser called me back and gave me a phone number for a service, also not Sennheiser itself. A woman with a lovely Indian accent answered and told me I needed a different phone number if I'm in the US. I called that number, got a recorded message offering me a free health monitor, then was transferred to other recorded messages offering different Medicare plans. I used to love Sennheiser audio equipment but now I'm done with the company forever. With a valid warranty, I deserved far better treatment instead of having so much frustration from time wasted.

Why did you call Sennheiser?

In the US, all prescription hearing aid manufacturers require that service requests be processed through their official partners (AuD, HIS, etc) AFAIK. I am not aware of any Rx HA manufacturer that has direct-to-consumer customer care except for assistance with connectivity (bluetooth). In the case of the Sonite R, Costco explained this to me when i got the device (and it is also explained in the documentation). Why didn't you call your provider at Costco?

Is it possible that you misunderstood how to get service for your aids?

There is a specific forum category for suspected scams. I suggest starting a new topic and putting the details in there.

Thanks but this is all where Sennheiser directed me. It’s their doing. Their links, their phone numbers that they supplied. Otherwise, yes, I’d report it as you suggest.

I called Sennheiser because it’s their hearing aid and I needed a replacement as fast as possible. So, as usual, I went to the source. It’s become obvious the old efficient ways don’t often apply anymore. I can’t remember the last time I was happy with customer support.