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Which hearing aids did you buy from Costco in the past few months?

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Edited

No - or at least I am not hearing any. Once in a while (1-2 times a week) there would be a sudden amplification of some background sound (e.g. traffic noise on a nearby road) for a second or two, then it'd go away.

There are some quirks with them, definitely - yet they are miles and miles above KS9.0 and thus I am not too bothered... yet.

Several things that bug me about 9050:

  • A super weird and annoying startup tune lasting about 5-6 seconds, and that - after a 5-6-second delay upon turning them on or taking out of the charging case. So 10-12 seconds to wait and listen to a weird tune before you can start hearing things. The tune cannot be changed, the delay cannot be changed. (They aren't running on Windows OS, are they? :rofl: )
  • Fairly frequent disconnects on either ear, sometimes on both. I'd be calling someone, and the sound would come on just one of them. "Oh, hang on, let me call you right back - sorry." Toggling BT on the phone or power cycling the device (... and here comes that startup tune again...) fixes it most of the time - but it's annoying.
  • When the gets dirty, they just quit, stop working. The startup tune may play when turning them on, and after that - silence, the aid just isn't working. No reaction to volume change. Nothing in the app either. That's a bit of an unusual UI for me - haven't gotten around to contacting their support to see if it's expected behavior.

Things I like:

  • The app is decent otherwise, responsive, not too nudgy or annoying, with simple UI.

  • Granular volume adjustments, with 8 steps to "normal". (I keep mine at 6, only upping to 7 or 8 occasionally - "normal" at 8 is a bit too loud for me. Couldn't have done this with SoundGear: "normal" was at 3 on my loaners, so only 2 steps below it. (This setup wasn't adjustable in the SoundGear app - not sure if Costco Hearing Center could have adjusted them.)

  • When BT is working (99% of the time) - it's a game changer vs. KS9.0 - for phone and video calls, music, movies, etc. They sound pretty good to my ears.

    • (KS 9.0 sounded terrible on BT, possibly because of open domes - or maybe because they were defective and I just didn't know about it. Sounded pretty bad with and custom molds, too, and would not pair with a computer for some reason - only with the phone running the app.)

  • The volume doesn't jump one way or the other when a BT sound comes on - a notification, phone ring, etc. (It did, quite dramatically, on KS9.0 - forcing me to sometimes rip them out of my ears, the sound was so loud.) I.e. it's a fairly smooth transition between modes, without unexpected volume changes - which makes it a much better experience vs. KS9.0.

My Jabra 30s are very annoying with my Pixel 9. I have to shut down and bring it back up at least once a day. When I end streaming, the aids say they're back in All Around immediately, but it takes 5 minutes before I hear them actually go back to All-Around. Sometimes the app shows 'TV Streamer+' which is supposedly not possible in the documentation, and I can't get it back to All-Around.... Sometimes, I can turn off TV streaming and get back to it 20 minutes later; sometimes the app goes into some never-never land in which it's not in All-Around and not in streaming.

'Support' is simply to delete the app, reinstall, and re-pair, which is a real PITA.

As I say: very annoying.

"He (costco tech) said straight up the fitters in that area are not that familiar with the Sound Gear or the Rexton. Less experienced programming them. Those two are their lowest sellers."

Well there ya go. All brands perform according to the programmer, number one, and the hardware, no. 2. the techs at this store are unfamiliar with programming Rextons. Rextons are returned and not bought. "they're no good!". It's a classic self perpetuating downward cycle for these aids. Imagine buying a brand of tire--Firestone, say-- and the installer under inflated them by 30%. On a poll, this driver would rank Firestone at the bottom of tires.

In reply to @kindzmarauli

@kindzmarauli said:

A super weird and annoying startup tune lasting about 5-6 seconds, and that - after a 5-6-second delay upon turning them on or taking out of the charging case. So 10-12 seconds to wait and listen to a weird tune before you can start hearing things.

Let them do all that before you put them in? Still waiting, but at least not jangling your ears.

WH

It looks like a lot of people were given the opportunity to try different .

I was not given the opportunity to try any.

I went in and mentioned that I liked the feature set of the Jabra Enhance Pro 30 but that what was most important was the quality of hearing assistance.

They said that the Jabra were a good fit for my hearing loss and we ordered them.

Honestly, since this is my first pair, I don't know how much it would have helped to get to test them, but I'm disappointed they didn't offer.

I'm not sure they were Techs anyway. It seems like they are being fitted before they ship.

Fingers crossed.

Edited

In reply to @WhiteHat

That's a great thought. It'd be a departure from my usual MO of the last 15+ years of wearing , but likely worth it. Although: they'll squeak like crazy when putting them in, if they're on: proximity feedback. ...And I am not sure what I enjoy more - the tune or the squeaking. Back to the testing bench... 🤣

(The other option is to bring the volume all the way down before putting them in the case or powering them off - then the tune is barely audible after powering them on (if the HAs are set to "remember" the volume level through power cycles). I keep forgetting to do that though. Or maybe I am getting used to the tune ("tuning out" the tune), now that it's been a few months wearing them.)

In reply to @acecase

They didn't for me either. Their standard MO is: here is what we recommend, the best choice for your type of hearing loss. You essentially have to ask (or beg) to try out other choices (right there in the store, for 30-40 minutes), and of course this isn't enough. The last Costco techs:

  1. Flat out refused to let me buy two pairs with the idea of returning one of them and keeping the ones I liked. I am guessing this is too much work for them, and perhaps even a hit to their bottom line. They seem very resistant to the idea.
  2. Were kind enough to say that though they can't themselves do it (only one booth meaning they don't really have any loaners), stores with bigger Hearing Centers and multiple booths usually have several pairs of loaners available, and may be able to loan them for a week or two. (This is how I got to try out SoundGear ones for a few weeks, and it was illuminating even though I decided to keep the Philips ones.)

It's a game where they don't tell you the rules - and the rules may change at any time - and that's what this forum is for, among other things - so we can share the things we learn with others in the same boat. ✌️

Philips 9050s, picked them up last Friday afternoon. Previous to them, I bought some cheap Vivtone XPure 2.0 to see whether I'd get benefit and even be able to stand wearing them. I have a strong cough reflex to anything in my ear canal. Finding them tolerable after running through over a dozen different dome types / sizes, I ordered from JabraEnhance online. I really admire their business model and tech supt via Zoom type approach. But I found them shrill and poor fitting. The disadvantage to anything mail order of course is the fitting to your ear. JabraEnhance was great in every aspect and wicked fast at taking them in return, and cancelling my 12 month purchase plan.

About fitment, Costco fitter seemed shocked by how narrow and curved my hearing canals are - turning upward sharply which explained why the others worked out so easily, simply by chewing and without keepers. He got a good fit for me, they stay put, don't go in so far as to induce coughing.

Wife got the same HAs and I've set her up with an Avantree dongle for her PC and on our home theater. The Auracast works well on my Pixel 10A with Android 17.

The only complaint is the slightest hiss on the right ... in store, my fitter set the 0 volume based on our conversation in the booth. Stepping into the store, the background noise came up significantly, the air system sounding a bit like a jet engine. Immediately backed it off to -3 and eventually -4 on getting home - where it's always quiet. I'll have that adjustment at the follow up to re-zero the controls. The hiss is inconsequential with lifelong tinnitus.

It does bring up a question about HA intent? Are they just to fill in the holes where my hearing is lacking, or intended to boost the volume across the band after correcting the hearing loss? Like the difference between filling in a hole, or turning the hole into a mountain? A former rocker turned acoustic guitar player, my approach to performing changed from amplification, to sound reinforcement - and keeping the volume at a comfortable conversation level. Like many with mild to moderate, my low range hearing is about normal - it's the mids and highs that drop out. So I try to volume match my HAs to what I hear without them. And by doing that, the hiss mostly goes away.

Compared to the Vivtones and JabraEnhance, I am loving the Philips 9050s. Wife had a different fitter and so far is having a less pleasing experience. Some of that to do with HAs being a brand new experience for her. We got them at the same time because we got tired of saying "huh" and then barking at each other. ;^)

With the major manufacturers recently introducing new platforms it will be interesting to see how long it takes Costco to do the same.

In reply to @Buckeye

These JABRA E P Max hearing aids are the very worst, ever, I’ve had to use during all my waking hours in 21 years. The BTE’s took away my excellent telephone call listening capability. Gone: The receivers in each ear canal are an absolute must for my brain to live with. The Jabras are constantly disconnecting from the Jabra app and my phone. They were fitted June 14, 2026 and my entire life has been disrupted. After my friend drove me home the nearby pharmacy, the Rexton BiCore rechargeable were nearly ready to start the pairing process so that’s what I did. Everyone in this group has been and continues to help because of your vast knowledge and experiences. Yes, I do “listen to your suggestions and heed possible solutions but after over 5 months, I can’t live with it. I have an appointment with my excellent Costco fitter next Wednesday and, instead of more programming, will return these, and pray … that Costco will soon be receiving a newer product that will cover my hearing loss and the receivers must be in the ear canals. No more BTE models, ever, for me. Additionally, no nor either. I’m sticking with this group. Each time that I sign on, you’re right there, sharing, teaching, supporting and, of course, correcting if and when needed. All of that, makes a great learning experience. Warmest best regards from Lynden, Washington, USA

In reply to @fitzie63

@fitzie63 said:

These JABRA E P Max BTE hearing aids are the very worst, ever, I’ve had to use during all my waking hours in 21 years.

So why are you using them, your left side is suitable for P receiver and the right UP, you could easily use Jabra 30 or any other type, / doesn't make sense for you loss.

In reply to @tenkan

No Jabra, No Cros nor Bicros. I can only wear h a in the ear canal (after over 19 years with those). Thank you, I always highly value your knowledge, insight, opinions and everything you post or comment on.

In reply to @1Viking

For many years, an iPhone, because my Apple watch acts as a mini Heart, breathing and sleep monitor. It can’t connect to Android phones. Besides, I started with an iPhone before it was a smart phone. Thank you for asking. Your posts, and comments are always valued.

I have the older Phillips it’s time to upgrade and I’m waiting on the 9060 Mdl. The older one’s have served me well. They Bluetooth to my IPhone perfectly. I’m looking forward to the experiences. That will have better background filtration. To include the extended rechargeable battery life for all-day use. Costco’s, price, service and warranty have been excellent in my experience. Test drive them so to speak, to see what gives you the best personal experience. Before you need them again, gene therapy may replace them? They’re seeing promising results now.

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