Hearing Aids...

kashveera

kashveera

New Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2006
Messages
637
Reaction score
0
Hi guys...

I buy my own hearing aids, and I am a student, just a query, why is it so expensive to buy hearing aids, I am still suck with analog hearing aids, when we are now a digital world, simply because I battle to be able to buy hearing aids, I personally, don't think thats fair!!

Waiting for your views!!

Kashveera
 
I've got a CI now but the last time I bought new hearing aids about 3 years ago now (if only I'd known I was going to lose my residual hearing!!) I did test both digital and analogue hearing aids and I prefered the sound of analogue aids. It sounded more natural to me. Digital isn't always better for every person. As a matter of fact my audiologist told me that lots of people prefer analogue too.

Digital is also a lot more expensive than analogue too. Personally I don't believe that the difference in sound justifies the difference in cost. But now its very hard to get analogue aids.
 
R2D2 said:
I've got a CI now but the last time I bought new hearing aids about 3 years ago now (if only I'd known I was going to lose my residual hearing!!) I did test both digital and analogue hearing aids and I prefered the sound of analogue aids. It sounded more natural to me. Digital isn't always better for every person. As a matter of fact my audiologist told me that lots of people prefer analogue too.

Digital is also a lot more expensive than analogue too. Personally I don't believe that the difference in sound justifies the difference in cost. But now its very hard to get analogue aids.
Click to expand...

The problem why I am desperate to get digital, is because my audiologists said, that analogue is not gonna exist anymore...that scared me!!

I think I also prefer the sound of analogue, but then digital is specific and then you have to get used to it!

Kashveera
 
R2D2 said:
Digital is also a lot more expensive than analogue too. Personally I don't believe that the difference in sound justifies the difference in cost. But now its very hard to get analogue aids.
Click to expand...

"Justifies the difference in cost" will vary from person to person, I think. Example: I know I can't understand speech with analog hearing aids, but digitals give me just enough control over the sound to do so. Of course, if the analogs sound better (to the individual in question) and are cheaper, that's awesome.
 
ismi said:
"Justifies the difference in cost" will vary from person to person, I think. Example: I know I can't understand speech with analog hearing aids, but digitals give me just enough control over the sound to do so. Of course, if the analogs sound better (to the individual in question) and are cheaper, that's awesome.
Click to expand...


Yeah I agree, which is why I prefaced my comments with "personally". I've noticed with CIs that people prefer quite vastly different maps so I can imagine that the same variation in preferences exist with hearing aids.

Shame that the analogue ones are going to be discontinued though. Maybe we need to donate them to a museum and then in about 50 years time we'll inspire "OMG!! Look at these!" posts and people will wonder how we could have functioned with them :)
 
R2D2 said:
... I did test both digital and analogue hearing aids and I prefered the sound of analogue aids. It sounded more natural to me. Digital isn't always better for every person. As a matter of fact my audiologist told me that lots of people prefer analogue too.

Digital is also a lot more expensive than analogue too. ...
Click to expand...

I wore analogue aid for 17.5 years and switched to digitals about two weeks ago.. At first, sounds were like weak and distorted but I am pretty used to digitally compressed sounds and speech comes clearer than analogs.Some people cannot get used to digitals. This is because digitals don't offer linear loudness. At first I felt as if I heard sounds 'lower' when amplification is unnecessary. Digitals suppress sounds when noise is present and it's useful.

Digitals are expensive since they require more research and more advanced technology. Digital aids contain a lot of miniaturized parts and these parts are expensive to made. In addition, chips in digitals are difficult to produce,too. You pay for both technology and human researches when purchasing digitals. Fortunately I only paid about a total of 215 us$ for two digital aids with help of insurance company and the seller :)

I agree with you Kashveera that digitals are harder to get. I waited for one year to get digitals. I was :pissed: during that period.
 
I heard that analog hearing aids will disapear in few years that my audiologist told me. I decide to get the digital hearing aids because most hearing aid companies will stop making the analog in few years.

I am getting use the digital hearing aids and it took awhile get use to them because I wore analog hearing aids for 28 years. I am trying to get use these programs in these digital hearing aids. I will get through with it and I am happy that I don't hear much background noise anymore.
 
I use one digital HA on my left side--I think I get better sound and more control over what I'm hearing with a digital HA rather than an analog one. It has three different programs: 1 for normal hearing, 2 for background "damper" and 3 for listening to music.
The only complaint I have about my HA is that it doesn't have a volume wheel--there's some switch instead. I like knowing how loud I'm turned up, but otherwise, it's a good HA.
Payment wasn't too bad, because my insurance was willing to cover almost all of it.
 
I have the Widex Inteo digital hearing aids. I have four program and the volume control on mine. The first one is automatic, second one is omni - directional with noise reduction, third one is omni-directional with no noise reduction, four program is t-coil. I really don't like program 3 much, but I can use it when hear music and watch tv.

I go back to my audiologist to check my hearing aids with this big machine that test my hearing aids. I have a brown hearing aids, but I would like to change my hearing aids color to clear when I see on Tuesday.
 
My biggest problem is South African Insurance sucks big time!! They are so greedy for money, and I thought its the land of Gold!!

Back to hearing aids, I am looking at a Phonak, but I heard about Widex, which do you think I should opt for, or would you recommend that I try both, and see which one works for me, I believe hearing aids are very individualistic...Any other brands that I could try!!

Thanks for your help!!

Looking forward to my digital ones soon!!

Kashveera
 
I'm wearing a Phonak--I've always worn them ever since I was little, so I'm not really qualified comment on other HA brands, but Phonaks are very durable in my experience. I rarely need to take mine in for reprogramming.
 
fyborg said:
I'm wearing a Phonak--I've always worn them ever since I was little, so I'm not really qualified comment on other HA brands, but Phonaks are very durable in my experience. I rarely need to take mine in for reprogramming.
Click to expand...

I have also only worn Phonak in my entire life, but they are the most expensive!!

Kashveera
 
Yeah... alas.
I wish I can say you get what you pay for, but as I've never worn any other brand...
 
fyborg said:
Yeah... alas.
I wish I can say you get what you pay for, but as I've never worn any other brand...
Click to expand...

True that, especially Phonak,the quality is real good!! I have a microlink FM system that I use on campus, and its a miracle as to how I managed to buy that!!

Kashveera
 
kashveera said:
True that, especially Phonak,the quality is real good!! I have a microlink FM system that I use on campus, and its a miracle as to how I managed to buy that!!

Kashveera
Click to expand...

Do tell! Does the tale involve ossified bureucracies and miles of red tape?
 
No man,

hahahaha...well, sort of, I was the first person in South Africa to get the MircoLink FM System, so I had it at a little reduced price, but I can tell you that I got sponsored by the Rotary Club of Durban when I won the Rotary Award for Academics, Assistance & Achievement, or the famous 3A's award!

Kashveera
 
Hey really you can say that...

Because I don't pay for my tertiary education, its sponsored, I won a scholarship from the University itself, and then also I have a bursary from the worldwide accounting firm Deloitte, Touche & Tohmatsu.

But guys, I seriously am saving all that money to buy a new pair of digital hearing aids!!

But fyborg, I think its hard work that gets a person anywhere!!

Kashveera
 
True, but it helps to be lucky as well...But that's where I'm coming from.
By luck, I mean knowing people, being born in a supportive family, and so forth. Hard work does accomplish a lot.

I think getting new HAs would be a good investment for you, kashveera!
 
Yeah, I think so as well, I have a great family! and yeah, now some good people at AD who really motivate me even further!!

Well, Hard work is what I do!!

Most people think of buying a second hand car when they start earning, I want to buy a pair of HA's, so certainly, thats my investment, and trust me, a good one!!

Kashveera
 
Back
Top