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Author Topic:  Hearing Aides Anyone?
Kevin Fix

 

From:
Michigan, USA
Post  Posted 24 May 2018 4:36 pm    
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Had some hearing issues lately. Had a hearing test and a good exam. Ear, Nose and Throat Doc says hearing aides would help me with high frequency issues. My low frequency is fine. Anyone out there using and waring hearing aides while playing. What would you recommend? I have some timing issues once a great while. I am hoping it is a hearing thing only.
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joe long

 

From:
San Antonio, Texas
Post  Posted 24 May 2018 6:44 pm    
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I have worn hearing aids for over 10 years. Although I don't play out anymore I wore them when I was active. Don't hesitate wearing them while you play. You'll never regret the decision. I will improve your playing. It did mine.
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Ken Pippus


From:
Langford, BC, Canada
Post  Posted 24 May 2018 8:15 pm    
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Costco. Best price around, service anywhere, multiple options and helpful audiologists.
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Jack Stoner


From:
Kansas City, MO
Post  Posted 25 May 2018 2:37 am    
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I've worn them (Rexton brand) for over 3 years. Like many "older" people I have high frequency loss. The older model hearing aids I have work good for music and in my recording studio. I have Federal Employees Blue Cross and they will buy new (basic) hearing aids every 3 years. I recently tried the new "improved" Rexton's from the same place I got the old ones and they were crap for music. The new ones are quad core CPU and controllable from an iPhone app. Music sounded like it was being played with a cheap transistor radio and I returned them.

The Costco hearing aids in Florida locations I've been in (Tampa and Orlando) are Rexton so I won't be going to Costco, considering the problem I had with the new model Rexton's.
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Tony Glassman


From:
The Great Northwest
Post  Posted 25 May 2018 6:08 am    
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Jack Stoner wrote:
The Costco hearing aids in Florida locations I've been in (Tampa and Orlando) are Rexton so I won't be going to Costco, considering the problem I had with the new model Rexton's.


The Costco stores in Oregon usually have hearing aid options made by 4 different manufacturers (Phonak, Bernaphon,Rexton & ReSound). Mine are ReSound, (re-branded w/ a Kirkland label). They sound pretty good but can distort a bit at hi volume. I can mix my hearing aid volume down from 100% (max) to where they stop clipping (which is about 35%). My usual setting for most social situations is 50% volume. They have improved my ability to hear the nuances of steel guitar tone.


Last edited by Tony Glassman on 25 May 2018 9:43 am; edited 1 time in total
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Floyd Lowery

 

From:
Deland, Florida, USA
Post  Posted 25 May 2018 6:31 am    
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I was hoping my Federal Employees Blue Cross would pay on hearing aids. My wife has been after me to get some. It is a wonder I can hear anything at all after sitting next to guitar players so long. As you all know, they stand up with their amps on a chair. Their amp is at the level of their butt and my ear. If I could live my life over, I would definitely wear an ear plug on that side.
I'll be checking on hearing aids as soon as my eye surgeon releases me. I had to have surgery for glaucoma.
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LaVern Skarzenski

 

From:
North East,Pennsylvania, USA
Post  Posted 25 May 2018 9:07 am     They work for me
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I've been wearing hearing aids since 2005. They are Starkey's CIC (completely in the channel). It took about 8 months to get adjusted correctly, but my audiologist was really good with re-adjusting them until I was happy with the results. I will say right off I wouldn't want to be without them anymore. I get together with a few friends every week to play. When I first got them it was frustrating to get them adjusted so I could hear comfortably without being too loud or not loud enough. But now that they are adjusted it is evident that I am not the only one in our group who needs the aids, but unfortunately I am the only one who has aids.

For what it's worth I must also say that I believe the success of the aids depends on the person programming them and not so much the brand. I say this because my wife had Starkey aids also but they were gotten from a different audiologist and the results were terrible.
P.S. I must say one of the most frustrating things about my aids is it always seems that the battery will need changed at the most inopportune time Smile
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Jack Stoner


From:
Kansas City, MO
Post  Posted 25 May 2018 9:16 am    
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The Federal Employees Standard Option Blue Cross will pay up to $2500 for hearing aids, every three years.
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Al Udeen

 

From:
maple grove mn usa
Post  Posted 25 May 2018 11:00 am     Hearing Aid Repairs
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If any Forum members need their hearing aids repaired, I own a Hearing Aid repair lab, We will repair any members
Aid for our cost, which is $90, We will also include a 6 month warranty.Total turnaround time is 1 week.
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Eric Philippsen


From:
Central Indiana, USA
Post  Posted 26 May 2018 5:04 am    
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I wear hearing aids but not for when I'm playing. The reason isn't because of volume, tone or high frequency loss. It's because most digital hearing aids have a design problem, at least in my opinion. I'm sure there are those that have different experience.

The design problem is that the aid's front end in the circuitry can't handle pure complex tones and overload, causing a high-end buzz or distortion due to its inability to convert the tones to digital. Very unnatural and harsh sounding. Frustrating, too.

My aids are high-end Starkeys. They are programmable and feature-laden with compression, blue-tooth, etc. I've even worked with my good audiologist in her office playing an acoustic guitar as she attempts to adjust and program the aids on her computer. But no amount of adjustment, twealking, etc. cures the problem.

Of course I've done a ton of on-line reasearch about it, too. I mean, after all, shouldn't costly hearing aids be able to accommodate musicians? Turns out, the problem isn't unusual! Again, it's the digital design and, as I've found out, the "old" analog designs are better for that.
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Jack Stoner


From:
Kansas City, MO
Post  Posted 26 May 2018 5:36 am    
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I've found out there are several frequency curves that are used in programming hearing aids. The older "curve" Rexton's that I have are digital but very good for music. The new ones I tried with a new "curve" (as the hearing aid specialist calls it) basically frequency compensation, were like the digital hearing aids Eric mentioned. The specialist talked himself out of the sale when he told me about the curves and that he could program the old curve into my new hearing aids. That is when I decided to return them as why buy new hearing aids that are made to work like the old ones when the old ones I have still work.

The bandleader in our band has the same thought that analog hearing aids are better than digital for music. But, as my digital hearing aids work great for music, its not "all digital" are bad for music. I have other musician friends with digital hearing aids and they are satisfied with the music reproduction capabilities.
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Andy Zahnd


From:
Switzerland
Post  Posted 26 May 2018 7:42 am    
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My ones sucks.... Spend unbeliefebal money in it...I never ever will be satisfied... There just don't get the real thing!
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LaVern Skarzenski

 

From:
North East,Pennsylvania, USA
Post  Posted 26 May 2018 9:17 am    
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Andy Zahnd wrote:
My ones sucks.... Spend unbeliefebal money in it...I never ever will be satisfied... There just don't get the real thing!


Unfortunately I don't think there is any company or product yet that can give us back our hearing that we were given when we were created. I should have listened to all of the folks that told me to wear my hearing protection 45 years ago Sad . It took me too many years to realize what damage I was doing. Fortunately at least I eventually listened.
LaVern
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Eric Philippsen


From:
Central Indiana, USA
Post  Posted 26 May 2018 7:16 pm    
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My hearing loss was due to all those years of standing in front of a Marshall 100-watt gig after gig, night after night. It was balls-to-the-wall rock and roll back then. I try not to dwell on that fact too much. I can't change what happened.

I do, however, realize that what I hear now ISN'T what most others are hearing. For example, it does bother me sometimes that my wanting, say, more midrange in my tone adjustments might fact not be the case to the audience. It's not their hearing "reality". That becomes real evident in a studio environment where hearing is everything. So, I back off some when I tweak the knobs and leave adjustments to the engineers and mix pros.

I've turned down a lot now, too, and am lovin' that.
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Drew Pierce

 

From:
Arkansas, USA
Post  Posted 28 May 2018 12:55 pm    
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Anybody that's played live in clubs, done a lot of shooting or worked in loud environments can expect high frequency hearing loss after awhile. As posted previously, there is no perfect solution. But getting the right aids, (I'm now using ReSound Linx 2), and then having patience in getting them dialed in and getting used to them is the key. It can take awhile and some folks give up before they get started. I know several people who go around reading lips and saying "what? what?" all the time with expensive hearing aids sitting in a drawer somewhere.

As for batteries going dead at the wrong times, I always carry one or two in my wallet, in the pack-a-seat, in my car, etc. And if I've got a gig that I really don't want to have to worry about that, I put fresh batteries in beforehand, just in case.
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Gary Walker

 

From:
Morro Bay, CA
Post  Posted 3 Jun 2018 2:30 pm    
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Fred went to a professional audiologist and bought the best hearing aid money can buy.. He went on about the latest hi-tech features with space age design and quality, and what a new life he has with them.
His friend George asked him, "What kind are they?"
Fred said, "five minutes to noon."


Last edited by Gary Walker on 3 Jun 2018 8:15 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Kevin Fix

 

From:
Michigan, USA
Post  Posted 3 Jun 2018 5:58 pm    
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Great topic here guys. Lots of food for thought. Thank you for the input. I do want to move forward with hearing aides. If it helps me to be able to play music for another few years, great!!!! I just hope that the docs can dial them in correctly.
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Bill McCloskey


From:
Nanuet, NY
Post  Posted 3 Jun 2018 8:00 pm    
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Interesting topic . I need hearing aids. I try'd some top of the line models on a weekend trial. They cost $7k and you needed to replace the batteries every week. They worked but irritated my ears and I hated that so much other noise was in the mix. I could actually hear my pants as I walked.

I know I need to try again , but with some cheaper ones. My wife would love me to get some.
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Jim Smith


From:
Midlothian, TX, USA
Post  Posted 3 Jun 2018 8:59 pm    
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Bill McCloskey wrote:
Interesting topic . I need hearing aids. I try'd some top of the line models on a weekend trial. They cost $7k and you needed to replace the batteries every week. They worked but irritated my ears and I hated that so much other noise was in the mix. I could actually hear my pants as I walked.

I know I need to try again , but with some cheaper ones. My wife would love me to get some.

Costco!
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Wesley Medlen

 

From:
LaCygne,Ks
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2018 1:17 am    
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I have Starkeys I normaly am set up on left side of stage. I only use the one away from the band am satisfied with that. I got mine for free with VA audiologist said they would be $8,000 if I had to pay for them.
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Bill McCloskey


From:
Nanuet, NY
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2018 12:24 pm    
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When I had my trial I could hear my wife mutter under her breath in the other room about something I did, which I could never hear before. I said "I heard that." and she was ...uh oh .
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Jim Kennedy

 

From:
Brentwood California, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jun 2018 4:14 pm    
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For those of you who are Veterans and eligible for help, the VA will provide hearing aids. They have loosened eligibility requirements for providing aids. I got top of the line Phonak. Haven't had them long enough to know about playing live, but was amazed at how much he hearing I had lost.
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Steve Spitz

 

From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
Post  Posted 9 Jun 2018 11:27 am    
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I Had good luck with Bernafon brand at Costco. My dads crapped out and they replaced it for free as it was covered under warranty. Shipped out and replaced quickly.

I have no basis of knowledge to make this assumption, and would love to be wrong, but I’m guessing the profit margin on these things is quite high. No reason these should cost that kind of money. It’s a tiny receiver, amplifier, and speaker.

+1 for Costco.
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Mike Beley

 

From:
Alberta, Canada
Post  Posted 10 Jun 2018 9:48 am    
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What?
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Barry Blackwood


Post  Posted 10 Jun 2018 10:32 am    
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Laughing Laughing Laughing
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