Tattlers with hearing aids - questions for you

[Messychaotic - one word]

Do you have one set, or multiple sets of hearing aids?

If you have multiples, do you alternate what you wear during the day?

Or, if you have one set and you think they're absolutely amazing, could you please share the brand?

I have very expensive, custom-programmed, battery-operated, hearing aids ("Oticon" brand) that seem to bring me endless problems. I've tried replacing the (custom) moulds with the ends that go directly into the ears, yet still have an issue (with whistling, [which normally means moisture contact, but I use a dryer box + clean my airs nightly], and cutting out [I replace the batteries regularly - they're meant to last two weeks, but I replace them every 10 days just in case]).

A couple of weeks ago, I bought some brand new, USB rechargeable "hearing amplifiers" (no name brand) from Amazon. The cost was minimal, and I can't believe how good they are! Sadly, their charge does not last long (about eight hours), so I've been alternating wearing these with my hearing aids. These have volume adjustments (just three settings, but perfect for me). Because they fit right in the ear, it's taken some getting used to but I just dab on a bit of that product designed for in-ear hearing aids, on the ends and it's fine.

At this point, I'm contemplating buying another set of the USB rechargeable "hearing amplifiers" and selling my old hearing aids on a secondhand marketplace (for which there is a huge market).

 

[HumptyDumptyLou]

I’ve only used Phonek hearing aids and will be finding a new audiologist next time because the dude upsold me something fierce and I don’t use any of the bells and whistles he insisted I needed.

There’s an app for the hearing aids and I can change the direction of hearing if, say, I was in a very loud restaurant, and could take calls on my phone through the hearing aids, and listen to Spotify which was great while I was working in the office. But I got a new mobile phone a year after getting these hearing aids and struggled to get the app set up and working on my new phone so pretty much use the hearing aids for the original purpose only now.

These are the 2nd pair I’ve had and have only used the Phonek brand but I mostly use hearing aids when working in the office, being out with friends, at restaurants etc. I take them out as soon as I get home, pretty much at the same time that I take my bra off. I now WFH and manage fine without them so haven’t used them as much in the last 2.5 years and don’t see the value of what I paid for them versus the benefit they provide. As in, I’m sure I’d get the same benefit from a product that costs a small percentage of what I paid.

These have an inbuilt battery and have to be in a docking station to recharge which can be annoying because my first pair had removable batteries and I prefer that. When the current hearing aids are fully charged and still in the docking station, they emit an annoying sound but the sound is so high that I can’t hear it but the rest of my household can. So that gets annoying for them lol.

I do like that they’re discreet and the machinery/piece (technical term lol) that goes behind my ear is colour-matched to my hair so most people wouldn’t know that I had them in but that’s not a dealbreaker and would try other cheaper options for sure. I just need to break up with my audiologist.

I hope this is informative and I haven’t just blathered on and on.

 

[Messychaotic - one word]

Thank you so much @HumptyDumptyLou ! I agree wholeheartedly about being keen to ditch them as soon as I get home!

I discovered today that Specsavers also offer audiology. I gulped when I found out the price difference between what I paid at my small independent audiologist vs. what they're offering.