Attempting to educate myself to help my spouse address a hearing issue, and unfortunately the more I discover, the less I know. Lots of noise out here in the name of hearing clearly.

This falls into the category of why true audiophiles subjectively prefer vinyl records vs. digital formats, even though the digital formats can capture higher effective data rates and never degrade. Vinyl records just sound warmer, smoother, and ethereal. This is most likely a similar issue with hearing aids. Several researchers have suggested that since the analog vinyl records produce sound that mimics the ear drum's response, it is more attuned to HOW we hear, not WHAT we hear. An interesting point...my dad was profoundly deaf in one ear and only had ~20% hearing in the other, and all of that was in the lower octaves. He got new premium hearing aids that were tuned for him. He couldn't hear hardly anything. Going back to the audiologist, I explained what I had evaluated the problem as. (I taught spectrum analysis for several years and had profiled my dad's hearing earlier.) He had zero hearing above 1KHz in both ears. He had about 20% below ~1 KHz in his left ear. His hearing in his right ear was at most 5% below ~800Hz. What had been done with his new hearing aids was an inverse profile of his hearing to "balance his hearing." This focused on the how and not the what. After much discussion and explanation, I had the audiologist cut everything off above 1KHz with a soft gain profile from 400 Hz (semilog) up to 1Khz. Suddenly he could hear far better than he had in years! Why? Because it focused on the WHAT he was hearing. What was happening was the gain on the frequencies above 1KHz was saturating his ear drums with high SPL's that prevented the lower frequencies (which required maximum ear drum compliance) from being transmitted across the ear drum tympanic membrane. Note, that this was way back in 1995. Things have obviously improved greatly since then.

I am getting my hearing aids replaced very soon, great to hear the truth, all l want is to hear, a cell phone costs $600, why should hearing aids cost $6,000.00. Is it a money milking machine for deaf people. thank you for your video.

A couple of questions come to mind in the patients making the decision of which technology they preferred. 1) Were they given the choice before any pricing was mentioned? 2) Was the treatment/fitting the same for both levels, i.e. the amount of time taken for the programming and verification the same in order to assure that their wasn't any apparent difference in the device levels? 3) is there a cost difference in fitting/programming the different levels of technology? 4) What "features" are being eliminated by going to the lower tier of technology?

Cliff, thank you for your videos. I’m the only person in my family that is using adaptive technology to help me. I was born hearing but have been deafened over time and these videos significantly helped guide me in my decisions and wished I could have gone to see you in your practice. Thank you for your very educational and informative videos.

As a pre-teen my father helped clear up these weighty issues with a small bit of advise.... he said.. Whenever a salesman sells you a turd, he most surely will have a gold plated turd for those that want "only the best".. There's always an up sell, and it seems to me that in most cases it comes with diminishing returns and less value for your dollar.

What a fantastic example of a small-scale, well-designed clinical study presented in a balanced way that consumers can understand. I am a health care researcher and was extremely impressed by how you took the results of a single study and validated the findings in your own group of clients. You were very clear about the limitations of your study, but that does not take away from your findings. I would love to use this as an example of translating evidence into practice in the research class I am teaching this fall. Bravo!

Thank you for your informative video. I’ve just ordered my first pair of hearing aids so I’m trying to educate myself about the technology available.

Thank you Doctor Cliff for making this high quality content! You are helping people like me make decisions we can live with.

U r so honest and kind to people can't afford expensive hearing aid great thanks I learn lots from your vedeio

Well done Doc.

Nice video Doc...now ita back to dreamin' of hearing sids for me...someday...😎👍

2 years ago I tried Costco KS9 120 days (I could have 180) ; It cost $1500 and adjusted by dispenser; then, i switch to $4000 Oticon S3, adjusted by experienced audi, for almost 40 days (out 45 days trail) In the last 5 days I switched from one to another. Both were the same; so, ended up with Costco. My A audiogram curve is down to approximately -75db at both ears. there may be situations that one rides bike so wind is a big factor or one works a warehouse and the 8 hours of noise is a factor. The S3 at 4000$ did not do the trick and S1 was $6500. for me noise usually occurs in restaurant (total of 8 hours a month) or football/basketball games (several times a year). So this $5000 more to S1 not worth the diff. At my home or at my car or walking in the nature with friend Costco was superb.

In my country audiologists always start with the question: How much are you willing/able to spend on your hearing aids? Because most people here simply connot afford premium technology. I myself collected money for 2 years to buy me advanced level hearing aids (one per year).

Wow, a lot to learn about hearing aids. Thank you💕👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Very impressed with the honesty in this study.

Great way of explanation

I was watching this video as a potential hearing aid user, but I really enjoyed the description of the study. I'll be showing this video in my AP Statistics classes when we learn about experimental design!

interesting look at individual preferences. Well thought out with tiny sample size.

Hi Dr. Cliff, have you fitted many of the Phonak Paradise UP model hearing aids yet? I’m using the calm setting vs using autosense. However I’m seeing fluctuations in volume with the Bluetooth when listening to UKposts or music . It will start out loud and clear for the 1st 10 seconds or so then decrease to 1/4 or 1/2 then volume.it’s frustrating and I have tried 2 different devices and they both produce the same results. Any insight is greatly appreciate. Perhaps I have a bad hearing aid and need to replace before my trial expires?

Thanks for this an enjoyable watch

Great channel. Any contacts in northern nj? Especially tinnitus.

I recently got my ears checked at the audiologist. I'm a candidate for hearing aids. Mild to hearing high frequency, so I'm new to all this.

Love the knowledge you are providing me with my mile to moderate hearing loss. Male with upper range mile loss so I don't always hear or understand the wife (not a joke). Your videos give me a lot to think about from the $849 ($649 until May 15 ) Bose ones to the Costco ones to going to an audiologist to ensure the hearing aid is precisely fitted. I'd tell anyone who is shopping for a hearing aid to listen to a lot of your videos. Thank you so much for the education before I spend hard earned money on a pair.

I was tested at a hearing aid center as I have a pretty good loss of hearing at 75. When I was asked to go outside and see how they sounded with street noise and speaking with people, they were lousy, and 42

I wonder if asking them why they chose that level would have clarified the results. Perhaps it was primarily the extra automatic features that made the difference rather than the hearing benefit.

In February, I settled on the middle tier of the Octicon Opn S got the minirite R. I was already cringing at the almost $4,000 price tag but wouldn't go a tier lower and couldn't go a tier higher. My audiologist recommended a Starkey brand (the brand they favor) and a h.i.s. recommended the Oticon Ruby. Inheritance money I had at the time is the only reason I have these today. Had I not, I would have financed the Oticon Ruby or the Opn S3 (depending on the price) and left it at that. I did see there were differences between the three on the tech sheet, but not really enough to spend more money on the top tier offered imo. The audiologist didn't really explain thigs like this video did, but I wouldn't have been able to go up a tier anyways. I honestly wasn't looking for any bells an whistles, I just wanted to hear. In all honestly, my Apple Earbuds Pro are my go to when listening to youtube videos or fb lives or my usb headset. The hearing aids just don't sound as good for those things. Informative video Dr. Cliff.

Dr. Cliff is absolutely right, do not allow the chain-office HA services to robe you. Combine not so called “premium” tech, but advanced category, or basic and make sure the fitting, programming is used along with the “best audiologist practices”. This way one will save money and have the same premium outcome for their hearing loss addressed.

If you are an attorney and concerned about both hearing and people seeing your hearing aid, where you need to listen in a hard surface courtroom and constantly on the phone, what type of hearing aid and brand would you recommend?

In my extensive personal layman’s research I feel that very basic core hearing benefits are equal across each level in various models. This is good for extremely mild hearing loss. However when you reach moderate severe or profound you definitely need the features of premium and advanced. At these levels the higher the level the better the fine tuning capabilities exist along with specialized features like noise cancelling and tinnitus masking. I have hearing loss similar to your patient #4 and I require the top tier to achieve the best quality of life possible. I could go with a lower tier and still obtain improved hearing but not at the level that I could with a step up. Also since hearing worsens rather than improves with age it makes sense to purchase the premium level which can later be programmed for hearing that worsens rather than needing to buy another pair prematurely. I am happy with my premium aides but as you stated go with the best you can afford.

Excellent video. Thank you. Wish you were in the NYC / LI area.

Dr. Cliff, Thank you very much for your videos. This is great information. For me the difference is between $1,400.00 for the Kirkland verses $7,400.00 for the Audibel Arc AI recommended by the audiologist. I am on trial with the Audibel for 2 weeks and will compare to the Kirkland as soon as I can get to Cosco. I can afford the Audibel but seriously doubt I will want to pay $6,000.00 for the premium features.

I think those guys went for the premium/better ones because the whole thing about hearing loss is that you are MISSING OUT on what you had before all your life and what everyone else seems to enjoy, especially if you are just on the cusp of being quite young for needing them, like i am at 59 years. So the thought of missing yet another funny throw-away remark which leaves others laughing or getting your spouse to repeat themselves one more time or seeing them try to conceal their annoyance with you makes it worth the extra money, even for a limited difference. So that's why your subjects chose the premium, I think. 😊 The question is then: is there any significant difference between the brands. I have already listened to the Starkey Livio Edge 2400 review - v helpful, thank you.

A bigger study is needed. No-fault in recommending premium HA. The patient is free to choose.

I get all of my hearing aids from the VA. Currently I have Phonak (Sonovo) M-90s. I will get my P-90s on the 14th, other than the tap feature are they that much different

After 6 years of wearing a pair of high quality (Kirkland brand) ReSound hearing aids from Costco, I tried a tried on the Resound Omnia 7 hearing aid (Premium). I noticed a significant improvement in clarity and background noise (tinitus) reduction. Technology has moved forward in 6 years, but I am not sure I can justify the $1700 difference in cost (2 ears) and will most likely purchase the private in house brand "Relate" from my insurer.

you just reaffirmed that I will be ordering premium aids next month when I go for replacements.

Interesting information. I personally like the premium level too. There is usually one feature at that level that is worth the cost to me. One thing that neither study addressed is client satisfaction. If a premium level makes the client happy, then sell them the premium device. (If you make extra money on this, that's even better.) I know you would step down a tier or two if your client couldn't afford the top line - and we like that about you!

Hi Dr Cliff, can one purchase an hearing aid by oneself? If yes, does one also need a Dr to fix it because of the NAL-NL2 you mentioned. Thanks

Very interesting, should definitely look to do this with a much larger sample size. Big as you can. And review the questions.

Couldn’t agree more. I always say to get the best technology that you can personally afford. Good video.

Thank you for this information. I was really confused on what was the difference in the two. I have to pay out of pocket for my hearing aids. Thanks for your amazing videos

Good video, I think is important to mention the construction of the device mades long lasting the device and the materials, I am still fan of removable batteries etc, best regards Dr.

Based upon your helpful videos and knowledge, I plan to purchase the premium Phonak Lumity 90. Where can I get the best price for this model?

New to your channel, and wondering if you have done a comparison between what is available, both in devices and service, at Costco and typical local audiologists?

My question is about the increase in price charged by the manufactures. If I am correct (please tell me otherwise), the aids have the same hardware installed regardless of the technology level with only difference is the software programming that allows what level of technology can be used. So why charge such a large difference between technology level?

So, what you’re saying is that it comes down to features. If you like one over the other due to design, color or features, get that one, because not only are you getting the same quality in hearing improvement, but you’re getting what you want in features as well.

Great video, did you memorize or teleprompter? In any case, amazing!

Hi. what do you think of lucid? would you recommend them

Really helpful. Thanks

That was a lot of information! But as a layman, how do I know which hearing aids are premium and which are advanced? I do not see that particular technology mentioned in hearing aid ads.

I can purchase a 55" UHD 4K OLED smart TV for $700. The idea that hearing aids programmed to a person's unique hearing loss profile have to cost thousands per ear is highly suspect. Yes, they are smaller than a TV but they really do not have that much to fit into their footprint limitations, especially when you consider what's crammed into a smartphone, and of course the cost of the materials in a hearing aid is probably a thousand time less than that of a TV. I think someone somewhere around the world will break this artificial logjam and provide hearing aids with all the premium customization level features for well under $1000 for both ears.

What a great Video Cliff. Trying the best to justify why you reccomend Premium and analysing your potential personal bias in the process. A single blind is difficult, as all it takes is a slip like 'I think you'll like these' comment from you for the wearer to create an opinion. I have been using Costco hearing aids as they were the first in Australia to to sell at a relistic margin. Im 60 and on my 2nd pair in about 5 years now using KS 8.0 and tbh not really satisfied. So have started looking at Premium. But to digress, great video and you appear to have integrity and honesty. 👏well done.

Very interesting video. During a testphase I was able to hear differences between premium and advanced level (Phonak Audeo P90 vs P70). P90 performed much better in (for me) rare situations with very high background noise. In (for me more) common hearing situations (group talk, video conference, phone call, single talk) the difference between P90 and P70 was noticeable but both levels performed not far from each other. Price difference per device in Germany was about 600$. It took me a while to come to a decision. At the end I decided for P70. And I am extremely satisfied. But if my hearing loss increases I tend to go and pay for premium because the difference in performance will most probably have higher benefits in common hearing situations.

Why do you make more money selling premium devices? Why is the business model setup that way? Doesn't this invite a conflict of interest? Are there hardware differences between these technology levels or are the added features turned on and off by software or by an EPROM for example? Do the higher prices of premium devices represent higher manufacturing costs or are the higher prices market driven?

I was diagnosed with sudden sensory neural hearing loss in my right ear. I am really struggling with background and distorted sounds. I have a hood hearing aid but I am still not satisfied. I tried a bone conduction ear phone and I could hear perfectly. Of course it was through Bluetooth and my IPhone so there was no background noise. Could you explain about the difference in bone conduction hearing aides and who would benefit from this type and why most audiologist do not talk about this type of hearing aide?

I like that this is exactly the video I was looking for this week and it’s here now !!

I'm in New Zealand & each quality step increase costs an extra $2000, fyi Also l am a woman & l find your factual, straight talking approach very, very appealing. fyi

Hi Dr. Cliff, do you have any videos on BTE vs RITE? I am looking into new hearing aids. I have Oticon OPN Mini-rites but I hated the domes (itching, feedback, movement, etc) and switched to a lite tip mold. It’s okay, but it still gets clogged and I clean it multiple times a day. My cerumen is very thin liquid. I have mild to moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss mostly in the high frequencies and constant very loud tinnitus. My AuD didn’t think I needed the mold in the first place, but I couldn’t hear myself and everyone always told me I was yelling. I wore a size 6 dome, so my canals are a little small and totally straight. I’m also a bartender (loud job), a singer (I know lol), and in nursing school (digital stethoscope), so I have a pretty varied list of needs. Like I need the ability to hear one person over many and protect my ears from noise damage. I also need to be able to hear myself. Who benefits from BTE vs RITE? How do I make an informed choice?

I began wearing hearing aids 30 years ago. My choice buying a hearing aid was cost and expendable replacement due to my working environment. I worked in a power plant with extreme noise, heat and moisture. So I just bought a basic aid that I could turn on and off and replace with a additional pair at low cost. Now I’m retired and I bought a high tech model that I wear almost all the time unfortunately the high tech hearing aid batteries don’t last more than 14 hours. I still have to wear my old aids if I’m using them for a long period of time. Plus hearing aid stores come and go with changing economies.

I think this helps, I am just about to buy my 1st pair. I wonder if all suppliers are honest about selling the premium, if it's difficult to tell unless you get to test both levels? I think I will go for the basic level and see how I get on before making a more substantial outlay! here in the UK the basic are £2200 less than the highest level?

Very informative, what about the direct sell or OTC where the device is not fitted by anyone but the patient

I'd be interested to see APHAB and SADL on these folks for each device. Also, a larger sample size would be preferred.

I found premium just gives me less strain to hear in noisy places.

Thanks!

Which devices were included in your test please?

good job

I wear hearing aids. My audiologist sells 3 tiers of hearing aids @ about $1000/$2000/$3000 each. The cheaper ones are the basic models with the speakers in the hearing aid behind the ear and a tube running into the ear. The mid range covers all the models from behind the ear w/ the speaker in the ear, to the very tiny ones that are replaced every 3 months at the office and are otherwise worn 24 hours a day. The highest priced ones are the same as the mid range ones but are recommended for the profound hearing loss patients that need something like frequency compression. It also doesn’t matter which brand of hearing aid of the several they offer. The cost also includes 2 office visits a year for cleaning and servicing and 1 comprehensive hearing test a year - for 3 years. Also, at the end of the warranty period, they will send in your hearing aids to be rebuilt at no cost to you. So, yeah, I wear the mid ranged aids. Granted the prices I quoted were as of about 5 years ago, so I don’t know what they are now. On a side note, my hearing is pretty bad. On the day I got my hearing aids, as I left the dr’s office, I started my car and for the first time heard my car’s startup chimes. For a second I thought the car was broken until I realized what it was. All-in-all, they were worth every dime I paid for them.

What a cool study, Cliff! 😎 I realize that a larger test group would be better, but I still think it was a smart study to try. And now you can feel more comfortable in the choices YOU are making! 😁

This past December I purchased my first hearing aids. I looked over the features and decided that the advanced level fit my life the best. While I've enjoyed a substantial improvement in my hearing, the next pair I will buy will be with premium technology....now that I've gained experience, I believe additional features would be worth it to me. As usual Dr. Cliff, you do a marvelous job of explaining everything and helping we users to make better informed decisions...keep up the good work.

Dr. Cliff, I'm very impressed by the intelligence behind your reasoning. Now, if you could only be in Tennessee 🙂

My understanding is that the levels are changes in programming, not hardware. If so, why can't people buy a basic level and then rent the higher tiers for a month or two to find what they are most comfortable with?

Interesting study for sure. A few observations: 1) Single to noise ratio is usually abbreviated as S/N, and not SIN. Maybe that was just a typo. 2) When you said "measurable difference", I don't think it was measurable as you had to use the user's opinion to determine better, worse, or the same. "Measurable" would mean it could be measured with a device that had a definite output, like a dB meter for example. 3) With only 4 people (n=4) the sample size is really too small to make any kind statistically significant analysis. But certainly a good starting point. 4) Many of us would like to know exactly what is the difference between the higher "technology" vs the lower "technology". Gain, frequencies, separation, S/N, filtering, distortion %, etc. In other words, what does each higher level of "technology" have over the lower levels.

I am one eared; and wear a Benefon Z-9 from Costco. Would I benefit with a premium instrument?

Which technology was the last one used for each client? I suspect a strong correlation to recency.

Dr. Cliff, I'm waiting for my Phonak Audeo Life Paradise 90s to come in right now because my Resounds broke and are out of warranty. There's a reason why I choose premium level of technology and it is the sound difference. For example on Resound I tried the Tier 5, 7 and 9. The 9 sounded extremely sharp and crisp. The 7 did as well. The 5 was still great, but, not as "high quality". It sounds more realistic and better with the higher tier. I would suggest comparing this as a metaphor to eye exams. Do you know when the eye doctor flashes different lenses between you and ask you if A or B is better? The differences are subtle. Yes, I can read the letters on line 3 perfectly without struggling with lens A. But with Lens B it's a bit worse but still great and easy to read. But, now with Lens A being better the second set Lens 1 and Lens 2, Lens 2 was better for me. These stack with small incremental steps. People who have a loss of hearing can actually hear the subtle cue differences. I think it is because they're designed and programmed for people like us.

I am wanting not just the heating improvements but premium features like streaming music at a high quality. That to me makes premium hearing aids a better choice on the surface.

This may have already beeen asked - are the hearing aids on the 2 levels the same device so that the only difference is how you adjust/program them? Also about how long do hearing aids last? Thanks for the informatvie video!

I have a question about hearing aids in the pool. I take water aerobics ( no head in water) I don't even get my hair wet! I don't wear my hearing aids in pool but I can't hear our instructors comments either. Is there a hearing aid that is in the canal (less noticeable ) that I can get instead of the traditional one . I have a signa that's 3 yrs. old. But I can't hear with these very well. I have tinnitus too. I don't know if these were programmed right!! I just want to hear clear and not delayed sounds! Do I need these adjusted OR new ones ? I'm live in Fairfax VA. Help me please! Find a knowledgeable dr. Of audiologist. Thank you. Susan

What kind of hearing aids work if you have Ménière’s disease. I have lost of hearing in my left ear

Dr. Cliff: I wrote this in another upload, but this one is more appropriate. I have hearing aids that I have had for several years that I'm still paying for. I have very low income, with SSDI and my son's Social Security as my only income. Is there a way I could get help paying these off; and then get real help paying for upgraded hearing aids? By the way Dr. Cliff, I love your videos for the info. they give; keep on uploading your wonderful content!

Hello Dr. Great videos . I am a old time hearing aids user I have been using hearing aid for the pas almost 20 years...im 66 years old now, and it seem that my hearing loss is progressing. Am at around 88% loss. Everytime I take a Hearing test it comes back worts that the previous one, used to be 75 and now is 86 88% which is considered to be severe correct ?. My hearing problem seem to be concentrated on clarity. During the audiology test I can sometime hear the minor beeps, but when i am in real settings using hearing devices I cannot hear these minor beeps or sounds I should say, and experience lots of problems understanding speech however loud the hearing devices may be....so..what would be a good solution to these types of problems..I am in the market for a new set and im looking to purchase OTC devices..but I cannot find them for severe hearing loss.. I live on a tight budget so try to find a reasonable set of hearing aid that could fill my needs. any sugestion to my problem will greatly appreciated.. Thanks in advance...

I think there's actually a simple 'formula' to follow. WRS tells you to what degree aids will help. In quiet. I had in my ears, properly fitted, lowest an highest tier, and were equally (bad, since my WRS is bad, 70, and it's said that WRS is bad if it's not great math test score eg 90+ and I really agree with that) in quiet. However, point is that they were EQUAL. In quiet. NO aids no matter the price will give you more than your WRS (unless you utilize frequency lowering tech when you have completely dead high frequencies, but that again is available in lower tier tech as well as far as I remember) Then you need SNR value. Those who need low SNR, for them low tech aids should work in all environments. As more SNR you need, you need bigger tech. However, important thing is to know that after some point, no tech in aids will help. That's usually around 7-10 since that's lab environment maximum that aids can achieve. If you need more, you need external mics. They also have limit, but they also are closer to the source. They're at theoretical 15db help, in ideal environment. Again, with bad WRS no tech in the world can help you (beside cochlear implant, but for that, 70 is considered too good hearing to be worth risking, since CI OP has some risks) However, with bad WRS any help counts and makes the difference and gives you ability to be under less strain when listening. So even though you'll never get the perfect, it's worth trying. And then the final - if your hearing is so bad (mine is) that you need mics, you'll get better value for money with going lowest aid + mic since you'll work with mic anyway and aid is just a relay. So if money is an issue - that'd be my advice - go for external mic and lowest tech level for aids that can work with those mics, than spending your money on highest aid tech and not getting even close results to those that mics can give you. Yes, highest tech aids will be better for you than lowest tech aids in many difficult situations, but if you need mics for those really difficult - then aid level doesn't matter - if they work with mics, mics do the job anyway. And no aids on ear can catch sounds well in big distances, eg 7m is maximum in ideal conditions. Mic you can put there and move away ;) And above all, own your hearing loss. It's there to stay, it won't go away, and only damage you'll have by hiding the aid is - your low comprehension and many strained relationships because of misunderstanding. Not worth it, put your aids on top of the ear, put your mic in the centre of the table and enjoy a bit less strain when listening. As normal hearing people do :)

As an audiologist, if I were one, I would also ask my patient, what their lifestyle tends to be and then make the judgement whether any extra features would make a difference to that persons lifestyle, in real terms. Just a thought.

Hi everybody, I'm Italian and I ABSOLUTELY need analog Beltone S90 hearing aids because I have been using the analog system for 25 years. I have SERIOUS problems using digital hearing aids, such as tinnitus and headaches especially from my left ear. Can anybody tell me where to find these?

OMG! I love science! This was just a fun video to watch. Thanks for making my morning filled with hypotheticals.

I'm an audiologist in New Zealand and the cost difference between advanced premium is thousands of dollars. IMO its not worth the cost. I fit all my hearing aids with REM following best practice guidelines and extensively counsel my patients. I consistently have patients who trial basic vs premium or even compare new aids to their old ones and report having the same usual problems most commonly being hearing in BGN. My experience is that very few are afforded significant benefit from premium devices and that it is simply not worth the cost. At the company I work for we sell hearing aids from $450 for a pair up to $9000 and more often than not the patients who purchase the high technology levels continue to struggle hearing in noisy situations and are generally disappointed in their hearing aids. I also find that private audiology companies are primarily in the business of making as much profit as possible and often show a lot of disregard towards patients. Its extremely disheartening and I struggle with doing my job every day. I always prioritise my patients needs over the companies ambitions and it feels like a constant uphill struggle. Enough so that I'm ready to turn my back on the six years of university study I did and retrain and go into a different career.

Personal anecdote: my premium gear is worth it. I am thankful for my ability to afford it. I experienced a substantial improvement to my quality of life. And since I have severe hearing loss in my left ear, streaming music through my hearings aids with L/R adjustment was like hearing the music all over again.

Very interesting. Can you let me know which basic hearing aid you recommend that does not require smart phone integration?

Another important point in this discussion is whether the participants were concerned about the cost of the hearing aids. My assumptions are 1) They knew they were going to spend several thousand dollars for each device; 2) That they were going to pay those costs “out of pocket” anyway and; 3) That they had the financial means to do so. Therefore, paying an additional $200 per device was not a big deal. If these folks were of the “cost conscious” personality, would the results be the same?

I was given Resound One tier number 5 and I got to try them out for two weeks. Loved them, so when it came time to pick my hearing aids. I decided to go down to tier 4 and was told it’s not that different other then price. Why pay more if you don’t have to right? However since then I’ve been having trouble and each week I’m back at my audiologist making changes. I’m frustrated and I don’t understand how the demos gave me no trouble, and now I’m having trouble.

Hi my name is Leon I've been wearing hearing aids for years now and my hearing just got worse over time it was very scary until I decided to get a cochlear implant in my right ear I'm glad I did because I had a very good surgeon and of course she is leaving for a new job soon we're going to miss her a lot I'm beginning to get used to my implant it's worth it I wish I had done it sooner it's so lonely and scary when you can't hear not any more

What are best practices? I have worn hearing aids for over 15 years, but have never heard of best practices.

Thanks for the thoughtful study. If I understood correctly there wasn't a hardware difference between the advanced and premium devices, only a software programming difference - is that correct? If so why does simply using a different program raise the cost of the aids $200-$500 each? Since you mentioned computers, the difference in cost between them is based on hardware sophistication not software; they all run the same operating systems and programs. It would also be interesting to hear you say more about the differences are between premium and advanced aids.

Man, that was some serious audiologist wonkyness! I wonder how many people stuck it out to the end. (I did.) It would be interesting to see this done double-blind with more people.

So is Premium level a given to be able help one with Moderately-Severe to Profound loss such as I have? My thinking is that at a granular level there are more tools at that level to help with issues that arise with a severe mixed loss. I'm trialing a Phonak Paradise but want to try the Oticon More with the Deep Neural Network technology with the Oticon.

You noted price difference between levels at $200 or 500. I am in Canada and the difference is I thousands.

Interesting. Wouldn't doing a hearing test during the study help figure out slight differences in performance?

İ have a question please İs it dangerous to use hearing aid in just one side Like if i use it in the right side (%40 damage) without the left And i already have 20% damage in the leftt side

PLEASE HELP!!! My mom has turned 90 this July and she has suffered with Tinnitus in both ears since the age of 6. She had a mastoid surgery and it has caused the "duo-tone" ringing in her ears all this time. She now listens to the T.V. at the 40 - 50 range on the volume control and family is tired of yelling at her so she can hear us. What can be done to help her hearing loss and relieve the ringing as well? Is there any technology out there that helps both? Thank you!