The best hearing aid?

OldBroad44 · May 3, 2024

I have a friend who probably needs a better hearing aide. His work requires using his cell phone and computer for zoom calls. In passing in another thread @rjmt mentioned that a friend's hearing had been much improved when he got a hearing aide that attached to a box that could receive direct sound inputs from TV. Presumably also from cell phones and computers. This friend was a vet and got his new hearing aide from the VA. But presumably there are such systems available for civilians too.

Does anyone have any experience with such hearing aides?

What are the best hearing aides available for standard use such as in person conversations?

What are the best hearing aides for use with audio input such as from cell phones, computers, or TVs?

monks · May 3, 2024

I think this conversation should happen with your friend's audiologist to get the most up to date info but I will tell you what I use. I've got phonak audeo hearing aides and they use Bluetooth technology. I stream and call with them all the time.ive had them about a year now and selected them because my audiologist told me they were the best. They cost around six grand with visits for fine tuning, so be warned.

NeoBlackdog · May 3, 2024

A good friend of mine got a set of Oticon Intent MiniRite. She loves them. Small, discreet, and she says quite comfortable.

rjmt · May 3, 2024

monks said:
I think this conversation should happen with your friend's audiologist to get the most up to date info but I will tell you what I use. I've got phonak audeo hearing aides and they use Bluetooth technology. I stream and call with them all the time.ive had them about a year now and selected them because my audiologist told me they were the best. They cost around six grand with visits for fine tuning, so be warned.

getting old can be expensive with needing new eyes and new ears
luckily my hearing is still good, I can hear my neighbor open a can of Coors Light from 100 yrds away
but it is quiet out here
not so happy with my new eyes, will probably upgrade
I can shoot iron sights with these new eyes, but can't see up close
can't see the adjustments on cameras, cell phone or even rifle scopes without reading glasses

dangerranger60 · May 3, 2024

Most of the top brands are cell phone compatible. They take a signal direct from your cell without any background noise. They connect directly to your computer just like wearing ear buds.
If you are completely deaf in one ear, they alter the signal that should be heard in that ear and rebroadcast it into the other ear. this allows your brain to get clues to what direction the sound came from.
The Smart phone aides are not perfect but are miles ahead of the old styles. Good Luck to your friend! DR

Ura-Ki · May 3, 2024

Mine are fully Blue Tooth and can do all the tasks your asking about! I wear the Jabra brand inner canal type that you have to recharge every night, so far battery life is quite good. I had a set of the behind the ear models and absolutely HATED them, that was a nearly $2000 mistake, Several folks I talked with told me to ether go to Costco, or a good audiologist and get properly fitted!

Kruel J · May 3, 2024

Bluetooth hearing aids.....talk about voices in your head!

Ura-Ki · May 3, 2024

Kruel J said:
Bluetooth hearing aids.....talk about voices in your head!

Kinda freaky at first, but you get used to it! :s0155:

Actually, The sound quality is really good, almost like a good pair of ear phones, and mine have a Db limit, so really loud stuff gets blocked, and it IS adjustable, So I can rock out in the truck and not miss anything!

salmon creek gary · May 3, 2024

dangerranger60 said:
. . . . If you are completely deaf in one ear, they alter the signal that should be heard in that ear and rebroadcast it into the other ear. this allows your brain to get clues to what direction the sound came from. . . . DR

Thanks, that bit of info is astounding to me. Amazing what our wet-state CPU can do.

Following minor surgery to the outer canal of my left ear last May, my 'world of sound' had very little 'left side' for about six months. Very disorienting. But I wasn't completely deaf, so I bought a $32 behind-the-ear hearing amplifier off ebay. That cheap amp really did help me discern sound direction, so it greatly reduced my spacial disorientation.

Downside: Since an el-cheapo hearing amp does nothing at all to improve clarity, I could actually understand conversation and television sound better without it. A few compromised months passed like that, then suddenly (overnight) my left ear gave me back my pre-surgery level of hearing.

I don't believe in miracles, so apparently my left ear just decided, "F' this sheise". My ENT doc says that it's not at all unusual for post-surgery impaired hearing to last for months.
I like my story better.

monks · May 3, 2024

Kruel J said:
Bluetooth hearing aids.....talk about voices in your head!

At least you get to choose what voices you get to hear!

NeoBlackdog · May 3, 2024

Kruel J said:
Bluetooth hearing aids.....talk about voices in your head!

It could get a might crowded up there...

357 MAX · Dec 26, 2024

I am on my 4th set of hearing aids.
hearing aids are never going to restore your natural hearing.
maybe the more expensive ones will but I don't think so.
I cant afford the best so have to live with what I have.
with thechnology what it is now hearing aids should be getting cheaper but are not.

the problem I see is audiologist don't wear hearing aids. so they can't know what I know. ( many optometrists wear eye glasses)

I can sit in the lab all day getting my hearing aids tuned but when I go outside nothing is the same.

try walking around all day with earplugs in and see what its like.

so protect your hearing at all cost

oremike · Dec 26, 2024

I've got the phoneniks from the VA. I was told they are the latest and greatest. When I first got them I was supprized at the things I could now hear like rain on tree leaves. The Bluetooth is pretty cool. I listen to music while reloading and talk on the phone hands free. Mine came with a directional microphone so that if I was at a lecture or something with a lot of background noise I can isolate what I want to hear. Only real drawback is if say we are driving and the grand kids call I can't turn on the speaker phone for my wife to hear the call as well. If I turn off the hearing aids and turn on the speaker phone 9 times out of 10 the call gets dropped or I can't hear anyway.

monks · Dec 26, 2024

oremike said:
I've got the phoneniks from the VA. I was told they are the latest and greatest. When I first got them I was supprized at the things I could now hear like rain on tree leaves. The Bluetooth is pretty cool. I listen to music while reloading and talk on the phone hands free. Mine came with a directional microphone so that if I was at a lecture or something with a lot of background noise I can isolate what I want to hear. Only real drawback is if say we are driving and the grand kids call I can't turn on the speaker phone for my wife to hear the call as well. If I turn off the hearing aids and turn on the speaker phone 9 times out of 10 the call gets dropped or I can't hear anyway.

I know how to get around that. I've been irritated by the same thing. The bluetooth function in all our vehicles will switch from speakers to my hearing aides with my iPhone. I just turn the Bluetooth off to my hearing aides by selecting settings, Bluetooth, the. I then touch the I in the circle by R-phonak hearing aid. Then select disconnect and it will disconnect from the hearing aides without disconnecting from the car Bluetooth. Sometimes I have to go to the call screen and then select if I want phone, speaker or your vehicle but that's it. Once you get used to it, it's easy to do.

teflon6string · Nov 9, 2025

Pro Tip for those who use hearing aids:

Yesterday I welded up a project in my garage and driveway for a friend.

Long story short, during all the cutting, hammering and grinding, my earmuffs were on/off/on/off/on/off a couple dozen times and my right hearing aid went AWOL at some point.

Took a couple hours to find it, out in the street where my buddy's truck had been. He missed it when he backed out.

My Point?

Be careful with those things - they're tiny (and expensive)!

Maybe I'll get a bright fluorescent red pair next time.

monks · Nov 10, 2025

teflon6string said:
Pro Tip for those who use hearing aids:

Yesterday I welded up a project in my garage and driveway for a friend.

Long story short, during all the cutting, hammering and grinding, my earmuffs were on/off/on/off/on/off a couple dozen times and my right hearing aid went AWOL at some point.

Took a couple hours to find it, out in the street where my buddy's truck had been. He missed it when he backed out.

My Point?

Be careful with those things - they're tiny (and expensive)!

Maybe I'll get a bright fluorescent red pair next time.

View attachment 2192830

I tried to run one over with a forklift. I only realized it when I drove far enough away that it disconnected from the other one and made a tone. I was lucky! I walked back and panicked at first when I couldn't find it but I ended up just slowly walking around the area until I got a chime that it linked back up, the. I looked around the immediate area really well. Gotta watch out when wearing ear muffs over them for sure!