Hearing Aids

I've worn hearing aids for over 20 years, and had gotten used to spending $8K every 4 years or so for a new set. Last year I heard about the Costco hearing aid department, so I checked it out and got a pair of Jabra hearing aids for $1500; these are not OTC, these are prescription hearing aids, and they're like last year's top of the line, so it's not bargain basement stuff. Costco carries two other lines of hearing aids too, behind-the-ear and in-the-ear, and they're all about $1500/pair. 

Another thing I'd add is I don't use any kind of 'buds' (besides what goes in my bong!), but I do get custom-molds instead of using the generic domes; only cost about $60 more and well worth it. 

@mahler123 - not all Costcos are the same, as you've found out. Fortunately the one I go to has an audiologist who's been practicing for a few decades, and they've got all the lines and models that are on their website. Looks like your Costco has a dodgy hearing-aids department; if they're not carrying certain lines they should be, you might want to let Costco management know about it. 

@mahler123 - that's not a bad idea about a Zoom consultation. 

More than a few audiologists are musicians themselves and understand more 'audiophile' needs.

As far as hearing aids being designed only for speech, for most hearing aids, that is just not so. Most any good hearing aid today (audiologist hearing aid, I don't know about the OTC ones) has multiple programs - for speech in noisy settings, speech in quiet settings, music, television, and a number of other options, and you can work with the audiologist on setting up a music (or any other kind of) program that works for you; mine has a 'music' program which also works well for speech on the TV, plus it has an EQ of sorts where I can adjust low, mid, and high frequencies to some extent, and I've found that quite useful. 

I've also got a pair of in-ear hearing aids for headphone listening....

@troutbum - I'm currently using the latest Jabra hearing aids from Costco; they were about $1500/pair, plus another $60 or so for custom earmolds. I'm quite happy with them as far as ease of use and sound. 

Things like hearing aids and headphones can use very small speakers because the sound has to travel almost no distance to the eardrum through almost no air; Regular speakers have a great deal more to have to contend with. 

The low/mid/high 'EQ' on my Jabras works fine for me; I usually don't need to touch them when listening on the 'music' program, but if I'm watching telly and want to hear the dialogue better, I just turn up the mids and highs a bit and that works great.