Hearing Aids

I have been wearing Oticon hearing aids for close to 20 years.  I've gone thru 3-4 generations, now using the Real 3.  It is not their priciest model, but it works well for me.  I just had my annual audiologist test and I asked the tech to spend some time on modifying the "My Music" setting.  Now they sound just fantastic for my surround sound system.  I wear them all the time and switch to setting 3 whenever I do serious listening.  All settings are available on my i-phone.  

I have a very nice stereo system that has evolved over many years. Music, especially jazz, is a real passion of mine. When my hearing began deteriorating, along with incessant tinnitus, I saw an audiologist. I informed her that music and high-end stereo was important to me and that I was afraid hearing aids would somehow compromise the essence of what I might be listening to, she said that Widex was absolutely the best for music. They were not cheap but they are incredible regarding critical music listening. I am now hearing the full musical spectrum…treble, midrange and bass. If you are a discerning music listener and have hearing issues I absolutely recommend Widex. I was stunned to find out what I had been missing in my music. 

Interesting discussion and much appreciated. I’ve used Signia hearing aids for almost two years now and while they do an excellent job where speech is concerned and an acceptable job with tinnitus, they just don’t work with music. They do have a music setting but after numerous efforts by the audiologist they still make music shrill, edgy, often thin. I’ve resorted to listening to my system with no aids and just let my brain make its adjustments. Not bad, not great … I’m considering a speaker upgrade but that’s 10-15K I’m not sure I want to spend, especially since I’m wondering if my old ears can discern speaker improvements. I’m also wondering — and this is just wondering out loud as I’m not a technician or engineer— why I should expect a microphone/speaker as small as a hearing aid to be able to take the information from my system and transmit it into my ear/brain? I realize technology is amazing and vastly improved over the years, but this doesn’t make sense to me. Am I overthinking? Not thinking correctly? Not thinking at all? Still trying to figure this hearing-loss issue out…

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. 

Has Medicare help with the cost of your hearing aids?