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Multiple-decades of hearing aid wearing here. I agree with most of that. I ended up buying the programmer for my aids to do small tweaks (not the prescription/a

Multiple-decades of hearing aid wearing here. I agree with most of that. I ended up buying the programmer for my aids to do small tweaks (not the prescription/audiogram, just the program configuration where you can edit the level of DSP in various situations). I would say that this latest generation of hearing aids (Phonak Marvel) is the first generation where I've felt like they've got it right. Direct bluetooth connection that just works, and with a very wide range of volume adjustment (older models that used add-on streamer would not go loud enough). People receiving my voice over bluetooth, using the hearing aid's onboard microphones, report good sound quality. Magic.

otoburb 6y ago
And the Phonak Marvel's retail price is north of $1,000 USD. Can some of the cost to the individual be defrayed through medical insurance in the US?
- snegu 6y ago
  My insurance covers hearing aids, but it definitely varies.
  - dhosek 6y ago
    I've never had insurance cover hearing aids. It's criminal that something so essential isn't covered.
- bladegash 6y ago
  Some medical insurance plans provide coverage. I previously had a plan that covered the cost up to a certain amount per hearing aid, but only like once every couple of years. So if you were like me, and only needed one hearing aid, they would cover $800 for one ear or $1,600 for two. But I couldn’t, say, get one for $1,600. Now I have a plan with a different employer that doesn’t cover them at all.
tobtoh 6y ago
I'm about to trial a replacement for my current HA (about 5 years old) for the Phonak Paradise (the just released successor to the Marvel). The bluetooth connectivity has been a big reason why I want to upgrade - the work from home situation this year with constant phone calls and Zoom meeting requiring headsets has been a constant annoyance. I use an Airpod in my right ear and leave one HA in my left for those situations - but its fiddly and annoying to keep switching things in and out. The new IOS14 feature where I can tailor the Airpod audio response to my hearing frequency loss is simply amazing! However, being able to connect/stream audio directly to my HA will be even better. They are seriously pricey though - cheapest model is Aus$2700 (US$2000) and the top line model is Aus$8400 (US$5900). However, given I feel I got made redundant from a previous job five years ago due to my hearing loss (1), I'll basically spend 'whatever' to ensure I can hear as easily as possible. (1) In that job, I was wondering why as the years went on, I felt like I was struggling to pickup new concepts or get a handle on projects as fast as I used to. I seriously felt like I was getting stupider. After I got my hearing aids, I realised how much speech I was missing - I was heavily relying on lip reading and also using the context of conversation to fill in the gaps of words I couldn't hear. Which is passable in general conversation - but when managing new projects or new technology concepts, you don't have the experience to generate the context that fills in the gaps. It was literally life-changing when I got my HA. Go an get your hearing tested if you ever feel you are even remotely struggling with your hearing!
- jiofih 6y ago
  > The new IOS14 feature where I can tailor the Airpod audio response to my hearing frequency loss is simply amazing! What feature is it? Can’t the same be achieved with EQ?
  - tobtoh 6y ago
    https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT211218 https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT211218 I'm not sure ... i was under the understanding the that EQ function on iOS only applied to music. I guess the other advantage is that audiogram function makes it a one-click accurate configuration of the 'EQ' based on a hearing test.
phkahler 6y ago
This may be a dumb question, but could a phone app work for a good number of people? Not sure off hand how not to amplify your own voice, but otherwise a phone can easily do the DSP work can use wired or bluetooth headphones.
- danbmil99 6y ago
  I suspect the main issue is latency

otoburb 6y ago

And the Phonak Marvel's retail price is north of $1,000 USD. Can some of the cost to the individual be defrayed through medical insurance in the US?

snegu 6y ago
My insurance covers hearing aids, but it definitely varies.
- dhosek 6y ago
  I've never had insurance cover hearing aids. It's criminal that something so essential isn't covered.
bladegash 6y ago
Some medical insurance plans provide coverage. I previously had a plan that covered the cost up to a certain amount per hearing aid, but only like once every couple of years. So if you were like me, and only needed one hearing aid, they would cover $800 for one ear or $1,600 for two. But I couldn’t, say, get one for $1,600. Now I have a plan with a different employer that doesn’t cover them at all.

tobtoh 6y ago

I'm about to trial a replacement for my current HA (about 5 years old) for the Phonak Paradise (the just released successor to the Marvel). The bluetooth connectivity has been a big reason why I want to upgrade - the work from home situation this year with constant phone calls and Zoom meeting requiring headsets has been a constant annoyance. I use an Airpod in my right ear and leave one HA in my left for those situations - but its fiddly and annoying to keep switching things in and out. The new IOS14 feature where I can tailor the Airpod audio response to my hearing frequency loss is simply amazing! However, being able to connect/stream audio directly to my HA will be even better. They are seriously pricey though - cheapest model is Aus$2700 (US$2000) and the top line model is Aus$8400 (US$5900). However, given I feel I got made redundant from a previous job five years ago due to my hearing loss (1), I'll basically spend 'whatever' to ensure I can hear as easily as possible. (1) In that job, I was wondering why as the years went on, I felt like I was struggling to pickup new concepts or get a handle on projects as fast as I used to. I seriously felt like I was getting stupider. After I got my hearing aids, I realised how much speech I was missing - I was heavily relying on lip reading and also using the context of conversation to fill in the gaps of words I couldn't hear. Which is passable in general conversation - but when managing new projects or new technology concepts, you don't have the experience to generate the context that fills in the gaps. It was literally life-changing when I got my HA. Go an get your hearing tested if you ever feel you are even remotely struggling with your hearing!

jiofih 6y ago
> The new IOS14 feature where I can tailor the Airpod audio response to my hearing frequency loss is simply amazing! What feature is it? Can’t the same be achieved with EQ?
- tobtoh 6y ago
  https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT211218 https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT211218 I'm not sure ... i was under the understanding the that EQ function on iOS only applied to music. I guess the other advantage is that audiogram function makes it a one-click accurate configuration of the 'EQ' based on a hearing test.

phkahler 6y ago

This may be a dumb question, but could a phone app work for a good number of people? Not sure off hand how not to amplify your own voice, but otherwise a phone can easily do the DSP work can use wired or bluetooth headphones.

danbmil99 6y ago
I suspect the main issue is latency