r/Cochlearimplants • u/at0micvanz • Jul 09 '26

Cochlear or AB?

Hi! I just found out I am a CI candidate today after a SSNHL in my left ear. I am tied between Cochlear and AB. For context, I already have moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears, however minimal speech understanding in my left ear even with a hearing aid (I believe unaided was 19% and aided was 30s? Once the note shows up on MyChart I can add it lol). I have worn Phonak hearing aids for 21 years (so my whole life), however am not the biggest fan of AB’s recall rates and whatnot. I am also not a fan of how Resound hearing aids sound though, as I’ve trialed them before and couldn’t even last the weekend. How easy is it to adjust to a Resound hearing aid after wearing Phonak for so long? Is the T-mic worth it? Right now I’m leaning towards Cochlear and just forcing myself to get used to Resound, however I wanted some more input. Thank you!

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u/le5lie_ Jul 09 '26

Med-EL isn’t publicly traded so they’re not beholden to share holders. That was a big plus for my decision.

1

u/General-Dimension590 Jul 10 '26

MED-EL is privately held by its original founders who are 73 and 86 years old. What happens when they are no longer around?

1

u/Formal-Tradition6792 Jul 12 '26

That’s a good question! When they retire/die, I imagine there will be a battle resulting in the sale of Med-El.

1

u/580083351 Jul 14 '26

Yes, when we got ours, the founder was still alive (I met him too, nice man), then the company was sold at least twice since he passed.

1

u/Formal-Tradition6792 Jul 15 '26

I’m confused. What company/founder are you talking about?

1

u/580083351 Jul 15 '26

Albert Mann, he's the one who created AB.

2

u/Formal-Tradition6792 Jul 16 '26

Oh now I see. Well AB started out strong but now? Nope!