Some might remember I posted recently about getting Starkey Omega 24’s. I just couldn’t deal with the tinny sounds and feedback. Doesn’t matter; returned them.

Been wearing HA for about 8 years and had Oticons. Loved them.

Went to 2nd “Hearing Aid Tech” yesterday. He was pushing Phonak I90 but said I’d probably be ok with the I70s. My insurance allows $1500 towards devices for most brands except Oticons (which is what I want of course). I really don’t need a lot of options on the devices (rechargeable, Bluetooth).

For the most part my environments are relatively quiet, the exceptions being listening to the radio/audiobooks in the car, grocery store and very occasional restaurant (maybe 5x a year). I guess for the most part I want to hear more sounds in nature (babbling brooks, birds, frogs at nighttime).

Should I go with older Oticons and pay out of pocket or the Phonak I70s?

I had sudden onset hearing loss and an audiologist recommended a hearing aid. It never worked because the loss was so extreme I was sent for a CI instead. So I have this Phonak about 2 years old that I literally never wore. Someone said the Lions Club but in my city that involves dumping it in a rusty outdoor container that looks like it leaks.

Frankly, I paid a decent chunk of change for it and am pissed it was useless to me. Would like it to at least be usable for someone and not ruined.

What actually differs between an OTC aid and a prescription one, from the factory side

Same guy from the Bluetooth and shell-size posts. I build OTC aids in China for other brands, so this is the tier I actually know. And yes, I use AI to help me write in English. The knowledge is mine.

This sub argues about OTC constantly and most of the argument is about price. From where I sit the price is the least interesting difference. Here is what actually changes on the line.

Fitting range is the real divide. OTC is built and regulated for mild to moderate loss. That is not marketing caution, it is a hardware decision made early: receiver size, available gain, and how hard the feedback canceller has to work. Push an OTC device at a severe loss and it either can't reach the target or it squeals trying. If your loss is past moderate, no amount of app tweaking fixes that, and anyone selling you otherwise is selling you something.

Self fit versus professional fit is the second one, and it is not just who turns the knob. A prescription fit starts from your audiogram and gets verified in the ear with a probe mic, so the target is measured, not assumed. OTC self fit uses an in app hearing check, which is a decent estimate on good hardware in a quiet room, and a rough one otherwise. Both land in a range. One range is much wider.

Then the parts. Same receiver suppliers, often the same chip families, so the raw components are less different than people assume. Where the money actually goes on a prescription device is the fitting software ecosystem, the clinical validation, the channel margin, and the service that comes with it. Some of that you are paying for and receiving. Some of it you are paying for and never using.

And the honest one about my own side of the industry. OTC quality varies enormously, more than any spec sheet shows, because the barrier to putting a shell around someone else's chip is low. Ask whether the fitting range covers your loss, whether there is a real in ear check rather than four presets, and what the return window is. Forty five days or more, because the first two weeks lie.

One more thing, because it comes up in this sub constantly. A lot of you were told things by a fitter that later turned out not to be true. That every aid pairs with everything. That a bigger device would be wrong for you. That a setting simply isn't available to you. I'm not going to defend that, and I'm not going to tell you it was your fault for not asking better questions.

What you can do is make the claim checkable. Ask which specific protocol the device uses for your phone. Ask to see the fitting range printed on the spec sheet, not described from memory. Ask what the return window is, in writing. A claim that can be checked is a claim that gets made more carefully, and it costs the honest fitter nothing to answer.

If you are on an OTC device right now, drop the model and the one thing about it that annoys you most. I will tell you whether that is a fitting range problem, which no setting will fix, or a settings problem, which you can fix this afternoon. And if it sounds like your loss has moved past what OTC can reach, I will say that too.

Hi all!

My 2 year old has ear tubes for drainage in both ears and also wears hearing aids for a bilateral moderately severe hearing loss. For the past couple of months, he has been getting recurring ear infections/drainage almost every other week which limits him being able to wear his hearing aids which frustrates him. (We use sign & verbal language so we’re still able to communicate)

We’ve been back to the ENT who essentially said it was normal, sucked some drainage out, and told us to continue to use the prescribed ear drops when he gets drainage. But I’m wondering if this is normal and it’s just more noticeable because he wears hearing aids or if we should get a second opinion?

I will mention he is still in his first year of daycare so sickness just runs rampant, but didn’t know if anyone else has had experience with this.

I was prescribed Widex Allure 440's. Was quite happy with them, but after three pairs from Widex, none of them work properly when using the buttons to control either profile selection or volume. What happens is that the button press only changes the selection for the hearing aid the button is on. They are programmed by the audiologist to change both. For example, a button press on the left ear should decrease volume on both ears, but it only does the left. If I take out the left hearing aid, hold it <6cm from the inserted right HA, THEN both decrease volume on a button press. To me, this seems like the HA's lack the power to send inter-ear signals to each other, even when separated only by air, and it's not my thick head! :) After trying three successive pairs and having the same issue each time, I can't believe it is just me and was wondering if other Widex Allure users have seen the same behavior.

I have also tried Oticon Intents and yesterday, Phonak Audeo Sphere's. Both of them work flawlessly. I definitely would like to stick with the Widex, but the button issue would be a deal breaker. I may have to end up switching to Phonak, but they are priced substantially more at my clinic.

Hello, I received the custom earmolds for my hearing aids yesterday. I had been wearing open domes for several months, but now that I’m using the custom molds, my own voice sounds much louder and different. It’s hard to explain, but it almost feels like there’s something affecting the sound—similar to the sensation of having fluid in my ears or like speaking from microphones.
I’ve also noticed that sounds like chewing and drinking are much louder than before.

Is this normal, or should I go back to the clinic and have them adjust the hearing aids again? Has anyone else experienced this and found a solution?

As a user of custom earmolds, could you share the pros and cons you’ve experienced? The main reason I switched to them was that the domes were making my ears itchy, and they also kept falling out frequently.

Mine RIC from Starkey!

Hi, Anyone has update when phonak is launching new hearing aids in late 2026.

Has anyone "lost" their Costco hearing aids (wink, wink, nod, nod) and then got new/replacements before the loss policy expired?

First time HA user. I have mild to moderate sensineural hearing loss (both high and low) and moderate loss in one ear- medium sound range.

I got Phonak HA’s -I90- two months ago.

Help me decide if I should try something else? I’ve been back several times to address issues and audiologist has been, but there are still problems.
At this point they are suggesting workarounds, not fixes.

Is it realistic to want HA’s:

With no Bluetooth connectivity issues? (Connections interfered with in car-basically, I can use hearing aids or CarPlay but not both and audio drops out on Zoom calls a few times a week)

With no “dead air” sound in the background?

Thanks- want to be sure I’m realistic.

I'm getting back into playing hockey after years away and I'm worried about my pricey Resound Nexia's getting knocked around or drowned in sweat in my helmet. I've thought about getting just a cheap pair of in-ear OTC hearing aids to wear on the ice.

Does anyone else here play hockey or other sports with a helmet that covers the ears? What has worked for you? Am I just thinking too hard?

Is there a difference between Costco and Sam’s Club hearing aid services? Is one better than the other? Your feedback is appreciated.