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Hearing Aid alternatives


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Just thought I would mention this in case of interest to others.

I have had a difficult "reverse slope" hearing problem for 40 years. I have seen countless audiologists (NHS and private) who all started out confident that they could sort it but eventually admitted defeat, the private ones after taking thousands of pounds from me over the years.

However, although not yet marketed as hearing aids, there are now off-the-shelf bluetooth devices from audio companies such as Bose that, in my case at least, provide a significant improvement and at a fraction of the cost of private aids (less than £300).

They are sold as hearphones and I have tried those by Bose and BeHear. The Bose give me a slightly better result but my loss is far from typical so what works for me might not be best for someone else. What is particularly impressive about the BeHear is that the accompanying app allows you to produce your own audiogram and program the device specifically to your particular graph. In fact, a slight criticism I have of the BeHear is that they seem almost too sophisticated/ complex for their own good. But I am still experimenting with them so I might be commenting a little too early.

Both have much less aesthetic appeal than hearing aids as the electronics are in a collar that goes around the neck and is linked by thick black leads to very noticeable ear buds. Frankly, I have reached the point where I don't care too much what things look like if they can enable me to join in conversations! In fact, they are marketed as conversation enhancers, rather than hearing aids, and are aimed as much at people with reasonable hearing who struggle in difficult situations (crowds, pubs, restaurants) as at those with distinct hearing problems.

As usual, the technology was first launched in the States and initially they were unable to call them hearing aids due to licensing laws. I gather however that Bose have now come to an agreement with the authorities over this and I think we can expect to see an opening up of the market over the next year or so and some welcome competition to the lucrative hearing aid industry.

I can only really comment on the two makes I have tried. There are others such as NuHear buds that do not have the collar and leads as all the electronics are in the ear buds. My cousin who tried those was unimpressed but, again, it may be horses for courses.
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Ah yes, this is interesting to those that live with hearing problems.

My OH had some hearing problems when I met him and obviously 45 years later it has got far worse. 

The digital aids have helped but he has only had them for the past few years, nothing suggested previously for the nature of his problem. We are now about back to what his hearing was in his thirties, so far from 'good' but a lot better.

We shall look into these things and see if friends have tried them too.

My husband over the last few years has been going away to work with a charity and upon his return said that he had tried Bose head phones which went over his hearing aids and they were good. We sort of hoped he could use something like that to watch tv, save the tv being on so loud.

Off we trundled to Currys who seem to have a good selection, but none appeared to be as he had hoped, certainly not the fit.

As with lots of things in life, it is not just the person who is hard of hearing who is affected, the entourage is too, especially me............ and the quip that I get that I talk a lot, does not go down well..........[blink] as I have to repeat just about everything at least three times. So yes, I look like I am talking a lot, I would prefer to talk a third less!

Incidentally I can talk a lot, I can be very very chatty, but, as the expression goes around here.....I am not one of those who can talk underwater! And I am a good listener.

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That is the problem, everyone seems to have differing problems and getting to grips with each one seems very difficult.

My husband was told for years and years that there was nothing for him. Took cajoling etc etc to get him to go and see someone a few years ago and see if there was anything new on the market.

Things improved with his digital hearing aids. Not great, but a lot better.

edit, as I must add, 'In France'.....The other problem I suppose is the cost, I know that one of Macron's marvellous new things was to make some things free or a lot cheaper, and am wondering if that came to fruition.

And the other problem is awkward old folk, who have perfectly good hearing aids, and won't wear them... we are not young, but have friends substantially older than us, and one friend simply refuses to wear his and he paid full wack for his, getting on for £3k.

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I would just add that the Bose HEARphones are quite different from their HEADphones. They have 3 live directional microphones per ear so act more like hearing aids. But for some reason seem to work better.

There are some drawbacks over hearing aids in addition to the cosmetic disadvantage. For a start, the rechargeable battery lasts not much more than a day in continuous use. The expected life of the battery is 500 charges and they stress it cannot be replaced. So they expect you to chuck the whole device away after around 2 years. (If I am still using mine then, I will probably slice open the sealed neck piece to see if the batteries are accessible and replaceable despite the blurb.)

Although there is a control module that dangles from the collar to enable you to adjust volume, receive and make telephone calls and to stream media, the buttons are so small and awkward to reach that I find it quite useless. The controls are however replicated in the app via bluetooth.

I will post more results as and when I make further progress if people remain interested.
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AZ I realised that the 'hear' was different to the 'head'.

As my OH is currently using fairly new digital hearing aids, he will not be going for anything new, for the time being.

However, I would be really interested in how this goes for you. Keep posting please.

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Just to comment on an earlier post of yours, idun:

QUOTE IDUN

.... We sort of hoped he could use something like that to watch tv, save the tv being on so loud.

END QUOTE

Have you tried calling up the subtitles for TV programmes? Or would that annoy the rest of you just as much?

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I burst out laughing when I read that Loiseau.[:D]

Yes, we have subtitles, and the sound up, and he often talks over the tv and then asks ME what they are saying. As he starts speaking, I look over at him, perhaps, with a simple look of annoyance, perhaps thinking something ruder, perhaps being amused, because sometimes I am....... AND I have missed the subtitles as well as me not being able to hear because of him talking.

So there you have it, chez moi, he talks at the tv when he shouldn't, so doesn't hear and has distracted himself sufficiently with his own words that he misses the sub titles.

He has always had poor hearing, so it is not something that I am not used to.

and a foot note, I am not supposed to talk to the tv, as it is too distracting. [Www]

I suspect that this plays out in many a household, especially the talking to the tv bit. [:D]

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I use subtitles where available - many programmes do not have them.

What I find even more useful is to plug a small bluetooth transmitter into the tv headphone socket. The sound is then sent directly to my bluetooth headphones, or to the hearphones, whilst others can listen normally via the tv loudspeakers.
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[quote user="Alan Zoff"]I use subtitles where available - many programmes do not have them.

What I find even more useful is to plug a small bluetooth transmitter into the tv headphone socket. The sound is then sent directly to my bluetooth headphones, or to the hearphones, whilst others can listen normally via the tv loudspeakers.[/quote]

That’s a great idea.
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