Hearing Aids – What to Look For?

In my opinion the Oticon OPN hearing aid is the best on the market, I have been wearing it for 2 years or more and have zero complaints. I have tried aids from all manufacturers over the 40 years I've been wearing them, Oticon wins. GN ReSound are also very good. Phonak is the most popular but overrated IMO, havibng said that, Costco repackage Phonak aids and are almost certainly the cheapest place you will pick up top of the range aids.

It is important to test the aid during the trial period. They are never "pop them in and go" you will find some things too loud and others too quiet, a first fitting is rarely correct and certainly not the for the first time wearer. Check wind noise, background noise in bars and pubs, check what people sound like behind you and to the side. Do all the normal things you do everyday and see how the aids perform in those situations, many are not perfect everywhere, so what it sounds liek at home may be different to the office, etc.

Bluetooth connectivity has been a solved problem for many years. Most new-ish aids will work amazingly with iPhones and most with Android.

Check the apps. GN ReSound app is briliiant, Phonak's is too. Interestingly, Oticon have very little custom tuning in their app whereas other brands do (ie. you can move the bass/mid/treble etc) I thought this was a terrible mistake when I first got the OPNs but it was not, the aids are so good I never needed to fine tune them myself.

The "OTC" (over the counter) act is happening right now, which means hearing aids will be available to buy off the shelf and online. Some places are already doing this, Gn ReSound have a reseller online (I forget the name, Amplify?). But other brands like Oticon and Widex are still only available by going to a practioner and getting a fit from them.

If you do go and see a professional and get a hearing test and a fit, be very choosy, ask a LOT of questions. Just like any other profession, there's a human element and not all audiologists and registered hearing aid fitters are equal. Some will do a hearing test, fir the aids to the defaults settings and kick you out the door, you want someone who will tweak them based on your feedback.

I haven't posted much of late but check out our hearing aid info site at www dot hearingaidknow dot com.