User Panel
Many consumer electronics are, at one level, a matter of processor and components. A little bit weird hearing aids are not sold on this basis.
Amlogic vs Rockchip comparison tests are useful. Mumbo Jumbo industry. |
|
I thought it was basically a re-naming of a product that was already available, but not technically considered a hearing aid? A few weeks ago, I read something about it but I don't remember where.
|
|
With how people are destroying their hearing with all these headphones these days, it should end up being a lucrative business.
|
|
|
Quoted: Walmart and Sam's Club are both offering OTC hearing aids online, and in over 1,000 Vision Centers located in Walmart stores in Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas. Over 470 Sam's Club Hearing Aid Center locations will also have OTC hearing aids in store. Hearing aids from Walmart will cost between $199 to $999 per pair, and be from brands like Lexie, which is powered by Bose, and HearX. View Quote Bose? The same Bose that makes awesome speakers. I can't wait to get a pair of their hearing aids. I wonder if Dr. Dre will be offering beats hearing aids with bass enhancement technology. |
|
Now we can confidently shoot our guns and go to concerts w/o hearing protection.
|
|
No problem...get your prescription at home. With your cell phone. I have one, and it works. Get my numbers then order glasses online. https://www.eyeque.com/ |
|
Quoted: Just don't expect them to do as much as the Real thing.... You can get a watch for 10$, don't expect it to be a Rolex..... View Quote That probably sounded good in your head, but it’s a pretty terrible analogy. For $50 I can get a watch that will keep time more accurately and offer more functions while accepting far more abuse and not requiring the service that a Rolex does. |
|
|
Quoted: There are people out there who understand a simple fact: you almost always get what you pay for. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: That are actually people out there that are hearing aid snobs? There are people out there who understand a simple fact: you almost always get what you pay for. What do you get with a $10,000 Rolex that you don’t with a $50 G-Shock and that would be relevant to hearing aids? |
|
Heard about this and wondering if anyone knows if the higher end electronic ear protection manufacturers have plans to take advantage of this? Was looking at axil or tetra for duck hunting and the high end ones are basically hearing aid technology (certainly charge prescription prices).
|
|
Glad to see this. My right inner ear had to be totally rebuilt due to damage from a Cholestiatoma, and I've needed a hearing aid for that ear for about 4 years, but am not paying what the Rolex salsemen are charging for them.
|
|
|
Quoted: What do you get with a $10,000 Rolex that you don’t with a $50 G-Shock and that would be relevant to hearing aids? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: That are actually people out there that are hearing aid snobs? There are people out there who understand a simple fact: you almost always get what you pay for. What do you get with a $10,000 Rolex that you don’t with a $50 G-Shock and that would be relevant to hearing aids? Investment for re-sale. duh. |
|
Quoted: You’ve missed the point of his analogy. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: My 20 dollar watch is more accurate than a rolex. You’ve missed the point of his analogy. You missed the point where you should buy monster audio and usb cords. They are the best. |
|
Good! The prices they charge for these things is absurd! I think my father's was about $5K for 2 ears. Think about the electronics in them and what material goes into a set of quality shooting muffs. Just nuts.
|
|
Quoted: I'm just going to say this, as someone who works in the industry (the actual equipment) Just don't expect them to do as much as the Real thing.... You can get a watch for 10$, don't expect it to be a Rolex..... View Quote Frankly, as someone who does not work in the industry, I don't expect someone who does to be objective. About 25 percent people in their 60s have disabling hearing loss and that figure rises to 50 percent at age 70. The vast majority of them do not have hearing aids, due at least in part to their expense and access to associated care ...and some research shows the resultant isolation may impart a number of significant adverse health effects, including a greater chance of earlier onset dementia. Imagine if 90% of people with significant vision loss could not afford glasses because a pair cost $7000 and were generally not covered by insurance, so they just walked around nearly blind all day, fumbling their way around in an increasingly isolated state. That's tough to imagine. That's the situation with older Americans and hearing loss. So yeah, I think the industry needs a fire lit under it. |
|
My audiologist told me years ago this was coming. She also said with computers the way they are folk will be able to test their own hearing and order the appropriate programming. I feel bad for her, this will definitely eat into her business but will help me out quite a bit.
|
|
|
Quoted: Frankly, as someone who does not work in the industry, I don't expect someone who does to be objective. View Quote Well sure, he’s obviously got a ton to gain by offering his opinion on arfcom Sure, they’re probably inflated in price just like everything else in the medical industry. Peddling them at wal-mart where the product is virtually guaranteed to be substandard isn’t the answer. |
|
I have been waiting for this for some time.
I some hearing damage and always wanted some hearing aids. I never bought them due to the extortionate pricing and lengthy process it took to get them. Once Sony, Apple, Bose snd other audio companies start tapping the market and start competing, they will cost far less and be way better. There will be stores that sell them with hearing auditors on site that can adjust them with loads of options at reasonable prices. |
|
|
Quoted: Well sure, he’s obviously got a ton to gain by offering his opinion on arfcom Sure, they’re probably inflated in price just like everything else in the medical industry. Peddling them at wal-mart where the product is virtually guaranteed to be substandard isn’t the answer. View Quote If it helps someone understand a conversation, why would it be substandard? |
|
Quoted: My audiologist told me years ago this was coming. She also said with computers the way they are folk will be able to test their own hearing and order the appropriate programming. I feel bad for her, this will definitely eat into her business but will help me out quite a bit. View Quote Several websites for hearing aids have an online hearing test function. I haven't tried using one since they recommend headphones, thought about using my airpods but then I went and had a proper test. My doc will provide me with the audiology test results if I choose to buy elsewhere. |
|
|
Quoted: If you think the main difference for the disparity in price is that one is a status symbol and the other isn’t… yeah…. Woosh. Enjoy your $20 Timex, it’s a fine timepiece. View Quote Enjoy your shitty rolex. They ain't worth the money as a time piece, and the maintenance and cleaning is bullshit as well. A cheap Japanese quartz movement kicks it's ass in intended function, but if you like "old world" complexity and "craftsmanship" and willing to pay stupid money for the privilege, knock yourself out. |
|
|
|
Quoted: If it helps someone understand a conversation, why would it be substandard? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Well sure, he’s obviously got a ton to gain by offering his opinion on arfcom Sure, they’re probably inflated in price just like everything else in the medical industry. Peddling them at wal-mart where the product is virtually guaranteed to be substandard isn’t the answer. If it helps someone understand a conversation, why would it be substandard? One review I read recently on the few brands that were ready to roll out when today came mentioned an imbalance across frequencies to be a common complaint. Higher pitched sounds were amplified to levels more than normal, certain tones like a phone ringing or a doorbell sounded unnaturally loud. That may be because higher frequencies are where most people have problems and the manufacturers over compensated. I know I can't hear high pitched sounds worth a damn but I don't want to jump out of my skin when the phone rings. |
|
Quoted: Seems that could be accomplished with a phone application. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Will Walmart be doing exams and programming the hearing aids to match a person's hearing loss? Seems that could be accomplished with a phone application. Thats what I am thinking....have your phone link to the hearing aids and run a little test then program. |
|
Price aside, Costco’s Kirkland brand and Oticon got high marks for sound clarity, while the other brands we rated received average scores.
All but one brand received high marks for ease of changing or charging their battery (the exception was Lucid, which received an average score), and all received average to high marks for reliability and visibility to others. But for battery life, Audibel, Bernafon, Lucid, and Unitron fared less well than the others we rated. The Kirkland, Phillips, and Oticon brands received high marks for some of the situations in which people commonly use hearing aids: while listening to the TV or radio and talking on a cell phone. (Phonak and Miracle-Ear also received high marks for listening to the TV or radio.) All brands received average scores for use when talking in small groups. And all got low marks when used for one-on-one conversations in noisy places, and in loud social settings generally. If you’re trying to decide which features you may want in hearing aids, CR members also reported on what they consider some of the most important ones. Smartphone capabilities were the most frequently chosen feature among our members in the hearing aid brand ratings sample. This was followed by rechargeable batteries, wireless connectivity to other devices, automatic switching/adjustment to level of noise in the room, and digital noise reduction. https://www.consumerreports.org/hearing-aids/best-and-worst-hearing-aid-brands-and-retailers-a1115767262/ |
|
Quoted: One review I read recently on the few brands that were ready to roll out when today came mentioned an imbalance across frequencies to be a common complaint. Higher pitched sounds were amplified to levels more than normal, certain tones like a phone ringing or a doorbell sounded unnaturally loud. That may be because higher frequencies are where most people have problems and the manufacturers over compensated. I know I can't hear high pitched sounds worth a damn but I don't want to jump out of my skin when the phone rings. View Quote I'm with you on that. Most people do lose the high end first. I have profound hearing loss, and have been using aids for years. I look forward to the day I can go buy some aids that do what I need, and not have to spend stupid money on them. When I am home, I take them out. I don't watch tv, and I don't need to hear the fridge kick on. When I am driving, I usually turn them off. No need to amplify road and wind noise to the level my aids work. The industry is the fault of the medical industrial complex. I find it hard to believe the tech in a hearing aid is 5x as complex as a 400.00 cell phone. As was stated earlier, there are tons of isolated older folks who can't afford to drop the coin for new hearing aids, and stop going places, seeing people, or getting any stimulation at all. It's fucking criminal. |
|
Quoted: One review I read recently on the few brands that were ready to roll out when today came mentioned an imbalance across frequencies to be a common complaint. Higher pitched sounds were amplified to levels more than normal, certain tones like a phone ringing or a doorbell sounded unnaturally loud. That may be because higher frequencies are where most people have problems and the manufacturers over compensated. I know I can't hear high pitched sounds worth a damn but I don't want to jump out of my skin when the phone rings. View Quote Interesting. I assume it will eventually be straightforward to create a mobile app that can allow the end user to tune them themselves. Perhaps an app that performs a similar "can you hear the tone" test for each ear, to identify which frequency bands need a boost and by how much, thereby creating a custom shaped profile that the user can uploaded via Bluetooth. Bonus, the user can save that profile and reupload it to a replacement device if they lose one ...or they can reperform the test and tuning anytime they want. If the end-user isn't comfortable performing the tuning themselves, perhaps due to age, they could still enlist the assistance of an audiologist... or even a family member. Will it be as good as an audiologist visit? Perhaps not initially, but given that the majority of elderly Americans who have debilitating hearing loss do not have hearing aids, a less expensive option is clearly needed. |
|
Quoted: Interesting. I assume it will eventually be straightforward to create a mobile app that can allow the end user to tune them themselves. Perhaps an app that performs a similar "can you hear the tone" test for each ear, to identify which frequency bands need a boost and by how much, thereby creating a custom shaped profile that the user can uploaded via Bluetooth. Bonus, the user can save that profile and reupload it to a replacement device if they lose one ...or they can reperform the test and tuning anytime they want. If the end-user isn't comfortable performing the tuning themselves, perhaps due to age, they could still enlist the assistance of an audiologist... or even a family member. Will it be as good as an audiologist visit? Perhaps not initially, but given that the majority of elderly Americans who have debilitating hearing loss do not have hearing aids, a less expensive option is clearly needed. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: One review I read recently on the few brands that were ready to roll out when today came mentioned an imbalance across frequencies to be a common complaint. Higher pitched sounds were amplified to levels more than normal, certain tones like a phone ringing or a doorbell sounded unnaturally loud. That may be because higher frequencies are where most people have problems and the manufacturers over compensated. I know I can't hear high pitched sounds worth a damn but I don't want to jump out of my skin when the phone rings. Interesting. I assume it will eventually be straightforward to create a mobile app that can allow the end user to tune them themselves. Perhaps an app that performs a similar "can you hear the tone" test for each ear, to identify which frequency bands need a boost and by how much, thereby creating a custom shaped profile that the user can uploaded via Bluetooth. Bonus, the user can save that profile and reupload it to a replacement device if they lose one ...or they can reperform the test and tuning anytime they want. If the end-user isn't comfortable performing the tuning themselves, perhaps due to age, they could still enlist the assistance of an audiologist... or even a family member. Will it be as good as an audiologist visit? Perhaps not initially, but given that the majority of elderly Americans who have debilitating hearing loss do not have hearing aids, a less expensive option is clearly needed. Mimi hearing test app does this. |
|
|
One person in this thread is acting like his ability to buy luxury watches is about to be impacted by patients and consumers no longer being captive to overpriced hearing aid business models.
|
|
Quoted: Mimi hearing test app does this. View Quote Ah, very cool. I'm not ramped up on the options. I just see firsthand the trouble and expense to which my mother has gone and how dissatisfied she generally is with hers, to the extent that she often just turns them off or removes them, which leaves her isolated, even in a family gathering. And I am now envisioning sound profiles, like TVs have, based on your current activity - speaking with someone alone in a room, speaking with someone in a crowded location (filtering other conversations out), watching TV, listening to a movie in a theater, driving, hiking, etc. Heck, perhaps they already have these capabilities. If not, they should. Just look at what a $100 pair of Samsung Ear Buds can do. And when hearing aids become consumer items, innovation will follow. |
|
Quoted: Ah, very cool. I'm not ramped up on the options. I just see firsthand the trouble and expense to which my mother has gone and how dissatisfied she generally is with hers, to the extent that she often just turns them off or removes them, which leaves her isolated, even in a family gathering. And I am now envisioning sound profiles, like TVs have, based on your current activity - speaking with someone alone in a room, speaking with someone in a crowded location (filtering other conversations out), watching TV, listening to a movie in a theater, driving, hiking, etc. Heck, perhaps they already have these capabilities. If not, they should. Just look at what a $100 pair of Samsung Ear Buds can do. And when hearing aids become consumer items, innovation will follow. View Quote There are hearing aids that can have different profiles for different situations. In my experience, they help somewhat, but hearing aids suck in loud social situations, I don't care who makes them. Here is my analogy. They are prosthetics, just like a hand or a foot when you lose them. They help you function in life, but they will never replace your natural hearing, no matter how much they cost. |
|
|
|
Quoted: We pretty much already do. Order an Eye-Q device, find your prescription, measure your PD, send to Zenni. $100 and 2 weeks later, you got glasses. View Quote Similar cost at Costco if you bring your own frames. That's usually how I update my older sets of eyeglasses (and/or convert them into sunglasses) after I get my annual pair elsewhere using my vision insurance. |
|
Quoted: There are hearing aids that can have different profiles for different situations. In my experience, they help somewhat, but hearing aids suck in loud social situations, I don't care who makes them. Here is my analogy. They are prosthetics, just like a hand or a foot when you lose them. They help you function in life, but they will never replace your natural hearing, no matter how much they cost. View Quote That sucks to hear, but I expect at some point they will be able to do far better due to advances in AI and special purpose cognitive models, which could factor in far more context, including voice prints and the actual conversation. But no doubt, real ears are the best. Real everything is generally the best. We have not yet realized the promise of the bionic man/woman...or gotten me an affordable jetpack. |
|
Quoted: Enjoy your shitty rolex. They ain't worth the money as a time piece, and the maintenance and cleaning is bullshit as well. A cheap Japanese quartz movement kicks it's ass in intended function, but if you like "old world" complexity and "craftsmanship" and willing to pay stupid money for the privilege, knock yourself out. View Quote LOL, while your post reeks of jealousy… I don’t own a Rolex. Enjoy your $20 Timex, it’s just as good. |
|
|
Quoted: LOL, while your post reeks of jealousy… I don’t own a Rolex. Enjoy your $20 Timex, it’s just as good. View Quote It's not a timex, it is a Casio. It works better as a watch than a rolex. I buy a watch to tell time. If a Rolex kept time like a nuclear clock, and I needed that precision, I would buy one. I don't and the rolex isn't even close as a precision time piece. A rolex is a status symbol for those who buy them and those who lust after them. Sorry, not jealous at all. I have never had a desire to own one. So what is the label on your hearing aids that make make everyone impressed by how much you spent? |
|
|
|
Quoted: From what I have gleaned it is up to the user to adjust the settings via the manufacturers app on most of them. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes |
|
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.