I’ve taken all my audiograms and settings.
Three sources.
Peel Audiology (sold business) client for 8 years. One pair of hearing aids
CVA client for 1-1/2 years (provided my Phonak Audeo P90R’s)
HWM client for 6 months and very happy!
CVA did about 8 hearing tests in the time I was there. All his tests showed my hearing was better than when I was a client at Peel Audiology. I couldn’t hear the way my hearing aids were set up. He suggested I find someone who could help me more and did a quick fit and I left. He erased my programs and setup.
HWM has done 3 hearing tests, starting 6 months after I became a client. When I went there they did a quick fit that was much better than CVA. After 6 months they did a hearing test and 2 followups.
There was an immediate improvement using their audiogram. It gets better with each visit. Their tests show my hearing is 10-20 dB worse than CVA tested.
Test accuracy is so important. The skill of the person doing the setup is key.
Finally, I qualify for hearing aids due to exposure to loud noise at work. Ontario M.O.L. sets standards and maintains cost. Audis work extremely hard to get paid.
I was a client at Costco for maybe 10 yrs. The only time the audi had any problem was when there was a problem with the HA. The company rep could not fix them either. The Resound Costco is selling now are the Nexia 9 rebranded - which according to everything I read, are #1 rated in many forums. COST = $1699./pair. I have not gotten those because my Medicare Advantage $2500. HA benefit doesn’t reimburse, it must be used at Nations Hearing. The Nexia 9 there would cost me $5000. WITH the benefit applied. So, I opted to go to the VA. Oticon Real 1 at no cost except visit copays. Unfortunately, the Nexia 9s won’t be on their list until May 24 since they were released in Nov 23. The update their contracts in May and Nov. Just missed it. By then I think the Oticon Intent will also be available since they were released this month. Maybe the VA will swap them out for me in May.
Across 30 years, six generations of HA and about 15 audiology encounters, two steps forward stand out: the clinician who fed a microphone to the hearing aids and TALKED, and one who recently invited me to play a little keyboard while she adjusted the aids - extending below 100Hz.
Single-tone threshold testing from 250 up has its place but…