One of my audiologists gave me a brochure about the brand that I’m buying, she never said anything about color, and none of my other audiologists made comments on color, they focused on what was most important for them and for me, of course.
While I was working on how to raise enough money for this expense, I also reviewed the pile of information on hearing aids that suddenly appeared in my life. Here Doc Jake at #18 and Psocoptera at # 19 said what I found out:
"… and whatever factory color you pick the cost is the same.
"… The price of making different colours is negligible compared to the price of hearing aids.
Oh! well, no matter the color the price is the same, here is when it came to my mind what you said.
KerBear at #14
I think you should go for either of those colors. You are the one wearing the HAs, and yes, you may as well have a little bit of fun with them.
Having a positive attitude to HAs is something we should all encourage.
I am just entering this world of hearing aids, my first perception, which could be changed by factors not taken into account, is that there is no positive attitude towards HAs. And apparently some of us are apathetic towards the HAs. Thank you for encouraging such a positive attitude in favor of HAID.
"… Colour can also make them easier to find and less likely to be misplaced.
That you just said is true. Amid all I read about color in hearing aids I found a comment from someone who was with another person, in the middle of something they were doing they dropped the hearing aid and could not find it on the floor because of the color.
Someone might say this is a meaningless story, but I, personally, with the money I’m spending I do not want to be in this situation, locating the hearing aid is imperative.
I have to thank you and JeffBowser for participating. In your opinion and in the opinion of JeffBowser I find a lot of concern about the work that the hearing aid should do. And it seems that so much concern has left no place for fun. I am nobody to tell “No worry, everything going to be alright”. However, if I read this:
They are not a fashion statement they make me hear better
I will tell you, Yes they will make you hear better, just pick the one for you particular situation and have fun.
I know we’ve been talking about this in sort of a fun vs. function way, but in seriousness, this “fun” part, or at least trying to take my hearing aids, and thus my hearing loss, in a somewhat light-hearted way has really helped me adjust to what is, when you come down to it, a real disability.
I’m not saying this works for everybody, but it’s been good for me to be very open about wearing hearing aids. There have been times, especially in a couple of the tutorials I’ve taught in the last few years, where people were less than nice. But overall, I think being frank and not too serious has encouraged people to be a bit kind, and given me opportunities to ask for help. Not trying to hide my aids, or looking for ways to make them a bit more fun, has been part of that. It’s also helped me the few times people have been rude, to just look at their ill will as their problem and not feel bad about it.
Again, I’m not saying this is for everybody. And I’ve been lucky to be in work environments especially where I’ve got a great deal of flexibility. But it sucks, it really does, missing out on a lot, trying to fill in the blanks, getting exhausted doing something that everybody else can do for hours without even thinking about it. Having friends – or falling in love with people – whose voices are hard to understand. Bleh.
So yeah it is kind of serious, this playing around. We’ve all got our own ways of dealing with the costs, and the pain, of this experience, and I think this is one thing that can help some of us out.
If you do not like my post just put me on ignore. The purpose of any board is to get multiple thought. as for me color is the least important factor in choosing an aid. As for negligible cost next time you are in an audi office that stocks HA’s find out how much it costs to stock one boring color vs 10 exciting colors of the same aid. FWIW manufactures also hire marketing people, test groups, chemists and also have to stock different colors all at a cost. I would rather they spend the R&D money on clarity vs color but I may be an exception so have fun with the pink ones.
Whoa; chill! Nobody’s trying to take away your pink-beige hearing aids. And while I don’t actually know that much about the fabrication of plastics, my guess is that making different colours available is a teentsy-tiny expense compared to the cost of the hearing aid.
And in so far as we are giving credit to the marketing and sales machinery that drive the industry, my guess is also that they offer these choices because they do sell. Not to you, obvs, but to some of us. Check out the sales literature for pediatric hearing aids – intriguing, fun colours figure prominently. So they’re not just doing it – my guess, anyway! – because they read this forum and realize there are a few weirdos who want, whatever, hot-pink paisley hearing aids. As well, every hearing aid I have had has easily-removeable and -switchable outer shells. Takes a minute, in the office. It’s not like they have to retool the assembly line or anything.
"… every hearing aid I have had has easily-removeable and -switchable outer shells. Takes a minute, in the office. It’s not like they have to retool the assembly line or anything.
I bet any of us do not need anyone’s help to change that, just order the new shells with the new color online. Here a video to confirm what you just said.
"… getting exhausted doing something that everybody else can do for hours without even thinking about it. Having friends – or falling in love with people – whose voices are hard to understand. Bleh.g
Seriously, that statement is true. I can extend it to one more situation, my job for example, I have to use my ear and my ability to listen is important. This acquisition in Lime Green color is part of the steps I am taking to try to pass certain disadvantage, for example, I am deducing that I have not been promoted to that other job because my deafness is a point.
But here I have Mr. JustEd Wanting to tell me what is fashion statement and what is not. And tell me that I have to adjust myself to what they have in the office to offer me, ah!, because the cost of keeping color inventory is a lot for the seller.
Let me say how I see it, I have the money to pay and I going to look hard to every where until I find out the best offer for my money, if the audi office that stocks HA’s Has what I want, then I am his client, and what I want includes choosing color.
My audiologist orders each HA for each patient and has samples of the available colours. She does not pay to stock every colour of every aid. She does ask which colour you would like. It is no big deal and since I did not get the colour I would prefer it is pretty obvious that I put the type and quality of HA above the colour also but that does not mean that I prefer that colour. No one in this thread suggested that we put colour ahead of hearing.
As for “ignoring” you - that is not in my nature. Feel free to let us discuss colour of HAs also. Do not blame us for the price of HAs as the colour range is not the problem. We all understand your frustration at not having the hearing we would prefer and affordable solutions to hearing problems.
I just discovered it is not possible the color change by changing the shell to Widex Unique. This one I am buying, Fusion 330., is water proof, the manual explicitly notes it. On the other hand, in this thread Widex Unique 440 Reviews, skinnerd added this link Widex Unique Product Review, That man added photos of himself bathing with the hearing aids.
In this thread we talked a lot about the color of the hearing aids, I asked about Lime Green and Sporty Red. Finally I chose the Lime Green, here a video:
I actually have a Unique 440 right now. I have also spoken directly with a Widex factory rep, The IP58 rating is a bit of fiction. They actively discourage you from getting this aid wet at all.
I agree with you, my first thought was in any case do not abuse it, it is not advisable to take any unnecessary risk.
Because we are talking about wetting the hearing aid, let me ask you and ask this thread, and what if I want to use the hearing aid in the gym. For example, I usually run almost a mile on the treadmill in 12 minutes, that makes me sweat.
I remember that before my Tympanoplasty surgery I could never use headphones to listen to music, almost any sound was heard as an old speaker on AM radio, after my surgery I can now listen to music using headphones.
With this Unique 330 I plan to buy the com-dex, then I wonder, can I use my music APP on Android and my hearing aid as a headset?.
I’m assuming your aids are under warranty. I’d try it. If one fails, you’ll get it replaced and then be more cautious. It does not seem like abuse to me. Mark
I say this all the time up here. I have never once had a sweat-based HA failure. I think they are far more resilient than people think. IP58 means they should work underwater. Even if this is a bald-faced marketing lie, they at least should hold up to ambient moisture.
