Audina BTE hearing aids

deafdrummer

deafdrummer

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Does anyone here have any experience with their power aids, especially the Class D models?

I currently have my Phonak E4s, but I don't know how much longer they can keep going nor how much longer I can find them on the open market. Without a suitable replacement, my music world ends. Period.
 
dude, there's new tech out there and since you have Phonaks now, I would recommend some Phonak aids with their own streamer called the Icom.
no worries, Icom peeps will show up around here :D
 
Girl, it's lady, and for your information, I asked about Audina because they are an unknown AND because they still make ANALOG hearing aids. I hate the current digital offerings because

they are totally inappropriate for music and do not sound as good as analogs

I hope we all now understand the reason for this request. Thank you.
 
Sarfarigirl2011 said:
dude, there's new tech out there and since you have Phonaks now, I would recommend some Phonak aids with their own streamer called the Icom.
no worries, Icom peeps will show up around here :D
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I have kind of kept it to myself but I now feel the need to say what's on my mind ... I get that you're a younger member of the forum but I feel you really need to read what you write before you actually submit your posts.
 
Are you not able to look on eBay? There are loads of analog aids on eBay.

A guy that I know has just stocked up on his Oticon analog aids as he couldn't get used to digital aids.

We also have a place near us that repairs any hearing aids no matter what the age so he knows he is sorted for a long time to come.
 
I NEVER go through eRipoff. You NEVER know the people nor the quality of the aids you get. Even sometimes you get a dud that dies within a year of purchase from the audiologist, because he can't control what has happened to the aid before it lands in his hands.

What you have to understand is that the E4s are approaching 13 years old as a series, and Phonak centers no longer have the receivers in repair stocks. The receivers are the weak link in the hearing aid, and thusly, they ran out before the other parts started running out.

I ALWAYS buy mine through my audiologist, as he can listen to it and ascertain the condition before selling it to me. There's going to be a day coming, though when they are no longer available, and the age approaches the point where even the best-in-shape ones only lasts a few months for a few hundred dollars.

I'm going to write off Audina at this point unless someone wants to buy them for me for a review article. They are a complete unknown, with no reviews of them whatsoever in Internet space, apparently... There may be a reason why...
 
deafdrummer said:
Girl, it's lady, and for your information, I asked about Audina because they are an unknown AND because they still make ANALOG hearing aids. I hate the current digital offerings because

they are totally inappropriate for music and do not sound as good as analogs

I hope we all now understand the reason for this request. Thank you.
Click to expand...

I've worn analog hearing aids from six years old up until November of 2011. I'm 45 now so I've been wearing the analogs for the better part of my life and the adjustment to digitals was difficult for the reasons you mention. Music is a big part of my life and I was heartbroken when it just sounded metallic and my Latin Guitar, like a toy. I didn’t do too much research when I bought my entry level Starkey’s because my analogs were broken and I needed something quick. My insurance covered all but $500…sadly the digitals themselves were crap. After months of going back and forth for adjustments (six or seven times at least with little improvement), I knew I needed something better if for no reason than to get my normal hearing life back. I broke down and bought Widex Fusion 440 in June 2012 (shortly after paying $5,000 for chin surgery). The cost set me back more than $6k which was paid entirely out of pocket because I blew the insurance coverage with the Starkey models. The Widex has greatly improved my life. Even with the change in my right ear moving to profound, I’m able to enjoy my guitar again and recognize all the voices of my favorite singers. It’s been a wonderful experience.

I can certainly appreciate why you want to stay with the analogs but even the company you mention will at some point stop making them. At the very least, you need to consider what you’ll do when the tubes need changing, new molds or something not easily fixed like the aid itself needing repairs. When my analog aid needed to go back to the shop so to speak, I was without anything for a week or so. I can only imagine what it’ll be like for you since the local hearing shops will not have the parts you need and you’ll have to return it to them and wait for it to get back, however long it'll take between the mailing and repair time. Often the one on one exchange is critical, so you’re assuming a risk to buy hearing aids from a company no one has heard of and questionable quality….but it’s your money. I say this just to let you know as another person that really missed my analogs, there are digitals on the market that will give you back the analog sound and more. Starkey didn’t for me, but Widex did and it gave me perks with Bluetooth and with the TV. Something to think about…..

Laura
 
Lau2046 said:
I've worn analog hearing aids from six years old up until November of 2011. I'm 45 now so I've been wearing the analogs for the better part of my life and the adjustment to digitals was difficult for the reasons you mention. Music is a big part of my life and I was heartbroken when it just sounded metallic and my Latin Guitar, like a toy. I didn’t do too much research when I bought my entry level Starkey’s because my analogs were broken and I needed something quick. My insurance covered all but $500…sadly the digitals themselves were crap. After months of going back and forth for adjustments (six or seven times at least with little improvement), I knew I needed something better if for no reason than to get my normal hearing life back. I broke down and bought Widex Fusion 440 in June 2012 (shortly after paying $5,000 for chin surgery). The cost set me back more than $6k which was paid entirely out of pocket because I blew the insurance coverage with the Starkey models. The Widex has greatly improved my life. Even with the change in my right ear moving to profound, I’m able to enjoy my guitar again and recognize all the voices of my favorite singers. It’s been a wonderful experience.

I can certainly appreciate why you want to stay with the analogs but even the company you mention will at some point stop making them. At the very least, you need to consider what you’ll do when the tubes need changing, new molds or something not easily fixed like the aid itself needing repairs. When my analog aid needed to go back to the shop so to speak, I was without anything for a week or so. I can only imagine what it’ll be like for you since the local hearing shops will not have the parts you need and you’ll have to return it to them and wait for it to get back, however long it'll take between the mailing and repair time. Often the one on one exchange is critical, so you’re assuming a risk to buy hearing aids from a company no one has heard of and questionable quality….but it’s your money. I say this just to let you know as another person that really missed my analogs, there are digitals on the market that will give you back the analog sound and more. Starkey didn’t for me, but Widex did and it gave me perks with Bluetooth and with the TV. Something to think about…..

Laura
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Totally agree with that Laura.

I wore super power analog aids for 24 years up till last year. I personally thought digital sounded awful for a long time but I stuck with it and now I actually hear better and music sounds the same as it always has.
 
NaidaUP said:
Totally agree with that Laura.

I wore super power analog aids for 24 years up till last year. I personally thought digital sounded awful for a long time but I stuck with it and now I actually hear better and music sounds the same as it always has.
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How do you know you haven't forgotten what it used to sound like? You're supposed to hear the basic foundation as unchanged, and then it's the other things you hadn't noticed before that is different. Instead with digitals, it's completely different and does not sound close to what comes out of loudspeakers at rock concerts (I know, because I can hear them UNAIDED if they're loud enough). That is why I'm complaining. It is just like getting glasses that clear things up a bit, but you keep seeing a gaussian blur in your glasses, so what you see isn't what you remember seeing only years before. You see, I have a point of reference you may not have thought about, hearing rock loudspeakers unaided.

And Laura, all the things you're talking about, that's been going on for years, getting hearing aids fixed, then resorting to buying hearing aids for parts and knowing one day there will be no more. I've already known that for the last 5 years. I've been wearing hearing aids for 40 years! I don't suppose you know what it was like going from vacuum tubes to solid state electronics in the 70s, do you? The warm tone of the music coming from my Mom's console; it was like a trip right back to the 1940s, wow! Then it was gone until they started making them again in affordable numbers to bring the sound back.
 
Deafdrummer, obviously you're going to do what you want. However, not many people would encourage consumers to buy from a fly by night business that no one has heard of, pushing a product that won't be on par with Starkey, Phonak or any established company's analog hearing aid models. If if breaks, you're dealing one on one with the company itself with questionable customer service, but again, your money to blow. Not many people have money to throw away. I was tempted to go your route when my analogs broke but after long consideration, I didn't want to pay money for something that might break three or six months down the road - and be out of options in the meantime. Remember, when it does break, you are going without hearing until it gets returned and it could take a month, assuming it doesn't get lost in the mail.

There are companies making digital hearing aids, well known, established companies, that can give you the analog sound. I wore my analogs into the ground, and when they broke, I gave digitals the old college try but I was very unhappy with the results. When I was fitted with the Widex, I had a feeling similar to what actress Jeanne Moreau described towards NYC: "Each time I come to New York, it's like meeting again someone I love." When my Widex digitals were activated, I felt I was meeting again that analog sound that I love. It was an amazing moment. You haven't given digitals a fair chance, and I would recommend going to someone that give you more brands to try - or keep visiting different offices that will allow you to try others. You haven't found the right hearing aid. If I stopped after my frustration with Starkey, I would have never been enjoying what I do now. Personally, I feel sorry for people in your situation that are clinging to a dying product. You have no idea what you're missing out on.

Laura
 
I sincerely hope you're correct. When I'm in the market for new hearing aids, and I have full health insurance once again, I just may do it. Except this time, I will be calling the shots. No more DARS telling me what I can and can't have. Please tell me about your experience with the Widex brand. I've heard of them, but have never, ever worn them for lack of access to them.

The important factors are adjustability of the frequency curve, turning all speech processing and effects OFF, and good, solid Direct Audio Input equipment design and reliability.

I'm still on my 12-year-old DIA boots that work well once I seat them in properly. I've had ReSound and Interton boots either break or strip the housing threads after a few weeks' usage.

Thanks!
 
deafdrummer said:
I sincerely hope you're correct. When I'm in the market for new hearing aids, and I have full health insurance once again, I just may do it. Except this time, I will be calling the shots. No more DARS telling me what I can and can't have. Please tell me about your experience with the Widex brand. I've heard of them, but have never, ever worn them for lack of access to them.

The important factors are adjustability of the frequency curve, turning all speech processing and effects OFF, and good, solid Direct Audio Input equipment design and reliability.

I'm still on my 12-year-old DIA boots that work well once I seat them in properly. I've had ReSound and Interton boots either break or strip the housing threads after a few weeks' usage.

Thanks!
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Hearing aids information - Widex International. Digital Hearing Aids.

Widex was fantastic. I have the 440 (Clear) Fusion model. My audi mentioned that the next time around I may want to consider Super 440 for the right ear given the profound loss, which I may. Technology is changing so quickly, who knows what will be available next month, let alone in a year. Obviously since I've blown my insurance coverage with Starkey, I have to wait I think for three years to buy again. I plan to do so and use the ones I've got now as back ups. The Starkeys are really useless for that and nowhere near as good as Widex.

How good is the quality? Out of the box, I was told "This is what they believe the setting should be based on your loss," and it hit the mark. I really needed no adjustments. Starkey, I needed a million, six visits to the hearing aid center, and I was miserable with the sound....and so weren't my parents who couldn't get over how deaf I was. I really did hear better with the Starkey analogs than I did with their digitals. I was so desperate that I was tempted to buy analogs over the Internet, but between the maintenance, and the customer service which would probably be over the phone and questionable, I decided against it. There are no reputable companies making analogs and I didn't want to risk the financial loss. I did the research.

I would not have bought the Widex after my analogs broke because I didn't want to pay that much and I couldn't afford it at the time, but I ended up paying more because the econmy models just suck. I thought Starkey was great with analogs, they'll be great with digitals, but they're not - they trail Phonak and Widex and just aren't as good.

I have M DEX which allows me to have Bluetooth with my cell. Can't use the phone at work (never did really) but I have the cell and the sound goes straight to my hearing aids. I can hear on the cell for the first time in my life. I can also turn the volume up or down, or off as I choose. TV DEX allows me to have the TV volume completely off, yet still hear my programs clearly, and turn the volume up or down if I need it. It's like watching the TV with headphones. I've never used anything like it. My first couple of hours with Widex, my parents commented how quiet my room was because I could hear everything finally. I went back to my guitar, music sounded great - Widex gave me my life back.

I don't know which model you'd need based on your loss but I've had great success with Widex. It sounds remarkably natural and normal to what I heard with analogs. When you have the full insurance, you need to find a hearing aid center that carries Widex and try it out. I won't lie, I didn't want to spend $6k but it was worth every cent to have my life back. You might have the same success with Phonak but you do need to try others than what you were given. You'll know the right HA from the moment it's activated, just like I did with my current HA. It should be that quick, if not, try other models. HA aren't one size fits all, it's very individual, but you shouldn't judge them all by your bad experience. They differ greatly by brand and model, but depending on your loss, you'll probably have better results with the high end models...at least I did.

Laura
 
Thanks! The E4s are for the profoundly deaf category. I need the most powerful out there with the widest frequency range (and has to have this range that matches or exceeds the E4's range, or I will notice the difference and notice which sounds drop off into thin air). I certainly will check them out. If things turn out well in the financial market this year, I may in fact buy TWO SETS and store one set in a safety deposit box at a bank. It may be a couple of decades before stem cell therapy is even considered a remote possibility.
 
I forgot to add one other thing - how do you listen to music? Do you use a Direct Audio Input cable, or is it wireless? That might be one reason why they cost $6,000.
 
deafdrummer said:
I forgot to add one other thing - how do you listen to music? Do you use a Direct Audio Input cable, or is it wireless? That might be one reason why they cost $6,000.
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You'll probably need the Super 440 for profound loss. The good news is that they have a bigger battery so they don't use as much as my models which last only a week. There's a program that is specificially for music, it lets you hear all the ranges and different pitches which is what I use when listening to CDs in the car or at home. Another feature, which I don't use, is with the M-DEX. If allows you to hook up an iPod so that the sound goes straight to the ears. I haven't used it myself since I don't have an iPod or the desire to use it but that's what it's there for, again, it's a feature with the M-DEX. The audi can show how to set that up.

It costs $6k because it's a high end model and comes with M-DEX, TV-DEX and allows you to get music in much the same way as hearing folks do. You'd pay for those acessories with a mid range model but it's free with the high end model. (They don't work with low end or entry models). You even get a hand remote that fits on a key change for just the basic up and down volume. I use it at the gym to turn everyone off because I hate the music they play. Believe me, you really do get what you pay for and Widex gives you a lot. They even now offer the FM feature I keep hearing about but that's with specific Super 440 models. You read about all these perks on the website. You can change the mic to go forward, to the side or behind you, turn the volume up, down or off (always great when you're walking in high traffic areas). It's given me the best sound with the least hassle since I was forced to go digitals. I haven't had to go in to adjust the sound since I picked them up in late June 2012 and that's saying a lot. I want hearing aids to work and keep me out of the audi's office and these do.

As soon as Blue Cross gives me the green light to buy again, I think I'll be moving into Super 440 myself - I'm guessing by November 2013? Who knows what the technology will be like then. I'm hoping they'll get PHONE DEX here but right now that's only available in Europe. You do have options, more than what you think and with the insurance covering partial or all - I think Blue Cross has raised the amount of coverage from $2k to much higher, it'll help cover the cost. Hope this helps...but again, find an audi experienced in Widex. They make all the difference too.

Laura
 
Laura
The figure $6,000 keeps coming up for cost. Is that for one or two?
 
deafdrummer said:
I forgot to add one other thing - how do you listen to music? Do you use a Direct Audio Input cable, or is it wireless? That might be one reason why they cost $6,000.
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they were cnn news about 1.30pm i no catch all of it but maybe you could do a catch up..subject was this and 3d printers being good for deaf
 
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