Rechargeable hearing aids

[JOhnH]

Who has experience with these things? Do you like them?

My severe hearing loss required me to switch from CIC hearing aids to BTE hearing aids about two years ago. They work quite well, but I just don't like Behind the Ear hearing aids. They get caught in masks, they compete with glasses for ear space, they are a pain under aviation headsets, and when I work in the yard or exercise and get sweaty, the sweat makes them snap-crackle and stop. And sometimes the battery dies an inappropriate times, but I always carry extra so that isn't a big deal.

They now have the same technology in an In-The-Ear form, but they are rechargeable. I'm undecided on that. It wouldn't have been a problem since the pandemic, but that will end one day. I get up before 6am and (pre-covid) I often didn't get to bed till after midnight. That is 18 hours, which seems to be the expected time the charge lasts. But even my current HAs say the battery should last 7 days but I am lucky to get 5 days out of them.

They only thing worse than needing hearing aids is needing them and not having them.

 

[Matthew]

I have BTE (correction: RIC). I get approx 7 days on a 312 size battery. Sometimes 1/2 day more, sometimes 1/2 day less, on about 16 hrs/day. I rarely stream but the BT is always on. Different brands seem to have different life expectancy. Sometimes I will get 5-6 batteries in a row with 5-6 days life, so there seems to be plenty of variation from lot to lot. I get a couple hours notice before total battery failure.

I have no firsthand experience with rechargeables but I think you just plug them in every nigh and call it good. I *think* some can easily be swapped to normal batteries so that may be something to consider if you think you may be off the grid for a while.


Edit: correction- I have RIC, they fit behind the ear like BTE, but the speaker fits in the ear. There’s a technical difference that may also result in different battery life from a BTE.

 

[RickH]

My 6 or so year old BTEs died a couple of months ago. While trying to decide on what I wanted to do, I started researching on-line hearing aids, and started getting lots of ads from differrent companies. Just as an interim, I bought a set of in-ear rechargeable EP3s from Audien Hearing for about $150. They're not tuned for my specific hearing loss, but they work way better than they have any right to. I drop them on the charger before bed and they run all day. I should try running them for two days to see if they'll make it. I'm not sure they'd be good for flying as I have't had a chance to try them with a headset, but until I decide to drop $2-5K on a "professonal" set, these have been a lifesaver.

 

[Doc Holliday]

No batteries required. No charging either.

You’re welcome.

 

[Tom-D]

The problem with my aids is, when more than 1 person is talking it becomes a garbled mess.
I have no problem with the the re-chargable, put them on the charger in the evening they are ready to go in the morning.

another problem I have is when I wear them, people yell at me.

Back ground noice drives me crazy-er.

 

[ebetancourt]

I recently switched to Phonak rechargeable. I resisted because I didn't want the hassle of worrying about carrying the charger when traveling. But after trying them I bit the bullet. As most of you know, hearing isn't the problem, understanding is. These are really great. For flying I simply take them out and put my Halos on. The really neat thing is I can answer the phone on the hearing aid. Also, I don't watch much television but I got a device that plugs into the TV and streams directly to my hearing aids. For the first time in many years, I understand the TV dialogue really well.

Try these and forget the behind the ears mask thing.
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[just Bill]

I've been wearing hearing aids for over twenty years. I recently purchased rechargeable ReSound BTE aids at Costco. The Costco hearing test was the most comprehensive hearing exam I have EVER had, and that includes exams from ENT MD's. The programs/volume in these can be changed/modified with an app on my phone. I've never had rechargeable aids before, but like them, so far. The aids I had previously were in the ear and a pain in the hiney! They cost $8,000 and I didn't get any quality from them. Costco charged me $3,000 (including a TV receiver that transmits by bluetooth to my aids) for the aids, exam, follow-up, etc. I couldn't be happier with the professionalism of the hearing aid folks in Costco and am thrilled with my new aids. I can easily hear ATC again!

 

[flyingron]

I have had Resound Linx3D's and I've been happy with them. I got the larger version of them so I could put the 13 batteries in them which last me just over a week. The problem with the rechargeable is that they're only good for about a day's use and I think I'd find that more annoying.

Yeah, I ripped the things out of my ears pulling off the mask. I think that also explains breaking one of the receiver wires. Fortunately, you can get a complete new assembly for $39 and it's trivial to swap. I even went to the effort of recalibrating the DFS which probably wans't required, but I have the fitting software and the Airlink2 programming device so it's no big thing for me.

Yeah, streaming to the aids (The Linx 3D will go direct from the iPhone or bounce off the phone clip for just about any other Bluetooth device including my watch and the laptop). Not too long after I got the aids, we were driving through an unfamiliar town. My wife asked me how I knew where I was going. I just pointed at my ear and said "I hear voices."

 

[Matthew]

Yeah, I ripped the things out of my ears pulling off the mask. I think that also explains breaking one of the receiver wires. Fortunately, you can get a complete new assembly for $39 and it's trivial to swap.

The "wire", so you have the RIC version with the speaker in your ear and the thin wire that connects to the rest of the unit?

You might check to see if that brand has the ability to add a "retention lock" or "sport clip" or whatever these things are called. Small, thin, flexible piece (looks like a very small zip-tie). It threads into the receiver, then sort of acts like a spring in your ear to help keep the inside-the-ear deal in place. I change glasses all the time, daily/safety/sun, and was constantly knocking my aid off, that clip prevents that. It also seems to help if the aid gets tangled up in the mask, although I have figured out a reasonably successful way of removing the mask.

 

[JOhnH]

The "wire", so you have the RIC version with the speaker in your ear and the thin wire that connects to the rest of the unit?

You might check to see if that brand has the ability to add a "retention lock" or "sport clip" or whatever these things are called. Small, thin, flexible piece (looks like a very small zip-tie). It threads into the receiver, then sort of acts like a spring in your ear to help keep the inside-the-ear deal in place. I change glasses all the time, daily/safety/sun, and was constantly knocking my aid off, that clip prevents that. It also seems to help if the aid gets tangled up in the mask, although I have figured out a reasonably successful way of removing the mask.

I have the RICs too, but the receiver was put in a mold that looks and acts like a standalone CIC hearing aid. It stays put better, and doesn't come out as easily but it does add bulk. But after 20+ years of wearing CICs, I just can't get to like the things over top of my ear, competing with my eyeglasses for ear space. Hopefully, the mask stuff is just temporary, but CICs (or ITCs) work much better under headsets (I think).

 

[Matthew]

I have the RICs too, but the receiver was put in a mold that looks and acts like a standalone CIC hearing aid. It stays put better, and doesn't come out as easily but it does add bulk. But after 20+ years of wearing CICs, I just can't get to like the things over top of my ear, competing with my eyeglasses for ear space. Hopefully, the mask stuff is just temporary, but CICs (or ITCs) work much better under headsets (I think).

Yeah, there are different domes for different applications. Mine is the "open" style, a light silicone piece that lets a lot of ambient sound through. It doesn't have a lot of structure to it and is easily knocked out of position.

The RIC style takes some of the electronics out of the piece that fits behind the ear, where the true BTE versions are slightly more bulky. I've not had too much problems with wearing my RIC and a DC headset at the same time. I would remove it first, but that's an extra step to have to deal with.

 

[flyingron]

The mask ripped the entire aid off my head so I'm not sure that the retainer would have done much for me. Other than the mask, I've not had much problem with them. I don't mind (even with glasses) the behind the ear part and most people don't even notice I've got them (I ordered mine in the same gray my hair is


Yeah, I went through a variety of domes and settled on the closed "power" domes. I find my ear canals are different sizes so I have a large one on the right and medium on the left.

I guess it's time to see the audiologist again. She thought it was rather odd that I was tweaking things myself (or that this was even possible). I can do an in situ audigram with the fititng software, but probalby would be better doing it in their quiet room.