The Cellar / Ye Olde Hearing Aids

**Posted by griff** 4/23/2024 4:29 pm

So I gave up on the OTC in ear hearing aids which I had replaced my super expensive behind the ear Oticons with. I went with Starkey Genisis in ear which had really good sound. They errored out on me so I'm on loaner rechargeable Oticons until my Starkey's are replaced. I'm hoping this doesn't turn into a shitstorm.

**Posted by Clodfobble** 4/23/2024 9:23 pm

Either way, good on you for using them in the first place. So many people wait too long and end up permanently losing hearing because of it. Here's hoping your new replacements come in soon.

**Posted by Flint** 4/23/2024 11:14 pm

When Zoidberg said, "Is this angry yelling or busted hearing aid yelling?" I felt that.. deep down in my childhood memories..

**Posted by griff** 4/24/2024 6:10 am

Nice, thanks for the morning laugh and commiseration guys.

**Posted by xoxoxoBruce** 4/28/2024 2:43 am

Clodfobble wrote:
Either way, good on you for using them in the first place. So many people wait too long and end up permanently losing hearing because of it. Here's hoping your new replacements come in soon.

Wait too long and permanently losing hearing? Never heard that one but it strikes me as implausible.
How would using a hearing aid prevent loss, is it a use it or lose it situation?
The Doctor told me, I have good news and bad news. The good news is you don't need to spend a fortune on sophisticated hearing aids, the bad news is you can't hear shit.
She was right, my aids are only a grand apiece. My first one was $200... 40 years ago.

**Posted by griff** 4/28/2024 5:33 am

I believe there can be a neuron die off if they go unused for a long enough time.
I decided to test the Lyric ear canal device. It turns into a pricey thing due to it being a subscription. You leave it in 24/7. So far it seems superior. The sound feels more analog. It lacks the harshness of a traditional hearing aid and you don't get the wind noise and hair crackling.

https://www.phonak.com/en-us/hearing-devices/hearing-aids/lyric

**Posted by Clodfobble** 4/28/2024 3:02 pm

Yes, Griff's got it: if you stop using a portion of your brain, those neurons can get reassigned in as little as a few months. So once you start to lose certain frequencies, you might not be able to get them back if you wait too long to get a hearing aid.

**Posted by xoxoxoBruce** 4/28/2024 4:04 pm

A brain, I gotta get a brain? Drat.
The Phonak Lyric 3 & 4, I see for sale for $200 but doesn't include any tools so you're stuck not knowing what to do or how to do it.
I'm sure complaining to the ebay seller he would tell you to go stick it in your ear.
They are made in Vietnam.
They also have a DIY option from Phonak for people "comfortable" doing it. Nope, not me.
It said there may be a charge for the 10 minute pit stop to change when the battery craps out, I guess they leave it up to the dealer.
They sound interesting once you get the hang of turning them on, off, and adjusting volume.

**Posted by Diaphone Jim** 4/28/2024 5:45 pm

My hearing loss was made in Vietnam, too.
The VA was happy to supply me with two of the priciest units out there, but they didn't do squat.
I think there must be several different kinds of loss; maybe all of them are somewhat unique.
When my audiology appointment turned out to be long distance (Skype?), I figured there wasn't much chance they would find mine.

**Posted by monster** 4/28/2024 11:44 pm

I seem to recal that also.... if you don't use them when you should and turn up the volume of the TV etc instead.... you can cause further damage that way -but I can't remember if that was neurological or physical

**Posted by griff** 4/29/2024 6:38 am

It has been really nice not having to mess around with hearing aids morning and night. I haven't adjusted them at all. Occasionally, I get a kinda clogged feeling but it doesn't actually seem to impact vocal range stuff and it goes away in a short time. I think it's settling in over time. The sound continues to be much more natural. I'm not sure if I would be comfortable inserting them myself but then again I put contacts in my eyes a couple times a week. They performed really well on a really intense mtb ride yesterday.

**Posted by xoxoxoBruce** 5/05/2024 5:09 am

The last time I went for an MRI of course I took them out and left them in a locker. They gave me earmuffs but I figured that was because the machine is loud. The whole time they were talking to me telling me to do things I didn't have a clue.