Bugger I must be getting old!

[NickFitz]

Yeh specsavers I went for the hearing test.

They gave me the leaflet with prices for standard, elite, premium etc etc. All confusing.....

I got the ones around the £1,600 price mark IIRC. They're completely-in-canal ones, which have worked fine for me.

One tip: don't get the rechargeable ones. They seem convenient, but like a phone battery they get worse at holding a charge over time. So you can finish up after three or four years with a pair that would still be absolutely fine for your needs except they need charging too often.

Even if your hearing deteriorates further, your existing aids can be reconfigured to boost the sound more or to change the ranges of sounds they boost, but it's not economically worthwhile to replace the batteries in rechargeables, so you end up having to buy a new pair instead. I reckon it's worth the minor inconvenience of changing batteries from time to time as, if your hearing loss is just age-related rather than due to a clinical condition, you'll probably be fine with keeping the same aids for longer than the batteries will recharge.

[Paddy]

Well to be honest, the mrs used to moan I had the TV too loud so thought better had....
No chance I'm getting the NHS ones so its a case of what to pick now.

My old man whos in his 80s has got the NHS ones and they are crap. He can't hear a thing, can't use the phone at all, its awful. Of course, hes of the generation, NHS free paid taxes all my life, not paying for some. Its a recurring theme with a lot of parents I guess when hes sitting on a massive savings pot hes never going to spend and he won;t spend £1500 on hearing aids to help himself.

He should go back to the NHS. The new NHS hearing aids are programmable and are programmed to enhance the exact frequencies that need correcting. They cost about £1,200 and are supplied free as the ownership technically belongs to the NHS. Furthermore, batteries are supplied free.

If your old man is in his 80s and can't hear a thing, how about you making an appointment with the doctor and hospital to get it sorted?

[malvolio]

I got the ones around the £1,600 price mark IIRC. They're completely-in-canal ones, which have worked fine for me.

One tip: don't get the rechargeable ones. They seem convenient, but like a phone battery they get worse at holding a charge over time. So you can finish up after three or four years with a pair that would still be absolutely fine for your needs except they need charging too often.

Even if your hearing deteriorates further, your existing aids can be reconfigured to boost the sound more or to change the ranges of sounds they boost, but it's not economically worthwhile to replace the batteries in rechargeables, so you end up having to buy a new pair instead. I reckon it's worth the minor inconvenience of changing batteries from time to time as, if your hearing loss is just age-related rather than due to a clinical condition, you'll probably be fine with keeping the same aids for longer than the batteries will recharge.

Agree about the batteries - replaceable is better than rechargeable, and they're significantly less bulky.

I did ask the audiologist how long the batteries lasted. "That rather depends how much you listen" she replied.... At work, wearing them roughly 14 hours a day, they would last 3-4 days roughly, or about a week of more casual use.

[psychocandy]

He should go back to the NHS. The new NHS hearing aids are programmable and are programmed to enhance the exact frequencies that need correcting. They cost about £1,200 and are supplied free as the ownership technically belongs to the NHS. Furthermore, batteries are supplied free.

If your old man is in his 80s and can't hear a thing, how about you making an appointment with the doctor and hospital to get it sorted?

ok. Worth a go. As with most things with him its "cant be bothered" so it'll be a fight...

[Mordac]

You don't realise how bad your hearing is until you get hearing aids. And no, they aren't cheap but they are very clever.

Phonak are good: mine are Bluetooth enabled so they act as ear buds for the phone, including phone calls and have noise cancellation. But that apart they are very good at sorting out what to filter - in my case I can hear perfectly well but not at higher frequencies, for example, so they are prgrammed to fill in the gaps.

Do they have an 'ignore wife' function? (Asking for a friend...)

[SueEllen]

Do they have an 'ignore wife' function? (Asking for a friend...)

Just "forget" to put them in until you want to watch TV.

[psychocandy]

so how much did those of u have one pay for?

[NickFitz]

so how much did those of u have one pay for?

IIRC mine were around £1,600 - £1,700. They're from the SpecSavers Advance range, CIC (completely in canal), and at the time were one down from the most expensive ones. In reality, SpecSavers don't make them; they're made by Widex.

One tip is to get an NHS checkup too, as although it takes months before you'll actually be tested, it's free. Don't tell them about the fancy ones you've got privately, and they'll give you a pair of NHS ones (which will be programmed to suit your actual hearing profile, just like the fancy ones). Then you have the NHS ones in reserve just in case the fancy ones need to go in to be repaired or something

[Colour Sergeant Bourne]

I attribute my hearing loss to Army Cadets and days spent on the ranges shooting .303 & 7.72 stuff with no ear protection whatsoever & always used to leave the range with the old ears ringing
Anyway... Mrs is saying my hearing is deteriorating but only noticible to me if I'm in a pub with a lot of background noise making it hard to make out conversations so it may be time to get it seen to

Think one of these will suffice

[Mordac]

Anyway... Mrs is saying my hearing is deteriorating but only noticible to me if I'm in a pub with a lot of background noise making it hard to make out conversations so it may be time to get it seen to

So no excuses for the foreseeable then...