Why do choices always have to be "either - or"? As an engineer, my training is to start from "all the above" as options to analyze and solve problems. You say you don't want or can't afford two sets of hearing aids: one rechargeable and one battery powered. I understand that for expensive hearing aids and people that have to have an audiologist office to go to. But for many people with only mild hearing loss like me, the new Over The Counter (OTC) inexpensive aids are just fine in my experience and I can afford multiple pairs with different performance and features.