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Anyone using any Phonak wireless accessories?
Hearing Loss | Last Active: Jul 25 6:17pm | Replies (79)Comment receiving replies
Venues that have assistive listening technology installed must provide receivers for people who need to use them. In looped venues, those with telecoil equipped hearing aids simply have to turn their personal technology to the telecoil mode to connect. No receivers. Others who have no hearing aids or hearing aids w/o telecoils can use the receivers and headsets the venue provides to get the sound direct to their ears. However, to use those headsets/headphones, which are either ear buds or typical over the ear headsets, you will have to remove your hearing aids so they don't block the sound.
Telecoils are amazing. It's a tragedy that the people who sell hearing aids are not required to demonstrate how telecoils work. A few states have laws that require that but only a few. I encourage you to go to http://www.hearingloop.org to learn more. There is a list there of locations that have loops installed.
Note: If venues have FM or IR systems installed, everyone will need a receiver. People with telecoil equipped hearing aids will use a neckloop to connect rather than a headset. A neckloop fits around a person's neck and is plugged into the receiver the same way headsets are.
In all cases, there must be a transmitter microphone that transmits the desired sound.
Will you share what you learned at http://www.hearingloop.org ?
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I just want to tell the group that I recently purchased new Signia IX behind the ear hearing aids with the telecoil feature and they are the best hearing aids I have ever owned.
Because I have severe hearing loss my audiologist said the ones that fit inside the ear would not work but the ones behind the ear do work.
I have been told that while many venues in Europe are already equipped for telecoil usage the United States lags behind. If you can get this feature I strongly recommend you do.
I also suggest you try these hearing aids for a trial period offered by the manufacturer. I had them on at a crowded noisy restaurant last night and was able to keep them on the universal setting. A year ago I had the Signia AX Styletto model at the same restaurant and had to switch to noisy environment.
If you are old enough to qualify for Medicare check out the Humana Gold Plus plan. With my discount and their flexible spending card I was able to get the pair for $1,800. I financed them interest free for a year with CareCredit which made them very affordable.
I finally have hope that my severe hearing loss can be addressed without getting CI implants at least for now. CI implants are great and have come a long way but once you get them you lose all residual hearing.
These hearing aids give me a chance to wait for the hearing aid technology to continue to improve and at $1,800 for the pair I can get new ones when the next breakthrough happens. If someone else tries them I would love to hear if they experience what I have experienced.
In closing I have a tremendous audiologist who works for Hear USA and is one of TruHearings providers. She gives me the same service as someone paying $8,000 for a pair of hearing aids.
I recently moved from one part of town to another and although I have a Hear USA provider minutes from my new home I drive 45 minutes to an hour in heavy traffic to see her. The Audiologist you have can make a world of difference.
Good luck to everyone in the group.