My wife says I just do not use mine often enough. They make my ears sweat internally, and I have to consciously remember not to shower or swim with them.
FWIW, they do amplify sounds, but for me, it comes with crashing amounts of background clatter. In a noisy restauant, my companions voices are plenty lud and clear, but the background is also often so loud it does me not good.
Wife says it is because I have lost the brain’s ability to filter. I dunno....................
Then you aren’t the only one. Mine come out when we go out to eat, any where the sound is overwhelming or I am forced to go to the Mall. Mall is the worst. A music concrete would force me into my gun range ear plugs.
That OVERWHELMING over head noise is enough to blow an eardrum.
I wear the twin over the ear type with a cone shaped ear piece works better than the regular type, Low end Freq loss due partially to age and an FAILED inner ear perfusion for Meniere’s lost half my hearing. Stark is the brand we use. Hubby’s is same brand, in the ear, better volume control. Jet Engine High Freq hearing loss after 20 yrs career Navy working the Flight Deck back before all the ear protection was used. VA disability provided. His are a higher grade than mine. Needless to say we are having a bit of a sound level adjustment and reorientation of how loud we speak, as we’d gotten use to talking louder. Cost factor was a major issue as they were $3400 for the pair. His would have been over $5K if VA Disability hadn’t taken care of it.
Still can’t hear over running water. Have to have the car radio off, to much sound input, can’t hear external sounds. But you sure do hear the air leakage from the windows, the AC, the turn signal is now to loud. And have to be in the same room or I don’t hear well. Phone use is still speaker phone for clarity. Plus you have to take them off if it’s raining, same as you do glasses as the are external. And carry batteries.
Big draw back is the ear wax build up both in the ear and in the aide. The more adjustable they are the better. The in the ear is preferable to the over the ear as it offers better volume control. Hubby takes his out to mow/trim and uses his phone music ear buds so he can hear the phone ring.
BTW DOGS LOVE TO CHEW THEM UP! Be sure they have a warranty of at least 2 years or more. Most minor adjustments are free if you get them from your ENT.
Was looking for something else and ran across this old thread.
I was shot in the head RVN 1969, lost most of my hearing then.
Around 1996 a hearing impaired friend, said that the newer technology might help me. He recommended Easter Seals; around Chicago hearing is one of their main programs.
Easter Seals, very nice, no push, take your time...
They explained that using aides was like learning a new language and takes time.
They also said that most aids end up in a drawer, unused.
They sent me out like a student on assignment, noisy restaurant talk with others, movie theater, church, car...
After each assignment they would make adjustments, until we felt it was at the limit of the aids.
With the first aids, the noise canceling was superb.
“But you sure do hear the air leakage from the windows, the AC”. I needed near silence to hear speech, they took care of that.
Now with my newest set, OH MY!I can HEAR!
They can adjust the directions that I want to recognize speech, Bluetooth and many other functions... AND THEY ARE WATERPROOF!!! My previous ones; one drop of water and send them in for repair.
The only thing they cannot do is dampen loud noise(SHOOTING), like the electronic muffs.
Before 0bamacare, I had gold plated insurance, paid for everything, now not so much.
Everyone has different requirements, this what I use:
Phonak Bolero over the ear, TV Link and remote mic.