Phonak Hearing Aids and Charger

I’ve had these hearing aids for almost 18 months. This is my review of them.

Even before I bought them, I had an aversion to sticking ‘things’ in my ears. But, to keep up with technology, I got myself a pair of earbuds to connect me directly to my Samsung mobile phone.

What I hadn’t realized is that the hearing aids are Bluetooth connected to my phone. That means I can have a two-way conversation with a caller, but only have one side of the communication be heard in the room. The only problem with that is that on Messenger calls I have to turn the Bluetooth connection off to share the verbal part with my wife, Susan. And my dog can’t hear anyone say, “Hi, Buddy!”

In our home, my having hearing aids means that Susan no longer has to shout to make herself heard and understood. Unless I happen to be watching a video on Facebook or YouTube and then she’s in competition with whatever I’m listening to. Just last night, for example, I was watching a video of a Hawaiian volcano that my sister, Anne, filmed; she added the Adele track “Set Fire to the Rain” (from 2011). The song was so captivating that I couldn’t take my ears away from it, much to Susan’s frustration.

Out in public, the hearing aids add a dimension to my hearing that isn’t always welcome, especially when I’m in a restaurant: I can hear EVERYTHING. I know that the control for my hearing aids has different settings, but every one of them brings the same overwhelming noise. It makes quiet conversations almost impossible. That’s when I take them out of my ears and leave them out until it’s time to go.

Family get-togethers are the final ‘problem’. Because the hearing aids pick up almost everything in audible range, I can listen in to conversations from the other side of the room. Sometimes, that’s not a good idea, especially when Susan wants to recount a bit of gossip or secret news she’s heard: I’m tempted to say, “I know, I heard it, too.” But then, I stop myself because that would spoil her fun.

Would I recommend hearing aids? Of course, especially if your hearing has deteriorated over time (I blame playing an electric guitar in a rock band in my teens). If you can stand your ears itching from the buds in them, you will thrive. After all, we all want to live our best lives.

Amen.