Is anyone using a Specsavers hearing aid.

DXP55 · 18 Jul 2021 at 07:56

I am fed up of my NHS hearing aid so I am booked into Specsavers tomorrow for hearing check and possible new aids.
I can't believe the prices for these things when you look at a smart phone then one of these- do they spin the dice to come up with a price.

Thanks

dlockers · 18 Jul 2021 at 07:57

ANDARIAL · 18 Jul 2021 at 08:19

Ehh
Speak up please

tom_e · 18 Jul 2021 at 08:36

Mate at work has just got a set from boots which I'm sure he said are the same as the ones specsavers were offering.
Seems really pleased with them but yeah they aren't cheap just over £3k I think he paid for the pair.

Chris Wilson · 18 Jul 2021 at 08:36

Hearing aids and spectacle frames are huge money earners, especially hearing aids, a real rip off that needs addressing somehow. Prices are obscene for the technology and packaging.

Derek W · 18 Jul 2021 at 09:28

Participant · 18 Jul 2021 at 09:33

UWOTM8?

firstborn · 18 Jul 2021 at 09:37

I went to Specsavers for a hearing check last week. The room wasn't sound isolated and I could clearly hear the conversations of those outside over the test. The response to me mentioning this was - "yes they were a bit noisy, I gave them a look through the window". The "audiologist" couldn't tell me the meaning of the axes on the plot of the results either. Certainly would not go back to Specsavers for anything hearing related.

{SAS}TB · 18 Jul 2021 at 09:40

Pardon ?

MrBlobby · 18 Jul 2021 at 09:47

firstborn said:
I went to Specsavers for a hearing check last week. The room wasn't sound isolated and I could clearly hear the conversations of those outside over the test. The response to me mentioning this was - "yes they were a bit noisy, I gave them a look through the window". The "audiologist" couldn't tell me the meaning of the axes on the plot of the results either. Certainly would not go back to Specsavers for anything hearing related.

Can you tell me about the axes please, you've peaked my curiosity

Oh I get it surely just dB and frequencies ?

MrBlobby · 18 Jul 2021 at 09:49

I read a few studies that show shining 670nm and 830 nm pulsed laser in your ear can improve hearing. I tried it and it does seem to work alhtough I did feel a bit dizzy afterwards.

Mrs Seabiscuit · 18 Jul 2021 at 10:43

Op, can i ask why you are fed up with NHS aids? What brand is the NHS aid you are wearing? If phonak, they are one of the best brands available in the UK which the NHS use.

DXP55 · 18 Jul 2021 at 11:20

I have no idea what brand the NHS aids are - I am sure I need another test so that may be the problem but with lock down it's not going to happen soon -
I have never really got on with hearing aids from day 1- They hurt the ear even though I have tried two plug sizes (I have the behind the ear unit with pipe down to a small bud in ear) If I take a tee shirt off/on they squeel -same when my ear get's near back of chair etc. - Sound is horrendous -women on TV have very skreechy voices and back ground noise is unbareable at times.

I like the idea that the latest ones can be paired to the TV and you can use them as earphones also pair to phone and use them on calls.

I just don't seem to get on with them.

Just checked battery book - I had them October 2012 and never had a updated check up.

Bassmansam · 18 Jul 2021 at 12:41

Chris Wilson said:
Hearing aids and spectacle frames are huge money earners, especially hearing aids, a real rip off that needs addressing somehow. Prices are obscene for the technology and packaging.

there are currently trials happening to restore human hearing, i initial test results have been positive. Hearing aid shops must be bricking it!
https://www.frequencytx.com/

Jimbeam3678 · 18 Jul 2021 at 13:32

DXP55 said:
I am fed up of my NHS hearing aid so I am booked into Specsavers tomorrow for hearing check and possible new aids.
I can't believe the prices for these things when you look at a smart phone then one of these- do they spin the dice to come up with a price.

Thanks

Do not go to spec savers, boots, hiddenhearing. They’ll rip you off. Find a decent small independent store, a good shop will let you try them for a few weeks to see what suits you best. Cannot stress it enough.

DXP55 · 18 Jul 2021 at 14:00

Specsavers give you 100 days.

Believe me I do not want to go to any of them but NHS hasn't done it for me - Yet

Hotwired · 18 Jul 2021 at 14:11

Bassmansam said:
there are currently trials happening to restore human hearing, i initial test results have been positive. Hearing aid shops must be bricking it!
https://www.frequencytx.com/

The positive results might be what they are said to be but I saw a sample size of 15 people and that's not good enough to do a lot with.

Cochlear implants are a proven and much more powerful solution than hearing aids. I know one person who had one since birth and another who got theirs in their 20s after lots of hearing aid use. Neither has ever heard sounds "correctly" so they both have a "deaf" sounding way of speaking but the one that had an implant from birth has a considerably more natural sounding voice. Small sample size and maybe their base levels of deafness were different but I'm convinced having the better solution earlier was better for them learning to speak.

Pawnless Endgame · 18 Jul 2021 at 19:59

Mrs Seabiscuit said:
Op, can i ask why you are fed up with NHS aids? What brand is the NHS aid you are wearing? If phonak, they are one of the best brands available in the UK which the NHS use.

My hearing aids (NHS) are Oticon Spirit Synergy BTE13. I'm happy with them, get tested at Stafford audiology (County Hospital) once every few years. They work well with my radio aids too (Roger Select) which I got from Access to Work.

As for Specsavers, why the hell do they now have a hearing aid department? If you're deaf enough to warrant hearing aids like myself, then hearing tests and hearing aid provision should be carried out in a hospital setting.

The same goes with poor vision. I never go to an optician's as I always go to a hospital setting again.

Also, I highly doubt that Specsavers can prescribe a contact lens as powerful as -27.5, which is what I'm on!

Bassmansam · 18 Jul 2021 at 21:42

Pawnless Endgame said:
My hearing aids (NHS) are Oticon Spirit Synergy BTE13. I'm happy with them, get tested at Stafford audiology (County Hospital) once every few years. They work well with my radio aids too (Roger Select) which I got from Access to Work.

As for Specsavers, why the hell do they now have a hearing aid department? If you're deaf enough to warrant hearing aids like myself, then hearing tests and hearing aid provision should be carried out in a hospital setting.

The same goes with poor vision. I never go to an optician's as I always go to a hospital setting again.

Also, I highly doubt that Specsavers can prescribe a contact lens as powerful as -27.5, which is what I'm on!

a lot of prople have minor hearing loss / mild/ moderate eye prescriptions i guess. -27 is quite extreme, i thought i was bad with my 5 and 7

Jimbeam3678 · 18 Jul 2021 at 22:37

DXP55 said:
Specsavers give you 100 days.

Believe me I do not want to go to any of them but NHS hasn't done it for me - Yet

As I say I would strongly advise against going to a big chain. Decisions yours but the net is awash with horror stories. Find yourself an indie store and they’ll look after you far far better in the short and long term.