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Best of Hearing Aids for deaf Audiophiles? Huh???

A new wife or a hearing aid? Huh? Just kidding, happily married for twenty four years until now. The wife says I'm going deaf and making things up when I say I can't hear her or twist around what I think I hear. Any one else having this problem? Are you using a hearing aid? Does this have any effects on the quality of sound by using them? Which kind of aid is most preferred? Which one should we stay away from? Where can we get the best pricing, service and products? I figure a hearing aid is cheaper than a new wife. Ha! Lastly concerning comments on equipment. Would the Eggleston Andra I be huge improvement over the Paradigm's? Your input is appreciated.

Denon 8300 integrated
Parasound preamp
Sony CD player
Denon DVD player
Pioneer DVD/Tivo play
Paradigm Reference Studio's 100
Paradigm Reference Studio 450CC
fathertime
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Most american brand hearing aides are total junk.
The Japanese make a very sophisticated one, pricy and hard to get.
A hearing aide is a trip. If you really must have one it is indespensible, but one for mild loss is folly.
They are a pain in the ass and can make matters worse too.. for moderate loss.
I am deaf (totally) in one ear from a teenage accident, and have tried some types that cost an arm and a leg but were STILL crap. Sorry to be so pessimistic, but the hearing aide industry in the USA sucks and preys on old people to stay in business. If they had to produce a quality product, they would go bankrupt in a week.
That is if you want audiophile quality sound. If you just want to hear grunting and toilet flushing noises, get the Beltone.
warrenh's avatar
warrenh
2,286 posts
 
utilizing hearing aid to listen to Hi-end system? Will it have an effect on what you hear? Are you kidding? Plain old unadulterated truth: hearing loss does not mix well with Hi Fidelity. Would you purchase a pair of speakers on someone's sayso, who has, even a minor hearing loss? What was that? peace, warren
warrenh's avatar
warrenh
2,286 posts
 
The smaller the hearing aid the higher the cost. Quality, however, rides with the large ugly ones that hang outside the ear. They work much better than the smaller ones and cost significantly less. You pay dearly for the miniaturization, but lose in the end. I teach the blind and visually impaired, but many in my program teach the deaf, as well. This is where I get that info.
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
Loosing hearing sucks:-(

I just realy wonder why high-end manufacturers still didn't come up with high-def hearing aids?:-)

On the other hand bigger amp and bigger speakers and certainly cooperative wife during listening sessions:-)
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Manufacturers do not have to improve the quality of hearing aides because:
The folks who need them don't know better.
The elderly are sucked into the hearing aide system by the hearing aide dealers and accept whatever crap they are sold.
The deaf do the same.
The few folks who might know that a better sound MUST be possible, are forgotten about.
The hearing aide industry (in America) is a sorry pile of steaming "you know what".
Sort of like the American car manufacturers pre- Japanese auto invasion.
If the Japanese had a smart dude to bring ultra-high quality ear-aides to the U.S.A. they could clean up.
The big outside the ear aides suck just as bad as the in the ear, as far as sound quality goes. All the fancy claims of the U.S.A. companies is just BS. They sound like crap.
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