[fintstone]

I have very high-end hearing aids through an audiologist. They are small and you can barely see them if the choice of colors is correct (hair/skin color). People generally don't notice I have them unless I tell them. Silver/grey ones look great if your hair is greying slightly.

It is the second set for me. I replaced the first set after wearing them daily for 7 years because of slight improvements (rechargeable batteries, relocation of the tiny microphone to focus sound better, AI, etc.), but these are very similar and the same band (Widex). Buying them allowed me to work effectively 5 or 6 more years than I would have been able to do...as I had a great deal of difficulty understanding coworkers and spoke way too loud.

Blue Cross covered the first $2500...and allows me to get some new ones (and pay the difference myself) every 5 years. Of course, they preapprove the purchase based on the Audiologist's testing/diagnosis. I like that they are very customizable by the audiologist.

I really need them to watch TV. I also use the Bluetooth to listen to music from my Iphone. It was great when I rode the train for hours each day. It is also great when driving cross-country as I can play Sirius XM (phone app) and not bother my wife (who does not share my taste in music/news). The new ones have a dongle for my computer that goes in the USB port that allows me to hear audio very well. My speakers did not do the job....and I had great difficulty with videos. They also route my phone calls via blue tooth to my hearing aids. This allows privacy and I find it very hard to use a phone otherwise (without putting it on speaker on high volume).

I can see how some find it difficult to wear these as they are a little annoying at first...and if you don't wear them regularly, the added volume and crispness of sounds can give you a mild headache (like new glasses do for those that wear them). When I first get up, I wait until after my first cup of coffee to put them in as I like the dull sounds in the AM. Sometimes I forget and go somewhere and regret not having them.

Because they use AI to try to deliver the best sound...sometimes they just do not work perfectly.
For example, sometimes in a large, crowded restaurant, I can hear the couple way back in the corner while struggling with the person nearby...of the creaming baby is amplified over my server. Most of the time, they are great.