Folks I have finally admitted to a combination of age and hunting ( more hunting having taken its toll on my ears!!

I need to get some hearing aids and would like to get it done in Dallas- any suggestions who I can book in to get it done with! Thanks in advance!

Buzz, there is a hearing protection specialist/audiologist that advertises in DSC publications and also exhibits. However, the name escapes me. I will look through and try to find the name.

I did remember part of the name and the conch logo:

https://totalhearingcare.com/a...professional-center/

I can’t say that I’ve ever used them, though.

Damn muzzle breaks. I also need hearing aids. Maybe all of us aging shooters can band together and get a group discount

Buzz:
A lifetime of shooting and chain saws has killed my hearing and I've been wearing aids for 15 years or more. I've shopped around and found that hearing aid dealers are most all on commission and do their damnest to sell you the most expensive unit possible. Some are over $8000 each!

For the last several purchases I use Costco. The internet will tell you if they have a store where you are to be. Costco prices are half what they are at the dealers, same product, can be serviced anywhere there is a Costco store, and the staff is on salary, not commission, so they can be trusted to recommend what is best for you and not what is best for their commission.

You can get your aids to digitally match your hearing loss specific to each ear and with electronic dampening the aids can magnify what is needed, not magnify what range of your hearing is still fine, and block out all sounds over 85 db.

Of course, they can't get wet or the electronic circuits will short. So, get the in the ear aids, and not the type that are worn behind the ear with a tube that moves the amplified sound into the ear via said tube. Those external types will have problems with sweat on a hot day. (The ear canal does not have sweat glands to the in the ear are better in this area). Just don't jump in the Zambezi on a hot day with the aids in place!

Also, as the amplified sound is directly in your ear, they transmit sounds better than the external type that moves the sound through a one inch long tube.

Good luck and visit a Costco store.
Cal
PS. Another plus is your clients can transport the aids to and from Costco for servicing. Costco has stores all over the USA. You can get an extra pair for spares.

Yes clients have blown mind out to, big bores with breaks & bloody hand cannons, I also was a logger for many years !

Oh I think never "jump in the Zambezi" on any day !!

You should talk to Walter.

He has an extensive experience with hearing aids.

So far he has not found any that survives the washing machine.

Apparently it improves their noise rejection abilities.

Buzz:

Cal has some mighty good advice there.
I've worn 'em since about '79. Hotrods,
dozers, trucks, without mufflers, and lots
of shooting in between.

I get mine from VA. Had the first pair of
Phonak's 8 years. Noise cancelling on them.
Until I fell and hit my ear/head on a box and
mashed the R one.

Figured since they furnished the first pair,
they'd get the noise canceller type automatically.
Damned if they didn't provide this pair without that feature.
Now when I do shoot, I just open the battery door and it's
like good ear plugs.
Lady said they cost $6000 the pair for VA costs.

No doubt buying them from a dealer with profit
greed they'd be much higher.
I've sure been pleased with this brand.

They won't stand up to being stepped on,
sweat don't bother them either.
Like Cal said, the behind the ear type suck up sweat.
I had those for years and every couple weeks they'd have to
be dried out.

One other thing I highly recommend.
Get the tiny wax plugs in them.
Since ears don't sweat and can't dry out,
the wax builds up in there and WILL clog the tips.
With these wax plugs, just change 'em when you can't hear.

One thing I DON'T like at all, this pair has
a damned loud gong series to tell me they're on.
I hold 'em against a finger tip a few seconds
til that racket is done playing.
Before I put them in my ears.
Good luck and check into Costco. We don't have
those stores here though.

George

Buzz,

I'll check with my audiologist in Houston and see who she knows in Dallas. My law partner forced me to go a year and a half ago and it's been amazing. I can actually hear again. I can control the volume and settings on my phone, and cell phone calls are blue toothed into my phone, so you can actually hear on your cell phone. You won't regret doing this. But they are hell on batteries. Said they'd last a week. Yeah right.

I finally went to the VA for a hearing test six years ago after the wife complained that I had the TV turned up so loud it bothered her.

I've learned to just deal with my double ear, 24/7 tinnitus that I've had for many years...I suppose because my hearing loss was gradual I didn't realize how bad it actually was till I received my hearing aids.

As has been stated good hearing aids are expensive and I feel fortunate to have qualified to get them and batteries free through the VA.

Buzz
I use SportEar and bought them at SCI. Around $3000. My hunting buddy uses a Costco product.

Buzz,

I've worn hearing aides for about 10 years. My advise is to make an appointment with an audiologist and get a thorough exam. A Google search will give you professionals in the Dallas area as well as reviews. My experience has been that the audiologist will offer you a range of pricing dependent on your hearing and features you want. I'm fairly deaf from shooting, thousands of hours running outboards and mine are in the $2,500 range.

I agree with the others that the units that actually go in the ear canal are the way to go for outdoor people and in my experience they are no more expensive than the external ones. They do eat batteries faster than the external ones but batteries are pretty cheap.

Hearing loss is much more than just volume. Do not get sucked in by the $500 units that only increase volume as they won't really help much.

Mark

Did anyone say anything?

Buzz, COSTCO seems the way to go by consensus of the Board and experience of a close friend.

Go onto Costco.com and do the FAQ to find the link to the form you will need to fill out and take with you. The Dallas area has 11 Costco locations and you can call the nearest one to see if they have a hearing center. The hearing test is free, but if you have already consulted an audiologist, bring the results with you.

Regards, Tim

Buzz,
Dr. Deborah Price exhibits at DSC and operates a hearing clinic in Dallas, Hearing Professional Center. PM or WhatsApp if you’d like me to help get you set up with her.

Buzz: I have worn hearing aids for over 20 years-too much shotgun shooting in my teens when you think you are "invincible". Best advice I can give you is to spend the money to get digital hearing aids, and from what I know the best company to get them from is Starkey-they have been in the business forever and have the best warranties. PM me if you want more info.

My most common answers to any question:

What?

Say again?

I beg your pardon?

Please, speak up.

Huh?

If you find a good hearing aid, please share!

Heck Buzz,,, I need 'em too. Maybe we can find someone having a two-for-one sale!

Russel that would be good but I am sending you 1/4 of the bill for the shot on the charging elephant cow 15 years ago!!!!

Mike Jines also gets the other 1/4 charge for blowing my ears out shooting 3 bush pigs in the a gorge although he is claiming charges from me for his knee replacement from all the " death marches" I made him do Jokes aside I appreciate all the great advice folks and admitting you have a hearing problem is half of it and I now look forward to getting it done!!!

Partially deaf is a blessing.

We can pretend not to hear things we do not want to hear, as my wife says, I have selective hearing.

All joking aside, I do hope that the rest of AR reads this and takes affirmative steps now to reduce their hearing loss, before it's too late. As you all know, each and every time you go without hearing protection, in high noise activities, you permanently lose some of your hearing. That was brought even closer to me today at Aviation Nation at Nellis Air Force Base here in Las Vegas. So many people, including young children, did not have any hearing protection, and with all of the high decibel jet noise over 8 hours, I'm afraid that there was a lot of hearing loss going on. Sad.

In 2014 exactly one year after our last hunt with CMS I shot a bushbuck, it ran into the river and I shot it again to avoid a dispute with the crocodiles.
After taking the trophy pics I said to my wife we have to get proper electronic ear protection.
I had done a quick count from our hunt with CMS up to killing the bushbuck and I had heard 43 unprotected shots, that is not sustainable.
These days I feel naked not having my ear protection on me when hunting.

You guys do not know the half of it.

Years ago, we used to go to the beach out of town, and shoot pistols.

Mostly 357 and 44 magnum revolvers, XP100s etc.

Non of us even heard of hearing protection.

We did for years, shooting hundreds of rounds of shotgun ammo, 243, 308 7mm Remington Magnum.

I do wear double ear protection when shooting in our range.

Ear plugs plus ear muffs.

I do not wear anything while hunting.

I have not got to the stage where I need hearing aid yet.

Hearing aid technology is rapidly advancing. Even in the ear units will be useless with too much moisture, which also includes humidity, not just sweat. The newer lithium battery rechargeable aids are better sealed to the elements and last for about 18 hours a day on a single charge. All you need is to make sure you have electricity to charge them. This can be a problem if you're out in the middle nowhere all the time so they do have their downsides as well. A replaceable battery would then be the better option but then comes the downside of more places moisture gets into the aids.

I use the behind the ear style because I want the best sounding aids possible. That's the best sounding to me, it might not be for everyone else. The in the ear aids process all sound and can give you that occlusion sound effect. The behind the ear units can use an open dome which allows for natural sound to still come into your ear while amplifying the sounds you need. The open dome does nothing to block sound, so for shooting, you still need protection. That goes for most in the war aids as well, unless they are designed specifically for hearing protections as well.

I use the oticon opn s rechargeable aids and they are the best at speech recognition that I have come across, and I've been replacing aids about every 2 years so I have tried quite a few different aids over the years now. They were close to 6k for the pair. Really, the reason we get hearing aids is so we can understand others so it's logical to find the best aid that does that for you while also being good or semi good at the other daily activities like watching TV, etc. I Started with the in the ear style, and liked them for what they were. Then moved to the behind the ear style and having been using them ever since.

I also only go to someone who has their AuD or their masters because I refuse to go to any type of hearing aid dispenser that got 5 weeks of training and is now fitting hearing aids. Good luck finding someone like that at a Costco. Also, be aware that places like Costco might lock their hearing aids so that they can only be reprogrammed at a Costco. There are other places that do it as well. That's a problem for me. I want to be able to go to any place I can in hopes that someone can help me if the need arises. So make sure you ask the right questions. This is not to say you won't get good service at a Costco, just know the limitations that are potentially there before you buy.

Heck Buzz, with the number of hunters you have guided over the years, Mike and I are only responsible for about 1/1000th of your bill!

I'll drop my $.24 off at your booth in Dallas!

Costco

Same stuff, third the price.

Costco Dallas is 11 miles North of Convention center. Get a Dallas friend with a membership to take you there.

So.....you really didn’t hear me on our walks when I asked:

Buzz how much longer?
Buzz why does this look familiar?
Buzz where’s the truck?
Buzz did you have beans last night?
Buzz wasn’t that a road?
Buzz is there any water left?
Buzz why do these tracks look old?
Buzz what kind of bird is that?
Buzz did Cryton just say we are lost?
Buzz what time is it?
Buzz what’s for dinner?
Buzz are we there yet?

Bill C! Thats what happens over so many safaris together!!! Thanks folks for all the good advice!

Costco looks like the answer so I will try and find a member in Dallas as I believe without a membership card there is no plan! Thanks again Folks!

quote:

Originally posted by Buzz Charlton:
Bill C! Thats what happens over so many safaris together!!! Thanks folks for all the good advice!

Costco looks like the answer so I will try and find a member in Dallas as I believe without a membership card there is no plan! Thanks again Folks!

Or, Buzz, you can buy a membership for $50 and have the freedom to shop and visit any Costco in the country. Your membership is on their books so you can use the stores anytime and anywhere at your convenience and not have to rely on another member for your business or schedule.
Cal

quote:

For the last several purchases I use Costco. The internet will tell you if they have a store where you are to be. Costco prices are half what they are at the dealers, same product, can be serviced anywhere there is a Costco store, and the staff is on salary, not commission, so they can be trusted to recommend what is best for you and not what is best for their commission.

All agreed. However, with Costco or any hearing aid vendor you may have to wait for your units to be delivered, then they will make an initial "tuning" for your hearing loss, after which you will likely need one more fine-tuning. So your problem may be how long you intend to be in Dallas. Check with Costco (or some other chosen vendor) to see what their time frame might be.

I've been married for 42 years so being partially deaf is a blessing.


And folks, it's Muzzle Brake not Muzzle Break.

Costco is definitely the best option. Good Luck!

I use a behind the ear style made by Starkey. One of the best features is that calls on my cellphone or music, play directly to the aids. These aids are a great help in not just hearing, but understanding the words spoken. They are so comfortable, sometimes I forget they are even there and they are difficult for others to see.

However, I still have a problem with the roar of dual diesel marine engines and wind drowning out other sounds.

I hated the in the ear style as it occluded my hearing. Felt like my ears were always clogged.

If they are not comfortable, you won't wear them.

I shopped around when I was getting a hearing aid early this year, Costco is the way to go.
Bryan

Buzz,
I bought mine in 2015 at DSC from an outfit called Tactical Hearing. They took molds of my ear canals and mailed the hearing aids to me. I wear them in my woodshop, shooting and on safari in Tanz in 2016. They still work fine. Cost was about $2000.
kh

quote:

Or, Buzz, you can buy a membership for $50 and have the freedom to shop and visit any Costco in the country.

Or anywhere in the world where there is a Costco, and there are many.

As of July 2019, Costco has 776 warehouses worldwide as shown below:
539 in the United States & Puerto Rico.
100 in 9 Canadian provinces.
39 in Mexico.
28 in the United Kingdom.
26 in Japan.
16 in South Korea.
13 in Taiwan.
11 in Australia.

Not sure about the Costco issue. I'm shopping for them now, but I can tell you what the significant other went through with hers. Her first set was Costco. Yes, less expensive but there was a down side as she didn't realize until she went to a real audiologist.

Costco aids are a year or two old technology. She never would have known the difference until the Audiologist compared them side by side. She got the newest aids on loan for a month to try. I also believe the new latest and greatest, are programmable/tunable over the phone. 6K later, and she wishes she never wasted her time with Costco.

She f-ing hears everything now.

quote:

Buzz,
Dr. Deborah Price exhibits at DSC and operates a hearing clinic in Dallas, Hearing Professional Center. PM or WhatsApp if you’d like me to help get you set up with her.

Karl Evans

Buzz, I've had friends deal with Dr Price and they were happy.

Guy got new hearing aids and was telling his friend they were the greatest. He can hear every word clearly and never misses a word. His friend asked him "what kind are they"? He said,"it's 12:30".

Lots of places to get aids, but with Costco they can be serviced etc., at so many places around the country and world.
C