Advances in hearing aids
are music to the ears
Sound quality
BuyingSmart
Consumer reporter
Pat Volchok gives a
behind-the-scenes look
at Costco products and
services. Send your
questions about this
article to:
buyingsmart@
costco.com.
THEY ARE SMALL—some no larger than a
bean. Hip—lightweight, ergonomic designs
range from tiny, chic triangles to slight, curvy
teardrops. Eye-popping—colors are from
cobalt blue to crimson red. And cool—way
cool. Welcome to the world of stylish, high-tech hearing aids offered at Costco Hearing
Aid Centers.
Costco hearing aid buyer Leia Ray shares,
“Thanks to wireless communication, such as
Bluetooth, having something clasped on your
ear is now accepted and even desired.”
Placing eight tiny digital hearing instruments in my palm, Leia continues, “But it’s
really more than stylish looks. Advances in
computer technology are improving the
clear and concise sound quality of hearing
aids as well as our ability to customize and
fine-tune instruments to each member’s
unique hearing needs.”
And because Costco buyers work directly
with major hearing aid manufacturers,
Costco can offer these stylish and high-tech
beauties for about a third to half (see chart)
what is charged by other distributors.
Listening options
Today’s hearing aid options are many and
depend on a person’s hearing loss and lifestyle.
For example, there are directional microphones that pinpoint frontal sound, digital
noise reducers able to differentiate speech
from noise and convenient wireless remote
control volume/program adjusters so that
you can adjust to different audio environments quickly and easily.
For those with mild to profound hearing
loss, styles range from tiny, completely-in-the-canal (CIC) models to behind-the-ear (BTE)
instruments. Many BTEs are open-fit, eliminating that uncomfortable “plugged up” feeling.
“We can program hearing aids to automatically control volume and minimize spe-
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The tiny Kirkland
Signature hearing
aids stand out in
value and features.