Bi Cros, Adhear or Bose hearphones? I am undecided! Input appreciated.

[ginsue]

Cros/BiCros, Adhear bone conduction device, or Bose Hearphones.  I am tired of this single sided world.  I miss so much.  I haven't done any thing since my Soundbite six years ago which broke soon after the company bankrupted.  I work in an environment that is quiets and I can hear others fine since I work one on one in a small room.  It is really my social life I am interested in. Background noise is a real issue as such in restaurants and places where multiple conversations are going on. Listening to the tv is also an issue.  Talking on a phone I hear fine but the issue is that I am using the "good" ear and have no clue as to what is happening around me. While driving in my car I can not hear my passengers because I only hear the road noise.  I am tech literate so that isn't an issue. I am wondering if anybody else has compared these three options and can have input that will make my search a little less cumbersome.

[Surfer]

I've had the bose hearphones for about 6 weeks now. They work well in some environments. In others I hear better without them. in other words, they create a problem more than help at times. You can order them from Amazon and return them if they don't work out for you. Ive kept mine because they play beautiful music more than helping with my hearing problem.

[gbkim86]

I’ve had Bose hearphones for 6 month. They are helpful in noisy places like restaurant, but not that good as expected. It definetly enhance conversation in some cases, but I wouldn’t say it makes dramatic changes. However it is really great as noise cancelling earphones. It is very helpful in phone call in any places. You can stay with low noise in any places. I always bring it out for this reason. You know, we often be tired in loud noise environment.

GB

[ginsue]

Thanks guys

[MT]

I became deaf on the right side, thought many times to buy Bose earphones but then decided to push myself with whatever I am left with. It has been 2 and a half month since I was operated and so far, I am managing well. In the beginning it was very irritating during group conversations but situation is somewhat better now.

Maybe my post is not a direct answer to your question, however, I intended to say to give yourself more time maybe your hearing sense will adjust.

[ginsue]

Hi MT,   LOL It has been 27 years since my surgery. 

[MT]

** ahem ahem, coughs and looks away **... are you talking to me?

Good luck with the choice you make.

[sezme]

I've been SSD since 1997, and experience similar issues to you. Twice I've been fitted for CROS hearing aids. The first was wired, and the second was wireless. I tried both times to get used to them, but honestly, I felt that they amplified noise more than anything else. That, combined with the discomfort of having something in and on my ears as well as the bother of constantly replacing batteries has led me to leave them in a drawer for years.

I get much more mileage out of just positioning myself where I can hear the most when walking with people, or when sitting around a table with a group, than with any kind of hearing aid so far. The only time I'm completely cut off is in very noisy environments or echoey rooms with more than one person talking at the same time.

The only kind of aid I may consider in the future is iPhone + airPods + LiveListen (https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/20/how-to-turn-airpods-into-hearing-aids.html) because that setup allows you to position the iPhone in front of the person you want to listen to. It might work while you're driving.

Actually, I just checked, and the feature works with my AfterShokz Bluetooth bone-conduction headphones, so maybe I'll give that a try since I don't have airPods. Unlike with hearing aid apps I've tried before (like Hearing Pro), there is almost no lag (there's still a tiny bit) between the sound being produced and it being reproduced in my headphones.

[campbellmerlin]

Hi  - I have a very expensive pair of CROS  hearing aids.  They actually work great, except I can't wear them any longer due to eczema in both ears that causes itching and my ears are always wet inside.  I'd love to find something  that would transmit from the bad ear to the good ear the way the CROS does without having to insert the wires and buds into my ear canals(like some sort of headphone setup).
Good luck with  your search.  Let us know what you come up with.

[Cynaburst]

I have been SSD for 17 years. For the last 15, I have worn a Transear - a bone conduction hearing aid in my bad ear. I recently read about ADHEAR and decided to go and try it. I was able to try it on, and I also tried a Phonak Bi-Cros. Over the last 17 years, my hearing in my good ear now has mild high frequency loss as well.

I decided that the Phonak Bi Cros that I tried was more comfortable and I could hear better (far better that the Transear)so today I ordered it.  I will let you know how it goes. I am excited to try something new.  Technology has improved so much since I last tried a Cros.

[ginsue]

Yes,
 please keep me updated.

[ginsue]

I went to an Audiologist.  Not great news.  I have too much hearing loss in my good ear, she said that it was an inherited trait. If I get Adhear it would only get me by a few years as the rate of my hearing loss.  My insurance only pays every 5 years. Not sure it would be the wise choice. Campellmerlin I was concerned with having something in my ear too. They had this tip that didn't have that clear rubber tip. I think they were called open fit.  You literally couldn't feel it in your ear.  It was a small disk with holes in it that let air flow. Maybe you can ask about it. Anyway my insurance changed and now I have to go elsewhere to go through the same thing over again. Anyway it looks like a Cros/BiCros for me.

[tsaff88]

Hi Ginsue, I've been SSD in the right hear for 7 years following translab surgery.  I've had the Phonak Bicross for about 18 months now. It makes the biggest difference in the car because now I can hear my wife (in passenger seat) while keeping my eyes on the road.  It also eliminates the cone of silence on the deaf side in day to day situations but doesn't help with sound location.  Multiple people talking at once still is hopeless.  I recently got the ComAir II bluetooth device and this has been a huge help.  It will stream sound directly to the good ear.  Now I can listen to music, podcasts, etc without fumbling around for headphones or messing with ear buds.  If you leave your phone on vibrate you'll still get a tone in your ear.  You can answer and end calls from the device without even touching your phone.  It's a little pricy, $245, so I waited till I was sure that the BiCros would work for me.