Many of you know from reading my posts that my adventure in AN land started in Dec 2011 with a substantial loss of hearing on the right side. In 2012 I was diagnosed with the AN and by then complete SSD. You can read about it in the link below if you haven't already read it.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the way I developed some age related hearing loss in my good ear (left) and the VA provided me with the CROS and Audeo set of hearing aids in 2012. Since then I have had upgrades in 2015 and 2018.
The story I want to tell today is about phones.
I bought a nice set of cordless desk phones in 2005. Good quality. Had a headset jack which I like because I prefer using a headset rather than holding the phone up to my ear. I had used a headset at work for many years.
Time marches on. The phones get old. My good ear gets old and I have trouble hearing people when I am talking on the phone with or without the headset and with the headset they have trouble hearing me.
Over the years I have numerous brands of phones only to have to return them. Very frustrating.
This year when I became eligible for my current upgrade I was checking out the current generation of Phoak CROS B and Audeo B I came across articles about Phonak's DECT and DECT II phones, manufactured to be compatible with Phonak hearing aids. The DECT II with the current generation (Venture series) Audeo B, DECT with the previous generation Audeo.
What this phone does is transmit your conversation directly to your hearing aid. That was wonderful, I thought, until I read that you have to hold the phone close to your ear, less than 10 inches to have the wireless transmission. You couldn't put it down on the desk or table while talking hands free, you'd lose the signal.
However, the phone can also be used like a regular phone, without your hearing aids, and with a headset though the headset jack is 3.5mm instead of the usual 2.5mm that you find on most phones.
This phone comes equipped with a magic button. If you have the volume turned up all the way and you still have trouble hearing the other person, push the green button on the side of the phone and the audio gets amped up like the phone was on steroids.
I was so impressed after I tried it I bought a second one (pre owned) on eBay for $40. New ones run $200 and up.
I won't bore you with details. If you are interested just google the product and you'll find manuals and specs, even product reviews.
This phone and a 3.5mm headset solve my issues with phone conversations.
