Gabriel of Select Hearing Care in Sussex phone 01273272683 came out to our house in Hastings on the 19th May 2017 as arranged, performed a free hearing test and fitted one of the new Resound Linx 3D hearing aids. I previously have had NHS hearing aids for many years and despite years of investigation on the NHS (including Conquest Hospital) I was unable to properly hear the TV without using headphones, or conversations particularly when there was background noise. I also feel that Gabriel correctly diagnosed the main cause of my problem as having been 30 year old Cochlear Concussion which had not been diagnosed by the NHS.
I chose the larger 962 model with type 13 batteries due to the longer battery life and the fact it included a telecoil not included in the smaller model. I was surprised how small and comfortable this larger model was and do not need the telecoil as I can hear my existing phone with the hearing aid in place something which was a problem with the NHS hearing aids.
I also purchased the resound multi mic which Gabriel setup, this works perfectly having two functions it links to the TVs and/or can be placed in the centre of a table or clipped on someone to feed the sound directly to the hearing aid. This works brilliantly.
A mobile phone which contains the resound smart 3D (free) app is also really a must have accessory. I use the Samsung Note 4. Music held on the phone can be sent via Bluetooth directly from an apple phone to the hearing aid but this feature is not available on non apple phones. You can also locate your missing hearing aids using the phone app.
My preference is to use the restaurant mode as the normal mode, in this mode you hear better sounds that are in front. This works well for me it particular I notice that in restaurant mode with noise filter on it eliminates the computer fan noise completely whereas in all-around mode the noise filter reduces but does not eliminate this fan noise. There are also detailed sound enhancer options which allow you to modify each program in detail via the phone.
The hearing aids can also be remotely adjusted via the internet by Gabriel avoiding the need for most further visits although with the easy adjustments available via the phone app I expect to be able to tweak the settings myself.
The main negatives are the cost and the fact that the hearing aids are not fully waterproof (showering or swimming can destroy the aids) and comprehensive insurance against accidental damage is not included with the aids.
The positives are that I can now hear the TV and conversations properly something which I have not been able to do for over 30 years.
Jeremy Jones