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Best Hearing Aids
The exacting care and thorough analysis we apply to your hearing evaluation also applies to selecting the best hearing aid brand, model and style for you. You will receive a device that not only improves your hearing but also matches your personal preferences for size, shape, features and cost.
Steps to Hearing Aid Success
When it comes to hearing aids, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. That’s why it’s so important to find a provider who specializes in hearing aid technology.
In addition to having a Doctorate in Audiology, Dr. Weissman has degrees in both Electrical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. He has the insight and knowledge to understand hearing aid technology from the inside out providing his patients a valuable edge.
There are several important steps to getting the right fit once the best hearing aids for you are selected so you can enjoy your hearing and all the wonderful sounds around you.
A thorough and precise hearing assessment is the first step to a good hearing aid fitting. It gives Dr. Weissman important information about how well your ears can hear and process sound. A hearing assessment should always include a history review, ear examination, speech testing, and tone testing.
If you are a candidate for hearing aids, Dr. Weissman will spend time reviewing the different styles, features, and prices of different hearing aids. There are many great options out there, and it is important to discuss what your needs are. Dr. Weissman will help guide you so you get the hearing aids that are just right for you.
Precision is critical when it comes to a well-fitted hearing aid. Dr. Weissman uses state-of-the-art hearing aid fitting equipment to make sure your new hearing aids are fit to your prescription and working properly.
It takes time to get used to hearing aids. As your brain begins to adapt, it's very common to need adjustments, particularly in the first few weeks after getting new hearing aids. Dr. Weissman makes sure you're delighted with your hearing aids and will fine-tune them to your unique needs and preferences.
IIC devices are the smallest and most discreet. However, they have small batteries that require frequent changing, and some ear canals may be too small to fit them.
ITC devices fill about 1/3 of the ear. They are easier than the IIC to manipulate and can fit dual microphones, performing better in noise than the IIC.
ITE devices fill the entire ear. They are the easiest custom device to manipulate, have strong speakers and take a bigger battery that lasts longer. They also work better in noise than IIC's because of the dual microphone design.
RIC devices have the computer chip behind the ear but a speaker in the ear canal. They can be fit with soft domes or custom eartips.
Conventional BTE devices have all the circuits and speaker behind the ear. A custom-made earmold coupled to the hearing aid delivers sound from the speaker to the ear. These devices can have large batteries that need less frequent changing and are best suited for more severe losses.
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A BTE with a slim tube has a very thin and less visible tube delivering sound from the speaker to the ear canal. These models can be smaller and suitable only for certain hearing losses. They are preferred over RIC devices by some individuals with small or shallow ear canals when a receiver in the ear is uncomfortable.
Hearing Aid Styles
There are several different styles of hearing aids. The best hearing aid style for you depends on multiple factors. There will be a style just right for you.
Dr. Weissman will help you sort through the pros and cons to each option so you feel confident in your choice.
Hearing Aid Brands
Hear So Good Audiology is one of few audiology clinics in the North Bay Area that can expertly fit and service all makes and models of the best hearing aid brands. If you don’t see your manufacturer listed below, call us to find out if your hearing aids can be checked at our clinic. Whichever brand you end up purchasing we will follow best practices to ensure a superior fit.
Oticon’s claim to fame is their unique Brain Hearing technology. In complex listening situations with multiple voices, these devices can focus on individual dominant voices without completely obliterating your awareness of the less dominant voices. More recent advances reduce sounds that can be annoying and increase listening effort – soft sounds like your hair brushing on the hearing aid microphones, wind noise, keyboard clicks, and sudden sounds like slamming doors.
Their devices are extremely automatic and their smart phone App provides basic control of volume and speech focus. Oticon devices have great design aesthetics and tend to fit very comfortably and discreetly behind many ears.
Their arsenal of ear dome options allows most individuals with mild to moderate hearing losses to be comfortably fit without a custom earmold. Oticon is our “go to” brand for individuals with mild hearing loss that hear fine in quiet but have problems in noise. Oticon devices are available in rechargeable options with and without T-coils for use with public loop systems.
For single-sided deafened individuals, Oticon offers some of the most easy-to-use and intuitive options for CROS and BiCROS hearing aids.
Phonak Lumity is the latest technology from Phonak. This newest product platform provides a special feature called Speech Sensor which allows you to hear better from the sides and behind you when in a noisy environment. Phonak products deliver hands-free Bluetooth audio (both phone calls and entertainment) from multiple sources including both iPhone and Android smartphones and tablets. They even work with older flip phones.
A Phonak App that runs on your smart phone allows you to adjust volume and many other hearing aid features allowing you to customize sound to your liking and save your preferences for easy selection. Devices are available in rechargeable and disposable battery options, with and without T-coils. The non-rechargeable devices typically are smaller.
Get a device with a T-coil if you need wireless pick up of direct audio transmissions from loop systems in theaters and other public spaces like airports.
Even with hearing aids some people with more severe hearing loss struggle to understand a voice in a quiet room that is not coming directly from the front – if this describes your problem, then Phonak has special and unique features to help.
Finally, with Phonak Roger accessories linked to your hearing aids, you will be able to hear speech clearly in some of the noisiest places.
Resound was the first manufacturer to introduce wireless Bluetooth technology to hearing aids and their newest Omnia line of devices has a track record of superior connection reliability with iPhones. Resound hearing aids also have the highest input dynamic range available meaning that the loudest sounds can be heard without distortion and the softest sounds can be audible. This feature is most noticeable with music
A significant new feature in the Omnia is “front focus,” which dramatically enhances speech in front of you when you are in a crowd or restaurant. These Omnia devices also reduce the amplification of your own voice, which helps getting used to new hearing aids easier, and is helpful if you are annoyed by sounds while chewing food. A special speaker available with the Omnia for mild to moderate losses the MRIE, has an additional microphone that provides a more natural sense of sound in space and improves your ability to tell the direction sounds are coming from 80% better than other hearing aids.
Resound now offers their Omnia technology in custom rechargeable devices. Many of our patients have found hearing aids that fit completely in the ear to be more convenient as they do not interfere with facemask and eyeglass use. They very simply drop into a recharger and are easily inserted into your ear canals – even for individuals with impaired eyesight, dexterity or fingertip sensation.
Their smart phone compatibility has expanded to include Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel Android smartphones. The rechargeable Omnia includes an optional battery backup in the charger that provides for three untethered charge cycles. A full charge of the hearing aids will provide 24 hours of uninterrupted operation without Bluetooth streaming.
If you spend lots of time on phone calls, streaming music or listening to podcasts, the 21 hours of run time before a charge is needed may help you decide that the rechargeable Omnia are for you. In addition, the Resound App is rated by patients more highly than any other App in the industry so if you like to “tweak” your settings yourself Resound may be for you.
Signia’s latest product platform is “Augmented Experience” or AX. Their unique hearing aids split the world of sound into two parts: sounds in front of you and sound behind you. Sound is then processed in two independent streams and then added together. The benefit is improved speech understanding in noise. This is possible because typically when it comes to speech, the things that you want to hear are in front of you and the things that you don’t want to hear are behind you. This is a major improvement over single stream processing which diminishes the noise behind you but also some of the speech in front of you.
Signia also uses “Soundscape Analysis” to classify your hearing environment “in the moment.” It takes into account noise levels, who is talking (you or someone else), and whether or not you are in motion. With this information, further enhancement of speech is provided.
Signia has some of the most innovative product designs on the market including the Silk ,Styletto, and Active Pro. Their variety of form factors and ear tips guarantees the most comfortable fit for patients who highly value aesthetics and comfort. Signia has the broadest line of colors to match your desires.
The Silk product isextremely small and when coupled with Signia’s proprietary sleeves, can be fit discreetly in many ears. Although these devices are too small to sport antennas for direct Bluetooth audio streaming, any smart phone can run the Signia App to control volume and tone, and switch between up to six different acoustic programs.
The Styletto is an ultra-slim receiver-in-canal device that comfortably fits behind most ears with excellent aesthetics and discretion. These devices are rechargeable and come with a small recharger case that is very similar to the one used with Apple AirPod wireless earphones. The charger has a built-in battery that allows the hearing aids to be re-charged three times without external power. The hearing aids will run about 23 hours on a full charge. If you need longer run time you can get the Signia Pure AX Rechargeable devices with up to a 39 hour run time.
The Active and Active Pro are in-the-ear devices look more like consumer ear pods than hearing aids but are rechargeable and fully featured like all of Signia’s AX platform hearing aids. These devices come in a convenient battery-backed up case and are ideal for minimal hearing losses where the user expects to use them only on a situational basis.They are also Bluetooth compatible so you can enjou streaming of phone calls, music, and podcasts.
Starkey’s newest product release with the Genesis AI platform uses its Neuro Sound Technology to enables wearers to hear soft sounds without noise, distinguish words and speech more intuitively, and significantly reduce their listening effort. The devices are available in a broad spectrum of form factors including behind-the-ear devices and custom in-the-ear devices. These newest devices packages have been redesigned with more resistance to moisture with expected improvements in reliability and longevity.
Starkey products provide superior prevention of the audible feedback (squealing) that can be associated with more severe hearing losses and unusual ear anatomies. Starkey has the quality workmanship to produce small custom devices that fit entirely or almost entirely within the ear canal and pack the power necessary for more severe hearing losses.
Many Starkey hearing aids can be paired with iPhones and Google Pixel smartphones, enabling phone calls and entertainment audio to be streamed directly to the hearing aids in your ears. Their sophisticated App provides many ways to customize the sound you get.
Additionally, Livio/Livio AI devices are rechargeable, provide some of the best CROS/BiCROS options on the market, while the Livio AI offers additional non-hearing related features like a fall reporting technology that can automatically contact a loved-one or caregiver when you fall down.
The Widex Sheer Moment,) like its predecessors, has perhaps one of the most sophisticated sound classification systems to accurately detect up to 11 different acoustic environments such as a social setting with multiple conversations happening close by, a noisy restaurant with a voice close to you, an airport when you are trying to hear an announcement, etc.
These devices allow us to really get under the hood to further refine your devices to help you hear more of what you want to hear and less of what you don’t want to hear based on real-world feedback you give us.
The Sheer Moment improves upon past Widex device generations by reducing the metallic character of processed sound providing for a more natural sound experience. Widex devices have some of the highest quality microphones and front-end processing available in a hearing aid, enabling awareness of many of the softer sounds around you. Music aficionados rate the Widex devices highly for their special ability to process music with richness not usually present in many hearing aids. The Widex Sheer Moment has a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery option
CAUTION: Hearing aids are medical devices, and should be prescribed and fitted by someone trained and qualified.
Buying a hearing aid without an in-person consultation, fitting, and follow-up appointments with a licensed professional could result in you purchasing an ineffective hearing instrument for your loss, or worse, damaging your hearing further.
Furthermore, your hearing evaluation and consultation can highlight other serious ear health conditions. For these reasons, we do not advocate the purchase of hearing aids by mail or online.
Starkey Edge AI hearing aids blend artificial intelligence with advanced sound processing to deliver natural hearing across all environments and activities.
Phonak Infinio revolutionizes hearing aids with dual-chip AI, adaptive processing, and customizable features for diverse hearing needs.
With an emphasis on ease of use and natural experience, ReSound Nexia is a top choice for those seeking to enrich their hearing without compromise.
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The Oticon Intent is a state-of-the-art hearing aid that introduces groundbreaking features to enhance hearing experiences for people with hearing loss. Featuring the world's first user-intent sensors, Oticon Intent captures listening intentions using pioneering 4D Sensor technology.
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If you're in the Novato or Windsor area and are interested in experiencing Signia IX's advanced auditory solutions firsthand, Hear So Good is your destination. As committed practitioners of hearing aid best practices, including the execution of Real Ear Measurements to ensure optimal device performance, we are here to support your hearing journey.
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Discover the latest innovation in the Widex Moment family: the Widex Moment Sheer. Launched in September 2022, this sleek and stylish hearing aid boasts a range of improvements, including AI-driven sound personalization, stress management features, and tinnitus relief.
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Hearing aids we offer
We offer the latest hearing aids from the best hearing aid manufacturers in the world. Don't see a model you're interested in? Contact us.
Contact Us
We have two convenient locations in Marin and Sonoma counties.
Friday by special arrangement only
Friday: 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
