After doing much research I have come to the conclusion that the Philips Hearlink 9040 will be the best choice for my next hearing aids in 2 months time. This will be my 2nd pair, So hopefully I will be making a good choice. Costco has been great for me with pricing, warranty and having all necessities available all of the time. Great customer service and support. Happy camper from Canada.
They changed my life!! I was resistant bc of stigma of old age. The wonderful Costco lady said to me that she has fitted all ages. It made me think in a different way. Now I wish I had done it 4-5 years sooner. I never realized how stressed I was trying to hear, feeling left out of conversations, struggling to read lips, being embarrassed in stores, frustrating my husband, and just missing out. Do it!!!
HA user for twenty years. Oticon1 for six years, cost $5400. New Phillips 9040 is at least as good, cost $1500. Very pleased after two months. HIGHLY recommended. Retired MD(not ENT). Thanks for the review. Telecoil not in wide use, helpful where available.
You must give it 6 years and see if it holds like your old oticon1 can't compare it right now, not until your six year. If it hold that long. I'll be impressed. I hear story that some devices only last 6 months up a year, or during the year they have exchange it to get it fix. Goodluck
Followup, now 9 months. Still very good. Only missing the television wireless bluetooth connection, as my old connector from Oticon is not compatible( surprising, given that the Phillips product line is made by a Danish company, Demont, also maker of Oticon!) The price differential $1500 versus $6800 makes the decision easy. There is now another step up, Phillips 9050, I will wait another 2 years for an upgrade. My insurance plan allows new every 3 years. Thanks
Been wearing hearing aids for 20 years and very pleased with the sound quality that these have. Same sound technology as my old Bernafon hearing aids so it sounds pretty good so far
The Philips 9040 are excellent hearing aids. I've been wearing them about a month. The sound quality is very natural for speech and music. I don't have to adjust the programs for different hearing environments as the AI takes care of that automatically. The service at Costco was great.
@@bestlife9925 I've tried a few that sounded tinny but not these. The programming is crucial. I think sometimes you get an audiologist that instead of fine tuning the program, they just put the volume too high and then nothing sounds right.
@@bestlife9925I had problems with my 1st Bernafon hearing aids from Costco. I needed different hearing aids domes. Costco is excellent in their hearing aid follow ups.
I had Resound hearing aids from Costco for about 3 years. I found them too big for my canals, hard to match color, and a pain to look forward to each morning. I now have the Philips with an Ap on my phone to regulate if need be, the color matches my grey hair exactly, and best of all the little clear antennae just winds around unobtrusively in my ear curve. These are comfortable and sooo much better for me. I think everyone has different needs and maybe the others fit someone else and makes them very happy. The Philips are for me.
It sucks where I'm at though, to get an appointment, you must wait 2 weeks or a month. That's why physican are more expensive because you get in faster and the person knows your history. Compare to cotsco you may have different people. As for the item being cheap, is due to the bulk cotsco buy. I know is expensive. But the connection with a physician i think is better, plus you can email them for questions instead of calling. Compare to costco.
Great video! Thanks! I have moderate hearing loss, and my primary care physician tells me each year that I need hearing aids. I've finally decided to act, and have an appointment at Costco in 1 month to get a hearing test, and believe I'll be going with Philips 9040. My question is "why do i need to buy the Philips TV transmitter (about $250?) when I can get an Auracast box from Amazon for a fraction of that? Thanks in advance.
Thanks for your review. The Phillips 9040 from Costco are my first hearing aids. I had a great audiologist who came recommended and been very happy with the support to date. Only had them for a couple of months and about to go back for adjustment. I've found them very good in general use but they don't seem to help a lot in noisy environments, hence my return visit. Love your videos. Keep up the great work. Harry
Hey Harry, I'm glad to hear that you're having the success that you are! Hopefully the fine tuning will help. I appreciate you taking the time to comment, Matthew
Hello. I just watched your review of the Jabra Enhance Pro 20 Micro Pro with charger. I have been wearing Kirkland brand hearing aids for 7 years and was always satisfied with their quality and service. But now I have decided to go for rechargeable hearing aids and have decided after also listening to your review of Philips models, to buy the Jabra. I will get back to you after a month of wearing Jabra with an update. Than you so much.
I’ve just had my 9040s for a week. The original fitter was unsure if we should go with the domes or molds because of my very very slender ear canals. Turns out I also have a wonky shaped ear canal and the pain at the end of the day is approaching exquisite level. Plan on calling Costco tomorrow to move up my regular appointment for first adjustments because the pain is just too much. Can’t even concentrate on my ability to hear because of the pain. Hope the molds work.
Very good informative review! Finding someone that is competent at my nearest Costco is a crapshoot from my experience. If they employed an audiologist instead of a fitment specialist perhaps I would of had better results. These Phillips might be worth giving Costco a try again. Of course there is a 6 week wait for a appointment.
A fitment specialist? My experience is the audiologists around where I live are more than capable to do the fitting because of their skill, and also the length of time they have been working in the field. @@HearingTracker
Since my last comment I have returned the Jabra hearing aids (as per Costco's generous return policy) and bought the new Phillips 9050 model and I have been using them for almost a month without any issues. I am happy that I changed from the Jabra units.
Thanks for a nice video. I really wanted the Philips to work for me. My recent story ... After my $6k 'Brand Name - Pho***) HAs failed (left just under 2 years and replaced under warranty & other side out of warranty - @4 yrs) I decided to try Costco vs my 'Audiologist';l and yes I do take very good care of my HA's so failures most likely to poor product / manufacturing defect. Each time they began making constant hissing / scratchy sound. OK - on to Costo. I was very impressed with the hearing test; very similar to what the 'Pro's' do, except it was FREE! Then the Costco HA 'tech' got out a pair of the 'demo' (working) Philips 9040s HAs initially for me to try (not sure why that model was picked to start with). My initial response was 'wow' I can hear and it seems very 'crisp' and also had a very low constant hiss. Then a few more seconds went by and I thought the sound was a bit 'too' crisp and a bit 'artificial'. It just did not sound 'normal' - best way I can describe, and the 'hiss' was slightly annoying; but I was in a sound booth/office, so I did think it might not even be noticeable once out in public. The tech made some tweaks and attempted to lower the sound level to removed the 'artificial' and crispy sound, but wasn't able to. I was disappointed as I really wanted these Philips to work. Next pick were the Jabra 20s. The background 'hiss' was hardly noticeable with these AND they sounded much more 'normal' to my ears. The sound was not 'crispy' and artificial as the Philips. But due to the hardly noticeable 'hiss', the tech tried the 3rd and final Rextons, which sounded just as good as the Jabra 20s. Seeing I was having a hard time deciding, I got to walk around the store some with each of the 3 pairs of HAs. The Philips were just not doing it for me. The 'artificial' sounding, low level 'hiss' (again very hard to notice, but if I concentrated on it, I could hear it), and crispiness made these a definite NO for me. I did struggle a bit between the Jabra and Rexton, but eventually decided on the Jabra 20s. The only thing I didn't like was the single button the Jabra 20s have. However, IMO, I really should not ever need to use the button. I very rarely, hardly ever, used the buttons on my Pho**** and believe a HA should have but one function ... to allow a person to hear as though they had a new pair of ears. So, I made the purchase and am waiting for my new HAs to come in so I can go to my already schedule appointment to be 'fitted'.
Philips 9040 are excellent hearing aids. Had mine for just over a month (first time hearing aids) and am very satisfied with both the Costco experience and the 9040's. I had a audiologist at University of Chicago Hospital test my hearing and the Costco fitment folks came to the same test results. highly recommend both Costco and the 9040's.
Not sure what the test are called but they were the same if not more time consuming then the University of Chicago medicine audiologist The fitment of the 9040's was very detailed and they did testing at that point as well. If you call them they are very information sharing. The gentleman who host "the Hearing Club" here on RUclips works for Costco hearing, best to ask him. @@HearingTracker
@@HearingTrackerI can elaborate on what the test protocols are. AC and BC, masking if required, both air and bone. MCL followed by word recognition and speech reception, masking if required. UCL is taken as well to monitor any noise sensitivity. SRT and PTA are compared to establish test dependability. The testing protocol follows that of the IHS, and red flags dictated by both FDA, and state operating in. Prescriptive target is used with REM to establish individual EAC acoustic response. NAL NL2, new user or experienced based on a multitude of factors. All of this is following a comprehensive EAC inspection AU, as well as appropriate case history and individuals specific heath experience and needs.
I have had Rexton hearing aids for 10 years and a few months ago I bought Pilips 9040 at Costco used them for 2 months and honestly did not like them at all. They were not even as good as the Rexton I was trying to replace. I returned them and bought Jabra. I really like them.
I was hoping that the new 9040s would measure up to my Costco Phonak I purchased years ago but way too many problems and they were not compatible with my Android phone so I returned them. I wanted to like them but they couldn't come close to my Phonak.
When you are tested and fitted with new hearing aids, why are you not re-tested with the newly fitted hearing aids to verify the effectiveness of the fitting and settings? When a mechanic gets your car in for a complaint / repair, he verifies the complaint (initial test), determines the repair that is needed and performs the repair, THEN he verifies the repair with a test drive or whatever verification is appropriate to ensure that the repair is proper and complete.
The 9040s work very well for general use: conversation and TV. But they make my Steinway piano sound horrible, like it hasn’t been tuned for a few years. Severe beats are audible on sustained notes (same on pure-toned instruments like clarinets). I’ve tried the special Music program, and Costco has turned off as much possible digital processing as possible, but that only helped very slightly. So I wind up muting my aids for several hours every day; not what I signed up for. BTW, they sound fine if streaming piano from my iPhone.
Hye fathamike, thanks for sharing that's really helpful. Did you check out my video on adjusting hearin aids for music? ruclips.net/video/5h_v9JBRvEw/видео.html Matthew
Matthew- I took notes on your video and shared with the Costco person. I believe she followed the steps as best she could. As I said, only marginally better. I'd like to talk to Phillips, but can't figure out how to contact them.@@HearingTracker
This is the question no one seems to able to answer. I'd love to see a side-by-side feature/technology comparison. If there's one out there, I haven't found it.
Hi Matthew - how fast does the average hearing aid device take to process incoming sound and then send it to the ear? Is there any noticeable delay to the wearer? Thank You!
Yes, there is. I play guitar. I took my guitar to the shop complaining about fret buzz. The luthier couldn’t hear any buzz - neither could I when I took the aids off. It wasn’t fret buzz - it was the latency of the aids - old Phonak Audeos. I’m hoping my new aids have a far faster processor.
I’ve had mine about 4 months and I’m very pleased with them. I also have a set of Starkey Evolv and as far as I’m concerned these will run circles around the Starkey’s. Plus the hearing exam I got at Costco was 10 times better than the one at the audiologist! Once in awhile I put my Starkey’s in and after about 10 minutes I have to take them out because the Philips 9040’s sound so much better.
I am a happy Costco HA customer for many years. My current set is 9 years in age. Time for a change to updated units with iPhone connectivity. My current set requires me to wear a device around my neck to hear via BT which isn’t acceptable. I plan to wait for the Apple version. No, I am not sure if Apple plans to enter the HA sales channel but the October 2022 the FDA made it easier for consumer audio companies like Apple, Jabra, BOSE, JBL ETC to enter the HA industry. Apple is deeply discounting their AirPod Pro 2 system which make me want to believe the Pro 3 versions will be HA type.
What he doesn't tell you is it costs about $250-300 per battery to get switched out when you're out of warranty. Which usually happens because the warranty is usually 2-3 years and the batteries only last 3-5 years. $600 for two rechargeable replacement batteries.
Have the newest Phillips 9040 from Costco after my Phonac Aids finally died. Not very impressed after three times trying to get them reprogrammed. Their clarity is fine but they don’t discriminate between front and rear. Everything around me gets amplified. Also, it’s fairly common for one HA to lose Bluetooth connection as it did during this video. I will keep going back for more adjustments but I may end up returning them and going to a regular hearing center and paying the big dollars
Thank you. 2 points - I wore a Philips BTE in 1978 so I think they were manufacturing them earlier than 1990. Secondly - I am completely baffled by the fitting range of the 9040 BTE aids that you just showed. They do not cover profound losses at all - even just a high frequency profound loss. So what is the point of bringing them out? Would actually prefer a BTE as my loss is severe/Profound but this is not an option.
Good catch Graham. I worked on this video project with Matthew. We probably should have specified that we're referring to Philips first foray into digital hearing aids, which was back in 1997. They were involved in analog hearing aids well before that, I think as far back as the 1940's and maybe earlier. I'll let Matthew respond about the fitting range :)
Hey Graham, thanks for the note. You're right, somehow I managed to cut 'digital' from the edit. There is a PP version available from Philips however it isn't stocked by Costco. While it's pretty rare to fit BTE's vs RICs nowadays there are sometimes contraindications to RICs so there is still the market for them even if they're not the PP version. I hope this helps. Matthew
@@HearingTracker thanks for the heads up Matthew. A bit of a shame. I have recently discovered that music sounds fantastic with my Oticon Dynamo 8 NHS hearing aids which I attribute to them being a BTE. I also have KS10s but music is only brilliant when streaming. Hence I was looking at BTE options for upgrade. Thanks again.
This is the limitation of working with Costco. They offer the most common products for the most common hearing loss. When getting into any range of profound loss it requires more professional time, more programming, and a wider range of products. Costco's pricing model does not allow for them to carry that type of wider choice, or devote more time, particularly if they can see more people in that same amount of time. It's not a right or wrong approach but it certainly does reveal that Costco isn't for every situation.
@@scottm.9335 Totally correct. I visited Costco a month ago in the U.K. and it transpired that there was not a single BTE power option available. I am lucky that I can actually be satisfied with a UP Ric but those people with a profound loss will be left with no options at Costco.
I bought mine 3/7/2022. Last night the right one failed completely. Shouldn’t these last longer than two years? Otherwise, hearing devices amount to over $1,000 yearly!
I’ve had the 9040s, my first-ever hearing aids, for just over two months. I am very happy with them for most aspects of my life, although the sheer volume of the world around me can be very overwhelming at times. I am a school secretary, and the biggest issue I’m having is being able to hear phone conversations on my very old (the warranty expired in 1993) landline office phone. My audiologist has been trying to help with adjustments to the program and a small magnet on the phone receiver, but I frequently have to take out a hearing aid to be able to hear the person on the other end of the line. Do you have any suggestions I can take to my audiologist?
Your school board is (I believe) supposed to accommodate you. Meaning, providing you with a compatible phone to do your job. As with all boards of ed. they will likely be reluctant, but understand the importance.
My wife just bought a set of these 9040 TR RIC at Costco and loves them. I do not know how they differ from these four. She got used to wearing them fairly quickly. I think the six month adjustment period is just a selling gimmick as no one else offers this. The hearing aids are supposed to last for five plus years ($300 a year) possibly six to seven years. By then the price will drop again. The whole hearing aid market seems to be changing weekly ever since it was deregulated. The prices keep dropping and they have more and more features. They are comprised of micro electron parts and cost very little to make and keep getting smaller. Someday they might have ones that are permanently placed in your inner ear and last for five years.
Just picked up a pair of REXTONs at Costco. Bundle deal where they threw in a bonus travel charger. $1499.99. They had Phillips and Jabra. I ended up going with REXTON BiCore CR Li. These are my first hearing aids. So to soon to judge. Perhaps you've reviewed them. I have one big disappointment out of the gate. None of them will stream to my Google Pixel2. I hate to upgrade to a Pixel8 for 800+. Going to be a total PIA having to take out to put buds in.
I don’t want to use hearing aids. My ENT said my hearing loss isn’t bad enough to need them, but I feel like it truly disturbs me everyday. Ever since my acoustic trauma from gunshots I have been so depressed..it’s been 3 months
Hey Mostguitarswins. That's a great question. Personally, I would say it's not worth the upgrade (waiting for the haters to comment). Whilst there are developments for me it's not worth the extra outlay. Matthew
@@HearingTracker Thanks for the reply. Philips makes a big deal out of the 9040s having "AI", but the 9030s work in an auto-sensing mode too. It seems to me that what is being called AI now is just an incremental upgrade to what digital hearing aids have been doing for a while now. What do you think?
Primary difference between 9030 and 9040 is handling and wind noise reduction is improved. And the sudden sound or impulse noise reduction is more flexible. Aside from that there are no differences in how the AI NR is functioning.
Personally, I like a bit of handling noise because it helps me to know if my disposable battery really is dead! I have the 9030 version and I feel blessed that I didn’t purchase the Oticon Real version from my audiologist for 7,500.!
What is missing from this solution is an ancillary microphone to use for iPhone Bluetooth pairing. The microphones on the hearing aids are never going to be able to capture your voice to transmit to your caller. Only a small discreet mic (also Bluetooth enabled) can handle picking up your voice for call clarity. Why doesn't Philip offer this as an optional accessory, or better yet as an included value-add? This simple off-the-shelf tech.
Thanks for the very valuable information you have provided. However one area of concern for me is how rechargable lithium batteries tend to degrade over time. If the rechargable battery fails then the hearing aid itself becomes useless. Could you please respond to this problem?
I've read / heard that the 9040's are a "defeatured" version of the Oticon Real 1? If so, what are they missing? Also, I can't seem to find if the 9040's have tinnitus masking? I'm just about to start a trial of the Real 1's. Thanks!
Great review! I would just like to add that being a Costco member is not mandatory for purchase. Being accompanied by a member is the first step in purchasing as a non member. Another fact of note, the Philips name is used for the hearing aid, but the circuit inside is that of SBO Hearings premium tier offering….SBO owns many hearing aid brands folks are familiar with, in this case, comparing the Philips HL9040 would be best compared to the premium RIC offering from Oticon, only ~$5,000 LESS. CHEERS!
@ that would be going against the rules established and made clear by corporate. I would argue that you were told that the Director of Costco’s Hearing Center operations mandates that like shopping the floor as a guest of a Member, the guest can also purchase from Optical and Hearing Aid. Only caveat is, you must always be accompanied by a member when you need service within Costco.
Terry - I am assuming that if you put your Pixel 8 in your pocket during a phone call, the other party wont be able to hear you. Correct? I just got Rexton Bicores yesterday, and with my android Galaxy S20 the HAs will only use the phone's microphone, not the HA microphone. I am thinking about switching to the 9040s, but assume they have the same issue?
The Philips models that Costco is selling right now in Jan 2024 don't match the models in this video. Costco lists the 9040 models in their brochure as "New", so I'm assuming that none of this video is accurate any more. Costco is offering two 9040 and two 9030: 9040 "MNR TR" and 9040 "MNR T" and 9030 "IIC/CIC" and 9030 "ITC/ITE HS/ITE FS". No idea what all these letters mean. Is MNR the "mini" Are both 9040's RIC? or BTE? I assume ITC means In the Canal and ITE means In the Ear? Who knows. All jargon. Hearing aid salesmen are akin to timeshare salesmen. All about the commission. My Costco hearing fitter is salaried, but spent 20 years in an outside shop and can't get rid of the high pressure sales tactics anyway.
A great video with lots of useful information. However, waving your hands around is distracting AND annoying! I've had my MNR T 9040 for about 2 weeks now and they're great! Just a matter of getting used to hearing my own voice when I talk to someone. :)
If this guy waves his hands about much more he`s going to take off! Why do people do this? It isn`t necessary to punctuate EVERY syllable with a hand punch! I never found out about the hearing aids as I had to turn him off, as his hand waving was making me dizzy.
Hey Chicken, sorry that my hands offend you! Perhaps take a 'post it' note and stick it on the bottom 3rd of the screen and you'll be able to live a full and wholesome life; learning all about this new tech, without having to worry about my hands. Thanks for the feedback, Matthew
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
After doing much research I have come to the conclusion that the Philips Hearlink 9040 will be the best choice for my next hearing aids in 2 months time. This will be my 2nd pair, So hopefully I will be making a good choice. Costco has been great for me with pricing, warranty and having all necessities available all of the time. Great customer service and support. Happy camper from Canada.
Would love to hear how you’ve been getting on! Matthew
They changed my life!! I was resistant bc of stigma of old age. The wonderful Costco lady said to me that she has fitted all ages. It made me think in a different way. Now I wish I had done it 4-5 years sooner. I never realized how stressed I was trying to hear, feeling left out of conversations, struggling to read lips, being embarrassed in stores, frustrating my husband, and just missing out. Do it!!!
Castgo philip9040_50hearlink is available in India? Iwant hearlink_40_pl reply me soon __
Very pleased with the hearing aid department at Costco. My Phillips HearLink 9040 BTE are working perfectly and the features available work for me.
Very, very pleased with my 9040s after six months!!!!
Great feedback! Thanks for sharing. Matthew
HA user for twenty years. Oticon1 for six years, cost $5400. New Phillips 9040 is at least as good, cost $1500. Very pleased after two months. HIGHLY recommended. Retired MD(not ENT). Thanks for the review. Telecoil not in wide use, helpful where available.
You must give it 6 years and see if it holds like your old oticon1 can't compare it right now, not until your six year. If it hold that long. I'll be impressed. I hear story that some devices only last 6 months up a year, or during the year they have exchange it to get it fix.
Goodluck
Followup, now 9 months. Still very good. Only missing the television wireless bluetooth connection, as my old connector from Oticon is not compatible( surprising, given that the Phillips product line is made by a Danish company, Demont, also maker of Oticon!) The price differential $1500 versus $6800 makes the decision easy. There is now another step up, Phillips 9050, I will wait another 2 years for an upgrade. My insurance plan allows new every 3 years. Thanks
Been wearing hearing aids for 20 years and very pleased with the sound quality that these have. Same sound technology as my old Bernafon hearing aids so it sounds pretty good so far
The Philips 9040 are excellent hearing aids. I've been wearing them about a month. The sound quality is very natural for speech and music. I don't have to adjust the programs for different hearing environments as the AI takes care of that automatically. The service at Costco was great.
That's great feedback thank you Yoga! Matthew
Mine are tinny and I’m struggling
@@bestlife9925 I've tried a few that sounded tinny but not these. The programming is crucial. I think sometimes you get an audiologist that instead of fine tuning the program, they just put the volume too high and then nothing sounds right.
@@bestlife9925I had problems with my 1st Bernafon hearing aids from Costco. I needed different hearing aids domes. Costco is excellent in their hearing aid follow ups.
@@thebrianchannel98903:02
I had Resound hearing aids from Costco for about 3 years. I found them too big for my canals, hard to match color, and a pain to look forward to each morning. I now have the Philips with an Ap on my phone to regulate if need be, the color matches my grey hair exactly, and best of all the little clear antennae just winds around unobtrusively in my ear curve. These are comfortable and sooo much better for me. I think everyone has different needs and maybe the others fit someone else and makes them very happy. The Philips are for me.
$5,000 for my 5-year old ones (Not Phillips) purchased through my physician. These $1,500 Phillips are super.
It sucks where I'm at though, to get an appointment, you must wait 2 weeks or a month. That's why physican are more expensive because you get in faster and the person knows your history. Compare to cotsco you may have different people. As for the item being cheap, is due to the bulk cotsco buy.
I know is expensive. But the connection with a physician i think is better, plus you can email them for questions instead of calling. Compare to costco.
I’ve had my 9040s multiple years and am very pleased with the performance.
Thanks for sharing Tom! Matthew
@12:15 I've used hearing aids for 5+ years and have not found anywhere in the USA where Telecoil works. I hope Auracast is widely adopted.
Me too! But it will be a while. Thanks for sharing. Matthew
Our church uses telecoil. I use the hearing pieces supplied by the church to listen to services. I assume hearing aids would also connect to it.
T coil can be used with a neck loop, then you could plug the loop into a computer or iPad. A much cheaper option to the Audio Clip
Great video! Thanks! I have moderate hearing loss, and my primary care physician tells me each year that I need hearing aids. I've finally decided to act, and have an appointment at Costco in 1 month to get a hearing test, and believe I'll be going with Philips 9040. My question is "why do i need to buy the Philips TV transmitter (about $250?) when I can get an Auracast box from Amazon for a fraction of that? Thanks in advance.
Thanks for your review. The Phillips 9040 from Costco are my first hearing aids. I had a great audiologist who came recommended and been very happy with the support to date. Only had them for a couple of months and about to go back for adjustment. I've found them very good in general use but they don't seem to help a lot in noisy environments, hence my return visit. Love your videos. Keep up the great work. Harry
Hey Harry, I'm glad to hear that you're having the success that you are! Hopefully the fine tuning will help. I appreciate you taking the time to comment, Matthew
Follow up visit to sort out issue in noisy environments was successful. Still testing, but 100% better than before.
That sounds normal now. It takes a few visits normally to tweak these issues in my experience.@@harryfbrc
Just got a new Iphone and it did not ring thru my Phillips 9030s. Your video did the trick. Thanks so much. I'm a fan now.
I’m delighted to hear that Sheila! Thanks for taking the time to share. Matthew
Hello. I just watched your review of the Jabra Enhance Pro 20 Micro Pro with charger. I have been wearing Kirkland brand hearing aids for 7 years and was always satisfied with their quality and service. But now I have decided to go for rechargeable hearing aids and have decided after also listening to your review of Philips models, to buy the Jabra. I will get back to you after a month of wearing Jabra with an update. Than you so much.
Hey Maraft! I would love to hear your follow up on this! Matthew
I’ve just had my 9040s for a week. The original fitter was unsure if we should go with the domes or molds because of my very very slender ear canals. Turns out I also have a wonky shaped ear canal and the pain at the end of the day is approaching exquisite level. Plan on calling Costco tomorrow to move up my regular appointment for first adjustments because the pain is just too much. Can’t even concentrate on my ability to hear because of the pain. Hope the molds work.
How did the moulds go? Matthew
Very good informative review! Finding someone that is competent at my nearest Costco is a crapshoot from my experience. If they employed an audiologist instead of a fitment specialist perhaps I would of had better results. These Phillips might be worth giving Costco a try again. Of course there is a 6 week wait for a appointment.
Hey Bill, I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and I agree 100%. Matthew
A fitment specialist? My experience is the audiologists around where I live are more than capable to do the fitting because of their skill, and also the length of time they have been working in the field. @@HearingTracker
Since my last comment I have returned the Jabra hearing aids (as per Costco's generous return policy) and bought the new Phillips 9050 model and I have been using them for almost a month without any issues. I am happy that I changed from the Jabra units.
Thanks for a nice video. I really wanted the Philips to work for me. My recent story ...
After my $6k 'Brand Name - Pho***) HAs failed (left just under 2 years and replaced under warranty & other side out of warranty - @4 yrs) I decided to try Costco vs my 'Audiologist';l and yes I do take very good care of my HA's so failures most likely to poor product / manufacturing defect. Each time they began making constant hissing / scratchy sound. OK - on to Costo. I was very impressed with the hearing test; very similar to what the 'Pro's' do, except it was FREE! Then the Costco HA 'tech' got out a pair of the 'demo' (working) Philips 9040s HAs initially for me to try (not sure why that model was picked to start with). My initial response was 'wow' I can hear and it seems very 'crisp' and also had a very low constant hiss. Then a few more seconds went by and I thought the sound was a bit 'too' crisp and a bit 'artificial'. It just did not sound 'normal' - best way I can describe, and the 'hiss' was slightly annoying; but I was in a sound booth/office, so I did think it might not even be noticeable once out in public. The tech made some tweaks and attempted to lower the sound level to removed the 'artificial' and crispy sound, but wasn't able to. I was disappointed as I really wanted these Philips to work. Next pick were the Jabra 20s. The background 'hiss' was hardly noticeable with these AND they sounded much more 'normal' to my ears. The sound was not 'crispy' and artificial as the Philips. But due to the hardly noticeable 'hiss', the tech tried the 3rd and final Rextons, which sounded just as good as the Jabra 20s. Seeing I was having a hard time deciding, I got to walk around the store some with each of the 3 pairs of HAs. The Philips were just not doing it for me. The 'artificial' sounding, low level 'hiss' (again very hard to notice, but if I concentrated on it, I could hear it), and crispiness made these a definite NO for me. I did struggle a bit between the Jabra and Rexton, but eventually decided on the Jabra 20s. The only thing I didn't like was the single button the Jabra 20s have. However, IMO, I really should not ever need to use the button. I very rarely, hardly ever, used the buttons on my Pho**** and believe a HA should have but one function ... to allow a person to hear as though they had a new pair of ears. So, I made the purchase and am waiting for my new HAs to come in so I can go to my already schedule appointment to be 'fitted'.
Philips 9040 are excellent hearing aids. Had mine for just over a month (first time hearing aids) and am very satisfied with both the Costco experience and the 9040's. I had a audiologist at University of Chicago Hospital test my hearing and the Costco fitment folks came to the same test results. highly recommend both Costco and the 9040's.
Het Castermmt, awesome thank you for sharing. I would love to know what their testing involved? Matthew
Not sure what the test are called but they were the same if not more time consuming then the University of Chicago medicine audiologist The fitment of the 9040's was very detailed and they did testing at that point as well. If you call them they are very information sharing. The gentleman who host "the Hearing Club" here on RUclips works for Costco hearing, best to ask him. @@HearingTracker
@@HearingTracker
Have you ever had a hearing test??
@@HearingTrackerI can elaborate on what the test protocols are. AC and BC, masking if required, both air and bone. MCL followed by word recognition and speech reception, masking if required. UCL is taken as well to monitor any noise sensitivity. SRT and PTA are compared to establish test dependability. The testing protocol follows that of the IHS, and red flags dictated by both FDA, and state operating in. Prescriptive target is used with REM to establish individual EAC acoustic response. NAL NL2, new user or experienced based on a multitude of factors. All of this is following a comprehensive EAC inspection AU, as well as appropriate case history and individuals specific heath experience and needs.
I have had Rexton hearing aids for 10 years and a few months ago I bought Pilips 9040 at Costco used them for 2 months and honestly did not like them at all. They were not even as good as the Rexton I was trying to replace. I returned them and bought Jabra. I really like them.
I just purchased a 9040 from Costco but didn't get much instruction regarding the button use.
I was hoping that the new 9040s would measure up to my Costco Phonak I purchased years ago but way too many problems and they were not compatible with my Android phone so I returned them. I wanted to like them but they couldn't come close to my Phonak.
Hey April, that’s great feedback. Thank you for sharing with the masses. Matthew
Just got mine they are fantastic.
When you are tested and fitted with new hearing aids, why are you not re-tested with the newly fitted hearing aids to verify the effectiveness of the fitting and settings? When a mechanic gets your car in for a complaint / repair, he verifies the complaint (initial test), determines the repair that is needed and performs the repair, THEN he verifies the repair with a test drive or whatever verification is appropriate to ensure that the repair is proper and complete.
Hey Psav, you should be. That’s the job of your audio. Matthew
Great point, psav! No follow-up testing at Costco, Delaware.
I have always received a two week follow up with Costco's hearing aids.
Me too! @@happytx1860
Always wondered about that. I would like the ability to adjust them more than the basic adjustments
The 9040s work very well for general use: conversation and TV. But they make my Steinway piano sound horrible, like it hasn’t been tuned for a few years. Severe beats are audible on sustained notes (same on pure-toned instruments like clarinets). I’ve tried the special Music program, and Costco has turned off as much possible digital processing as possible, but that only helped very slightly. So I wind up muting my aids for several hours every day; not what I signed up for. BTW, they sound fine if streaming piano from my iPhone.
Hye fathamike, thanks for sharing that's really helpful. Did you check out my video on adjusting hearin aids for music? ruclips.net/video/5h_v9JBRvEw/видео.html Matthew
Matthew- I took notes on your video and shared with the Costco person. I believe she followed the steps as best she could. As I said, only marginally better. I'd like to talk to Phillips, but can't figure out how to contact them.@@HearingTracker
You might look into custom ear molds
My health service
Opticon hearing aids have just been retuned to suit my hearing changes.
Free, as are the batteries. Bless the NHS
Glad you’re getting well Aubrey! Thanks for taking the time to comment, Matthew
From a technology and functional perspective, how similar are these to the oticon real 1?
This is the question no one seems to able to answer. I'd love to see a side-by-side feature/technology comparison. If there's one out there, I haven't found it.
Both are made by Demant
Hi Matthew - how fast does the average hearing aid device take to process incoming sound and then send it to the ear? Is there any noticeable delay to the wearer? Thank You!
I've never heard of any noticeable processing delay. I've had Costco Kirkland KS9s (Phonaks) for a few years, my experience is instantaneous.
Electricity moves at the speed of light. Much faster than the speed of sound
Yes, there is. I play guitar. I took my guitar to the shop complaining about fret buzz. The luthier couldn’t hear any buzz - neither could I when I took the aids off. It wasn’t fret buzz - it was the latency of the aids - old Phonak Audeos. I’m hoping my new aids have a far faster processor.
I’ve had mine about 4 months and I’m very pleased with them. I also have a set of Starkey Evolv and as far as I’m concerned these will run circles around the Starkey’s. Plus the hearing exam I got at Costco was 10 times better than the one at the audiologist! Once in awhile I put my Starkey’s in and after about 10 minutes I have to take them out because the Philips 9040’s sound so much better.
I am a happy Costco HA customer for many years. My current set is 9 years in age. Time for a change to updated units with iPhone connectivity. My current set requires me to wear a device around my neck to hear via BT which isn’t acceptable. I plan to wait for the Apple version. No, I am not sure if Apple plans to enter the HA sales channel but the October 2022 the FDA made it easier for consumer audio companies like Apple, Jabra, BOSE, JBL ETC to enter the HA industry. Apple is deeply discounting their AirPod Pro 2 system which make me want to believe the Pro 3 versions will be HA type.
When is the Philips 9050 coming to Costco for sale?
When I Bluetooth music from Spotify it is very low no matter how I adjust volume. Why?
After 4 days I'm thrilled with my Costco $1500 Philips 9040 HA. Can I use a Oticon 3.0 TV streamer in place of a Costco Philips streamer?
What he doesn't tell you is it costs about $250-300 per battery to get switched out when you're out of warranty. Which usually happens because the warranty is usually 2-3 years and the batteries only last 3-5 years. $600 for two rechargeable replacement batteries.
Great review Matthew. Thank you!
Thank you Carla! I hope it helps. Matthew
Have the newest Phillips 9040 from Costco after my Phonac Aids finally died. Not very impressed after three times trying to get them reprogrammed. Their clarity is fine but they don’t discriminate between front and rear. Everything around me gets amplified. Also, it’s fairly common for one HA to lose Bluetooth connection as it did during this video. I will keep going back for more adjustments but I may end up returning them and going to a regular hearing center and paying the big dollars
Thank you. 2 points - I wore a Philips BTE in 1978 so I think they were manufacturing them earlier than 1990. Secondly - I am completely baffled by the fitting range of the 9040 BTE aids that you just showed. They do not cover profound losses at all - even just a high frequency profound loss. So what is the point of bringing them out? Would actually prefer a BTE as my loss is severe/Profound but this is not an option.
Good catch Graham. I worked on this video project with Matthew. We probably should have specified that we're referring to Philips first foray into digital hearing aids, which was back in 1997. They were involved in analog hearing aids well before that, I think as far back as the 1940's and maybe earlier. I'll let Matthew respond about the fitting range :)
Hey Graham, thanks for the note. You're right, somehow I managed to cut 'digital' from the edit. There is a PP version available from Philips however it isn't stocked by Costco. While it's pretty rare to fit BTE's vs RICs nowadays there are sometimes contraindications to RICs so there is still the market for them even if they're not the PP version. I hope this helps. Matthew
@@HearingTracker thanks for the heads up Matthew. A bit of a shame. I have recently discovered that music sounds fantastic with my Oticon Dynamo 8 NHS hearing aids which I attribute to them being a BTE. I also have KS10s but music is only brilliant when streaming. Hence I was looking at BTE options for upgrade. Thanks again.
This is the limitation of working with Costco. They offer the most common products for the most common hearing loss. When getting into any range of profound loss it requires more professional time, more programming, and a wider range of products. Costco's pricing model does not allow for them to carry that type of wider choice, or devote more time, particularly if they can see more people in that same amount of time. It's not a right or wrong approach but it certainly does reveal that Costco isn't for every situation.
@@scottm.9335 Totally correct. I visited Costco a month ago in the U.K. and it transpired that there was not a single BTE power option available. I am lucky that I can actually be satisfied with a UP Ric but those people with a profound loss will be left with no options at Costco.
I bought mine 3/7/2022. Last night the right one failed completely. Shouldn’t these last longer than two years? Otherwise, hearing devices amount to over $1,000 yearly!
just got them and should listen to you fiirst but costco is great for service
Thanks for the info 😊
How do the 9040s compare to the Jabra?
I’ve had the 9040s, my first-ever hearing aids, for just over two months. I am very happy with them for most aspects of my life, although the sheer volume of the world around me can be very overwhelming at times.
I am a school secretary, and the biggest issue I’m having is being able to hear phone conversations on my very old (the warranty expired in 1993) landline office phone. My audiologist has been trying to help with adjustments to the program and a small magnet on the phone receiver, but I frequently have to take out a hearing aid to be able to hear the person on the other end of the line. Do you have any suggestions I can take to my audiologist?
Your school board is (I believe) supposed to accommodate you. Meaning, providing you with a compatible phone to do your job. As with all boards of ed. they will likely be reluctant, but understand the importance.
My wife just bought a set of these 9040 TR RIC at Costco and loves them. I do not know how they differ from these four. She got used to wearing them fairly quickly. I think the six month adjustment period is just a selling gimmick as no one else offers this. The hearing aids are supposed to last for five plus years ($300 a year) possibly six to seven years. By then the price will drop again. The whole hearing aid market seems to be changing weekly ever since it was deregulated. The prices keep dropping and they have more and more features. They are comprised of micro electron parts and cost very little to make and keep getting smaller.
Someday they might have ones that are permanently placed in your inner ear and last for five years.
Just picked up a pair of REXTONs at Costco. Bundle deal where they threw in a bonus travel charger. $1499.99. They had Phillips and Jabra. I ended up going with REXTON BiCore CR Li. These are my first hearing aids. So to soon to judge. Perhaps you've reviewed them. I have one big disappointment out of the gate. None of them will stream to my Google Pixel2. I hate to upgrade to a Pixel8 for 800+. Going to be a total PIA having to take out to put buds in.
I don’t want to use hearing aids. My ENT said my hearing loss isn’t bad enough to need them, but I feel like it truly disturbs me everyday. Ever since my acoustic trauma from gunshots I have been so depressed..it’s been 3 months
Think of them as spy ears, when I first tried hearing aids, my hearing was not that diminished, yet the extra hearing was enchanting.
@@carolyngonzolez9338 I’ll pass for now
Great review! It would be interesting to know how the 9040s compare with the 9030s. Is it worth upgrading?
Hey Mostguitarswins. That's a great question. Personally, I would say it's not worth the upgrade (waiting for the haters to comment). Whilst there are developments for me it's not worth the extra outlay. Matthew
@@HearingTracker Thanks for the reply. Philips makes a big deal out of the 9040s having "AI", but the 9030s work in an auto-sensing mode too. It seems to me that what is being called AI now is just an incremental upgrade to what digital hearing aids have been doing for a while now. What do you think?
Primary difference between 9030 and 9040 is handling and wind noise reduction is improved. And the sudden sound or impulse noise reduction is more flexible. Aside from that there are no differences in how the AI NR is functioning.
Personally, I like a bit of handling noise because it helps me to know if my disposable battery really is dead! I have the 9030 version and I feel blessed that I didn’t purchase the Oticon Real version from my audiologist for 7,500.!
Thinking about getting the 9040 as my first hearing aids! Any idea on what it might cost me when I get out of Costco? I live in PA.
What is missing from this solution is an ancillary microphone to use for iPhone Bluetooth pairing. The microphones on the hearing aids are never going to be able to capture your voice to transmit to your caller. Only a small discreet mic (also Bluetooth enabled) can handle picking up your voice for call clarity. Why doesn't Philip offer this as an optional accessory, or better yet as an included value-add? This simple off-the-shelf tech.
Thanks for the very valuable information you have provided. However one area of concern for me is how rechargable lithium batteries tend to degrade over time. If the rechargable battery fails then the hearing aid itself becomes useless. Could you please respond to this problem?
I got this wore it for an hour. I got a headache like i was hit by a sledge hammer. The sound is metallic.
Hey Mallikark, did you go back for adjustments? Matthew
I agree. Metallic is a good word for it
I've read / heard that the 9040's are a "defeatured" version of the Oticon Real 1? If so, what are they missing? Also, I can't seem to find if the 9040's have tinnitus masking? I'm just about to start a trial of the Real 1's. Thanks!
9040's do. Costco autologist made a profile for them for me.
Great review! I would just like to add that being a Costco member is not mandatory for purchase. Being accompanied by a member is the first step in purchasing as a non member. Another fact of note, the Philips name is used for the hearing aid, but the circuit inside is that of SBO Hearings premium tier offering….SBO owns many hearing aid brands folks are familiar with, in this case, comparing the Philips HL9040 would be best compared to the premium RIC offering from Oticon, only ~$5,000 LESS. CHEERS!
Cosco in West Palm Beach requires membership. Damn!
@ that would be going against the rules established and made clear by corporate. I would argue that you were told that the Director of Costco’s Hearing Center operations mandates that like shopping the floor as a guest of a Member, the guest can also purchase from Optical and Hearing Aid. Only caveat is, you must always be accompanied by a member when you need service within Costco.
In your video you state that 9040 hearing Aids only work on Apple Hearing Aids. Incorrect. They work on Androids like my Pixel 8 Pros.
Hi Terry, I stated that the ‘bidirectional Bluetooth’ only works with Apple, not the Bluetooth in general…. Matthew
Terry - I am assuming that if you put your Pixel 8 in your pocket during a phone call, the other party wont be able to hear you. Correct? I just got Rexton Bicores yesterday, and with my android Galaxy S20 the HAs will only use the phone's microphone, not the HA microphone. I am thinking about switching to the 9040s, but assume they have the same issue?
I forgot to ask, are these locked? In case I don't get satisfactory programming there I would like to seek help elsewhere.
Current Costco hearing aids are not locked.
Hey Bill, as far as I'm aware no they're not. Matthew
They are not locked but any private audiologist has to get access to and installation of the fitting software from Philips.
Something was wrong with my audio, Matthew sounded like he had a British accent and I couldn’t seem to fix it.
Hahaha! Touché! Matthew
I Get Mine in Two weeks
The Philips models that Costco is selling right now in Jan 2024 don't match the models in this video. Costco lists the 9040 models in their brochure as "New", so I'm assuming that none of this video is accurate any more. Costco is offering two 9040 and two 9030: 9040 "MNR TR" and 9040 "MNR T" and 9030 "IIC/CIC" and 9030 "ITC/ITE HS/ITE FS". No idea what all these letters mean. Is MNR the "mini" Are both 9040's RIC? or BTE? I assume ITC means In the Canal and ITE means In the Ear? Who knows. All jargon. Hearing aid salesmen are akin to timeshare salesmen. All about the commission. My Costco hearing fitter is salaried, but spent 20 years in an outside shop and can't get rid of the high pressure sales tactics anyway.
Why don't hearing aids use bone-conduction technology?
Costco hearing aid techs dont seem to be up to speed on all of the hearing aid options
A great video with lots of useful information. However, waving your hands around is distracting AND annoying! I've had my MNR T 9040 for about 2 weeks now and they're great! Just a matter of getting used to hearing my own voice when I talk to someone. :)
Jiaoy show ii issue tleay Rowe sauen orahg 2024!!
What?
Have the 9040s for 10 months now and They have died three times already..
Not too smart of costco's having another heroine a company advertised right before this goes on unbelievable
“Incredibly," expensive. Should be around $250.00 tops. Ancient technology sold at insane prices. Scam.
I was just quoted 6k for a pair. 1400 for hear aids that are set up for you sounds quite reasonable. However, it's still a lot of money.
If this guy waves his hands about much more he`s going to take off! Why do people do this? It isn`t necessary to punctuate EVERY syllable with a hand punch! I never found out about the hearing aids as I had to turn him off, as his hand waving was making me dizzy.
Hey Chicken, sorry that my hands offend you! Perhaps take a 'post it' note and stick it on the bottom 3rd of the screen and you'll be able to live a full and wholesome life; learning all about this new tech, without having to worry about my hands. Thanks for the feedback, Matthew
That’s interesting because I didn’t even notice it. MAYBE YOU AFE OVERLY REACTIVE!
Can you hear with your eyes closed?
@@HearingTracker You are a great presenter, Matt. I appreciate what you are doing. Keep up the good work.
Yup, drives me nuts, too! I'll never understand why some need to wave their hands around when they talk.
Not reliable.
Costco hearing aids are bad news 👎👎👎👎👎
Sorry to hear that Ray, why so? Matthew