Having some age related (and gig-related) hearing loss, I’m wondering about hearing aids...
What stage are you at - have you had a hearing test?
I've had hearing aids since childhood and I have recent experience of obtaining new ones both on the NHS and privately so hopefully I can give some useful input.
In the first instance I'd suggest getting your GP to refer you to an audiologist for testing. NHS clinics, in my experience, always test more thoroughly and have more equipment than private sector audiologists. They spend more time ruling out indirect causes of hearing loss. I think it is a good idea to be on the NHS audiology books, so to speak, even if you choose to go the private route. And even if you end up buying your own hearing aids, you'll have an NHS pair as spares should they ever be needed.
The next thing I'd, if considering the private route, is to choose a good audiologist / clinic. It's essential to have someone who will 1) let you have trials of a few different hearing aids and 2) guarantee to see you a couple of times soon after purchase to make adjustments. Yes, apps do provide some control but they are very basic in many ways. You cannot set or adjust parameters / protocols with these apps - think of them as not being capable of much more than switching between programmes and controlling volume. And if your hearing aids are set up properly, you should rarely need to adjust volume or switch programmes. I have found that it usually takes 2 post-purchase visits to get everything optimised.
Other things to consider:
- are you iPhone or Android? Some aids are "Made for iPhone", permitting direct streaming to the aids. There is now an Android equivalent.
- Some hearing aids need a streamer, some stream directly.
- rechargeable batteries, either built in or replaceable, are becoming a thing, but are (IMO) not quite there yet for someone who is reliant on their hearing aids
- water resistance
- warranty
My current hearing aids are Bernafon Zerena 9 (receiver in ear - i.e. a behind the ear part and a mould that goes in the ear canal). I chose these after a long trial (a few weeks, though to be honest someone used to hearing aids can tell very quickly if they are going to work for you or not) of a couple of alternatives, notably the oft-recommended Oticon Opn. The reason for my selection may interest you: there is a huge variation in how hearing aids handle music. While the Oticons were excellent in every other way (speech discrimination probably slightly better than my eventual choice), I found it impossible to enjoy music through them as it sounded highly compressed and processed. Unlistenable in fact. Another reason for a good trial that will allow you to see how they work for you for live music, music at home, via headphones if applicable, and streamed.