Which I used to say a lot until SWMBO mandated that I get my hearing tested…
Now with modern hearing aids, not so much- and my life is so much better with them than it was before them.
I can hear sooo much better- sometimes to the point of annoyance.
At least part of the improvement is, I think because my tinnitus [chronic from LOUD noise exposure- like my hearing loss] is mostly suppressed- except like now when I actively think about it, or when someone else brings theirs up in conversation- thank God for habituation!*
That said, when I take them out, my head feels like it’s been filled with cotton and I don’t much like it.
I’m on my second set having burned through the 1st pair’s [unreplaceable] lithium battery life over about a 5-year period of daily use while awake- and I don’t sleep much…
I highly recommend getting your hearing tested if you [or your family members] have any concern about it- and I also highly recommend the Phonak brand of Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids.
I’m specifying the Bluetooth=capable ones because I also have a pair of the cheaper non-BT Phonak ones with disposable/replaceable batteries that I inherited from my [God bless you Poppa] deceased F-I-L [who got them from the VA] and they are so much less effective.
@Lynnerizer@yakkoTDI
No in this case at least, habituation isn’t about drugs, tobacco, or other noxious things:
“Habituation is the process of the brain filtering out or becoming accustomed to background noises like fans, equipment humming, and tinnitus, so that they are no longer consciously perceived, is called habituation.”
@PhysAssist@yakkoTDI
Hearing loss really does affect so much of ones life. We see how my mom misses out on so much, I think it might bother us (my sister and I) more than it does her but that’s probably because she’s still in denial about it.
I’ve been noticing I have been having a problem, my guy is always telling me to turn down the TV. I do notice a huge difference when the air purifier is on high though. I didn’t know habituation was a thing, or that it has it’s own name is more like it. I also inherited my dad’s hearing aid that he hadn’t even had a chance to use before he passed. I played with them for a minute and then tucked them away for when I REALLY need them. They are bluetooth I know that much but I don’t remember the brand. It’s unbelievable how tiny and nearly invisible they are these days.
When I was a kid I went for a hearing test, turned out I just had a bit of a wax issue, it was pretty neat going through that experience. I remember the guy had a very soft low tone voice and even before I sat inside the testing box he told me that IF I could hear and understand HIS natural voice that I most likely didn’t have a hearing problem. I was around 10 and I believed him. Today I’d be much more sceptical. Lol My aunt is an audiologist and she tests people for a living. Because I’m a chatterbox and I had extra words from yesterday, I’m jus sayen.
Have a wonderful day!
@Lynnerizer@yakkoTDI
Hi,
I’m glad that I added some value.
2 more things- untreated hearing loss is a HUGE risk/contributing factor to the development and/or acceleration of dementia, so maybe be as assertive/supportive as you can for your mom;
and because those hearing aids you put away probably have lithium batteries [if they’re the rechargeable kind] you may want to set yourself a reminder to put them on charge every 2-3 months so they don’t die from neglect, OR your could try them and see what if any difference they make in your daily life.
One further caveat, almost all hearing aids can be tuned to compensate for each individual’s spectrum of hearing loss- which may be a bit at least of why my F-I-L’s don’t work well for me- and if i didn’t have good ones to use regularly, I’d have spent the $150 to have them re-set for me.
@Lynnerizer@PhysAssist (speaking from experience) I second everything PhysAssist has said. Although the brand I have has replaceable lithium batteries.
@PhysAssist@yakkoTDI
Jeez, I had no idea that hearing loss was connected to dementia. The funny thing is I was just telling my sister that after mom’s time on earth is over I bet we’re going to find little notes and reminders all over the house tucked away out of sight. Going through Alzheimer’s and dementia with my MIL I learned that everyone has some memory loss as we get older do to the shrinking of blood vessels in our neck. Nobody ever mentioned or even asked about her hearing though. I’m definitely going to look into that, it’s very interesting!
Thanks for the tip on the batteries about charging them periodically. I’ve had them for 2 years now so I hope I’m not too late. The hearing aids that I have were my dad’s second pair, he just didn’t have a chance to use them. If I remember correctly they could be calibrated or customized for your needs through the app.
@Lynnerizer@yakkoTDI
Yes, apparently, it’s to some degree related to the social isolation imposed by hearing loss, and also because of the changes in brain function caused by the loss of auditory stimulation.
Bought some of these. The sound is okay for the price, but pairing stereo doesn’t actually split up right and left channels. Also, connection cuts out constantly. Sorry, but these are truly MEH.
@manjar I think they tried to make it stereo but didn’t execute. I think there is a speaker on either side. When pairing 2 speakers together and using speaker test tracks, the right speaker paned back and front like it was left and right and the left speaker was mono. So it looks like they intended it to be stereo, but channels are all mixed up. I could have faulty speakers, but I doubt it.
@Num1Zero
Thank you for this. I was about to buy, but remembered how disappointing my last speaker purchase from here turned out. Was it always a bad connection, or only when both were paired? Also, which model?
@Num1Zero
I also have some, and as individual speakers [not with the pair linked for ‘true’ stereo sound] they are pretty decent- they hold my BT connection well, and even resume it if I stray out of and back into the pretty decent range of the BT, The sound os reasonably full-range and I really enjoy listening to them individually.
When I tried [multiple times] to connect them for stereo sound [which I do really prefer], they are very discordant at times with weird delays and inconsistencies in the timing/separation of the left and right sound tracks, which I wrote to Meh about, resulting in a refund of my purchase price, which eased my pain considerably.
I don’t ever even try to link them any more because it’s so hard to listen to the discordance- so instead, I use my other stereo BT speaker- also purchased here- “2-Pack: ToughTested Satellite Rugged Bluetooth Speaker”, which I highly recommend for sound quality, battery life, and good and mostly reliable [if not always perfect] stereo pairing.
I bought one of these a couple months ago. They work okay but there is a high-pitched noise inherent in them, which is a little annoying. Also audio quality is mediocre.
@pmcgrane
i think you might have gotten a bad refurb then because mine do not have that high-pitched [and likely maddening] noise and [used individually] the sound quality is as good or better than any of my multitude of other BT speakers.
My Pyle tube speaker has maybe marginally better sound quality, but isn’t as robustly proof from water, shock, etc.
I hope I live long enough to not have to zoom in on every electronic-product photo to suss out whether the charging scheme is micro USB or USB-C.
Based on my zooming (and the silence about it in the specs), it appears to be the former. Which smells right, given the lackluster reviews from others here.
@andymand It’s Micro USB on the regular LifeJacket, I can confirm. Which, i can cope with. We’re still in the phase of moving everything to USB-C where I have enough chargers of that sort.
@andymand
You are correct- but it hasn’t been a problem in anything I own- except for the [once a pair] Tiki-light BT speaker[s], which we only ever used for their ‘candlelight-emulation’ function.
That’s because our dogs have knocked them off their usual home base so many times that the USB connections got cheddared by landing on the connected USB/cable connection point apparently bending them [plug and port] enough that they don’t recharge any more- and swapping in a new cable only worked temporarily.
@andymand No worries here. We still have micro-USB quick chargers in use around the house, with USB-C adapters. So I’ll just remove the adapter when charging these. Score!
I bought some of these a couple of months ago, but never got around to getting them out of the box. I was thinking about getting a couple more for my mother-in-law to keep by her pool… just tried to open the pdf of the manual. It wouldn’t open in my pdf program. Wah, wah, wah…
I have one of these. I haven’t done the stereo thing because I only have one. But I have never had any problems with it dropping out or losing connection. It does use micro USB. Thanks to Meh I have a couple of those four port charging thingies that I can plug any kind of cable into. And I specifically use it for these kinds of things to charge.
Just received my Altec Lansing 2 pack bluetooth speakers. One will not stay powered up. I hold the button and its is on but it will not stay power up when you let go of the power button. Not a good purchase.
@Hallnass2u call their tech support listed on the device. Altec let me send one of mine which would not power on, back in.
For the one that works was the sound good? I was thinking of getting another so I could pair but I got sent previous versions which don’t do the speaker to speaker pairing.
Specs
Product: 2-Pack: Altec Lansing Bluetooth Speakers (Refurbished)
Model: RBIMW449-BLK-STK-20, RBIMW449-MTG-STK-20, RBIMW478-RED-STK-20, RBIMW478-RYB-STK-20, RBIMW479L-RYB-STK-20, RBIMW479L-BLK-STK-20
Condition: Refurbished
Jacket H2O
Mini Life Jacket 3
Mini Lifejacket Jolt
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
$89.98-$97.98 at Amazon
Jacket H2O
Mini Lifejacket Jolt
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Mar 3 - Wednesday, Mar 5
I CAN"T HEAR YOU!!!
@yakkoTDI
WHAT…?
@Lynnerizer @yakkoTDI
Huh?!?!?!!?!?!?!??
Which I used to say a lot until SWMBO mandated that I get my hearing tested…
Now with modern hearing aids, not so much- and my life is so much better with them than it was before them.
I can hear sooo much better- sometimes to the point of annoyance.
At least part of the improvement is, I think because my tinnitus [chronic from LOUD noise exposure- like my hearing loss] is mostly suppressed- except like now when I actively think about it, or when someone else brings theirs up in conversation- thank God for habituation!*
That said, when I take them out, my head feels like it’s been filled with cotton and I don’t much like it.
I’m on my second set having burned through the 1st pair’s [unreplaceable] lithium battery life over about a 5-year period of daily use while awake- and I don’t sleep much…
I highly recommend getting your hearing tested if you [or your family members] have any concern about it- and I also highly recommend the Phonak brand of Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids.
I’m specifying the Bluetooth=capable ones because I also have a pair of the cheaper non-BT Phonak ones with disposable/replaceable batteries that I inherited from my [God bless you Poppa] deceased F-I-L [who got them from the VA] and they are so much less effective.
@Lynnerizer @yakkoTDI
No in this case at least, habituation isn’t about drugs, tobacco, or other noxious things:
“Habituation is the process of the brain filtering out or becoming accustomed to background noises like fans, equipment humming, and tinnitus, so that they are no longer consciously perceived, is called habituation.”
@PhysAssist @yakkoTDI
I do notice a huge difference when the air purifier is on high though. I didn’t know habituation was a thing, or that it has it’s own name is more like it. I also inherited my dad’s hearing aid that he hadn’t even had a chance to use before he passed. I played with them for a minute and then tucked them away for when I REALLY need them. They are bluetooth I know that much but I don’t remember the brand. It’s unbelievable how tiny and nearly invisible they are these days.
My aunt is an audiologist and she tests people for a living. Because I’m a chatterbox and I had extra words from yesterday, I’m jus sayen.
Hearing loss really does affect so much of ones life. We see how my mom misses out on so much, I think it might bother us (my sister and I) more than it does her but that’s probably because she’s still in denial about it.
I’ve been noticing I have been having a problem, my guy is always telling me to turn down the TV.
When I was a kid I went for a hearing test, turned out I just had a bit of a wax issue, it was pretty neat going through that experience. I remember the guy had a very soft low tone voice and even before I sat inside the testing box he told me that IF I could hear and understand HIS natural voice that I most likely didn’t have a hearing problem. I was around 10 and I believed him. Today I’d be much more sceptical. Lol
Have a wonderful day!
@Lynnerizer @yakkoTDI
Hi,
I’m glad that I added some value.
2 more things- untreated hearing loss is a HUGE risk/contributing factor to the development and/or acceleration of dementia, so maybe be as assertive/supportive as you can for your mom;
and because those hearing aids you put away probably have lithium batteries [if they’re the rechargeable kind] you may want to set yourself a reminder to put them on charge every 2-3 months so they don’t die from neglect, OR your could try them and see what if any difference they make in your daily life.
One further caveat, almost all hearing aids can be tuned to compensate for each individual’s spectrum of hearing loss- which may be a bit at least of why my F-I-L’s don’t work well for me- and if i didn’t have good ones to use regularly, I’d have spent the $150 to have them re-set for me.
@Lynnerizer @PhysAssist (speaking from experience) I second everything PhysAssist has said. Although the brand I have has replaceable lithium batteries.
@bee1doll @Lynnerizer
I think I’m a bit jealy about that because failure of the built-in batteries is the only reason why I had to get new ones.
@Lynnerizer @PhysAssist @yakkoTDI -DO WHAT!!
@PhysAssist @yakkoTDI
The funny thing is I was just telling my sister that after mom’s time on earth is over I bet we’re going to find little notes and reminders all over the house tucked away out of sight. Going through Alzheimer’s and dementia with my MIL I learned that everyone has some memory loss as we get older do to the shrinking of blood vessels in our neck. Nobody ever mentioned or even asked about her hearing though. I’m definitely going to look into that, it’s very interesting!
The hearing aids that I have were my dad’s second pair, he just didn’t have a chance to use them. If I remember correctly they could be calibrated or customized for your needs through the app. 
Jeez, I had no idea that hearing loss was connected to dementia.
Thanks for the tip on the batteries about charging them periodically. I’ve had them for 2 years now so I hope I’m not too late.
@bee1doll @PhysAssist
And all such good info! Thanks!
@Lynnerizer @yakkoTDI
Yes, apparently, it’s to some degree related to the social isolation imposed by hearing loss, and also because of the changes in brain function caused by the loss of auditory stimulation.
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/hearing-loss-and-the-dementia-connection
Someone bought my sister a Bluetooth speaker for Christmas, and that person has been my sworn enemy ever since.
Bought some of these. The sound is okay for the price, but pairing stereo doesn’t actually split up right and left channels. Also, connection cuts out constantly. Sorry, but these are truly MEH.
@Num1Zero Thank you for your service! So it’s actually mono? That’s downright crappy.
@manjar I think they tried to make it stereo but didn’t execute. I think there is a speaker on either side. When pairing 2 speakers together and using speaker test tracks, the right speaker paned back and front like it was left and right and the left speaker was mono. So it looks like they intended it to be stereo, but channels are all mixed up. I could have faulty speakers, but I doubt it.
@Num1Zero
Thank you for this. I was about to buy, but remembered how disappointing my last speaker purchase from here turned out. Was it always a bad connection, or only when both were paired? Also, which model?
@Num1Zero
I also have some, and as individual speakers [not with the pair linked for ‘true’ stereo sound] they are pretty decent- they hold my BT connection well, and even resume it if I stray out of and back into the pretty decent range of the BT, The sound os reasonably full-range and I really enjoy listening to them individually.
When I tried [multiple times] to connect them for stereo sound [which I do really prefer], they are very discordant at times with weird delays and inconsistencies in the timing/separation of the left and right sound tracks, which I wrote to Meh about, resulting in a refund of my purchase price, which eased my pain considerably.
I don’t ever even try to link them any more because it’s so hard to listen to the discordance- so instead, I use my other stereo BT speaker- also purchased here- “2-Pack: ToughTested Satellite Rugged Bluetooth Speaker”, which I highly recommend for sound quality, battery life, and good and mostly reliable [if not always perfect] stereo pairing.
Yay speakers, Doc.
I bought one of these a couple months ago. They work okay but there is a high-pitched noise inherent in them, which is a little annoying. Also audio quality is mediocre.
@pmcgrane
i think you might have gotten a bad refurb then because mine do not have that high-pitched [and likely maddening] noise and [used individually] the sound quality is as good or better than any of my multitude of other BT speakers.
My Pyle tube speaker has maybe marginally better sound quality, but isn’t as robustly proof from water, shock, etc.
I hope I live long enough to not have to zoom in on every electronic-product photo to suss out whether the charging scheme is micro USB or USB-C.
Based on my zooming (and the silence about it in the specs), it appears to be the former.
Which smells right, given the lackluster reviews from others here.
@andymand
I noped out seeing micro USB as well
@andymand It’s Micro USB on the regular LifeJacket, I can confirm. Which, i can cope with. We’re still in the phase of moving everything to USB-C where I have enough chargers of that sort.
@andymand
You are correct- but it hasn’t been a problem in anything I own- except for the [once a pair] Tiki-light BT speaker[s], which we only ever used for their ‘candlelight-emulation’ function.
That’s because our dogs have knocked them off their usual home base so many times that the USB connections got cheddared by landing on the connected USB/cable connection point apparently bending them [plug and port] enough that they don’t recharge any more- and swapping in a new cable only worked temporarily.
@andymand No worries here. We still have micro-USB quick chargers in use around the house, with USB-C adapters. So I’ll just remove the adapter when charging these. Score!
I bought some of these a couple of months ago, but never got around to getting them out of the box. I was thinking about getting a couple more for my mother-in-law to keep by her pool… just tried to open the pdf of the manual. It wouldn’t open in my pdf program. Wah, wah, wah…
I think there was a lost opportunity, especially given the tag line
/showme fanciful garbled competition
No Amazon link to the Jolt? Those get 4.3 stars (FakeSpot approved reviews = 4.5 stars) and go for $78 each!
I have one of these. I haven’t done the stereo thing because I only have one. But I have never had any problems with it dropping out or losing connection. It does use micro USB. Thanks to Meh I have a couple of those four port charging thingies that I can plug any kind of cable into. And I specifically use it for these kinds of things to charge.
Bought one here before.
Couldn’t get it to pair with iPad or Android phone.
Gave up.
Mint green is really pretty, though.
Meh. Bought one last time. It doesn’t pair with anything.
I have one of these in my shower and love it! Great battery life!
The speaker itself is fine, but every time you turn it on and off it yells at you at top volume.
POWERING ON!!!
WELCOME TO ALTEC LANSING!!!
NOW PAIRED!!! ENJOY!!!
POWERING OFF!!!
Just received my Altec Lansing 2 pack bluetooth speakers. One will not stay powered up. I hold the button and its is on but it will not stay power up when you let go of the power button. Not a good purchase.
@Hallnass2u call their tech support listed on the device. Altec let me send one of mine which would not power on, back in.
For the one that works was the sound good? I was thinking of getting another so I could pair but I got sent previous versions which don’t do the speaker to speaker pairing.