Costco Kirkland Signature 8.0 Comparison | Hearing Aids Review. Dr. Cliff Olson, Audiologist and founder of Applied Hearing Solutions in Anthem Arizona, compares the Costco Kirkland Signature 8.0 hearing aid with it's closest name brand device the Signia 7Nx. The 8.0 is also similar to the Rexton Emerald 8C.

Website: https://www.DrCliffAuD.com

Clinic Website: https://www.AppliedHearingAZ.com

The Costco Kirkland Signature 8.0 hearing aid was released in February 2018. For more information regarding the release of the KS 8.0 check out this post on Hearing Health & Technology Matters: https://hearinghealthmatters.org/blog...

Getting your hands on a pair of Costco Kirkland Signature 8.0 hearing aids is sometimes easier said than done. At Costcos throughout the greater Phoenix area, the wait list to be seen can be months. So for the purpose of this video, we are comparing the Signature 8.0 with it's closest counterpart the Signia 7Nx devices.

You can see the specification sheets for both devices here: Signia https://www.signiapro.com/wpcontent... Kirkland Signature 8.0 file:///C:/Users/Clifford%20R.%20Olson/Downloads/Kirkland%20Signature%208.0.pdf

In terms of form factor, both devices look nearly identical. They both use size 312 batteries, have a rocker switch for volume and program adjustment, and both use identical receivers that can be outfit with custom ear molds if necessary.

Let's take a look at the core features:
1. Both have 48 channels
2. Both have 20 adjustment handles for programming
3. Both have access to 6 program slots
4. Both can connect directly to an iPhone for streaming
5. Both can connect to Android without streaming
6. Both have Own Voice Processing, they just call it different things.

This is where things get a little more complicated. We know the Kirkland Signature 8.0 hearing aid is a defeatured version of the Signia and Rexton devices, but it can be confusing on which features have been limited or removed.

For instance, how good is the Noise Management feature? Signia devices have Speech & Noise Management with 7 adjustment steps, Sound Smoothing with 3 adjustment steps, and Directional Speech Enhancement with 3 adjustment steps. In the Kirkland Signature 8.0 devices, it only indicates that Noise Management is available, and that it has Sound Smoothing with 3 adjustment steps.

How about Feedback Cancellation? Signia's feedback cancellation is really good, but is the level of feedback cancellation in the Kirklands the same? The spec sheet tells us it is available, but it is impossible to tell if it is the same.

The Kirkland Signature 8.0 Spec sheet doesn't tell us how high the Input dynamic range is in the device. The Signia Nx devices have an input dynamic range of 113dB. Why is this important? Because the higher the input dynamic range the better. Ultimately, it helps you hear better in background noise. It us unknown if the Kirkland Signature 8.0 hearing aids has as high of an IDR.

There are a few things that we know have been removed from the Costco Kirkland Signature 8.0 hearing aids and first is the Tinnitus Noise Notch Therapy and tinnitus masking features. In fact, no hearing aids sold at Costco have tinnitus features. So if you have tinnitus, Costco hearing aids probably aren't for you.

The second thing that differs is the bandwidth. Signia Nx devices have a bandwidth out to 12,000 and the Costco Kirkland Signature 8.0 have out to 10,000. Since speech clarity resides in the highfrequencies, the higher the bandwidth, the better.

Ultimately, Costco Kirkland Signature 8.0 hearing aids are good devices. They are similar to Signia 7Nx devices but not identical.

Just remember, it does not matter how good your hearing aids are unless they are fit, programmed, and serviced correctly by your hearing care provider. This is true at Costco, an independent audiology clinic, or an ENT clinic. So before buying hearing aids anywhere, make sure you do your homework on the provider at that clinic.

How to find a great hearing care provider:    • Finding the BEST Hearing Care Provide...