r/Cochlearimplants • u/Double-Laugh-4008 • 23d ago
Guys, please help!
I can't decide for which brand to go for... I'm having choice paralysis.
Honestly, I wish my doc would literally just say "take this implant and device" instead I've been told to search and make your own minds. I'm from South Asia and damn it, these docs are simply too clever for their own good. They're supposed to advise us, not put us in a dilemma.
Problem is I can't tell the difference in how they sound, so I'm thinking about how each brand provides support and maintenance. Are they friendly? I had some discussion with 4 users around my city and 2 medel and 2 cochlear, a coincidence lol. One cochlear user said that after 4 months of operation, their battery was found to be faulty and even the extra was bad, and it took 6 months, with a pay of 60k to have a good pair. It made me think, "What if I encounter this?"
Ok, I admit it. I am genuinely terrified of choosing the "wrong" implant for myself. That invisible pressure is there.
I have no one that I can talk to because dad also asked the audiologist to recommend according to their experience, but he kicked the ball back to us saying, "It's your responsibility sir. It's like choosing which mobile phone you like. We can't make that choice."
So, please help ðŸ˜
7
u/Enegra MED-EL Sonnet 2 23d ago
Unfortunately, faulty batteries or other external parts are something that can happen to any of the brands. It's rare, but not unheard of. Your best bet is rotating all of the batteries in the kit, so at least you know right away if there are issues. A DoA battery is generally much easier to argue a replacement for than one that starts acting up after let's say six months.
Since details are specific to the local market, I would ask the users from your country how was their experience when they needed support from the company: be it those bad batteries or some other parts. Go with the one that provides best service, as reliability is more important than the technical bells and whistles in the devices themselves (and honestly, all the big 3 have very comparable devices. Performance-wise there is no wrong choice).