1. Amazing Hearing
24251 Avenida De La Carlota Ste B-1 Laguna Hills; 949-667-9818; amazinghearing.net
Amazing Hearing owner Ann Mundell-Noel puts science before sales. She staffs her store with audiologists who hold either a doctorate degree or master’s degree in hearing science, trained to treat hearing loss. It’s a customer service model based on education, experience and empathy.
Her shop also carries products for preventing hearing loss, like custom headphones to make music or movies safer for your ears, to TV and phone amplifiers to help with comprehension and ultimately, quality of life for folks with hearing aids as well as products and counseling for tinnitus. Testing, fittings and repairs are also done by professionals.
The new LACE AI Pro is also available to install on cell phones and tablets. The listening and communication enhancement auditory training platform is now aided by artificial intelligence, which strengthens how sound is processed and understood in the brain.
“My father’s hearing aid had stopped working,” says Doug F. of San Juan Capistrano on Yelp. “The audiologist stopped what she was doing and repaired his hearing aid, then invited me back to have it adjusted to him. She found multiple ways to Increase his ability to hear, she was gentle and caring and has state-of-the-art equipment. I wish I would’ve found it 10 years ago for my old man. We probably could’ve chatted about a lot of things”
2. Costco Wholesale
Multiple locations; costco.com
Before you even walk through the doors to get a hearing aid at Costco, you can take an online hearing test. It can tell you which model might fit you best or if you need a hearing aid at all.
Once you’ve arrived, Orange County Costco Hearing Aid Centers carry several hearing aid brands, like Jabra, Phillips, HearLink and Rexton, as well as a variety of styles, like behind the ear, a receiver in the ear, completely in the canal, in the ear and in the canal. Costco also carries accessories for bluetooth that improve phone communication, make TV watching easier, and conversation sharper; remote controls, clip-on microphones for noisy situations; or a TV streamer box that delivers high-quality sound directly to your hearing aid.
Search for a Hearing Aid Center under locations on the Costco website, then click on “store details, then “warehouse services” and look for “hearing aids.”
3. HearingLife Hearing Aid Center
Anaheim, Brea, San Clemente; 888-877-4927; hearinglife.com
Digital hearing aids are modern, smart, and don’t require you to be a techie. They only require you to have ears. HearingLife Hearing Aid Centers specialize in digital hearing aids, but people seem to remember the personalized care.
Getting a smart little minicomputer in your ear at HearingLife Hearing Aid Center starts with an online hearing test, then fitting you with a device that suits your life. Just to be sure it’s right, every device includes a 30-day return window with no fees or penalties.
Toni M. said on the company website the audiologist was “a kind, patient professional who takes his craft very seriously. The facility was easy to navigate for my dad, who has mobility issues. A very thorough assessment of was done. My dad was fitted quickly. The provider followed up the day after to ensure Dad was comfortable, and made himself available for any additional questions.”