Richard Kemnitz

Review of Salem Audiology Clinic

Dr. Frink accommodated our short stay in Salem (we...

Dr. Frink accommodated our short stay in Salem (we are full-timers) and helped set up an appointment before we arrived in Salem and was available on the weekend and evenings as needed during our short stay. I was tested and fitted for hearing aids by Tori Blomquist and Bryan Greenaway and was able to try the BTE ReSound and Phonak trial hearing aids along with the iphone apps for several days. I was impressed by their depth of knowledge of both brands of devices and their ease in adjusting the programming to fit my needs. Importantly, they also performed real ear measurements to verify the sounds were being accurately reproduced. The office staff worked with my insurance and accurately estimated my total out of pocket cost, with no surprises! The staff were extremely friendly and attentive and I watched them help one client with getting a cup of tea, as if they were helping a parent so it had a warm family environment in the waiting room. This was a well-run office with longtime staff and I would highly recommend Salem Audiology Clinic if you are considering buying hearings aids.

They recommended I watch the Dr. Cliff youtube videos, which were excellent to help decide between the ReSound LiNX Quattro and Phonak Audeo M90, both bluetooth units. The Resound had a better app and would let you adjust highs, mid and low ranges and locate your aid if lost but I could only change programs on the hearing aid, a problem if you must quickly lower volume. The Phonak had better sound quality and it had a volume control on the aids and allowed you to change programs, though the app had less options. The bluetooth units allowed me to stream music, books on tape, answer phone calls, receive driving instructions and speak with Siri through the hearing aid microphone and speakers without needing the iphone in my hand. I chose the Phonak M90 due to the ability to lower volume on the earpiece w/o using the app and quality of the streaming BT. And the rechargeable unit gave me over 16 hrs use (including streaming audio). The myPhonak app allows me to call Tori or Bryan during our travels and they can remotely change settings. I was provided all documentation I needed as well as test results and settings in case i ever need retesting or adjustments as I travel. I also was never pressured to choose either so I was totally in charge of deciding what characteristics were most important to me. It was obvious that they were most interested that I get the right hearing aid, spent hours with me in the office and I never felt rushed to make a decision.