Easily the best and most significant sonic tweak one could ever make!

18 months ago I got HA for reasons unrelated to audio listening (difficulty distinguishing individual voices in group settings, a common complaint with aging ears). What I found was a shock. Audio system came alive, while in social situations the HA were more annoying than clarifying.

As burtlake3 says, the HA is itself a sound reproduction device and just another one in the chain. It cannot be neutral. Mine cost $3k and is probably not "Rolls Royce." Never checked at Costco, just lazy and went with the first one to come along. 

On top of plain aging, had a fungus that ate a hole in my right eardrum. A very nasty surgery was scheduled, but the thing healed itself, albeit with scar tissue. So right ear hears about 65% of left. With HA right it is around 90%. Greater clarity, both ears.

Bottom line: be realistic in future system tweaks. Everything must funnel through HA. So what's THEIR audiophile cred? Surely someone is out there testing and researching this. Whoever that may be, please post your findings. Surely a forthcoming review in TAS? Sounds like a highly receptive audience in here.

I have had to wear hearing aids for over 15 years. I just bought my 3rd pair this year. The technology had really improved from my first set. I currently have a set by Starkey that are rechargeable, bluetooth, adjustable on my iPhone and I use their TV unit to listen to programs. If I get a phone call it comes through the aids and what a difference it made. My hearing even with aids is still pretty bad and I was excused from jury duty several times because I could not understand what was being argued in court unless I was able to see the individuals speaking. At least I do not need to turn up the volume when listening to music. Most of what I listen to has no words.

Before you drop $3K to 5K on hearing aids, check out Nuheara. They have been widely reviewed and have won multiple awards. For $400 you get first class noise-canceling earbuds, Bluetooth, and excellent hearing aids that you self-fit using a version of the same test many professionals use. Their ability to leverage multiple mics to enable the devices to focus is remarkable. 

I'm not saying to not visit an ENT, just that there is no justification for the markup I see on almost all hearing aids. Keeping the medical services separate keeps everybody honest. 

My aids correct for high frequency ..but they screw up the phasing and I actually prefer nothing in my ears

Just be sure to charge them with a dedicated 20 amp circuit! Ha! Glad you were able to improve your situation. A good friend is mostly deaf in one ear and doesn’t really have any viable options. When he’s working on his setup he uses my ears to help get things dialed.