Banglijian Ziv-206 Hearing Aid for Seniors Moderate to Severe Loss(2 Units)

I used the Banglijian 201a unit for 3 years. It helped, but I had some feedback, and could not use higher volume levels due to increased feedback. It failed after 3 years. With advice from the Banglijian company, I switched to this 206 model. Wow, what a difference! I can hear! Sound quality is much, much better, I can understand my husband and not ask him to repeat. The controls are simple - separate buttons for on/off, and volume. It charges in about 2 hours, and lasts all day. I wore a brimmed hat yesterday, first time in 3 years. No feedback! No squealing when I comb my hair, or lean in near anything like a cabinet or door or the refrigerator. I can increase the volume, with no feedback. This is amazing. I wish I had purchased this one years ago. I can hear again! The advantages of this model, and this company, are outstanding. The amplifiers are affordable, and high quality. Units are rechargeable, and last for years. The company is quick to respond to questions and offer help. I would recommend them to anyone with hearing problems, before trying high priced, prescription hearing aids. Update: went to a busy restaurant yesterday, so I tried the noisy background mode (click twice on/off button). It did seem to filter out or block some of the noise, at least I could mostly hear my husband. I also had no feedback issues while wearing the seatbelt in the car, a problem I used to have with the 201a model. I very happy with this 206 model.

I have worn Starkey CIC hearing aids in both ears for about 20 years. I decided it would be nice to have hearing aids as a back up since my current CICs are 4 years old. If they go out or I lose one, I will not be able to function as normal. After reading the reviews for Banglijian Hearing Amplifiers I ordered the ZIv-201 to try it out. It worked well to amplify the sound so I decided to order one for my other ear so I could give them a fair try. After reading reviews further, I realized the Ziv 206 would be better for me as it had more options. Kaven was easy to work with. He said he would send the 206 to try and if I liked it better than the 201, I could send the 201 back and he would send me a second 206 at no extra charge above the price of the 201 I had already purchased. After receiving the 206, I tried using the aids in both ears. They did amplify sounds so that I could hear the sound easily, but when it came to trying to have conversations, it was difficult to get clear sound - the person sitting next to me would come across as too loud, while the people across the table would be too soft. Speech sounded somewhat "garbled". If I was not looking at the television, I could not understand the speech, wearing two. When I put my Starkeys in see how well I could understand the speech on television without looking at the screen, it was apparent that my Starkeys gave me clearer hearing. I wore the Banglijians long enough to tell that neither the 201 or 206 will replace my Starkey CICs which are programmed for my hearing loss which is in the middle frequencies where most speech occurs. I ended up keeping the 206 because it is a backup and I could manage with it if something happens to my regular aids, but for me, wearing the two Banglijians at the same time, did not help me. I appreciate the good customer service and willingness to let me try these. I think they could be a good option for some people. I was able to ship the 201 back with a pre-paid label that Kaven sent me as an attachment. I have tracked my package and it was delivered to Chino, CA. I am currently waiting for my refund to my account.

I've had a hearing problem for years. I bought some prescribed ITE hearing aids and though they increased volume speech/word recognition was not improved... and battery replacement was a pain. As such I quit wearing them. My hearing further degraded and I dug out the ITE's and tried them again with the same results. This made me reluctant to buy another set of expensive hearing aids even though I realize that technology has improved. Once bought they are yours! After doing some research on newer hearing aids I decided to try the Banglijian Rechargeable Ziv-206. The cost was minimal compared to the premium brands prescribed by doctors and if they don't do the job they can be returned hassle free. The instruction manual included seemed to indicate that the use of the large tubes was the preferred choice over the thin tubes, so that is where I started. The results were good. However, it required me to use the lowest volume setting and the three filter settings didn't seem to have much distinction between them. Although I was pleased with the result I decided to try using the thin tubes as it was noted in the literature that this would reduce the gain provided by the device.... I had to use the lowest gain setting anyway. Boy, what a difference! The volume setting is now mid range and the filter settings make a noticeable difference. I'd suggest that anyone should try the thin tubes before making a judgment and don't know why that isn't explained a little better in the literature. The controls are fairly easy to use and the recharge time is about two hours. Note: I couldn't find the difference between the Ziv-206 and less expensive models. I asked the supplier via Amazon and got a quick reply (confirming other good customer service reviews). The Ziv-206 is an upgrade of the Ziv-201P that offers clearer quality amplification. Conclusion: One of the best purchases I've made in a long time! Minimal expense and no risk to try!

I have a moderate hearing loss that causes real problems for me, but am in no position to pay thousands for hearing aids. Based on reviews, I hoped for good results with this sound device. I found it very difficult to put together properly, and the buds kept popping out of my ear canal. They are not easy to take in and out, which I need to be able to do. Most importantly, they don't work. You have to fiddle with the settings to get rid of whistling, then, once you think the setting is right, the whistling starts again and you have to fiddle again. No matter what the setting, this amplified only background noises, drowning out the things I need to hear, like people talking to me. There is also a whirring noise that I read from the manufacturer is "normal" and something that a person will get used to, but it was very annoying and added to the background noise. I returned these and am reluctant to buy another personal hearing device. When I searched around for unbiased reviews, none were shown to help improve with hearing conversations and conversations in small groups. Hearing aids, for all the extra money, don't seem to fare much better; my parents were forever adjusting theirs for whistling and replacing them for thousands of dollars every couple of years. From what I have read, this is status quo, even with the most advanced models. I guess I have to live without being able to hear well. :(

I have had a pair of prescription hearing aids for about 15 years. One of them is either starting to fail or my hearing is getting worse in that ear. Even with some help from medical insurance I cannot afford $1500 or more for a new one. I decided to try some of the hearing amplifiers that are on the market and evaluate them to replace my bad aid. Please note that everyone’s hearing problem and hearing circumstances are different. The hearing amplifier features of one model may be perfect for you, but cause some problems for me. I have purchased and evaluated two different hearing amplifiers and am still looking. I had hoped that something at $150 or so would be good enough. I paid that for this one and am not quite satisfied. I tried the Otofonix Encore for $400 but also had some problems. I am considering a couple of hearing amplifiers that have a phone app with a short hearing test to adjust them to my hearing problems. If those do not work, I will just continue searching patiently. Banglijian Ziv-206 Pros: + Instruction manual is very clear and easy to read. The only improvement would be to state that the thick sound tube is for people with severe hearing loss and the slim one is for mild to moderate hearing loss. + Adjustable volume – there are 5 volume levels with both up and down volume buttons. The buttons are easy to feel and adjust with a short press on the front button the raise the volume or a short press on the back button to lower the volume. Each press causes a short beep to demonstrate the volume level. The difference from one volume level to the next can be large. It would be nicer to have more levels with smaller increases. + 3 Changeable programs—Everyday mode (normal listening with low background noise), Moderate Mode (Medium background noise like for wind, running faucet, etc), Noisy Setting (loud background noise like in a restaurant). Generally, these modes help filter out the background noises while amplifying the desired conversation near you. I learned to select the noisy setting at moderate volume to hear a conversation in the car, for example. + When the battery needs charging, it gives some warning beeps. It takes about 3 hours to fully recharge the battery with a USB cable that is provided. + A battery will last for about 20 hours on a single charge. + There is an on-off button. This can be helpful for some seniors. It is not necessary to remove the battery every night as is required on some models. + The program number and volume level are saved before turning the unit off or recharging it. Banglijian Ziv-206 Cons: * The manufacturer cautions against regular overnight charging because the battery life is reduced by long charging times. I do not know how many times the battery can be recharged or the number of years of use are expected, but I do know that the battery cannot be replaced. The hearing amplifier will need to be replaced. My wife has had rechargeable hearing aids for years and loves them. She puts them in the charger before going to bed. Those batteries lasted more than 5 years before needing to replace them. * Does not handle sharp noises like paper rattling or sudden loud talking as well as I would like. Even with the three program modes and five volume settings, it is not always possible to find a perfect setting for the situations I find myself. This is not as good for me than the Otofonix Elite, but the Ziv-206 may be just what you need. I am still looking for a good quality hearing amplifier

This hearing aid has plenty of volume, is almost free of feedback, is not noisy, and is comfortable to ware. The thin tubes work best for me and have plenty of amplification. The recharge is about 2 hours and the lights indicate when charge is complete. Price is much less than the hearing doctor prices, and the unit works as well. The free hearing trial period greatly reduces the risk of getting a unit that doesn't work for me. Kaven, the customer service person was helpful answering questions during the purchase time and tells me he will help in the future if something goes wrong. The warranty is 3 years. I have compared the Banglijian Ziv-206 with a hearing aid costing much much more by putting one in the left ear and the other in the right ear. After adjusting the volume so they are the same, I found the clarity was the same. Imagine a $140 unit sounded the same as a $1200 unit!!! Actually I see no reason a microphone, amplifier chip, and speaker should cost so much money. Why not use the free test period to compare these units to the more expensive kinds? Remember, if you have not used a hearing aid before, give it some time to adjust to waring them. Another reason to buy a low cost pair is if you lose one, the cost is much less to replace it. I am satisfied with the Banglijian Ziv 206 and perhaps you will be also. Run the free test.....

This is an over the counter amplification device, nothing more, nothing less. It is the equivalent of $10 reading glasses bought in a discount store or pharmacy. It does the job fine for just increasing the volume but it will not compensate or adjust for lost tones. I bought this product as a temporary device to have on hand when the ear mold connection to my latest and greatest hearing aid broke, and having a new one made would cost almost as much as an OC hearing amplifier, and take several weeks. The hearing aid before that still works, but the tiny plastic connection to the mold broke and was going to cost a several hundred dollar service charge to send back to the factory for repair. I am not sure what happened with the hearing aids before that, probably something needed adjusting but the model was discontinued. Each time I would be assured by the audiologist who seems to have majored from a slick sales course that the latest hearing aids were vastly superior to last year's model, which I NEVER found them to be. In 40 years I have had several hearing aids costing thousands of dollars, which failed due to a small plastic part or discontinued lines which could not be serviced, and I would be pressured by slick salesmen to buy a new one. As I am retired, over 80, do not have to go to work and communicate with the public, have a caption phone and only watch TV with subtitles, I really don't need a hearing aid at all, but just like to have something in case of need. My deafness is congenital with around a 90% loss in my left ear, and moderate loss in my right, but can never get a straight answer from the audiologists. I can hear speech, but cannot make out words. Everyone seems to be speaking in a foreign language. Music no longer sounds as I remember it, and orchestras sound as if half the players have downed instruments and walked out. After looking at dozens of models and weighing up specifications and reviews, I decided to play safe and not go for the more expensive ones which had Bluetooth, telecoils and were self programmable via a smart phone as I don't have a smart phone. Having read the customer reviews and specifications for the Banglijiang ZIV-206 I felt that if it did not work too well, I was not going to be too far out of pocket. As it could be worn in either ear, if I decided to get my hearing aid repaired I could wear it in the other ear to pump up the volume and add balance. The rechargeable feature was also attractive as batteries seem to be more expensive by the day. So far, it works well, and is very comfortable It was easy to get the hang of assembling the ear tube and domes, although the instructions could have been clearer. I spent some time trying to fit the slim tube into the ear loop until I reread the instructions and found that they were for the thick tube and the ear loop had to be removed when using the slim tube. Several of the instructions needed larger and clearing drawings. As I am now arthritic and have lost the feeling in my fingertips, fitting the ear tube into my ear is difficult, but that is not the fault of the manufacturer. The biggest criticism I have, and the reason for only awarding 4 stars, is that there is no way to balance the sound modes which is comfortable as long as the sound remains at the same level. When music interrupts, a character speaking suddenly shouts, or a woman with a high pitched voice starts to speak, the volume nearly blasts my eardrums. Listening to music is almost impossible as some instruments have much more piercing tones. All I can do is use a lower setting, but then I miss the quieter sounds. The instruction booklet sates that it has 4 channels. There are only 3, but they work just fine. Pros and cons: Pros: For a low cost device, this does the job but don't expect the superior performance of a custom tailored hearing aid. Comfortable to wear Nice hard storage case Can be worn in either ear Rechargeable Affordable Lots of power for those with severe hearing loss. Cons: Hard to fit into ear canal for arthritic seniors Lacks way to cancel out loud high pitched sound Written instructions could be clearer.

I’m 74 years old. I have slight to moderate hearing loss especially in the higher frequencies. I’ve used two other brands of hearing amplifiers over the past 5 years. They all helped. The last pair I used broke. It was the connection on my right aid and couldn’t be fixed. I had purchased the warranty through Amazon and they refunded every penny for the pair. After a lot of research I narrowed my choices to two amplifiers. This was the less expensive so I purchased one of these to try first. I was pleased to find that it handled my needs very well. The programming actually does help in noisy situations. I use program 3 and increase the volume by one click. I can actually hear when the noise cancelation kicks in. Things get clearer. When I’m at home I use program 1. I rarely miss a word. They work for me. I think they would work for most people. I’ve tried hearing aids costing thousands of dollars. They were no better for me than these. So here’s my recommendation: If you’re tempted, go ahead and buy one or two of these amplifiers and try them. If you don’t like them, send them back. You really don’t have much to lose. The company is terrific.