Williams Sound PKT D1 EH Pocketalker Ultra Duo Pack Amplifier with Single Mini Earbud and Folding Headphone

So far our impressions of this little hearing assist are that it is AWESOME.That said we both hear fine and got this as a gift for a loved one. A slightly stubborn person who has used cheaper, quick to break, versions of this style of hearing assist in the past. However after her third or fourth or maybe even fifth one broke (some 20.00 unit she was picking up some where, NOT this) we decided to do some research.Amazon reviews pointed us in the direction of this device.What WE liked, as her guests, we liked the idea of a longer microphone cord option so that the person she has the most trouble of hearing could possibly just set it by them or even hold it. Also at restaurant tables she can't hear anything so, while sad, we have all become used to just talking around her because she can't hear....frustrating for all parties involved. We haven't tested this yet but I assume that she could pass the corded mic about the table to hear people.....it may not be the most convenient option but as I mentioned there's a bit of stubbornness involved that means going to get fitted for a hearing aid is OUT OF THE QUESTION (sigh) She started to declare her hearing was just gone and gave up on replacing her little 20 dollar units that, while breaking quickly, DID let her hear...also batteries were mysteriously never charged or purchased...I also liked that this unit has a degree of control over the sound beyond volume. I tested it listening to my husband's voice, who is the hardest for her to hear, and pre-set it to what made it sound sharpest and clearest before we gifted her this unit.Long story made a wee bit shorter...it worked! She popped the ear buds in (we purchased some more comfortable ones), fiddled with volume a bit and could hear us all well enough to actually converse.If you do something like this for a loved one I suggest doing as we did and purchasing a ginormous pack of the Amazon basics AAA batteries that are required to go along with it. If it works for your loved one at all removing that apparently insurmountable hassle of battery maintenance with recharging etc can go a long way I suspect towards easing tensions and allowing them the freedom to just pop a new set in when ever they need.I would like to point out that I did as another reviewer (I think the one voted most helpful in this item's feedback) and purchased some panasonic ear buds, a noise canceling lavalier mic for another mic option and the little connector thingy. As I said check out their in depth review, their suggested additional purchases were spot on.I removed all the extra packaging, tidied the cords and presented it all in a nice box for her, so she can keep all her ear assist goodies in one place.Anyways, WORTH THE MONEY.We actually suggested, months ago, she look in to getting this unit but as I mentioned there was some degree of stubborness...a sort of giving up/acceptance that she was now "deaf"If it had not worked out, well...it's worth the small investment to help. We suspected she could make use of it and she was delighted with it.I'll post an update if she shares any long term notes on her personal experience with the whole thing.So far though, pretty great for a right out of the box device.As I said, it was the first time in agggges that we talked and she heard and talked back and made for a lively, entertaining get together.She used the lavalier mic option we added to this and it has a 3 foot cord and we just popped it in the middle of the kitchen table and she apparently heard and acted and responded as if she could hear all 3 of us sitting there with her! Success!!!!We kind of feel..and this is regular hearing persons point of view so maybe take it with a large grain of salt, that this sort of pocketalker hearing assist unit could be superior for some one with a hearing disadvantage as compared to a traditional hearing aid. The sort that goes in/behind the ear.In that sound waves have to go in the ear and this unit has a corded mic, what could be better for increasing the chances of hearing correctly than having the option of poking a mic right by a person's mouth, rather than have their sound waves carry to your ear?I realize this doesn't fit every one's situation, and having a long cord may not be convenient but it's certainly not as inconvenient and heart breaking as just NOT hearing......Edit:Here is the list of additional items I purchased (based on a helpful reviewer's suggestion) as well as which batteries, to go with the pockettalker:Olympus ME-52W Noise Canceling MicrophonePanasonic RPHJE120S In-Ear Headphone, SilverC2G / Cables to Go 03174 3.5mm Stereo Female to 3.5mm Mono Male AdapterAmazonBasics AAA Performance Alkaline Batteries (36-Pack)I got them all on Amazon at once so I'd have a complete kit. They work great with this unit. The ear buds especially are really nice.

I wept with happiness when I had my first real conversation with my mother in many years. Despite wearing $6000 hearing aids she was unable to hear. I had been told that at 92 she was unable to process the language and that is what was contributing to her confusion, agitation, inability to communicate and inability to absorb important medical information. This week I took her to see an ENT who used a pocket talker to communicate with her and I was shocked to see that she immediately responded tp pertinent questions. I tried to buy it from him on the spot but he directed me to Amazon. Yesterday, she was able to participate in a group conversation. Today, her primary care physician was shocked that she could answer his questions. The product is really user friendly and my 92 year old mother can operate it herself. This simple devise is making her transition to assisted living so much easier. I am grateful!

We got it for my 83 year old uncle. It reminded me of an upgraded "old fashioned" type of pocket hearing aid. I thought it worked great, but can't use it with my uncle's landline telephones or his cellphones... it gave him feedback unless turned down too low, defeating the purpose of a hearing aid. General use was great around house... just abit cumbersome. Like I said, updated electronic circuit boards in old style pocket case.

This is amazing. My dad who is hard of hearing needed something while we were getting him fitted for a new hearing aid. This was recommended by his doctor and does miracles, especially with the earbuds that go directly into his ear. He can hear SO WELL out of these.

Bought this for a loved one. Sound quality is great and it's easy to use.

Very much well worth the price . My mother has a new lease on life to where she can hear people and hear the TV music better

I received this lightweight, good sound-quality Pocketalker and immediately tried it out myself. My Dad's physician's assistant recommended it.I specifically love the feature that allows user to rotate dial to change tonal quality, which is great for the hearing impaired, who often hear either high or low frequency sounds, but not both. I could alter the tone to get very true-to-life voice quality. This product allowed my 88 y.o. Dad - who usually can't hear a word I say at ANY volume - to conduct a perfectly normal conversation with me and even hear me whispering on a volume adjustment at level 2 (out of 10, 10 being loudest)!I would have given the product 5 stars for ease of use, tonal quality adjustment, and its compact (similar to a deck of cards) lightweight (similar to a pack of cigarettes) size. Great low price of about $120, especially compared to the thousands of dollars for hearing aids.Unfortunately, Dad just refuses to use it. If he hooks it in his pocket, he hears his clothing rustling. He doesn't wear shirts with pockets, so he can't tuck it there. (Product has a simple sturdy clip on its back) Earbuds hurt his small ears, and he feels foolish wearing headphones. The wire gets in his way and knocks the Pocketalker over. (Knocking it over does not damage it or compromise sound quality FYI) He doesn't like hearing the ambient noise all around him, probably because he hasn't heard much in 20 years and has become accustomed to it. Thus the 3 star rating.I recommend that you only buy it for your loved one, if she/he is already accustomed to headphones or earbuds, really wants to hear the sounds of the world around her/him, and shuns her/his hearing aids because of the irritation of high pitch feedback. This product only produces feedback if you get the microphone right next to the ear (and why would you do that?)

Works ok. Not great for TV. Must use special extension. Over all I like this product.