The hearing aid industry is among the biggest con games that have been permitted to be perpetuated upon the public. Keep in mind that the human ear canal is not a feature that is anatomically unique to each individual. They're pretty much all identical in shape and the only thing that varies significantly is the size (Small, medium and large).

Once a hearing aid is firmly seated, it will not encounter feedback, which is the only problem any of them seem to have. Other than that, it's just an amplifier with a built-in mic.

You can purchase small, nearly invisible hearing aids from most sporting goods catalogs for under $200, and many now sell for less than $100. They're often used by deer hunters so they can detect a deer walking through the woods at great distances.

Many major hospitals with ENT departments off refurbished hearing aids to patients that are in lower income brackets. They've been donated by widows and widowers who no longer have a need for the deceased spouses hearing aid. The vast majority fit the person receiving them perfectly. No wax mold was made of their ear canal, no customizing of any kind, and they were not scammed out of $6000.

Additiionally, most individuals are led to believe they need to purchase a pair or hearing aids in order to have proper balance and that wearing just one of the overpriced devices could cause them to loose their balance and fall--what a crock. I've had a hearing aid for nearly 20 years, it still fits perfectly in my right ear, I don't loose my balance and I did not pay $3,000 for it. I lost most of my high frequency sounds when I was just 17 years old from 3-inch anti-aircraft guns firing just a few feet from my head. I was known as a first loader and stood between the gun's two barrels and slammed 45-pound shells into a revolving magazine as fast as possible. Because of that, I still suffer severe tinutus.

Bill, tell your brother to check out the local hospital's ENT department, or just look in one of the latest online Bass Pro or Cabella's catalogs.

Gary