starflyte1, I agree with several others here. I think you need to see a different audiologist.
Hearing aids are just like any other prosthetic device. If they are well fitted they offer great results. If not, it's like that artificial leg that's a quarter-inch too short. EVERYTHING depends on the quality of the fitting, or tuning if you please.
I am on the third generation of hearing aids in my 15 years of using them, and have seen several audiologists. The technical advances are amazing, but the real value is in the audiologist and how well they fit the devices to your particular needs.
Dr. Cliff Olson in Phoenix AZ is an audiologist who, through hundreds of YouTube videos has become an industry influencer. He advocates a series of "Best Practices" for audiologists, and those who follow his best practices produce excellent results for their customers.
One of the best ways you can spend 10 minutes is to watch Dr. Cliff's
video about Best Practices. After that you might want to watch more, and to visit his
web page about the importance of best practices.
We are fortunate to have one of those Best Practices audiologists right here in The Villages.
Dr. Al Turri delivers excellence. He really pays attention to patient needs and knows how to squeeze the best performance out of the devices. The brand and quality level of the device is not nearly as important as how the device is fitted, and Dr. Turri knows how to do that well. I've been seeing him for 2 years and am very pleased with the results. He is located in the Brownwood Center for Advanced Healthcare.
Give him a try. (By the way, I get the sense he was following Dr. Cliff Olson's best practices before Dr. Cliff codified them for others.)