The setting up of hearing aids seems to be the key. When mine were being set up there was a lot of noise coming from the adjacent room - which was not good.
I set my DAW to match my hearing curve and noted some increase in clarity. But the hearing aids seem to go way over the top as it were.
I can and have adjusted them - but there are limits. So maybe we should talk about how to get the audiologist to set up our hearing aids. So many people with hearing aids say they can't get on with them.
I suppose the in ear ones fit the canal fully. Mine have soft ears on them so I think some sound passes straight through. Dave has reminded me that about the same time as he got the first hearing aids for £2000 - a demo of Siemens ones that were very good. These were over the ear - with a tiny insert in the ear canal. The insert had little soft prongs which centralised the insert so most of the sound bypassed the insert with the insert making up the losses where required. Came in at £3000. When I said no way the price came down to £2000. So I said goodbye. The next week I had an NHS test and they said I don't need hearing aids.
One point with private aids - my wife suddenly could not get new tubes for hers. The hearing aid was no longer supported. OK she had new aids from the NHS - but these aids were available to private patients. So in our case the NHS picked up the tab.
With the in ear ones I would be concerned about one coming out and loosing it. My hearing aids - app - will tell you where in the world you left them as it can track you. if you enable the feature.
With regard to Ian's comment on relying on someone with good hearing - I was wondering if you put on a Shads record - say FBI - listen to it and set your sound similar maybe your about ok.
In writing about hearing aids one has to be careful - I don't mean this to be funny but - you can't say for example - someone has aid's when you mean hearing aids. English is getting more difficult.