After opening the battery compartments, I find that each instrument is fitted with a discount-priced battery that Mr. Watson obtained from a big-box warehouse store. The battery tester shows that both batteries have the proper voltage of 1.4 volts. What could be the problem? Are these defective hearing aids? Did Mr. Watson waste his money?

I calmly open a new package of Rayovac Ultra Proline batteries and place one into each of the instruments. After Mr. Watson inserts the devices into his ears, I ask him, “How do they sound now?” His response: “They sound wonderful! What’s going on?” I reply: “The explanation is really quite elementary, my dear Watson.”

The moral of this tale is that you should use the best power source available to you to maximize the benefit you receive from your hearing instruments. The little extra you spend will yield a big return. If you can’t come into the office for batteries, simply call us, and we’ll promptly mail some to you. Mr. Watson left my office with a new outlook on batteries and a package of Rayovac Ultra Proline cells tucked into his coat pocket. Another mystery solved.