Jenn, what type of HA?s do you have? Do you have a remote with your HA?s? If so, there is usually a volume level adjustment and you should be using your universal program at about ? way on the volume adjustment for normal situations.
What type of programs so you have, universal should be first or the default, then you should have one for say music, then one for noisy environments that will kill most of the noise around you except for the person you are looking at, and one more for talking on the phone.
Never use the tv as an example or a reference for your HA?s. There are too many things manipulating volume for it to be a constant incl brand of tv and quality of soundbar not to mention the diff rules regarding volume changes during programs.
If you like music use that, just put on your fav cd etc and set it to the same # volume level that sounds Ok to your hubby and use it as a reference for your HA?s when you get home. Use this to change programs and test your volume levels on your HA?s to get used to the changes in them.
Your audiologist will use a default volume level to start with. In this mode you should be around 98% or better at understanding his speech in a controlled environment. If not, you will never understand in the real world.
If you take a chip bag in that quiet room it will sound like it?s blowing your ears out. I don?t know why but it seems to me an audiologist office is always so quiet so don't use that as an example either. After a few trips to his office you will get used to knowing where things have to be set for you to live with them when you leave. What I do is use white noise, meaning I have her turn on the portable heater fan in the office. Then I switch programs on my HA?s and listen to the diff of the fan. It really is amazing how well the new HA?s work when you get used to using them correctly.
Whatever you do don?t give up, once you get them right you will really appreciate all the things you can hear again.