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Not using filters - On Phonak Sphere cShell Molds

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Edited

Do the filters affect the sound in ANY way?
Might they affect feedback ever?
Or could any hearing performance in the slightest differ between bare, and filtered speakers?

Reason I ask, is that I considering permanently removing the filters, and wonder if I should expect any difference or need make any tweaks in my fitting software.

Aside from wax issues… is there any sound change whatsoever ?
I expect most will say no. But hard to imagine that ring like protector would both narrow the passage and block the flow of air in some way.

Over years, I have stopped using any filters for several reasons.
My ears sweat, and several times a day I use cotton swabs… so little wax remains.
Early on, I learned that the filters are what clogs - far more readily than when no filters exist to be clogged!

Warm water dissolves wax, certainly a drop of dawn helps too - I have dipped the first 2mm of the molds in warm water at times with my prior units. When I would gently bathe the mold tips in water water for a few minutes every three weeks, all was well with wax.

Certainly for any kind of dome - powered or powerless, I had removed the on the speakers below the domes, as they are so recessed and protected by the domes.

IF not using filters, when the molds get gummed up, a soft toothbrush, a cue tip, and gum dental pick easily restores performance in the field. Filters - damn! - they can be a pain… especially in a dark, bustling place.

Experiences and informed advice are sought here?

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Edited

In reply to @IGZO

PH_Datasheet_Annex-CeruStop-P-Receiver-5_210x297_PL_V1.00.pdf (86.7 KB)

And:

Screenshot_20250325_183135_Adobe Acrobat

This filter theoretically improves frequency response from UP receiver (compared to UP receiver from SDS 4.0/5.0), adding some higher frequencies.

From:

.

However, I would be very careful to avoid overstated conclusions. I always use filter no matter what.

Receivers are quite expensive, I don’t want any unnecessary spending.

Edited

In reply to @Um_bongo

Um_bongo is correct. I didn’t measure the openings, but they are 0.1 inch or less thereabouts ( my Cerustop has four such pie-shaped openings with a “+'” divider, not sure of Cerushield’s design). The frequencies that might be affected would be near these wavelengths. Per an assisted search: " An audio wavelength of 0.1 inches corresponds to a very high frequency, approximately 20,000 Hz, which is at the upper limit of human hearing." Speech frequencies are much lower, so much longer wavelengths (like 0.5" and larger) therefore they pass through tiny openings relatively unaffected by resonance, just power level loss. (I’m a retired engineer)

If you don’t use a filter you risk wax damage to the receiver. Your choice. I’d say you’d be unlikely to detect the difference between (clean!) filters and running without.

Edited

In reply to @Bimodal_user

Nothing is more costly than the sudden and frequent failing of - where sound just STOPS.
Due to clogged filters.
It was a constant occurrence until, I just yanked em out and left em out!

The build up outside the mold is slow and mannerly in comparison and as I said, easily cleaned.

So if the filters have so little an affect, I should not worry that I need to do another feedback test?
Or that if I was to do re-test my hearing in situ - that I should remove the cerusheilds, if my intention was not to use them.

I believe there is some type of mesh screen atop the speaker. It feels/looks like that.

Years ago, while attempting to protect my hearing aids from falling off the car dash, into hot coffee, and while driving, I took swift action to relocate one at a time to a safer spot. To my horror, the second instrument got caught up in the speaker wire of the first, and plunked right into that hot coffee cup!. I pulled over. Drained the cup and shook/dried the HA, then removed the battery, and left the compartment open. Placed them to dry by a radiator and worked fine.
At my six months later, nothing abnormal found.

Makes me wonder if dipping the 2mm speaker snoots into HOT water could be even a better idea?

@IGZO said:

The build up outside the mold is slow and mannerly in comparison and as I said, easily cleaned.

I know a simpler and less risky solution—consider similar earmolds as @Emile030 has:

My Phonak Sphere vs Virto, Paradise and Marvel
Dr Cliff Saïd that there was a problem with the inner size of the new charger for Infinio’s custom moulds…. Today I had to try out the charger for the first time and thought about that being said when I put my big moulds into the case. No problem at all for me as you can see on these pictures. And great there is a small battery in the charger included also. My other Phonak chargers are much bigger, I like this small one. [IMG_0985] [IMG_0984]

.
.

My Phonak Sphere vs Virto, Paradise and Marvel
Arrived today my new Spheres Very eager to try them out asap and I hope to become as positive as the other recent owners. Have to try them with my Rogers also, first step will be adding the licenses.( Edit: Roger’s installed.) Hope to report back soon. [17261555184035551502120086481684] The Amplifon is the Paradise P90 with thin tubes, then upwarts the Spere i90, the Marvel90, the Virto P90 upper one.
CeruShield filters - On Sphere Molds
I know a simpler and less risky solution—consider similar earmolds as @Emile030 has: . .

Sorry… unsure of your meaning… please clarify. I have the power molds made from my impressions. w UP speakers . They fit fine in the charger case. I did not take Dr. Cliff’s caution with too much concern. He is a great entertainer, and its always fun to be entertained.

But the earmolds do have the filters on their tips. That is what i was asking about… I am about to remove them.

Appreciate your concern.
Again… my Oticons and their ear molds… for years… zero filters.

Speakers are not so costly. You can get them online.
$100 each, with mold for the Spheres.

If wax creeps along the very ring of the speaker, not blocking the speaker, guess it isn’t going to do much. But I been considering using my electric toothbrush to clean the speakers…
I don’t like them for teeth… Use a Radius brush… much better.
but for the speaker, going for a little spin… might be a good thing!

Yes. I saw maybe four molds. No idea what the take away point you are trying to make. Please. Can you just say it directly.
I don’t want the domes. Have a load of them.
Happy with the molds. Better than in the past.
But always without filters after some bad emergencies where the filters clogged and it’s not effective to clean them. Cleaning only pushes the gum into them further. The speakers are more substantial and open to cleaning

It’s not just about earwax, but also about the moisture that builds up in the ear because there is heat inside the ear, and when we close the ear with the earmold, that heat increases and creates moisture that can easily damage the receivers.

Maybe it’s better to try it out and see if it’s worth it for you to do it.

Unsure of your point?
I have been skipping the filters for years with my prior model both with domes and with molds.
And if air and soundwaves can make it through the filters, then so would heat.
But without the filters, the speakers can dry better and faster, when removed from the ears - eh ?

In my experience, power users with severe/profound loss can sometimes notice a very slight (positive) difference taking out the filter. Others, usually not and the difference isn’t measurable in our testbox.

Have you considered the Jodi Vac? Although it sounds like what you are doing is working for you.

Ahha! Now we’re talking. YES a very slight positive response and far better mechanical performance.
Good Idea there! I have a number of suction machines…
Like for siphoning, and also for medical drainage.
Cool. Might consider setting one up for a weekly vacuum.

In reply to @IGZO

@IGZO said:

Yes. I saw maybe four molds.

Specifically- three, the black one is Virto P90.

@IGZO said:

I don’t want the domes. Have a load of them.
Happy with the molds. Better than in the past

I am speaking only for a molds. For mine, or for yours loss, domes are generally not effective.

@IGZO said:

But the earmolds do have the filters on their tips. That is what i was asking about… I am about to remove them.

Earmolds in the links haven’t filters on their tip. Filters are hidden in the 2-3mm diameter canal which opens toward the eardrum. Therefore it’s very difficult to earwax to reach them. If you want to clean these earmols, simply remove receivers temporarily, wash molds with soap water, blow the canal and dry them.

@IGZO said:

Speakers are not so costly. You can get them online.
$100 each, with mold for the Spheres.

YMMV. For me, $100 is quite a cost, which isn’t necessary to pay if I can simply change the clogged filter.

Regarding story with coffee, you were simply lucky. Receivers aren’t considered waterproof, @bluejay can confirm it, after her experiences with Lumity Life.

Thanks for filling in all the details I needed.
I will try to read about the Watered Lives of Lumity.

The molds, I don’t think last indefinitely. Generally about six months by me.
Perhaps that is because I always yanked off the molds, kind of wresting the speakers from the mold’s rubberized grips, to soak clean the molds, and to check the speaker grill.

With my Spheres, I did not realize, or yet believe that such removal is possible. Maybe I am wrong. But the speakers I understand only come with the molds, so if the molds were in fact removeable, why would the speakers not be available on their own. Or maybe to this point I have only been a victim of vendor speak… you probably know? else I will dig deeper, either into the molds, or online.

My point is that if I will be needing to buy speakers once or twice a year, then cost of filter abandonment… is not that much more or more often than would otherwise be needed.

I am either too lazy, or not as dexterous yet on forum navigation as you. So not looking to find the earmold links right now in mid message. However My new Sphere Molds do in fact have filters - well they HAD filters till earlier today… posting about that now.

I am now filter free!
Immediately upon removing the filters from my molds, I could hear, and seemed to feel a refreshing power and ear’s breath of fresh air. Could not quite put an earlobe on it… but immediately I began to wax nostalgic on the exuberance of my new unfiltered access to fresh sounds.

I found that the filter itself, actually constricts the sound port more than I realized. May measure the filter… but I actually measured the depth of the port, till the stop on what I assumed is the speaker grill. That is a whopping 11mm. My mold itself from external surface to now open speaker port is just about double at about 21.5mm.

I will be re/doing my feedback test and planned on doing an in situ retest for what its worth… possibly with someone else triggering the tones. However, I have an ear splitting machine sound that with the molds in, and the mics muted fully is barely audible to me, normally with filtered molds, and in my rough unscientific check before, seemed as quiet as I am used to in mute. So its not like there should be a huge feedback issue.

Most importantly I am very excited about what I was first joking above. The TV adapter, and sound about the house, and discussion is absolutely more natural without that puny filter.
And another surprise is that the acoustic TV - meaning just the rear speaker of the TV, is somewhat intelligible now, when normally I cannot get a single syllable.

I really would suggest that everyone give filter removal a try. I think I touched my opinions of filters in another thread last month… maybe. But it is important, and I will try to re-explain in my next post.

Regarding cleaning, I actually think it will be far easier to clean these than my old Oticons. These front opening seems smoother and wider on these. I am not planning on trying to remove the molds from the speakers to flush through the molds.
Not until I get a second pair of molds.
I made a mistake and should have ordered two at the same time.
Now getting new impressions might be a PITA.
Maybe I will try doing them myself.
However, even if you change your filters, the vent, needs to be cleaned, I would think.
May plan on experimenting with Nylon fishing tackle for that…

To clarify, I do not produce much wax.
My ears do sweat badly and I have sinus issue, and blocked Eustachian tubes.
Routinely - three to five times a day, I use Qtips in my ears.
No wax, but thin sweat. Moisture.
I removed the filters today, not because they were clogged, or about to be clogged, but because I had never wanted them on to begin with, and had insisted to the online dealer that they be provided without filters.
Which of course meant - what you think - arrived wearing filters!

In reply to @IGZO

@IGZO said:

The molds, I don’t think last indefinitely. Generally about six months by me.

Shockingly short. Now I understand why it makes no difference to spend $100…

@IGZO said:

Perhaps that is because I always yanked off the molds, kind of wresting the speakers from the mold’s rubberized grips, to soak clean the molds, and to check the speaker grill.

What kind of earmold do you have? SlimTips? I always have cShells, from which detaching receivers is impossible without sending them to the manufacturer. My acrylic molds works for about 2 years.

@IGZO said:

With my Spheres, I did not realize, or yet believe that such removal is possible. Maybe I am wrong. But the speakers I understand only come with the molds, so if the molds were in fact removeable, why would the speakers not be available on their own. Or maybe to this point I have only been a victim of vendor speak… you probably know? else I will dig deeper, either into the molds, or online.

I am not sure if I am understand correctly that quote, but I think link below could be useful. See differences between SlimTips and cShells:

@IGZO said:

So not looking to find the earmold links right now in mid message

IMG_0984

This is the path that must be traveled by the earwax to reach filter and clog it. The mold is produced by Pluggerz or so.

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