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First time with HA, Newbie in DIY need your help/advice. Signia ACTIVE IX PRO

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Edited

Hi there, I’m Andrea and I’m 42.
-Intro (you can skip if you want): Two years ago i had a strange sensation of occlusion in my left ear and I started to notice a strong tinnitus in that ear that sometimes sounds louder and distracting and sometimes,when i don’t think about it it goes away (don’t really but i don’t care). Anyway I never thought i had an hearing loss becuse I could hear people speaking and I could understand what they were talking about in most scenario. Today my tinnitus is still a friend of my left ear, I know it and I accepted it. In this two years i noticed also that my left ear didn’t work as it should have, the right ear is able to ear the mouse click(when using pc), the rubbing of finger, the sound when you digit numbers in analog phone and the sound of the keyboard keys…the left ear is not able to. So i decided to go to an audi and an to kill the beast. I had a brain too. Everything is ok, I just have hearing loss (as you can see my ). Not a big suprise, my grandmother had hearing loss, my father and his brother (my uncle :slight_smile: )has earing loss, my brother and I have it too, so genetic question. Today I can live an happy life with this loss, I fell like I don’t have a strong deficit, just sometimes (rarely but not too much) I have to ask: Excuse me, could you repeat please? :slight_smile: Now, we are in 2025, technology is extraordinary and I want to preserve my beloved faulty ears, so, audiologist wanted to me 6k€ for a pair of hearing aids, I’m a sort of nerd in everything i do, let’s buy the hearing aids I like on ebay and let’s move on i said to myself…and I bought the Signia ACTIVE IX PRO and a NOAHLINK Wireless 2 (our @tenkan provided me connexx software). I bought the ACTIVE IX because I go to gym and i like to listen to music and they are like a "normal " earphones (like the samsung earbuds) so I can wear them at work with ease. (intro finished).

It’s been two weeks already that I’m playing with my ACTIVE PRO IX, in this time i spent a lot of time in this forum reading lot of posts and learning how to use connexx. I entered my audiogram in connexx, did an insitugram, did the feedback calibration and gone with the first fit. just played with the basic and advanced tuning, tried every kind of sleeves and domes (recalculating the fitting in connexx) but never been fully satisfied so I think I need your help.

I’m in this situation now: reset everything and restart from zero. first of all, looking at my audiogram the best dome would be the open one, but the ACTIVE PRO IX, given their shape, may not allow open domes to function properly, so for your knowledge, what kind of dome I have to fit to full benefit of my (vented?tulip?closed?power?). let’s start from there, step by step, your advice are appreciated.

Sorry for my english and for the long post.

hope to hear from you soon.

bye bye

4 people in this conversation15 min readJump to latest

I can’t advise you about the settings, but I suspect the 3.0 click sleeves in the “closed” style (which do still have a vent, according to Signia) might work well for you. I say this because of information I’ve read on this forum about open configurations being too “leaky” for low frequency loss, which you appear to have to some extent. Search online for Signia 3.0 Click Sleeves. They come in 4 sizes, you might need a sample pack to find what size works best for you. Don’t forget , too.
As for dissatisfaction with the settings, can you describe what it is that bothers you? Too “tinny” sound quality, too much echo of your own voice, too loud background noises, too soft speech, anything like that? It may help those with Signia programming experience to have specific details about what you don’t like.

Welcome to the forum, Andrea!

Hi DaPun, thank you for your reply, so you reccomend the closed one, ok I’ll give it a try, like I said in the first post I have very kind of sleeves and tips, in every size, I bought everything :slight_smile: just have to buy the waxguards.
To be honest at the moment I’m testing the vented sleeves because I re-started to first fit my with a basic configuration in connexx.
I entered my made by an audiologist, did the insitugram, did the feedback configuration, and experienced IXfit formula. Made also 2 programs, the Universal one with everything stock and Universal - 1db in both ears in case the Universal became bothersome.
Every other thing like ecoshield, dynamic sound processing etc etc are also stock.
I’ll try this configuration today and tomorrow and I’ll give you feedback on how it goes.
Cheers.

Edited

Few months ago I went thru this with some Active Pro X that I bought in eBay.

I found that choosing an optimal dome for the Active Pro X was a very challenging exercise.

The Active Pro’s mics are susceptible to feedback due their close location to the ear canal. Behind-the-ear hearing don’t have this issue due to their farther-away mics.

The only way to find out is to try multiple domes, which is what you have done. Due to the mic issue I explained, open domes are unlikely to work. The next step up are tulips, then closed and finally power.

Signia used to have round open domes but they only have flower open domes for the Active Pro IX which cannot hold the aid in place (which I think is what you are saying), tulips are the closest to the open domes. If you really want to try open domes, get the Widex Open Round domes, they are compatible. Looking at your , tulips may work (and they are very comfortable).

The key here is to choose one that does not give you feedback and does not give you oclussion. I was not able to find that optimal balance – I ended up selling mine on eBay.

Hope this helps

Good Morning guys, thank you @OcramSagev for your reply, so you know what i’m feeling. For me is the real first time wearing so i don’ t have any idea on how or any other kind of HA works. The most challenging thing for me at the moment is to accept that I have something in my ear, no matter if I wear an open dome or tulip or close, it does no matter if that things I have in my ear makes my ears work better, my brain is fully concentrated on what I put inside my ears. Furthermore the best thing I’m experiencing is the amount of sounds is capting my left ear, is like a surround effect, and the facets of sounds are awesome i hope you understant what i’m mean.
Another thing that is making me crazy is my f****ing voice, I can’t belive my voice is so solid and strange, I feel my voice in the center of my head, it vibrates and sometime tickles. there’s not occlusion, i now there’s something inside my ear but my ears are open, I don’t feel ,with the vented sleeves i’m trying atm i have my ear closed, no pressure, no bother. Tulip itches and closed make me feel like I’m in a yellow submarine :slight_smile: I don’t have any problem when I move my mouth, no internal interferences in chewing or smiling or moving my jaw like a sheep chewing the cud.
Anyway I think that the first thing I have to do for now is to accept the HA and let my brain get used to them. Now i wear them full time maybe I need to synchronize with them.
finally, for the feedback issue you reported, luckily I don’t seem to have the same problem, they whistle only if I put my hand some millimiters near the microphones, i didn’t notice whistles when eating, drinking or speaking.
I know now I have to get used to them and let the HA works that way at least for a week/ten days, the mistake I made is trying in tuning the aids continuosly. Now they are full stock software decided for my loss. I think I have to recalibrate my brain. So no connexx and noahlink for a week or so. I’ll update you in a week.
Thank you for your support guys, any form of advice is welcome. Have a nice day.
Cheers.

So my friends here I am with some news,never touched anythin theese day in connexx software and theese are my stock tuning:

audiogramma
insitugram
sintonizzazione base
I think everything is correct but I have some questions. connexx put more gain in the left ear, look at the picture, right is 10 db and left is 15 db, is it correct, can i leave it like it is?
then, I hear a little better, not wow effect, some high frequencies noises came back to my left ear but voices are not really imporoved, furthermore sometimes i ear some peole voice like a cyborg, not every words, not continously, but also my voice, that i can ear little louder than without the AIDS, sound with a small cyborg effect and sometimes is like I’m screaming inside my ears, not screaming sorry but like i’m speaking inside a rolled paper.
I’m not noticing whistles or occlusion just sometime a small tic, or click or a snap but not from the speaker, is just the sleeve that detaches and attaches from the ear canal.
No pain or problem wearing aids all day, everyday.
Time to tune something? please help me…
cheers.

Edited

Ciao Andrea

You are on the right track .

Things you may want to try:

(1) When is not available ,the in-situ measurement may give better results than the . If you use the in-situ , you may want to take note of the gains 6k + from the current fitting because in-situ measurements only go up to 6K.

(2) Try a different rationale ( for example)

(3) if your sleeve attaches/detaches, you may want to try a bigger sleeve.

(4) for the voice issue : there is a section in Connexx called myVoice 2.0. It measures your voice characteristics and applies that to the programming .

(5) Connexx has an “automated” assist with some options for fixing common problems, you can play with that .

I created multiple clients in Connexx: one for the fitting I was using (the stable version) and another one for playing with the settings (experimental ).

Also , your phone Signia app has an assistant (Signia Assist)) that can be helpful , just tell the assistant what the issue is and it will make changes. I didn’t find this helpful but I hear other people like it.

I hope this helps

Edit: Ignore (1), you are already using in-situ measurements.

In reply to @Dr_Dr_please

I’d take the advice of @OcramSagev thoroughly!
Not just items numbered 1 through 5, but also the additional advice below it. There are always a few things to get used to when beginning to wear hearing aids, but there are also some things you should not have to accept. It can be tricky to determine which is which. That is where people like @OcramSagev give us the benefit of their knowledge and personal experience.

I’m blushing! Many thanks for the kind feedback, I actually enjoy explaining things and i try to be as factual as possible.

Good morning guys, I really appreciate your interest in giving me advices, I’m new in this world of so I have to study a lot and go to try and make mistakes until I find an acceptable fitting as a DIYer.
@AttilaDaPun in your first reply you reccomended to try the closed sleeves but I was in my own trial period with the vented. After a week with the vented, with no occlusion or feedback but not really impressed by the stock configuration the software provided me ( Sometime i felt my voice a little robotic and cyborg like, some other people voice too, don’t know if it was a fitting problem or a programing problem but if I put my finger in my aids and push a little the situation is quite better) I decided yesterday to follow your advice and try a new 1 week trial period with the closed sleeves.
Unfortunately contrary to what I thought I don’t have atm the close sleeves so I decided to try this (spoiler:don’t care about the holes in the upper mushrom head):

20250825_110550
Theese domes are not from signia but fit perfectly in my aids and they should be like the power sleeves by signia. What a terrifying experience, i felt like I had a sink unlocker (plugger) in my ears. Obviosly i Changed the sleeve kind in the software.
So I read in some post that redneck solutions are allowed and I made my own power vented domes, like this:
20250825_110853
No more occlusion or plugger effect, maybe because the pressure is released by the holes, programmed like the “power sleeves” in the software and still now in trial. By the way i think they are not working like a power sleeve or a closed sleeve, probably the are more like a vented solution. what do you think about that mod? Have I to change something in the software or abandon this apporach and go directly with the original signia closed/power?

@OcramSagev thank you for your reply, yes i’m using the insitugram, never tried the formula, I don’t even know how it work for now, need to study. unfortunately my aids don’t have the OVP 2.0 (Own Voice Processing) feature, don’t know if because my ACTIVE IX PRO are the sDEMO version (bought on ebay without knowing) but I don’t think so (some websites write they have this feature, some other tells no, so I don’t know what to believe sincerly).
I created multiple clients in connexx too to play with different configuration.
Point 5 of your reply is a good advice and I have to try it.

Guys I’m still trying and learning and you are very very kind…thank you.

You are on the right track . If you appreciate our help, a good portion of Prosciutto San Daniele is highly appreciated!! in bocca al lupo :-
(Ocram is an Italian name backwards)

In reply to @Dr_Dr_please

Excellent ingenuity! You could probably make a smaller hole and still avoid the feeling of having a sink plunger in your ears! As long as it fits securely on your hearing aid, to avoid a lost dome in the ear canal, I’m not a purist on cross-brand components. My audiologist said if I need a dome not designed by Phonak and for Phonak she is fine with that, as long as it fits securely and safely on my receivers.
I think maybe you might need to change your dome description in your software because of the vents you made in the power domes, but I’m not sure whether to count those as closed or vented.

Oh yes they fit properly, no danger of losing it in ear canal fortunately, and to make a smaller hole i didn’t have the right tool, i’ll try with another couple to make smaller holes. for now they fit pretty well, the only thing i think is that they are not correctly programmed…I have to try with smaller hole or programming them as vented, but want to try the closed solution like you told me.
I don’t really understand why my voice is tooooooooo loud in my left ear, no matter what dome/sleeve i wear…I have like a megaphone playing my voice in my left ear when i speak…little better in the right…it’s so frustrating. I saw in Connexx, using signia assistant, if i want to limit my voice, the software lowers the gain in some frequencies that maybe i need for my loss. I tried but immediately cancelled, don’t know if it’s better or worse, you suggest i have to give it a chance?

Maybe you are congested on the left side? You could try a decongestant, or a mucus-thinner like guaifenesin, or blow your nose and then try to make your Eustachian tube open up by blowing gently through your nose while you hold your nostrils shut.

To make a smaller hole in a dome, you could try a sewing needle, or just cut a tiny triangle with the tip of small scissors (like cuticle scissors). The hole doesn’t have to be round.

Hi Patrick, I don’t think my L ear is congested, don’t have any closed ear sensation without and I have been using otovent for a week. I wash my nose with salune solution too so I think my canals and tubes are clean and free. On the other hand @OcramSagev is sure I’m on the right track…hope he is right. yesterday I had another illumination, I tried signia assistant in connexx software (like Marco told me) to try to understand why my voice is soooo loud and the virtual assistant advised me to lower the gain in low frequencies ( 125-750Hz range). I let the software make this change and the first step almost changed nothing so I told the software to do it again and the situation changed a bit, did it again for the third time and my voice was finally acceptable and thanks to god almost balanced between right and left perception. Doing this the software lowered thoose frequencies by a few dbs, tried this change for about 4 hours yesterday and I didn’t noticed difficulties in hearing and understanding my wife or my loved unstoppable speaking daughter. I am still testing today at work and everything seems ok but I don’t want to claim victory too soon. I’m not really happy anyway because i’m not sure if this mod could help my deficit in those frequencies, they are still amplified but not like the software did with the first fit, I hope it’s just an overthink.
I don’t know if I’m on the right track like Marco told me but I’m starting to think that I don’t have to ear louder (overamplified) but I have to ear clearer, balanced and most important equalized, maybe connexx software with the first fit gives me a guideline for my hearing loss and I have to find my tune trying and trying and trying again. Don’t you know that Rome wasn’t built in day?
Hope I’m not going off track.
stay tuned.
cheers.

Edited

Hi everyone, i’m writing to update you all about my experience with my Haids. In this period I discovered that the best for me is the vented fit (SIGNIA sleeves 3.0 L size). The mod i did to lower my voice perception was resetted and untouched. the configuration is the Connexx software decided with my , insitugram, AXfit experienced algorithm and optimization for feedback, no manual tuning. After 2 weeks of getting used to the AIDs I’m really impressed how the brain is able to adapts to the new way to hear sounds and accept the new way to hear my voice, there are no reasons atm to fine tune anything but the traffic/engines//fans sounds, I’m sure that this sounds are not as they have to be, but nothing too disturbing. Now i’ll try to ask signia assistant to help me with this “problem” and i’ll update you if i’m still in the right track.

cheers guys, hear you :slight_smile:

Edited

Hi guys, here again to ask for a question. I finally switched to the original power sleeve 3.0 for my Active IX pro. I found this is the best solution for me, expecially for audio streaming and music listening, music streaming quality it’s not too far from airpods. by the way I experience a bit of occlusion, my heart pulse in the ears and every (my own) footsteps were booming inside my ears. I solved this making a very very little hole in the sleeve, someting smaller than a millimeter. Is it better to change the programming in connexx software or i can continue using the HA like this? atm i’ve no feedback at all.

PS: I tried the closed sleeves 3.0 too but the hole in these sleeve are too big and music streaming is bassless…I don’t like it.

thanks.

@Dr_Dr_please said:

Is it better to change the HA programming in connexx software or i can continue using the HA like this?

If your happy with the results then no real need, but what domes have you programmed them to in Connexx, closed? obviously you get better Bass for closed and power sleeve.

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