I’ve read from multiple sources that audiologists are not happy with Widex, especially after they moved to their new cloud fitting platform.
People often advise choosing the most advanced technology you can afford. However, the difference in technology levels becomes evident in challenging environments. For instance, if you have difficulty understanding speech in noisy conditions, it’s advisable to opt for the highest technology level.
In today’s market, the price difference between the Sphere and the regular Infinios appears to be small and the Sphere a superior device. Ask for the price difference between the two.
I do not think I would like the sphere at all. It has more of all the things I least like in my hearing aids. My speech discrimination is very good when tested even without aids despite my 40db high frequency loss, and I test well for speech in noise with aids. I’m still in my 40’s and my brain can habdle the processing as long as I my aids provide the high frequency sounds I miss. I simply don’t need the kind of processing that the sphere provides—and with an open fitting like mine a lot of the noise reduction and directional features are of limited benefit. I have a lot of the advanced features on my Oticons disabled or turned way down.
Perhaps as I get older and my neurons less plastic (or if my hearing changes further and I need a closed fitting) I will need more of these features. But I suspect that won’t be within the next three years.
So here is the detail about what is gained at each tier, along with my out-of-pocket cost delta over the previous next lower tier:
50 Standard:
Automatic speech in car program
Automatic comfort in noise program
Motion Sensor Hearing
Sound Relax
DuoPhone
16 channels (vs 12 for Essential)
70 Advanced (+$500):
Automatic music program
StereoZoom 2.0
Dynamic Noise Cancellation
Speech in Loud Noise (manual)
Speech in 360º (manual)
Tap control
20 channels
90 Premium (+$1,100):
Automatic speech in loud noise program.
Speech Enhancer
Right now I am leading toward the 70 for the addition of StereoZoom 2.0, the manual speech in loud noise and speech in 360° features, and the extra 4 channels. Those features it seems might easily justify the extra $500. Given my good speech discrimination and my aversion to automatic program switching, I find it hard to justify an additional $1,100 for the two additional features offered by the 90.
But I am very willing to consider anyone else’s experiences or knowledge on the subject.
I understand and you are probably in the same boat as I am. I don’t like over processed sounds and my hearing in noise is ok. Because I prefer natural sounds, I went with Widex but I also have the Infinio
30s. My recommendation was generic because I didn’t know your preferences .
You are right, with open domes it doesn’t make much sense to go with higher tech devices
I’m sorry if my response came off as impatient. I really do value input, I was just trying to explain my thinking.
To give some context on my situation, while I probably already had mild high frequency loss typical of my age, I suffered most of my loss suddenly as the result of an ear infection at the age of 37. Because my loss was sudden, I was young, and I had it corrected quickly, I maintained much of my natural speech discrimination. I am a music lover, singer, and inveterate whistler–and I am very sensitive to digital artifacts and ‘robotic’ sounds, so maintaining as natural a soundscape as possible has been very important to me. I have had to turn off a lot of features of the Oticon aids – including disabling the feedback suppression feature entirely.
Does anyone know whether it is possible to upgrade the feature tier on the Audeos after purchase? I am assuming that there’s no physical difference in the aids, but that the features are just locked by software licensing. It would make it much easier to trial a lower tier if I knew that I could upgrade later if necessary (which, of course, would be a disincentive for Phonak allowing such upgrades).
As of last iteration: Smile Gen 1. I’m going to suggest that there’s going to be a Smile ‘Ball’ or something, featuring the Sphere 1 tech coming to your Unitron aids at some point. Though they might hang it out until April and bump it straight forward to the Sphere 2 at that point.
It makes no sense to put the poorer battery life version out.
Widex and Signia are expanding their commercial teams in the US with a double-digit investment in headcount, expanded resources, and a reimagined structure designed to better support hearing care professionals.
I’ve had Widex Moment 330 and now Oticon Real 2. Before that I used Phonak Lumity 90 for three months. If you’re into natural sound, I recommend Widex and Oticon. I disliked the Phonak because of its constant switching of profiles and aggressive noise reduction. Now, I might just not have had them dialled in yet, but they were not for me. Too processed in sound, too “noticable”. I never have to fiddle around in an app anymore, trying to increase or decrease noise reduction, or changing programs. It just works 99% of the time. Like you I’m in my 40’ies, so perhaps age has something to say.
So I started my trial of the Audéo i70-R on the 16th and just got out of my one week appointment. I am using open domes, whistleblock off, and noise reduction turned way down but not off. Overall, I’ve noticed much better speech clarity and the sound is very natural. I had three main complaints, all of which my audiologist was able to address at this appointment: soft sounds were too soft, loud sounds were too loud, and I was getting quite a bit of feedback. She turned up the gain for soft sounds, turned down the gain for loud sounds, and ran the feedback and Real Ear test. Because it decreased gain a little too much, she overfitted them a couple of notches without any noticeable increase in feedback.
A few cavils:
I much preferred the MFI streaming to the Bluetooth. ble, and it relies on one aid to pass the signal to the other, which creates a single point of failure.
The Phonak app should tell me which of the automatic program I am in at the main screen or at least when I open the list of programs. I can figure it out by going to adjust the current program, but it’s ridiculous not to tell me at the main screen.
Why on earth would I want my hearing aids to count my steps? WTF.
All of that said, I don’t want to give the impression that I dislike the aids; quite the contrary. Overall, I am a happy camper.
By the way, I have updated my . After ten years very stable (two years ago nothing had changed more than 5 since 2016) and with a significant asymmetry, my right ear has in last two years caught up with my left…and my left has deteriorated a little. A little concerning.
It’s been about five weeks and I am so far very satisfied with my new Phonaks. The sound is more natural than my Oticons, there are fewer artifacts, I can whistle again, and the abrupt shifts between programs are gone. Highly recommend.
San Francisco
Wales, UK