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Would I benefit from custom ear molds?

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I’ve been very happily wearing Oticon Intent 1 for six months or so, with domes. I have a checkup with my audi in a couple of days and plan to ask her about custom ear molds (which didn’t come up in the initial appointments).

What’s the experience of those of you with similar hearing loss to mine?

Thanks!

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It’s depend on individual preferences. For example, I have no problem with occlusion effect despite good low frequency hearing, so I can have earmold with even pressure vent.

Now I have power domes, which is quite occluding and partially isolate me from noise, which is good. I can also push it quite deep in ear canal, which provides me additional “free gain”, which is necessary, because I have a bit poorer hearing loss than you.

Cons: I feel that placement can be inconsistent compared to the earmold, I have to correct the receiver with its power domes. Another annoyance is that silicone domes wear off quickly (they ten to be softer and softer, increasing risk of feedback), so I have to change them every 2-4 weeks.

Generally speaking, earmolds could provide better sound quality, but it’s much depend on quality of silicone ear impression, which should be deep (at least 5mm past 2nd bend of ear canal). There is also a bit trial and error with setting diameter of vents so that you couldn’t be underamplified, but not having occlusion effect.

I wait for the cShell (kind of canal earmold) with 0.6mm vent and stronger, UP receiver.

Definitely try them. I was told by multiple audiologists that custom molds wouldn’t work for me. My perspective they’re way better than domes. Worst case scenario go back to domes. I have Phonak lumity with titanium molds. If phonak didn’t have titanium I probably would have went with silicone. Just because I seem to drop my hearing aids a lot.

I have been wearing Oticon’s micro molds for 2 years and much prefer them to the open domes I wore previously. Seemed that I was always adjusting positioning of the conventional domes. Tried different styles domes from different manufacturers, and still constantly fidgeting with them. With the micro molds, I just put them in and forget them. No problem with occlusion for me.

Cost $100 at the time. No retention device needed. Ended up getting micro molds made for my old back up aids as well

@zookol said:

Tried different styles domes from different manufacturers, and still constantly fidgeting with them. With the micro molds, I just put them in and forget them. No problem with occlusion for me.

THIS! 100%, that fidgeting is annoying.

Thanks for all of your responses! I have no issues with the domes I’m currently using, just curious whether my hearing could be even better.

I’ll discuss this with my audiologist at my next checkup.

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