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What reasonable expectations should I have for my CROS hearing aids?

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Edited

I would first like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who provided assistance previously.

I have been trialing two high-end systems: the Phonak Audéo Lumity Ultra CROS 90 and the Signia Pure 7ix CROS. My primary expectation for these devices, given their high-end status, was to effectively mitigate the Head Shadow Effect—specifically, to enable me to clearly perceive speech originating from my weaker-hearing side.

Trial Observations

• Basic Speech Perception: Both devices successfully allow me to hear someone standing immediately next to my weak-hearing ear. However, I consider this a basic requirement for CROS functionality, and I am looking for more robust performance.

• Performance Goal: My goal is to achieve effortless and clear speech understanding in complex, noisy environments, such as conversations with friends in a busy restaurant, without having to strain to capture voices from the surroundings.

Specific System Feedback

1. Phonak CROS System:

• Adjusting the CROS Balance entirely toward the CROS microphone side significantly improved my awareness of sounds from that direction.

• However, this adjustment compromised the clarity of my good ear’s direct hearing, as the sound output became dominated by the streamed CROS signal.

2. Signia CROS System:

• The current CROS Gain is set at +6 . I have not noticed a significant or natural-sounding improvement in hearing from the CROS side with this setting.

Discussion Points for the Audiologist

Given these observations, I need guidance on how to optimize my current devices or explore alternatives.

1. Optimization: What adjustments can be made to achieve better performance in noise without sacrificing the clarity of my healthy ear?

2. (Real-Ear Measurement): When is the appropriate time to conduct REM? My current audiologist stated it would only be performed after the purchase, which seems counterintuitive since the goal of the trial is to solve my current hearing challenges. Shouldn’t REM be done before commitment to ensure optimal fitting and efficacy?

Thank you for your advice on how to best address these concerns with my audiologist.

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@MikeOooo said:

basic speech perception

do you mean Word Recognition Score ?

I think my healthy hearing ear has good word recognition ability, but somehow I understand less after I wear hearing aids, I believe my audiologist didn’t adjust it well but I don’t know how to help her.

@tjp3wk4iu said:

• Performance Goal: My goal is to achieve effortless and clear speech understanding in complex, noisy environments, such as conversations with friends in a busy restaurant, without having to strain to capture voices from the surroundings.

No, this won’t happen with a generally. Single sided deafness imposes a huge signal to noise deficit in most cases and the hearing aids cannot overcome it and the CROS itself often makes it worse rather than better. You will probably be better off with an accessory mic (or exploring a for your deaf side). I’ve had some previous CROS users who like the Audeo Sphere in noise.

@tjp3wk4iu said:

• Basic Speech Perception: Both devices successfully allow me to hear someone standing immediately next to my weak-hearing ear.

Yes, this is what a CROS does.

Masked Speech Perception with Bone Conduction Device, Contralateral Routing...8

For the treatment of single-sided deafness (), common treatment choices include a contralateral routing of signals () hearing aid, a bone conduction device (), and a cochlear implant (). The primary aim of this study was to compare ...

I found this article with a quick search and looks like it touches on what you are talking about with hearing in noise being worse.

Here is the search if anyone wants to look through further articles:

"Hearing Aids*"[MeSH Major Topic] CROS - Search Results - PubMed5

"Hearing Aids*"[MeSH Major Topic] CROS - Search Results - PubMed

This from your description is a realist goal.

@tjp3wk4iu said:

• Basic Speech Perception: Both devices successfully allow me to hear someone standing immediately next to my weak-hearing ear. However, I consider this a basic requirement for CROS functionality, and I am looking for more robust performance.

In reply to @Neville

I didn’t know that the infinio sphere work for the users, back to the point, these days I try to turn up the cros side volume and it does help me hear more clear but which make my healthy side ear can’t get the enough sound while it should be.

In reply to @MikeOooo

maybe I expect too much, I thought i could hear clearly without “trying” to hear or understand, the voice should like the water to flow into my ear so i could hear comfortably.

In reply to @tjp3wk4iu

It doesn’t, the users I’ve had switch to the sphere have dropped the cros. It’s a shame they can’t have both.

You can return to your provider and have them adjust the balance and also turn up the hearing aid.

really!? yes,I heard that the sphere is powerful but could it solve the head shadow effect?

the audiologist did the for my good ear, but i didn’t wear the cros side during the test, so i guess I didn’t get the cros balance, BTW may I ask what does the gain mean? from -12db to +6dB , the original setup is +0dB, me and my audiologist don’t know about it either.

No, it doesn’t solve the head shadow issue. But many users with unilateral loss manage the head shadow issue okay on their own and it’s the speech in noise problem that really bothers them, and some of them prefer the sphere for that. But not everyone–some people really miss the when it’s gone.

Sorry I’m not sure what you are asking about CROS gain.

thank you! I’ll see if i could get the chance to try the sphere and tell what’s the difference between the cros products and sphere.

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