Advice for learning to optimize my Sphere Ultras?

@Rambo26 said:

for some reason, she is recommending medium power receivers rather than power receivers

Speaking from my experiences (look at my high frequency hearing loss in audiogram and compare with yours), I think medium will be too weak. I had this and Sphere was near crap. P gave huge improvement also because it was in stiff power domes with nice earplug effect, which isolates greatly noise. Still not ideal, but compared to P receiver in Paradise - life changing.

P is definitely better than M, but UP has the best HF gain and the same frequency response as P, if not better.

You need HFs to better hearing in noise. I do know that your HCP will use the argument that your audiogram don’t fit into fitting range of UP receiver, however, that fitting range isn’t something engraved in stone.

The only obstacle can be size of your ear canal (maily its diameter) - UP is pretty big compared to P.

@user490 said:

How do you press them in so deeply? Pressing on the back of the receiver?

Yes, indeed, without pressing wire and I recommend earhooks/loops set on the receiver. It’s easier for me because I have longer nails in my right hand because of playing the guitar.

@user490 said:

Are they then sometimes hard to get out?

Yes they’re hard to get out, you cannot pull them quickly, because it will be very painful. I make delicate continuous pull and wait - it always works.

The advantages of a tight and deep fit definitely outweigh this minor inconvenience.

This is why my audiologist wants to order Phonak cshells in AOV using medium power receivers.

**A P receiver on paper-can get louder, but it needs more sound “back pressure” in the ear to work well. Because the vent had to be made so large after the P receiver was chosen, a lot of sound—especially bass—escapes.

That forces the hearing aid to work overtime to make up for the loss, pushing the processing too hard. As a result, the receiver starts to distort before the sound is actually clear or comfortable.**

I have already ordered power domes and P receivers to see if that works better for me. If it does, I might try the UP receivers you suggested.

According to ChatGPT, UP receivers must be ordered by an audiologist and are not available at retail. And the only receiver that is compatible with the Audeo Sphere is the Phonak 6.0 receiver. No Unitron receiver is compatible.

Do you get this much benefit from Spheric speech in loud noise?

Audéo Sphere Infinio: Spheric Sound Simulation9

@Rambo26 said:

With medium receivers, the AOV vent size will be smaller than with power receivers.

Where do you get that? I expect vent size to be inversely proportional to low frequency loss. Higher LF loss, smaller vent; better low freq hearing, larger vent. The vent prevents the feeling of occlusion in those with better LF hearing.

WH

My audiologist told me this. And this is how ChatGPT explains it: Phonak uses extra receiver power as “acoustic budget.”
If there’s budget left after meeting gain and feedback needs, it spends it on a larger AOV for comfort and natural sound.

That’s why:

• Higher-power receiver ≠ smaller vent

• Higher-power receiver → often a larger AOV

@Rambo26 said:

That’s why:

• Higher-power receiver ≠ smaller vent
• Higher-power receiver → often a larger AOV

Not necessarily; more powerful receiver needs more space, which remains smaller for vent.

I don’t recommend AOV. I tested it and have spent almost $200 (3 earmolds, because I had little knowledge).

AOV is for users inexperienced, who have high risk of hearing aids rejection due to occlusion effect when HCP can’t counsel them explaining why in their particular case they should have more occluded acoustic coupling.

AOV would be good when it is possible to achieve target gains witg REM. Unlikely for you (and me).

There is my returned cShell in summer 2025:

Returned Phonak Audeo Infinio Sphere I90 for non-Sphere I50

Allright. You’re welcome. I think it may take time to sort things out. Simply I would be considered Naida if Sphere with P receiver wouldn’t hit the desired range of REM target. However I have rather bigger auricle and have very thin temples and temple tips (perhaps it’s a solution?). I have no problem even with sunglasses with thicker frame. Thanks for titanium cShell photos. I see they have a smooth surface. What is their retention in your ears? Do they not slip off the ear? My first try i…

Returned Phonak Audeo Infinio Sphere I90 for non-Sphere I50

[20250328_150252] There is a nerdy, humorous comparison with the F-35: S-shaped duct Diverterless Supersonic Inlet (marked by red arrows).

Is there a choice not to use AOV if one wants as much venting as can fit? I agree if you want to control venting to be specific and smaller than AOV, then don’t order AOV. AOV represents the union of what the patient’s ears can accommodate physically and what Phonak’s software thinks is suitable for the hearing loss.

@user490 said:

Is there a choice not to use AOV if one wants as much venting as can fit?

I don’t think if that would be beneficial, but that my supposition. Sometimes you need to use volume up, so we should be careful making as big venting as possible.

@Um_bongo mentioned in past about better recognizing the direction from which the sound is coming, but I don’t remember exactly his post. For me that skill has never been crucial.

Isn’t the comb-filter effect from delay between the sound through the ear/venting and the sound through the aid regardless of whether the aid is using non-AI processing or AI processing? More processing often means more delay and so AI processing can make the effect more noticeable.

@user490 said:

Isn’t the comb-filter effect from delay between the sound through the ear/venting and the sound through the aid regardless of whether the aid is using non-AI processing or AI processing?

Yes, regardless, the key is delay, which is larger with more processing, as in AI program, as you described. However its noticement is highly also individual.

As I mentioned, I got very little benefit from the Spheric Speech in Loud noise. Yes, set up a manual program, used power domes, ensured all the Target settings are correct, etc. Thinking it must be a hardware issue with my aids, I convinced my audiologist to exchange them for another pair. But no joy. Still very little if any, benefit in the Spheric Speech in Noise program.

@Rambo26 said:

used power domes, ensured all the Target settings are correct,

Sometimes it isn’t enough to only use power domes, there are some nuances - that should be placed deep, Phonak power domes were soft and thin so it doesn’t let me make more HF gain. Hence my mentioning about Unitron power domes.

If you have more earplug effect from power domes that should be ovecomed by more gain.

How you ensured all the Target settings are correct without Real Ear Measurement (REM) - based verification and fitting?

@Rambo26 said:

. I self program with Target and have created a custom Spheric speech in loud noise program using the Target settings suggested by ChatGPT.

Could you provide screenshots from gain (2 ears) and output with MPOs (also 2ears) with description which earpiece do you have (venting etc.)?