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Phonak Audeo: open or vented domes?

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@choccybiccy69 said:

why the obsession with open domes and massive vents when they’re not indicated ??

I really don’t know.

My guess is that occlusion needs some adaptation and sometime, like in my case, powerdomes positioning is tricky. This can lead to failures on many beginners, who end refusing to wear .

Just my guess.

I have the Phonak Spheres with acrylic full skeleton ear molds with very small vents and my voice sounds normal to me. It is a case of how well the aids are fitted and how well that you adjust to wearing aids. I have been wearing aids for 20 years. I have only had domes gor maybe 6 weeks and I could stand them.

In reply to @choccybiccy69

@choccybiccy69 said:

why the obsession with open domes and massive vents when they’re not indicated ?? in NHS and private?? makes no sense to me.

I’m not sure exactly, I don’t think it’s an obsession, or that most clinic’s fit incorrectly as such, maybe just following what the software is telling them, but those with experience would insure correctly fitted domes or moulds/vent sizing for your particular hearing loss.

@choccybiccy69 said:

but occlusion is least when the mould is deep!!!

But still there, of course some people can’t have deeper fitting moulds as well, lots of variables for the audiologist to consider.

Something I can add — maybe very trivial, but these are my first steps in the world — is that compression matters a lot.

In my case, reducing the overall compression in the fitting helps significantly: I feel less isolated in noisy environments, and my own voice doesn’t overpower the voices of others.

Edited

In reply to @marcobuffa

@marcobuffa said:

The main issue now is still some pain in the canals.

Happy to read about improvements. With time the canal will be more sturdy, @Zebras has taught me about this, speaking about her silicone deep earmolds. Take a breaks and do not allow pressure sores to form.

@marcobuffa said:

Target is placing the gain curve for my left ear very close to M receiver limit. I some area, the gain is outside the limit. I don’t know if this can happen, but I’m quite sure I’m feeling some distortion on my left ear is some specific situation.

Probably peak clipping because of too weak receiver.

@marcobuffa said:

In my case, reducing the overall compression in the NAL-NL2 fitting helps significantly: I feel less isolated in noisy environments, and my own voice doesn’t overpower the voices of others.

What do you mean? You have made less gain for G50 or more gain for G80?

@Bimodal_user said:

What do you mean? You have made less gain for G50 or more gain for G80?

Just raised 3 steps the G80 and 2 steps the G65 gain curves from the prescription ones, leaving the G50 unaltered. I tried that and I got a better feeling in noisy situations (no isolation, less audio compression uncomfortable feeling).

Obviously the overall background noise is more present, but I love that: keeps me aware of the situation.

No problem!

This is the gain (calm situation)

2026-01-31 14_37_55-Phonak Target 11.1

And this are outputs and :

2026-01-31 14_39_19-Phonak Target 11.1

Have a nice week end!

In reply to @choccybiccy69

I’ve recently been trying to find information (inspiration?) on possible alternatives to Phonak open domes. It’s how I found this forum. I have Phonak from Boots and they never gave me any options, just open domes. But I despise them. I’m constantly pushing them back in and irritating my ears.

I don’t think my hearing is right for molds, sadly. (I can hear too much?) I’ve had pretty much the same results since I was 4 years old but I only started wearing when I was 19. My hearing loss is mild but I also have mild auditory processing issues. The combination means I have conversations in Swiss cheese mode that only gets worse with added background noise. My pediatric (in the US where I grew up) suggested I just pay more attention… So it wasn’t until I advocated for myself that I got proper care.

Anyway, I used to have Oticons that initially came with domes but I had the same issues I do now so my audiologist back home promptly switched me to small grip tips with vent. They were perfect! Chef’s kiss. Comfortable, stayed in place, let in the noise I can hear fine naturally without taking away from the crisper sound from the receiver.

Since those died and I replaced them over here with my Phonaks, I’m back to itchy/sore ears. I basically want my precious grip tips back but the only information I could find was that they technically fit but might sacrifice some sound quality?

What’s up with this open dome agenda anyway?

Like you, I never liked Phonak domes.

I use Oticon OpenBass domes with my Phonaks and they work great (the fit is a bit tight, which is a good thing).

Widex Round open domes also fit Phonaks (and they are VERY comfortable.

It’s not really about sound quality but acoustics: the Phonaks most likely need to be “recalibrated” (via the feedback test) if the domes type are changed. This is something your can do very quickly (in a min or so).

In reply to @Lil.Kimchi

@Lil.Kimchi said:

they never gave me any options, just open domes. But I despise them. I’m constantly pushing them back in and irritating my ears.

EDIT: recommended order by me: 4, 3 and 1 (cheaper) or 2 (a bit more expensive, but convenient due to protection from wax in EasyGuard domes)

Try:

  1. Unitron domes, not Phonak - I found their silicone is a bit thicker
  2. Phonak newest EasyGuard domes - may be a bit more stable
  3. changing size of your domes, for example I wanted to push my domes deeper, so I changed from L to M size.
  4. retention hook:

I agree with @Bimodal_user, it’s worth trying lots of different domes. Don’t limit yourself to domes from the same manufacturer as the hearing aid.

With some minor exceptions domes are largely compatible amongst manufacturers. If you put them onto the receiver and they don’t come off too easily, then they fit!

Initially I had the same problem with my vented domes slipping out all the time. The Costco audiologist was kind enough to let me try all the manufacturers she had available, but nothing stayed in reliably.

Eventually I ordered no-name power domes from Aliexpress with the intent of poking holes into them to turn them into vented domes.

But when I put them in (very deeply) I really liked how they sounded and I stuck with them. And because they form an air tight seal, they stay in my ear all day long!

This is the kind I’m using - must be a generic China design because there are many vendors selling these:
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mLK3fFZ18

I should have added that receiver wire length can make a difference too. I went from the original length ‘2’ to a slightly longer ‘3’. This allowed me to push the receiver further into the ear which might have contributed to better retention as well.

@wtolkien said:

I should have added that receiver wire length can make a difference too. I went from the original length ‘2’ to a slightly longer ‘3’

In my case, after receiving very useful table from @raylock1 and making measurements, its turns out #2 is too long and I should have #0. That was above my expectations, because I wanted shorter wire just for better, more horizontal microphones positioning.

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