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Phonak Audeo I-90 vs Costco Sennheiser Sonite

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Has anyone tried both the Costco Sennheiser and the Phonak Audeo I-90?

I trialed the Sennheisers for 6 months with 5 adjustments with a highly skilled audiologist at Costco. They were fine in one-on-one conversation, but terrible everywhere else. I tried in multiple settings, tried using app to adjust. No matter what he and I did, nothing worked. I returned them for the Costco Phillips. They don’t work for me at all. Very echoey. Can barely hear one-on-one.

I have now gone to a private audiologist (did similar tests but less testing) and he is recommending Phonak Audeo I-90s. I have to wonder if the experience will be that much different from the Sennheisers that didn’t work at all, given that they are both Phonak .

Any thoughts appreciated!

While there, I tried the Starkey Omega 24. They seemed similar to the Phonaks, but he said they aren’t as easy with connectivity with my devices. (I still work and need to switch between devices easily.) I also tried the Widex, which in 2020 were very smooth. But this pair sounded very sharp, much like my old 2020 Signias, who apparently bought Widex.

I searched for how to attach an but couldn’t find anything. My hearing loss is a traditional cookie bite (hereditary, early hearing loss) with high and low tones in the mid-moderate loss, descending in a U shape to the top of severe loss.

I’ve been taking notes here for a few years. But I haven’t seen this question addressed. Thanks so much.

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If they’re Audeo Sphere I-90 then the performance will differ quite a lot as the Sennheiser products don’t come with the dedicated chip. The new Sennheiser product released in the last few months at Costco will be comparable to the non-Sphere Phonak Infinio devices according to what I’ve read online.

Widex and Signia merged for economic reasons, but the brands and engineering teams are separate and have distinct patent portfolios. Their sound processing hasn’t changed, but Widex may have moved away from the high-frequency rolloff that may have been present in older devices by default.

Thank you for the response. The Sphere was offered, however it was significantly more than the I-90s, and my glasses have somewhat thick temples/arms that go over my ears. The combination of the Sphere + my glasses with relatively small ears was very uncomfortable.

As to the Widex, I think you are correct re: the high=frequency rolloff. The comparison was noticeably different. I had worried the Widex would be too muted when I first tried them, but it was my first pair of and I didn’t know what to expect. Now, I realize that given my relatively higher capacity in the high frequency range, it has been hard to find a HA that works for me.

Do you find that Starkey is not as good at connecting to devices, like cell phone, AirPods and even computer?

@Newbie said:

Now, I realize that given my relatively higher capacity in the high frequency range, it has been hard to find a HA that works for me.

Any are suitable for high frequency loss, nothing special about this, posting your would be helpful for more accurate information.

I don’t know. I bought them in October of 2025, then changed them out at 6 months to the Phillips 9050. I deleted the app. Would one or the other make a difference in terms of being like the Phonak I 90?

In reply to @Newbie

They would have been the Sonite R and would have been comparable to Phonak Lumity. The Sonite Rise are comparable to Phonak Infino Ultra. There are some posts here showing what the similarities and differences are. At this point, the Spheres don’t have a Sennheiser/Costco equivalent.

I have tried two sets of Oticon, trialled Widex and various others and settled on the latest Starkey ones. Best of the lot. However, not one of them has really resolved the problem of hearing well in a group of people. So go for one within your budget and seek out a very good audiologist!

In reply to @Newbie

October 2025 - they would certtainly be Sonite R (based on the older Phonak Lumity)

The Sonite Rise (based on Phonak Infinio Ultra i90R - non-sphere) first appeared in Costco earlier this year

As to connectivity, Phonak has the advantage of using Classic Bluetooth which can be paired with several devices and connected to two devices at the same time. It is also more robust, dropping off less.

I’d look for an audiologist who has fitted a lot of Phonak to get the experience.

The HearingTracker evaluations are showing the Starkey are not as good as Phonak in noise, but are just behind them for noise, Costco just added Starkey hearing aids but I’ve forgotten under what name.

Thank you for the information. I am going to try Costco one more time. Perhaps the new Sennheisers will be better, since the first pair didn’t work at all.

Thanks!

In reply to @LawyerFL

@LawyerFL said:

Phonak has the advantage of using Classic Bluetooth which can be paired with several devices and connected to two devices at the same time. It is also more robust, dropping off less.

The advantage of classic is veratility, as you pointed out. Range, I’ve found the Classic and LE bluetooth range to be exactly the same, Phonak and Widex (respectively). I didn’t expect that!

Welcome! Cookie-bite loss is always a challenge to program correctly, so finding the right fitter who understands custom target curves is key.

If you rely heavily on switching between work devices during the day, the Phonak I-90 will likely offer a much smoother Bluetooth experience than Starkey or Widex. If budgetis a factor, ask your Costco fitter about the newer Sonite Rise (Infinio platform) before paying full private clinic prices for the I-90!

Phonak has just released a new model, the Phonak Eon which has Blutooth LEAudio and the early reviews are saying these aids are more stable on Bluetooth connections, which is what you need for work. The Eons also tested the best for speech in noise of the 2026 Hearing aid models.

On another note, your cookie bite loss is less common and needs a more experienced professional. The techs at Costco have a good reputation at standard ski slope hearing loss programming, but not much if any training on more complex programming issues. . So I suspect you would be better off with an audiologist. But ask for one who is experienced in cookie bite programming.

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