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I am finally able to hear with the Phonak SKY V 7 SP

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This thread should have been in the classifieds. It wasn’t about your hearing. You just wanted to find a used hearing aid.

Go to the audiologist who can use ’s or 2 cc coupler meassures . Let them read settings on your ear , and then compare in exactly the same way with other ’s .The easy way of doing it is to use 2 cc coupler ( then your ear in not nedded :slight_smile: )

I have had the same issue! Only a 6 year old phonak given to me by a friend seems to work and I am using his settings, not mine! I have seen 14 hearing specialists. It took meeting with someone who has been doing this a LONG time (13 years) to say "I have seen that before and we can keep those settings". I am fitting a new phonak with him tomorrow and keeping my fingers crossed. I have already gotten a detailed printout of what I like on my current 6 year old hearing aid. I scanned them and upload to an program. Then I asked AI to explain to me what to tell him tomorrow to be sure the new modern hearing aid is set with the settings I like. It is kinda like having the new hearing aid set in analog instead of digital. My AI said to do this: 1. Turn off AutoSense which should lock the new hearing aid into the single "Calm Situation" manual program. 2. Switch to Linear Compression or Semi-Linear compression formula where volume scales naturally 3. Turn noise reduction down or off 4. Turn the StereoZoom down to wide or omni instead of the default narrow.

Two other things I plan to do is 1. Learn how to program the signia that I bought, and do not use, on my own and 2. Take the plunge and drive pretty far to do an Earlens demo to see if it will work for me. Pricey - $8000 per ear with $850 non-refundable and 45 day window to try - but a REAL game changer from what I have read!

The new aid I ordered is a V90. But as I do more research I am going to send this back and get the V30. Here are the differences and why I am going to do this (per Grok ): For the “old-fashioned,” more analog-like sound you describe (AutoSense off, linear or semi-linear compression so volume scales naturally, noise reduction minimized/off, and directionality set wide/omni instead of narrow), the V30 (Essential) level is the better choice over the V50 (Standard).Why V30 fits your preferences betterPhonak performance levels mainly control how much advanced digital processing is available by default. Lower levels start with simpler signal handling, which is easier to keep “clean” and less processed:

  • Fewer automatic behaviors — V30 has a more basic AutoSense (or equivalent) with fewer environment classifications and less blending. It is straightforward for your audiologist to disable AutoSense entirely (or set a single manual program as the default/startup program) so the aids stay in one fixed setting.
  • Simpler directionality — StereoZoom (the narrow beamformer) is limited or absent on V30. You get basic UltraZoom or Real Ear Sound options, and the microphone-mode slider in Target software easily goes all the way to wide or full omni (0 on the scale). Higher levels introduce stronger adaptive narrow beams that you then have to fight to disable.
  • Less aggressive noise management — NoiseBlock and related features are more basic on V30, so dialing them down or off leaves less residual processing. V50 adds more of these tools, which can still color the sound even when reduced.
  • Fewer fine-tuning channels (typically 8 vs. 12 on V50) — This reduces frequency-specific digital shaping and can feel closer to classic analog amplification.
  • Compression flexibility is the same — Both levels fully support Linear or Semi-Linear compression formulas in Phonak Target software (under Basic Tuning → Compression settings). Your audiologist can select these regardless of level so loudness grows more naturally instead of the default multi-channel compression.

In short, V30 starts closer to straightforward amplification. V50 adds a few extra automatic and noise tools that are unnecessary for your goals and can make the sound feel more “digital” even after they are turned down.

Relying on without reflection is risky, Especially since I see that these "advices" can result in deterioration of hearing in noise. The same is true of excessive glorification of analogue

@andreanboea - Can I please ask which ear molds you use? Since my ear mold changed to a shiny one, my ear wax problem has gotten worse. Those look exactly like the type of ear molds I used to use before the change over to a shiny ear mold. Even switching to a Titanium cshell hasn't worked to mitigate the problem. It all got way worse in 2019 when my ear mold changed from what was in your photo to shiny acrylic ones.

The softer material could possibly pick up the wax a bit more to help pull out from the ear, but keep in mind, too, that ear wax issues tend to increase with age.

Edited

Thank you for your input, @Neville. Here is what we know:

1. Any wet or water treatment puts my hearing under water for 7 days. That means no debrox. No traditional treatments using water. As a working professional with meetings, that is a no-no. That means an using the vacuum is the only treatment I have.

2. Isn't it the same hardness as acrylic, just a dryer surface? These particular ear molds I used before the change over in 2019 to shiny acrylic would yellow with age. Do you know what I'm talking about? The new shiny ones do not yellow with age. And I have had the suspicion for the longest time they are the cause of my ear wax issues turning severe.

3. Since the changeover, I have to go to my ENT every 2-3 weeks for ear cleanings. Now, it has shrunken considerably during the heat to every week. For the sake of my professional career and finances, I cannot lose my job because I have to go to the doctor every week. And, much to my chagrin, no ENTs work the weekends in a more career-friendly fashion.

4. My ENT has basically resigned to the fact that I'm simply a more difficult and challenging case of ear wax and I just need to keep coming weekly.

What nobody seems to understand (or want to admit) is that there is one physical single point of failure of this that is the most likely catalyst: the MINUTE I changed to a shiny Phonak-linked acrylic earmold (as opposed to Westone) when Phonak started making them in their own facilities in 2019 is when I had to start going to my ENT every 2-3 weeks (now every week), instead of once every 6 months.

My earwax turning severe can be linked to this one event. Otherwise, why would it not change at 35? Or 39? Why exactly in 2019? My entire life, from 1983 when I first started wearing hearing aids to 2019, I only had to go to my ENT for ear cleanings once every 6 months. Not every 2-3 weeks. Or as of now, every week. It's maddening for me. Just maddening.

Hard to tell from a picture, but it looks like it could be a type of PVC ear mold that is unfortunately getting harder to find now that many companies have moved to printing ear molds.

Weekly is really fast for wax buildup. You're sure it's wax? I suppose your would know. You've already tried probably using daily treatments after the ear wax has been cleared. That is once the ENT has cleared things, do you still run into trouble using a daily wax softener or is that only a problem when you have more buildup? Have you already tried a vinegar and rubbing alcohol flush? I only suggest it because you mentioned that moisture is an issue. But you've probably already tried most things. Sorry, that is a frustrating issue.

@Neville - Thank you again. To avoid hijacking the OP's thread entirely, I'm just going to mention this: yes, I've basically tried it all by this point. I just don't get why wearing earmolds of any kind suddenly took this kind of turn as of 2019. Just very odd, from my POV.

In reply to @codergeek2015

@codergeek2015 said:

For the sake of my professional career and finances, I cannot lose my job because I have to go to the doctor every week. And, much to my chagrin, no ENTs work the weekends in a more career-friendly fashion.

Perhaps it's a stress? Maybe psychiatrist counselling and carefully prescribed drugs (maybe beta blockers, but I would prefer let that to professional) would help with earwax production?

Thank you for the suggestion, @Bimodal_user but it is unlikely. I did not have any abnormalities in blood work from a recent physical a few months ago, so it is very unlikely. My doctor would have flagged me on any increased cortisol levels.

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