Researching first cochlear implant - wanting to stream to both CI and hearing aid (bimodal?) - Cochlear + Resound

@chelle said:

It's interesting that you have a 12 year old hearing aid and it streams bilaterally? I thought from my readings that it was a fairly new thing in the last few years.

Cochlear Australia and Resound GN formed a partnership in 2015. The Enzo 3D was manufactured in 2017 (so google tells me) I’ve been Bimodal since 2019, and had Enzo2 as my first aid. That Enzo2 needed the phone clip to take phone calls and stream.. That HA died very quickly, it was replaced with the 3D around 2021 sometime. The original 3D was replaced 18 months ago now. From memory I remember all the hype when the 3D was released. It was one of the first aids that would stream without the need for any accessories to assist from Resound.

I contacted with them and I found out that the creator of CI comparison chart passed away.

@chelle said:

as well as AB has gone through many owners so I'm wary of them.

I understand your concern. But AB has been part of the Phonak family since 2009, over 17 years. It's not like they're still being flipped around.

@Raudrive said:

@Steph said:

Another option is a Cochlear CI and a Phonak Eon, but the compromise is needing a bridging device (phone clip/mini mic) from Cochlear to make everything work together for phone calls, and podcasts.

@Bimodal_user wears the N8 and Phonak Sphere. He might add something to your thoughts

I have Phonak hearing aids, because it's the only HA in the market (besides Fortell, which is only selled as pairs) which give benefits from AI denoising when fitted monaurally. And understanding speech in noise was my priority.

I would be careful to excessive attachment to binaural streaming. If you have relatively good hearing in non-CI ear, you have to first and foremost stream to CI ear unilaterally for training and rehabilitation.

The brain is lazy and will choose easiest route to understand speech if you will listen binaurally since beginning of rehabilitation.

That was the cause of failure of my rehabilitation when I tried to rehabilitate only binaurally. And after 3 years from surgery I put sound processor into a drawer for next 6.5 years.

Thanks to @Raudrive I began to stream only to CI side by Cochlear Phone Clip (Nucleus 6 doesn't have direct streaming feature nor Bluetooth).

And as far as I know, Resound hearing aids has rather poor results in hearing in noise. Even Hear Advisor confirms that in case of Vivia. I am in doubt that Resound Sensi improved that much.

@Steph said:

@Bimodal_user can I ask about what accessories you use to “pair” your hearing devices? You mentioned latency - can you say more about if/how/when this impacts your listening?

Usually no accessories - just direct streaming, ASHA for N8, Bluetooth Classic for Infinio Sphere 90 Ultra. I don't perceive lags.

There's also Cochlear Phone Clip, which can connect by Bluetooth with almost everything (laptops, old phones, etc.) and then sending to N8 by proprietary connection protocol.

In this case, there's lag from starting playing videos to start of hearing, but when I start to hear it is synchronised with what I see.

Thanks so much for the reply. I was worried latency might mean synchronisation was off, but this is great news :)

I am a happy AB with Phonak Marvel HA user for 4 years now. AB has a new processor out and it is available in Europe - def Germany. It is just awaiting FDA approval to be released in the US. My audiologist says the upgrades to both the Ci and HA are very helpful to users. I plan to upgrade both my processor and HA when I qualify for insurance (US) after 5 years. Hands free both ears is a must as far as I am concerned - use it so much each day. There are other, new advantages for AB. Here is a link to description ("Sky" is described as for children, but many choose it because of the FUN colors (I have teal). It's the same thing.