Skip to content
HearingTracker
Log in

Widex Dream 440

This topic is closed.

106 replies41.6k viewsLast reply

Jump
Link to this topic

Thanks Squeaky. I think you are describing the same molds that I have. I may also be having trouble with “air leaks”. The molds seem to shift when I do various activities like “sometimes” chew, blow my nose, move my head the wrong way and then I get a sharp chirp of feedback for a moment which is very annoying. I don’t really want to go to a more closed mold. I may ask them to try remaking the mold in the same style but with my mouth open as it worked for you and might help me too.

Hi Sabrin, if it has not been made with this already you may also benefit from a moulding made with a ‘canal’ or ‘concha’ lock. This is basically a small extension on the bottom of the mould which helps hold the mould in place by locking in to the bottom of your ear. This can help in reducing the likelihood of the mould slipping around when you move your jaw etc, thus reducing the feedback risk. There is also a ‘skeleton’ lock available, which is a larger mould that fills the area even further that can further help reduce the risk of the device/mould moving around during wearing. perhaps speak to your clinician about these options also, and sounds like an ‘open-jaw’ impression you speak of may also assist

Thank you. I have an appointment with my audiologist this Friday and will mention it to him. When the molds stay in place I don’t get feedback, which is why I’d really like to avoid switching to a more closed mold in possible. It’s just that they do shift all to often throughout the day causing the feedback. This is most annoying while riding my horse because my hands are not always clean and I don’t want to touch the face or hearing aids, but I end up having to because the feedback is not ignorable.

Hi! i’m new to these forums, but have worn ’s for 30+ years. I am trialing a new pair of dream 44o fusions, , right now with domes, but awaiting molds. My question is do you have more difficulty hearing on the telephone or cell phone with these?? I have worn ’s for many years prior to these and never ever have a problem… before these dreams, i wore the widex mind, so i am very comfortable with widex’s processing. i dont have any other complaints, except i notice a big difference when on the phone, and i don’t know why!!
help!!

You really aren’t providing much info. Posting you loss in the signature section under setting is a help to others.

What type of phone? Mobile or POTS (wired) Bluetooth?

Positioning the phone is important. I have it away from and above normal position to give a clear shot at the mic.

Often reducing the volume can eliminate distortion.

Speakerphones solve the problem for many.

An accessory can direct the sound directly to the aids using Bluetooth.

With a or model, you have to hold the phone a little differently than with a model. Remember that the microphone is behind your ear now and not in your ear canal, so you have to remember to position the phone a little farther back to the sound from the ear piece of the phone is actually going into the microphone.

In reply to @RevStaceyG

More channels do not help the hearing aid sound more natural. Nothing helps the hearing aid sound more natural except turning it off or wearing it more. Remember, what YOU think of as natural reflects a 50-70 hearing loss. That is NOT natural. If you want it to sound the same way you heard before, then you’re not going to hear any better than before.

For the Squeakychu… The tinniness is WHAT makes the clarity better. It is a result of amplifying high frequencies. It will become less bothersome the longer you wear your devices. The feedback squeaks that you are getting are a result of the fitting being too open. You need to occlude your ear more by reducing the vent size or using a more . You will feel slightly more plugged up for a while, but that too will pass and then you will be happier.

As for understanding soft voices, there is a setting in Widex’ fitting software where soft speech can be turned up to maximum audibility. That should help.

You should post your and word recognition score and I can maybe give more insight.

Regarding the phone (assuming deskphone) I use my speakerphone and a headset I just purchased that has a t-coil built in. I sit the headphones right near my ha’s and I hear the sound directly thru my ha’s. When the headphones hit the right spot the t-coil setting on my ha’s automatically turns on. It’s great! I’ve tried just moving a phone handset to where my ha’s are and it doesn’t work at all. My mobile phone it has a hearing aid setting built in and I can hear perfectly with it.

Edited

I got a couple of little round stick-on magnets from a Costco hearing aid center and stuck one on the phone handset at work so it would trigger the aids to kick in the . I stuck it inside the earpiece so it didn’t block the speaker opening.

@jay_man2 said:

I got a couple of little round stick-on magnets from a Costco hearing aid center and stuck one on the phone handset at work so it would trigger the aids to kick in the telecoil. I stuck it inside the earpiece so it didn’t block the speaker opening.

I tried the stick on magnets. They didn’t do anything.

In reply to @Ansextra

None of the Widex hearing aids have an ‘autophone’ feature, so the stick on magnets will not automatically engage the setting in any Widex product. To engage the Telecoil setting, it must be done manually, either using the program button on the hearing aid or alternatively a remote control if you have one - and of course a telecoil program must have been set up by the clinician.

@Ansextra said:

I am using a Panasonic KX-TGA652 Dect 6 phone. I like it because it’s one of the few phones that has an actual headphone jack.

A cordless phone definitely won’t do it without a magnet. Strange that it didn’t work for you. I placed a magnet I had extra up to my aid and kicked in the .

I just tried the same thing and the kicked in. Not sure why it didn’t work before. I just had to figure out where to stick the magnet. I now have it right above the earpiece. Seems to be working well. I still like having the headset in addition to the magnets though if I want to use it. Being a teleworker on conference calls all day the headset is a godsend.

In reply to @JustinHIS

@JustinHIS said:

More channels do not help the hearing aid sound more natural. Nothing helps the hearing aid sound more natural except turning it off or wearing it more. Remember, what YOU think of as natural reflects a 50-70 dB hearing loss. That is NOT natural. If you want it to sound the same way you heard before, then you’re not going to hear any better than before.

For the Squeakychu… The tinniness is WHAT makes the clarity better. It is a result of amplifying high frequencies. It will become less bothersome the longer you wear your devices. The feedback squeaks that you are getting are a result of the fitting being too open. You need to occlude your ear more by reducing the vent size or using a more closed dome. You will feel slightly more plugged up for a while, but that too will pass and then you will be happier.

As for understanding soft voices, there is a setting in Widex’ fitting software where soft speech can be turned up to maximum audibility. That should help.

You should post your audiogram and word recognition score and I can maybe give more insight.

I’m 100% happy with my hearing aids now. This is how I resolved the issues mentioned above:

  1. Tinniness - My were reprogrammed several times during the fitting period. I now have no tinniness, but I do have excellent clarity.
  2. Feedback squeaks - These were completely eliminated after I changed to using ear molds instead of domes.
  3. “Plugged up feeling” - My ear molds never cause this “occlusion effect” because they are vented.
  4. Soft voices - I increase the volume of such voices rarely, but do so when needed by using a remote volume control.

Caveat: It took 14 months of getting to this level of satisfaction with many, many visits to my patient-as-a-saint audie.

Glad you are having good success.

Just a thought… If you have been working with them for 14 months, you would probably have reached this level of satisfaction even without all the adjustments. Your brain would have adapted. The feedback and occlusion sound like you got the ear molds just right. Awesome!

Soft voices are the hardest ones. In a lot of cases, someone with normal hearing may not even hear those if you are only adjusting for them rarely. Sounds like you’ve got things worked out!

@JustinHIS said:

Glad you are having good success.Just a thought… If you have been working with them for 14 months, you would probably have reached this level of satisfaction even without all the adjustments. Your brain would have adapted. The feedback and occlusion sound like you got the ear molds just right. Awesome!Soft voices are the hardest ones. In a lot of cases, someone with normal hearing may not even hear those if you are only adjusting for them rarely. Sounds like you’ve got things worked out!

These were my third pair of hearing aids in my lifetime. I started with Resound, then Oticon, and now Widex. I started wearing at age 49. I’m now 67. I had the longest, most difficult and most frustrating adjustment time with these Widex. “Your brain would have adapted.” I would never have stopped complaining about the squeaks or the painful sounds…primarily because I paid $7,000 for these Widex after I just lost my job and was forced into retirement. I was extremely upset about those two problems. With those problems, I took out my hearing aids because I simply could not tolerate those sounds. Fortunately, those problems were completely resolved. My heart goes out to all hearing aid users, especially those new to HAs or those who have to buy a new pair. sigh

Related discussions