Comfort - Earmolds vs. Domes

You might have custom molds designed specifically for the receivers, which provide easy access to the wax guards. Mine are Westone “universal” acrylic molds with the receivers jammed into them, and no access to the wax guards without pulling the molds off the receivers. I can’t remove the molds myself, and even the fitter at Costco struggled with inserting and removing the receivers into/from the molds.

@shredbetty61 said:

I’m about one month in with these, my first aids. The size small open domes have been changed once. I wipe them with a lint free cloth at night, Costco supplied me with alcohol swabs, I use these once a week.I’m bothered slightly more on the left side; I’ve been told my left ear canal is especially small. could a custom mold be made any smaller than a size small open dome?

I clean mine with alcohol prior to using them every single day. There was a thread a long time ago where the users were having the same troubles with their custom molds and they all concluded that they would gold plate their molds rather than clean them with alcohol. Even with my old ite aid I cleaned it with an alcohol pad prior to using it. I only starting doing this because I realized all that itchiness were actual ear infections. once I started cleaning my aid daily I went from having multiple ear infections each year to having none at all. and all that discomfort disappeared once my ear healed completely.

some molds will get discolored with daily cleaning with alcohol pads but with disposable molds this is imo pointless to worry about. of course all manufacturers will claim that alcohol will destroy your aids and sell you a cleaning solution that I bet is alcohol based.

I would still be careful about getting any fluids in your aids even with nanocoating.

@jay_man2 said:

I picked up the molds last Friday, and had the aids reprogrammed. It took a while to get everything done, but so far I’m happy with the molds instead of the power domes.

When the molds were first installed, which involved popping off the domes and stuffing the receivers into the receiver opening in the molds, we discovered that the receiver wire was now too short. The fitter removed the molds, swapped in #3 receivers to replace the shorter #2s, and fitted the molds on again. It’s important that they place the receiver in the mold in the correct position. I discovered after a day of wear that the left one was a quarter turn out of the proper position, and made it hard to keep the mold in the ear properly. The fitter was able to correct that without another appointment, and while I waited.

The fitter reran the feedback test and the REM test, and was able to lower amplification in the 1-4000 range by 3 decibels. The sound quality seems slightly better than before, and TV Streamer performance is much improved.

The only downside that I can see is that the way these are set up, I’ll have to go to Costco to have them pull the molds to clean the receivers and put in new wax guards. With the power domes I could do all of that, but the way the receivers fit into the molds, it takes some strength to pop them off and push them back on.

So I’ve worn the aids with the molds for a little over week, and the only thing that’s really better from an audio quality standpoint is TV streaming. Over the weekend I experienced some issues with the right aid while listening to a talk show on XM radio in the car. That, and these things just don’t stay in. I’m going back to power domes, and have an appointment scheduled at the local Costco to get these molds off and domes put back on.

While I wonder if things might be difference with soft molds versus these acrylic molds, I know power domes stay in place and won’t move. In the last few days, I realized that my hand was always near my head, pushing one or the other mold back in. I was always aware of the aids, and that’s not how it was with the domes. I need to get back to forgetting that I’m wearing aids.

@jay_man2 said:

So I’ve worn the aids with the molds for a little over week, and the only thing that’s really better from an audio quality standpoint is TV streaming. Over the weekend I experienced some issues with the right aid while listening to a talk show on XM radio in the car. That, and these things just don’t stay in. I’m going back to power domes, and have an appointment scheduled at the local Costco to get these molds off and domes put back on.

While I wonder if things might be difference with soft molds versus these acrylic molds, I know power domes stay in place and won’t move. In the last few days, I realized that my hand was always near my head, pushing one or the other mold back in. I was always aware of the aids, and that’s not how it was with the domes. I need to get back to forgetting that I’m wearing aids.

They should stay in. Mine fit very deep and don’t move throughout the day. I did have a problem at first and couldn’t understand why they kept easing out, and the wire had some slack and was not right against my head. One day not too long ago I was cleaning the molds and forgot to note the orientation for putting them back on the receiver, so I tried them both ways and realized they had been upside down the entire time. Now they fit deeper and stay in, and the wire is snug against my head.

I have been wearing hearing aids since 1956. Until 1970 all ear molds were Lucite or acrylic hard plastic. When I began,most of the hearing aids were fitted on the body, or in glasses, then came behind ear and finally in the ear. And recently Open Fit and RIC hearing aids. I have worn them all and currently wear Phonak Ambra SP and Flexible silicone rubber canal ear molds. This is not a recommendation for any hearing aid but a review of ea mold use. With the introduction of Silicone rubber ear molds I could wear hearing aids without soreness and with deeper penetration for better high frequency sound and no plugged, occluded feeling. The key was to go deep in the canal to be close 1/8" from the ear drum. This eliminated 3 problems. occlusion, normal frequency range and retention without discomfort.

When you go deep in the canal. there is less distance, air and losses. And with a flared (Horn tip) an enhanced high frequency amplification. This eliminates feedback for even my super power aids. Going deep eliminates a hollow sound and a need for venting. But with hard lab molds came intense pain, until I discovered flexible silicone rubber.

Currently, I make my own ear molds, retaining control over all aspects of the process. I buy the silicone soft putty in a kit for very low prices and make a deep inconspicuous mold that is satisfactory. My left mold is completely sealed without any vent. My right mold needs some venting to let in some low frequencies. I achieve the vent by using a fingernail file to remove some of the high spots and the peak at the 2nd ear moldbend. When I make the mold that takes only 10 minutes, I open and close my mouth to cause the jaw to move under the center of the canal, so when I talk and chew I have no discomfort or any tendency to work out of the ear. Because the mold is deep, the visible ear mold is also deep and hard to see. They also offer 3 skin color choices

I can wear the ear molds all day and even when sleeping if I want to be aware of sounds in the area. I buy 2 BTE tubes and enough silicone to make 4 ear molds (2 remakes) kit for $34.77, including Priority 3 day shipping. It includes a choice of skin color, type of hearing aid and size of the ear canal. My wife has 2 Open Fit Hearing Aids which cost $14.77 for 4 ear molds and she needs the smallest size canal.I can remake the ear mold if my ear changes or if I’m not satisfied with the first mold. They also have bulk 24 mold kits for as little as $24.77. Their address is http://HearingGreen.net33

And the best part is I am in control of when I am satisfied with the hearing result. I am very happy with my hearing in spite of my severe hearing loss and hear well in all situations, sometimes better than many normal hearing persons.

If you are new to hearing aid use expect a LEARNING PHASE to retrain your memory to recognize the sounds that you have been missing and forgotten (just like an unused language). Be patient and you will succeed…If you have any questions please write…

Freq R- L
250 45 35
500 50 40
750 50 40
1000 50 40
1500 65 50
2000 80 60
3000 90 65
4000 90 70
6000 85 70
8000 85 80

I agree the custom molds are significantly more comfortable. I trialed a pair of RIC hearing aids with domes recently & I was actually unable to wear them for more than a couple hours due to discomfort! My hearing aid tech & I tried a couple modifications, but ended up switching to custom molds & fixed the problem.

— Updated —

I agree the custom molds are significantly more comfortable. I trialed a pair of RIC hearing aids with domes recently & I was actually unable to wear them for more than a couple hours due to discomfort! My hearing aid tech & I tried a couple modifications, but ended up switching to custom molds & fixed the problem.

When I got my 2 Phonak hearing aids at the VA over 4 years ago, the Audiologist made 2 ear impressions for custom earmolds. I returned for the fitting some time later.

The earmolds were clear, hard and inconspicuous. The hearing aids were a good fit for my hearing loss, but the earmolds hurt my ears and I returned for an adjustment at a later date. She looked in my ear to see where the pressure points were and ground and polished them until the soreness was relieved.

I returned home and discovered that they wouldn’t stay in the ear and needed to be pushed back in repeatedly. I called the VA to complain and was asked if I was willing to help resolve the problem. She gave a link to purchase 2 low-cost DIY earmolds kit. I purchased a 2 tube, 4 earmold kit for For $45. It was instant success. The molds were comfortable, didn’t slip out and were very inconspicuous. The molds lasted about 7 months before the tubing got hard and non-flexible. I went back to this website and bought 2 more tubes for about $30 and used the remaining silicone putty to make a new set. I have been using these inexpensive earmold ever since, with complete satisfaction. I am scheduled to return next month to the VA for a retest and new hearing aids. I will bring the factory made earmolds along with my custom made DIY molds. The website is http://earmolds.info/4-ear-molds-kit-bteoe-hearing-aids-2-tubes/61

They also have Open Fit, RIC earmold kits for a much lower cost, as they use your slim tubes. I hope this will be useful to others with similar problems.

Regards, DGR

Possibly the receiver wire is pulling on the molds also. I find that the wire leaves a red mark or indention at the bend before the wire attaches to the aid body. Probably I fit between two sizes. A larger receiver wire would place the aid too low behind the ear. I wear glasses too, glasses may be weighing on the instrument also. Always something, never perfection.

@pilot85 said:

When I got my 2 Phonak hearing aids at the VA over 4 years ago, the Audiologist made 2 ear impressions for custom earmolds. I returned for the fitting some time later.

The earmolds were clear, hard and inconspicuous. The hearing aids were a good fit for my hearing loss, but the earmolds hurt my ears and I returned for an adjustment at a later date. She looked in my ear to see where the pressure points were and ground and polished them until the soreness was relieved.

I returned home and discovered that they wouldn’t stay in the ear and needed to be pushed back in repeatedly. I called the VA to complain and was asked if I was willing to help resolve the problem. She gave a link to purchase 2 low-cost DIY earmolds kit. I purchased a 2 tube, 4 earmold kit for For $45. It was instant success. The molds were comfortable, didn’t slip out and were very inconspicuous. The molds lasted about 7 months before the tubing got hard and non-flexible. I went back to this website and bought 2 more tubes for about $30 and used the remaining silicone putty to make a new set. I have been using these inexpensive earmold ever since, with complete satisfaction. I am scheduled to return next month to the VA for a retest and new hearing aids. I will bring the factory made earmolds along with my custom made DIY molds. The website is http://earmolds.info/4-ear-molds-kit-bteoe-hearing-aids-2-tubes/

They also have Open Fit, RIC earmold kits for a much lower cost, as they use your slim tubes. I hope this will be useful to others with similar problems.

Regards, DGR

I tried these. They worked great for me also.
Thank you for mentioning them.
Radians Ear Plug molds will work also but, they aren’t as soft as these.

Fred

Wow, this is an amazing post (though perhaps a little dated now, I realize). You make your own molds? I’m impressed!

I’ve worn aids for many years, and am now in the midst of trialing a few open-ear models after realizing I can no longer get by with my CICs—and at long last need to invest in “premium” level aids to deal with my severe-to-profound high-frequency loss (my low frequency is very good). I just finished a trial of the ReSound LiNX 9 3D’s, using custom molds (which I loved, probably because I’ve always worn CICs). I feel the LiNX were good, but not as good as I’d like considering the $5,800 price from a local audi.

I most recently decided to try buying from a seemingly reputable online seller, and am just starting to trial the Phonak Audéo B-Directs. I was disappointed to receive them with only a few sets of domes: small, medium, and large closed, along with a set of tulips. None of these are right, allowing lots of feedback. So while I’m waiting for them to send a wider assortment (which has already taken longer than it should), I’ve improvised by fitting the Phonak receiver into my custom mold for the right ear. The left one doesn’t fit into the mold, so I’m using my old left CIC in the interim. So far, I’m pretty satisfied, which seems all the more impressive considering the fact that the receiver isn’t positioned as it would be if properly fitted. I’m eager to see how much the left will add to the whole scenario.

My original local audi wanted to start with custom molds because, in essence, she felt they would keep/drive more energy or power into the ears (and I may not be explaining this correctly). A few other professionals have told me they disagree, that domes would allow better low-freq hearing. I think they’re perhaps concerned about occlusion, but, again, because I’m so used to CICs, I don’t really see this as an issue. If, however, domes would allow for better hearing overall, that’s what I want—my overriding desire is to hear better (speech, in particular).

I guess I’m wondering if you, or others, have any thoughts/insight about any of this. Side note: I’m hoping that I will fall madly in love with these Phonaks; because my first CIC was a Phonak that I adored (and lasted for about 10 years!), I’m a little partial to the brand. But that’s not why I’m trialing them. They were actually recommended by the online seller I’m currently using, even above the Oticon Opns that they also sell. My plan right now is to probably go ahead and trial the Opns anyway, because I want to be absolutely certain that I’m satisfied after having tried the three main aids recommended to me (ReSound LiNX, Phonak Audeo, and Opn).

Sorry for going on and on, but I always figure the mo’ info, the betta. Besides, I find all of this fascinating, so I figure others here feel much the same—and read what interests them, while disregarding the rest.

Thanks so much for any input you might have. I appreciate it.

Hi what HA have you decided to stick with?

I got OPN-1T’s with custom ear molds from VA in July. They are much nicer than the Alta 2 Pros I had. I hardly ever strain to hear anyone now.

I have the custom in the ear OPN1s that I got from the VA the first of December and I have to say they are the best yet. They replaced the Alta Pros that I have been wearing since 2014.

I opted for the Signia Nx Pure. Like them, though we’re still working on programming.