Phonak Marvel - vibrating tremolo effect for high pitched (electronic) sounds

Sometimes the headrest in your car - the proximity, depending on how the aids are adjusted might trigger feedback. Hugging someone. Anything that gets something quite close to your ears. Just a note - performing music sounded better to me with the OMNIdirectional mic setting. This MAY create a potential for more feedback, but to me, my solo guitar sounded better with the omni mic. So, staying with the directional mics may reduce that feedback risk.

It’s also highly dependent on how much gain you need in the 3000-3500hz range and on how occlusive a fitting you have. Another option is to back off the gain a bit in those frequencies.

@daverh1 said:

I can see feedback happening if you place your hands too close to the aids. What else will cause this?

As MDB says in general it is higher amplification that starts the problem, but it is compounded by the venting and the fit of the domes or sleeves used. Essentially feedback is sound from the receiver leaking out the vent or around the fitting to reach the microphones on the HA. Once the sound completes the loop then you can get feedback. And somewhat surprisingly it is worse for soft (50 dB) sounds as they get more amplification than loud sounds.

Here is an example that graphically shows where feedback may occur. I used Bob’s audiogram for the example. This is with an M receiver, NAL-NL2 prescription, and open sleeves, with the KS8 HA’s. You can see the problem areas shaded in red and blue. The highest gain curve (for the 50 dB sounds) goes into trouble at 3 kHz and possibly at 8 kHz as well.

And here is what it projects using custom molds with 2.5 mm vents. At least in theory feedback is avoided.

Wow, this is complicated! I’ve been trying to get used to the Marvels for 10+ days. Still not there. I have profound hearing loss 2000Hz and up, both ears. I have to turn them down 2 or 3 button presses from the preset volume of 70% for them to sound comfortable. Walking on wood floors, closing drawers/doors, getting ice from the fridge, etc… still sounds too loud to me. Is this normal? How long should it take to get used to them? I know I’ve had hearing loss for at least 15 years.

Tried the link to add hearing test and gave this:

500 ERROR
We’re sorry, but something went wrong.
We will review the error and apply a fix soon. In the meantime, see what else we have to offer:

OK, got my audiogram up. Wasn’t sure how to read the recognition numbers. As you can see, it ain’t pretty!

Yes, that is a profound loss alright. You may be a candidate for a Phonak Naida BTE style aid.

@daverh1 I would agree that the Marvels should be fine and more power is not going to make it easier to adjust to the hearing aids if you already find them too loud. As others have said, it can take awhile to adjust. To me the key is to keep it in the range of what you can tolerate. If you’re overwhelmed at the end of the day and ready to rip your hearing aids out, it would likely make things easier to get used to if you had less volume, either by using the volume buttons or having an adjustment. Then, after you’ve adjusted, a little more volume can be added.

Agree. I have to turn them down 2 or 3 button presses right now. So they’re plenty loud. I just need to wear them more during the day. I love the TV streaming option!

Yes, I think the Naida HA’s are more limited when it comes to wireless streaming.

I don’t get the tremolo effect because my audiologist has also set WhistleStop to zero! I too get a tiny bit of feedback if I cup my hands over my ears. That’s also inconsequential to how I use my Marvels. My audiologist has made a piano program for me that also turns the volume down 3 steps as I’m sitting right on top of a large grand piano when I’m playing. I love using my Marvels when I play. The sound is much more full than without them and I can hear the entire last octave of my piano . Without my Marvels the last octave is completely dead and all I can hear is the thud of the key hitting the key bed. You can look at my audiogram and see why.

My audiologist turned off WhistleStop for my “Piano Program” and for my “Music Program”. She left WhistleStop turned ON for my AutoSense OS 3.0. From your experience I think I’ll ask her to turn WhistleStop OFF for everything. I’ll bet that will eliminate the fatiguing effect I get from extended wear with normal use and AutoSense turned ON. What do you think?

Similar to what I’ve done recently. Although because of the level of my deafness and hence the required power of my aids, turning WhistleStop completely off leaves me with far too much feedback. The Music program automatically adjusts WhistleStop to 8 but Tremolo was still evident at this setting. I found reducing it to 6 eliminated Tremolo for me and still leaves me enough feedback stopping power.

I’ve set Music as Program 1 and turned AutoSenseOS off. So my aids won’t auto select anything else but stay on the Music program which suits me. Even SoundRecover is off. Everything is off. I hate compression of any sort.

I seemed to sometimes get the tremolo effect with things besides music, bells, chimes, etc. Weird thing. So I think keeping Autosense without Whistlestop is good for me. Of course, I’ve only had it this way for one day.

I have wondered the same thing about AS… my audiologist feels that it will help me in other environments… so for now, it’s still on.