Going from Oticon OPNS1 to More1 aids

I don’t normally have to change the volume for streaming TV, the 16 setting is about right. On my books the iPad or iPhone volume is about mid point of the volume range of the devices. I have to be honest. When I first got the More1 aids I felt they were set too loud, but my Audiologist told me to give it a week. At the normal volume I have no issues understanding the TV at the volume level my wife prefers it to be. By the way my wife is almost 75 , she just get her hearing checked. And I was shocked. She has above normal hearing with only a slight loss at the highest frequencies. When I say above normal I am talking on the + side of 0 db and at 8K she dropped to -5 db. She has always said she hears my hearing aids while they are in my ears, I thought she was kidding but I really believe it now.

@cvkemp said:

I don’t normally have to change the volume for streaming TV, the 16 setting is about right. On my books the iPad or iPhone volume is about mid point of the volume range of the devices.

@cvkemp Sorry, Chuck, but I still can’t cipher from this description whether you have to turn up your hearing aids when listening to your books.

My hearing aids are at the default program and volume. My iPad or iPhone or ad the 50% of max volume levels. And I normally mute the mics on my aids.
With the TV adapter when I use it, the aids are at the default program and volume levels. The TV Adapter setting is the default setting of 16 but I sometimes lower it to 14 or 15. The environment setting I lower to -2. I don’t know what else to tell you.

Tell me now what settings you use when listening to the audiobooks. I’m not understanding what the direct comparison is. It’s like - in my mind , anyway - there’s no calibration or commonality that permits me to compare the gain value of the settings numbers you’re quoting.

Probably @Volusiano can understand them better than I can.

I disagree it seems that the TV adapter output to the aids has to be stronger to carry the distance, I sat a good 20 feet from the TV but I can walk even out to the mailbox and still hear the TV and that is a good 80 to 100 feet. But Bluetooth should only carry 30 ft. When listening to my audiobooks the device is in my hands because I am reading the book as I am listening to it. When I use the OPNS1 aids my iPhone or iPad volume was always near maximum. With my More1 aids the iPhone or iPad volume is at 50% of maximum. So I say in general that my More1 ads are more powerful or the clarity is so much better that I don’t need the volume.
When I wear my OPNS1 aids I hear the sounds and voices at about the same volume but the clarity isn’t near as good as with the More1 aids. Both sets of aids have the same receivers too. The custom ear molds look the same with the same vent size. Yes the left aid stays put now with the skeleton ear mold.

I was thinking this morning that I have been groomed to have great results with the More1 hearing aids. I have been wearing Oticon aids since the spring of 2010, the More1 aids make my fifth set of Oticon aids. I have worn all of the Oticon Open paradigm and brainhearing paradigm aids. I have been conditioned to accept and get the most out of the Oticon More1 aids. I have also been a very willing patient that wants to hear better all the way around. I am not against hearing new sounds, and I do my best to endure harsh sounds and give my brain time to make the adjustments. I believe that my technology background has prepared me for this experiment and it has worked.

I was told from the very beginning of my hearing aid years that it was a must for me to have at least annual hearing exams. But I read on this forum of so many that go for any where from 3 to sometimes decades without hear examinations. I would hope their hearing doesn’t change as fast as mine has over the years.

@SpudGunner said:

Trouble is, there are millions of folks with neither VA benefits nor insurance plans.

Good reason for people to join Costco, or even Sam’s Club, just to get an annual hearing test.
In the US, we have Medicare Advantage plans, which are an alternative to Government Medicare, and those plans do cover Hearing tests, and limited coverage for aids.

While I agree I also feel now, and ever since getting my butt chewed for not getting a hearing exam for over two years, and being told that my hearing loss is just as important as the rest of my health care needs. And I fully understand now that I have to monitor my blood pressure daily just how my hearing can affect my blood pressure and heart as well as my brain and mental health. As an old Native American friend of mine once told me neglect any part of your body or mine and it affects the rest of the body, soul and spirit.

Oh, you’re exactly right - provided they can afford to do so - but I’m afraid that there are so many people in this world just living hand-to-mouth … many are oblivious to this reality.

And for those folks - the ones who don’t have the wherewithal - there’s not enough left over from the paycheque (if they still have one) to even contemplate paying for health insurance from any legitimate provider.

It’s called Poverty, and it lives among us in ever-increasing prevalence.

[I’m not looking to correct you or call you wrong, flash. I’m just stating a cruel fact.]

@SpudGunner said:

If someone didn’t have the coin for More1s, would you recommend that they purchase Opn S1s

You mean an arm and a leg, Jim? (sorry I couldn’t resist)

The OPNS aids are well worth it. I would and do recommend them. I have always been told even before I got my first aids, that I would always have issues understanding speech. Environmental sounds have never been my biggest issue. Speech understanding, and word recognition has always been my issue. I have always had issues spelling words correctly and I have always miss pronounced words badly. I guess back when I was in school, and the fact it was a small rural school no one paid attention to the way I pronounced my words. After getting my aids from the VA the sweet young audiologist I had talked me into speech therapy and that is were I became aware of how bad it was. I sometimes look back on my life, and career and wonder how I did as well as I did.
Yes the OPNS aids are worth it, but if at all possible the More aids are better. I guess also it would depend on the type of hearing loss and how bad it is.

I didn’t mean to put you on the spot, Chuck, but you’ve had a long and successful journey with your OpnS1s, so you can talk about them with authority.

[About the only think I can talk about with authority is how dumb it is to keep going back to the same audiologist if they are not hearing your complaints and are unable to fit your HAs to their maximum potential.]

I have for the most part had great VA Audiologist. I have had one out of three good private sector Audiologist. My first VA Audi did a great first fitting then right after I moved and got the sweet young lady right out of school, what she did not know she wasn’t afraid to research and ask questions. As she grew as an audiologist, I grew as an informed hearing aid user. She was my Audi for about 8 years and 3 different sets of aids. She induced me to Oticon and as they say the rest is history. My Audi now is much more than just any audiologist. His experience and education amazes me.