Kirkland KS10 Programmability Questions

@DaveL said:

But why did I choose my hearing aids if I’m not going to use them in auto sense mode?

I know what it’s been with me; ignorance and gradually deteriorating hearing (boiling frog).

My hearing loss started off with a modest loss. So, for several sets of hearing aids it has been the same process: run a test, fit to the curve, set everything on autopilot and send me on my way. My hearing loss has gradually increased over they years and on the KS10 they decided to fit me for the first time with partially occluded domes - but again, they run REM, and send me on my way. But now I have a greater loss and occluded domes, and my ears feel like they are full of cotton part of the time due to the way the aids are handling ambient noise - so the world isn’t quite so simple for me anymore, at least the way Autosense is programmed at the moment.

Right, much improved app. I just discovered the updated app today. Kirkland had their own for the KS10 and it was pretty useless and I never even opened it. The new one seems to be the same one that Phonak owners use, and it has a lot more function. Today I’ve used Music with a small amount of noise suppression cranked in for general hearing, and I like it a lot better than what I’ve been experiencing with Autosense. Around the house, great. Taking a long walk in a quiet neighborhood I was amazed at all of the wildlife sounds I could hear, along with distant noises, and I could actually tell what direction the sounds were coming from. No doubt this program will be a nightmare in a crowded restaurant. That should be a matter of a different manual. program. If the fitter can somehow give it all to me with Autosense so much the better.

Are you not using Autosense currently? If not, what are your manual programs? Knowing what you know today how would you set your hearing aids to be able to participate in the discussion w/your wife and neighbor?

It’s been a process…
First I have an incredible audiologist. I fired my last one after 8 years of care and had new hearing aids 2 years old they sold me.They never worked. I couldn’t hear behind. I was almost run over by a diesel fast loader on a construction site. That’s when I left.
My new audi got me new hearing aids from the Ministry of Labour. That’s a miracle. I wasn’t due for new ones…and I could hear traffic behind me! And they are bluetooth so I can use my phone handsfree when I’m working at heights. That’s a miracle.
Last visit he made changes I requested. Going in my lead program was autosense. Coming out it was a reconfigured and excellent program “calm situation” so in the morning I put my hearing aids in and turn on my phone and switch to autosense. No big deal We’ll fix it next time i’m in.

My hearing aids are working in noisy environments like restaurants, and bars. Perfect? Not yet, but getting better.

I have had my programs adjusted after trying settings…I got his attention.
I was in his office and couldn’t understand his attendant and I was about 8 feet away. I started playing with my hearing aids. I set up a custom program using “clarity” That’s huge. I also adjusted “dynamic” which helped. He took those settings and modified autosense and other programs. Big help–try clarity first. It’s amazing. Then I came across an article here about using Phonak hearing aids to understand talkers wearing masks. It filled in the curve–he adjusted my basic programs again. That was a quantum leap ahead too. So I hear my wife better than I did. She doesn’t say, “your hearing aids aren’t working!” as often as she used to I’m 76 and stubborn. Some is/may be my fault.

Hope this helps. I’m still searching for something simple that’s missing in my HA setup. I have an Apple computer and little computer sense. I would have bought the hardware for DIY otherwise. And I don’t want to tick my audiologist off. He literally saved my life getting my my Phonak Audeo Paradise P90R’s. I would have had to quit work otherwise. Too many close calls.

DaveL
Toronto

Oops. Your Apple comment… Didn’t realize that the software required a Windows machine. All I have is Apple. The price tag for DIY just went up. I think that I’ll go do my appointment next week and see what progress I can make, the old fashioned way, before taking the plunge.

This Phonak app can do a number of interesting things, and by fiddling with it I’m getting a sense of what these hearing aids are capable of.

Raudrive had the key point - these hearing aids are very flexible. Not knowing this I got down on them for the closed listening environment. Now I know that this can be solved, maybe not totally in automatic mode but that’s OK. I started having charging problems, and decided that this was aggravating enough to throw them overboard - I have to have a full charge in the morning. But a simple reset seems to have resolved this, fingers crossed. The only thing left that I don’t like is the limited battery time, but I can live with it.

" The only thing left that I don’t like is the limited battery time, but I can live with it."
After charging overnight and putting them on at 7 am my KS10’s have about 30% charge at 11 pm.
This is without extensive computer streaming.

I don’t know anything about Virtual Box. I was thinking Parallels, which I have no experience with, but a software-based emulator that I have to pay for made me think that just buying a cheap Windows laptop might be the least troublesome way…?

Yeah it’s the easiest way, windows laptops can be brought for such a low price point now used less then $100, but can’t you use bootcamp, which I thought was built into every Mac OS.

Don’t know, but I suppose I would have to buy a Windows license if I went that route…? That would be more than Parallels I think, which may have Windows built in…? I’m really talking out of school here.

If you have a newish Mac (silicon) Windows emulation won’t work with Noahlink.

Here’s a list from the DIY school listing computers that won’t work.

ARM processors
The computers on this list use ARM processors and therefore cannot use the industry standard Noahlink Wireless programming device because there is no ARM driver for Noahlink Wireless.
 MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
 MacBook Pro (13-inch, M2, 2022)
 Mac Studio (2022)
 MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021)
 MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021)
 iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021)
 Mac mini (M1, 2020)
 MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
 MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
 Lenovo ThinkPad X13s, Lenovo Flex 5G
 HP Elite Folio
 Acer Spin 7
 Surface Pro X
 Samsung Galaxy Book Go
 Lenovo 10w

Search for DIY school - (v2.1)

. @firenzel has put a copy of the old DIY school in Dropbox.

Thank you. That will help me.

DaveL
Toronto

iMac bought in early 2010