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Phonak users who DON'T use autosense

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For those users of Phonak who don’t like/use the Autosense program, how do you handle your daily listening needs? Have you created one custom program to handle most environments or have you created several different programs?

One thing I find annoying, not sure if an audiologist can correct this, I’ll be sitting at home, watching TV, no other noise and all of a sudden the hearing aid volume increases, to the point the ceiling fan sounds like a helicopter hovering above the house. Eventually the volume decreases to a comfortable level.

Also when outdoors, on a windy day, I feel autosense blocks out too much to the point I can’t hear a person talking that is standing next to me.

Does anyone know if Phonak is the only manufacturer that has a built in automatic program in their HAs?

41 people in this conversation45 min readJump to latest

I’m wearing Phonak Lumity and the new Autosense 5.0 is incredible. I almost never change programs anymore. Your audiologist can adjust the wind noise setting and many other settings in Autosense.

Jordan

Autosense 4.0 is HORRIBLE in all the ways you have described. I self program, and I can tell you I have tried for months to tweak Autosense to behave and it simply does not. I have it turned off and do three manual programs with one for normal, one for the car/restaurant, and one for music. and I just switch manually. its a pain in the neck but thats the best I can do with Phonak. Honestly, my Oticons are my preferred devices and mostly because I just hate Autosense.

I am wearing Phonak Lumity 90 Life. These are my first hearing aids. I find Autosense 5.0 to be really remarkable. I almost never play around much with the auto settings. I don’t think I was expecting hearing aids to be as good as these are, so I am extremely grateful. The are not perfect, but they are excellent. With that said, each person has different needs and tastes when it come to hearing aids, and most other things for that matter.

@orgullodemexico said:

One thing I find annoying, not sure if an audiologist can correct this, I’ll be sitting at home, watching TV, no other noise and all of a sudden the hearing aid volume increases, to the point the ceiling fan sounds like a helicopter hovering above the house. Eventually the volume decreases to a comfortable level.

Also when outdoors, on a windy day, I feel autosense blocks out too much to the point I can’t hear a person talking that is standing next to me.

These are both programming issues that can be resolved.

@jsemberger said:

I can tell you I have tried for months to tweak Autosense to behave and it simply does not

Would also bet that this is a programming issue.

Thanks Neville.

I know what you say is right. I had wind noise problems that were horrible. Fixed. Audiologist was really helpful.
results have come from keeping notes in my phone, then emailing them to my audiologist.

I have Phonak Audeo Paradise P90R’s. The Lumity Autosense 5.0 sounds magical. I wish they could upgrade my hearing aids to include this program, if I don’t have it already. MY ’s are only a year and a half old. Ministry of Labour says they are mine for 5 years. (awarded due to exposure to loud noise at work). The Paradise HA’s work much better than the last ones.

On the other hand, if it’s all programming related I wish that I could somehow improve the Pardise Hearing Aids.

As a project manager I know the triangle: Price/Delivery/Quality

Emphasize low cost and you distort the triangle, and lose Delivery and/or Quality. I feel I’ve lost quality, guessing that my wonderful audiologist is locked in a system that doesn’t pay.

DaveL

Let me say this again. The new Lumity hearing aids have AutoSense 5.0 and it’s a huge upgrade from older versions of AutoSense. Much more aware. Switches fast between programs and its very seamless. The only delay I’ve noticed is music. You sorta have to be listening to music for about 30 seconds before it kicks into the music program but this makes sense as once it’s in music, everything is very loud and boomy and not suitable for speech. Once my hearing aids were adjusted properly, I almost never have to switch into manual programs. The only exception is when I go into a noisy restaurant or bar and there is tons of loud noise and loud music playing at the same time. I then force it into Speech in Very Loud Noise mode so that the music program doesn’t accidentally kick in.

Jordan

Thanks Jordan.
I have Paradise P90R’s. I’m trying to make them work as well as they can. I’m getting there…

It sounds like the Lumity hearing aids would work better than mine. I appreciate you saying so…

My issues with the Paradise P90R’s are word recognition–quiet and noisy environments; I’ve had about 10 appointments in a year and a half with my wonderful audiologist.

My hope: Phonak would respect people using Paradise P90 hearing aids and upgrade my hearing aid operating system putting AutoSense 5.0 in place. I need to use these ’s for another 3-1/2 years. Then I’ll be due for replacement.

So I’m looking for the missing link that will make my hearing aids work as well as they can.

DaveL

I have an pair of Phonak P70-UP aids. When l am watching streaming TV, l use the myphonak app to turn off the microphones to avoid hearing the window A/C humming noise. When l am in the house, not watching TV and on public bus, walking outdoors l change the automatic to comfort in noise program. I self program the aids. There would be times that it’s so windy outside and even on comfort in noise, l would hear wind noise but it’s not so loud to be bothersome. The data logging in target program will show high percentage of using manual programs.
When l am playing games online, autosense will switch to automatic after l turn off the TV so l can hear the 3 speaker computer system.

If one is trying for “simpler,” wouldn’t it make sense to go with a lower tier aid? Maybe a L30. No sense paying for multiple features if you’re not going to use them.

In reply to @DaveL

Jordan gives very glowing reviews of autosense 5.0, but it’s an incremental improvement. The reviews I’ve gotten back from patients who were in the M or P chip are either that they do not notice much difference or notice a modest difference.

Yes, WSIB reimbursement is low.

@mdb I was thinking the same. Maybe use my M50’s. But it’s the same Autosense so it would surely have the same drawbacks as with M90’s

There will be less programs to switch between.

In reply to @Neville

@Neville said:

Jordan gives very glowing reviews of autosense 5.0, but it’s an incremental improvement.

What I wrote was just my own observations. I never have to change programs with AutoSense 5.0. I have tried switching programs dozens of times to see if there is any improvement but I have never found this to be the case. The other key improvement with AutoSense 5.0 is that it transitions much more smoothly as it switches between programs and it’s hardly noticeable.

Jordan

You need to go to Target software and access the program manager and unclick on the autosense access box. The startup will change to calm in noise or another program you set.

Neville I appreciate your help so much.
My Audiologist is wonderful. He took on WSIB and got me new Audeo Paradise P90R’s just about 2 years after my last hearing aids were provided by WSIB. They never worked as set up. I couldn’t hear behind me at all. On construction sites I couldn’t hear fast diesel loaders approaching behind me. Scared me! And on my own street I have no sidewalks. I couldn’t hear any cars behind me at all. I face traffic always. But the road is narrow. Those problems have been solved by the Paradise hearing aids. Saved my life!
I get large new schools built mainly in Brampton. Up to a thousand kids. I have one about to tender now. $27M estimated.

I think that he hadn’t fit the Paradise hearing aids before. But that’s a guess.

Neville you have helped me so much. My hat is off to you sir. You make a positive difference for me.

In reply to @Neville

Neville some long time ago I had thoughts of having a pro photography business. I invested heavily in time and gear changes. I bought pro camera bodies and fast glass. My take…with digital now, gear changes improve quality incrementally. And It’s leap-frog. Nikon (my choice with that business thought). Then Canon. Now Sony. Perhaps Fuji. And with each leap in quality it was hard to maintain brand loyalty. Full frame. Mirrorless…

I feel there’s a similarity with hearing aids. I’ve had one Widex, then 3 sets of Phonaks. What will be next? Well it will have to be a while.

DaveL
Toronto (Mississauga actually)

Neville you’ve taken the sadness away! Thank you. I think that the Lumity chip and Paradise chip are the same. But perhaps there’s more memory in the Lumity hearing aids

I have Marvel M90’s and like you, hated Autosense. My audi created a special program that duplicates the “quiet” portion of Autosense. I also have a speech in noise and music programs. I use the “quiet” program most of the time. I’d rather hear what’s going on then having the aids lower the volume just because the crowd on a tv sports event suddenly cheers.

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