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Phonak L90 vs P90 - is there a big difference?

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You can probably get a pair a little cheaper from an online dealer with remote setup but I think that is a very good price from a local audi. I was quoted $5,400 from a local and ended up paying $4,700 buying from ZipHearing with setup from a local audi.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to get a really skilled audiologist who knows how to setup these hearing aids properly and who can work with you to optimize the fit. This isn’t like buying a car where you shop around for the lowest price and don’t care where you get service. There are so many examples in this forum of very unhappy users who bought really good hearing aids but ended up with very poor results.

People who buy online and/or at Costco rarely get the best results. I’m not a professional so this is just my opinion after wearing hearing for many years. I’m also one of the fussiest people on the planet when it comes to adjusting my hearing aids too.

I paid about $8K Canadian (US $5900) for my Lumity L90 hearing aids and this includes three years of unlimited adjustments, appointments and warranty. My audiologist is excellent and I’m more than happy to pay more to get the best service.

Jordan

@JordanK said:

People who buy …or at Costco rarely get the best results

It seems like you are painting with a very broad brush here. I suspect that the majority of folks that buy at Costco get good to excellent results. Of course there are bad ones, and those are the ones you hear about. Satisfied customers go around crowing about the great things that happened, however; Get a very dis satisfied customer and they’ll tell everyone they meet.
My 2 cents for today…
Dan

In reply to @JordanK

@JordanK said:

People who buy online and/or at Costco rarely get the best results

Jordan you know better then to say this. As for 8k hearing “service” is always better then 1.8k hearing “service” from say Costco is simply…well I’m just glad that your very happy with your set up, but others are just as happy with theirs for 1/3 1/4 the price, but one thing I will agree on, is that if one decides to get “online” they cannot expect much if they are only going to rely on “remote support” it’s just too hard to get everything set up correctly, so its in clinic or for some, a project.

@tenkan

Let me correct my statement about Costco and say that their service is hit or miss. My feeling is that the audiologists working there come and go, the service is basic and they don’t offer the full range of products and services that you would typically find at a private hearing aid clinic. My audiologist is a rockstar. His fees are probably 20-30% more expensive than Costco but I get premium service. This includes unlimited visits for three years. Loaners if my hearing aids have to be repaired. Access to all brands and he takes as long as I need to listen and fix issues.

My original point was that getting a huge discount on the hearing aid hardware doesn’t help if the hearing aids are not setup properly. There are numerous examples on this forum of people who bought high end hearing aids but are not happy because the audiologist messed up the fitting.

But as always, thanks for keeping me honest.

Jordan

In reply to @tenkan

@tenkan

Yes, I was dissatisfied with my Marvels, until I paid for Paradise, and the services of an Audiologist who spent time and care. I took notes. The Marvels are now far better than they ever where, and a fantastic backup option.

Peter

In reply to @JordanK

@JordanK

I see your statement regarding Costco etc as similar to the UK NHS, who generally provide good quality ’s, but the time and care from the audiologists are definitely hit and miss. With my private HA’s my audiologist suggested I bought them on line, as he couldn’t match the price. I doubt many would do this though. It’s a shame that self programming is giving me better results, and it’s also a shame that, in many cases, decent equipment is going to waste.

Peter

In reply to @JordanK

Over the last 10 years I’ve had 3 sets of Phonaks.
Audi one was extraordinary.
She sold her business.

I was referred to Audi two.
One partner was good. The other partner was darn awful. Partner 1 retired.
I fired partner 2.
I was a customer for 8 years.The ’s they sold me never worked for me; partner 1 had retired.

Audi three took me on.
good news was he got me Phonak Audeo Paradise P90r’s And that was a miracle.
Bad news was he didn’t know how to set them up.

The same hearing aids are working well now after going to a practioner in Burlington/Hamilton.

Jordan you helped a lot. However, I hate travelling to Toronto.

My hearing aids are working well for me. It’s a miracle.

COSTCO is relatively new in Canada. They weren’t here when I got my first Phonaks. They were when I got my second ones; I have a WSIB claim. I didn’t go to COSTCO

@tenkan it’s a diffferent market here. I’m grateful that people enjoy their COSTCO hearing aids. IIRC they are about 2/3 the price of the Phonaks I have.

I envy people that can .

DaveL
Toronto

In reply to @PeterH

Agreed Peter, there is no better person to program aids, than the actual hearing aid user! We know instantly when something works… If you are fairly confident around computers? And ultimately willing to learn what the software has to offer, although this can take time, and effort… It is by no stretch of the imagination complicated, for me at least, I find Target software, almost idiot proof… You can revert back at any time to a previous saved session, there is no damage done, so if you desire, you can play around with the settings, till you get it right or perhaps wrong, in some instances… Personally, once I feel it’s right, I don’t dabble any further, I just save that session, and leave well alone! Cheers Kev :wink:

In reply to @Don

@Don said:

I had to give the Ps a 15/20 minute recharge in late afternoon to make it through the evening.

I used to have to do the SAME with my L-90 Lumity Life aids … till I read here at the forum that I needed Android OS 13 on my phone. I went from 11 hrs/day to 17.5 hrs/day use on a single charge.

It was a HALLELUJIA! moment for me! :crazy_face:

In reply to @kevels55

@kevels55
Thanks for your post. I should have bought the hardware and software to do it myself.
I’m so frustrated. Surely the audi that sold me my Phonak Audeo Paradise P90R’s should have been able to program them, to avoid 2 years of H*ll because I couldn’t hear.

Proof–they work so well now after my new practitioner worked his magic.

In reply to @Sequoia_Woman

I understand that there are similarities in the chip in the Paradise and Lumity ’s. However, the OS can’t be upgraded from 4.0 to 5.0 in the Paradise. If it could, my Pardise hearing aids might be even better! And it’s a certainty if it could, I wouldn’t buy the Lumity hearing aids.

Sonova has it all figured out.

DaveL
Toronto

In reply to @DaveL

Sonova likes your “Readies” (Scottish slang for money) :smile: Dave… As to your recurring problem with the P90’s setup, or failure to setup correctly might be more appropriate, some folks talk the talk, but unfortunately when it comes down to it, they are all theory, and no practical… Could be, they work with computers under sufferance? There are, in my experience loads of folks whom are frightened of computers, and to me, it’s just a tool, and as you will be acutely aware with working in the building trade, tools are either used or abused, some folks are artists with certain tools, some (although rare, granted) are so skilled, then genius comes to mind, the rest leave a lot to be desired… Computers are no different, in the correct hands, they can work wonders, in the wrong hands, they can cause mayhem… As always, YMMV… Cheers Kev :wink:

In reply to @WhiteHat

@WhiteHat
Yes He’s a gentleman, and I’m very grateful he was able to do that. People here thought he was setting me up for a big bill. He was focused on solving the problem I had. I couldn’t hear noisy equipment coming from behind me with my hearing aids. He solved that problem and I can hear with the new hearing aids.
I still respect him for that step.

My hearing aids work so much better now. I can hear! Same hearing aids/used the same Autiogram/did a quick fit (no )

Difference is night and day! They work. I asked what the practioner found and changed.

  • wrong domes ( used/setting was open domes)
  • Left could not communicate with the Right HA. Or is it vice versa?

He didn’t tell me any other changes he made. He did give me two reports. User Report. Pro Report from Target. I’m very happy he did.

DaveL

In reply to @DaveL

@DaveL said:

I understand that there are similarities in the chip in the Paradise and Lumity HA’s. However, the OS can’t be upgraded from 4.0 to 5.0 in the Paradise. If it could, my Pardise hearing aids might be even better!

After reading all the comments and issues with rechargeables, I got the P70T, also wanted disposables that so far do me 165hrs with 35hr streaming, and autosence 5.0 seemed to shuffles around more than 4.0, then my Audi is used to the Phonak product, so programming is 90% hardware 10%, I have been wearing Ha’s 18 years so I can still remember what sounds sound like, so working WITH the Audi on the last programing and tweaking make it work for me, we are all different. Here in QC the availability of Ha’s in controlled by the Audi’s so no Costco here, I know of some who have bought on line, that was their choice not mine, I don’t think they would tune anything from outside, so yes it cost a bit, but you get the service, the Audi’s here must belong to a pro. association with regulations and they have to qualify to be members. Adjusted the to work with the home portables, before I was connected directly with the complilot, but now I hear a lot better in noise and wind and my grandfather ticking pendulum clock just like the old days, well almost, so a bit of compromise is required, all in all, it’s much better.

In reply to @kevels55

Thanks Kev. Much appreciated.

I went from “accepting” leaving the audi’s office the last time…then getting more and more concerned. Time for me to just accept that I’m so much better off now. I can hear. And realize that I should have advocated for myself better than I did. That’s my wife’s message to me.

  • I have wonderful hearing aids.
  • I can hear!
  • I can leave them in auto mode and they adapt when the environment changes.

I don’t have to give the audiologist-that-quit a reference. He’s already got the best Google reviews in town. Go-figure.

“Readies” Hadn’t heard that before!

Sonova–they’re buying up audiologists offices across Canada with a subsidiary. Bought Peel Audiology in June '21. It’s Connect Canada owned now. There must be money in it.

Well you’ve come to the right place (well actually forum is, but here will do) everything is available, the Noahlink wireless programming device can be brought from eBay for quite cheap now, but first you should read the user guides for Genie software and how you should go about it, it’s all very easy and plenty of us doing DIY projects to help you along.

Hearing Aid Self-Fitting and Adjusting [DIY]

This forum is a place for consumers to discuss fitting and adjusting their own hearing aids.

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