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Phonak Lumity not targeting speech

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I have been Phonak Lumity L90s for a few months now and struggling with adjustments. When I trialed the Lumity, it was like they zoomed in on speech. Any time someone talked it was like they had a personal microphone connected directly to my ears. It was the first time in years I didn’t have to rely on lip reading. I was ecstatic.

I went through some insurance changes and had to ultimately buy a set from another audiologist, but for some reason the purchased set (same model, I checked) doesn’t have the same “zoom” factor with speech. Instead, it’s almost the opposite - I can hear background noises way better than speech! It’s been a painful few months of adjustments and while they’re better, they’re still nothing like when I trialed them. Not only is speech in the background, I feel like my 7 yr old phonaks were better at this point. I’m tempted to go back to my original audiologist but they use different equipment to set the software and it would be a $400 fee just for that first visit.

Has anyone encountered this? My audio says Speech Enhance is on. I’m at a loss.

5 people in this conversation7 min readJump to latest

This is all down to programming and maybe the audiologist not being great at programming.

Have you tried making customised programs via the App to help improve things?

Have you thought about self programming?

@Lilo

I had the same issue.
My hearing aids are one model older. Yours are better from what I read on this forum. But Zebras is right.

In case it helps…here’s my story.

I got my Phonak Audeo Paradise P90R’s two years ago. It was a miracle. I had a new audiologist and somehow he got me the hearing aids 3 years before my workman’s comp claim allowed. That’s the good news.

Hindsight…the bad news was he didn’t know how to set them up. I had the same results as you. It was terrible and affected my wife and I. A lot.
He asked me to find someone who could help me more than he could. Hidden news–he fired me!

I did. I went to a hearing aid practitioner two cities away. I had seen a video that the local television station did about a business, “Hearing Well Matters”.

After the first appointment the results were magical. I could hear! I asked what they found.

  1. Wrong domes were specified. Open domes—I had CLOSED DOMES INSTALLED. There’s a setting in Phonaks’ Target software for that.
  2. Right Hearing Aid could not communicate with the Left Hearing Aid. That messed up lots of stuff in the Phonak Target software.

I have a workman’s comp claim that provides new hearing aids every 5 years, or longer…I didn’t want to mess that up by programming my own hearing aids. And…I don’t have the skill to do that. The Noahlink gear requires a PC; I have a very old iMac.

I hope this helps…
It’s only a hearing aid setup problem.
You have amazing hearing aids as your first experience showed.
You may be able to encourage your supplier to take a second look and setup your hearing aids properly.

I was able to fix my hearing issue.
The day I did, my wife said:

  • The difference is night and day!
  • Why did it take me so long!

Good luck.

DaveL
Toronto

In reply to @Zebras

I’ve been using the custom settings with some success. The self programming though, absolutely mind-blowing! I’ve always had a difficult time figuring out my audio needs and then communicating them in a way that makes sense so this is life-changing. Thank you!!!

In reply to @DaveL

It’s nice to know I’m not the only one! The difference is so stark I wasn’t sure what to think. I like my audiologist but I have a hard time explaining my audio needs and figuring out in the office if the changes handle the problems. I think I’m going to try self-programming as @Zebras mentioned since I’m a tinkerer. I’m hoping I can use a real-ear measurement from my audiologist as a baseline. :crossed_fingers:

It’s a good idea!

When I went to my hearing aid practitioner the first time I took my from the audiologist who had quit…
He put those numbers into the Target software. He did what I think is a “quick fit”. He hooked up my hearing aids to his equipment and I left with them. They worked. It was so simple! I could hear.

That’s an oversimplification…I have no experience programming. I did ask what he found wrong. He told me about the two items.

He also gave me two reports from TArget. one is the User’s Report. The other is the Pro Report.

I could finally see how my hearing aids were set up. I had asked my audiologists every time they worked on them, but had never been given such a valuable report.

Hope this helps.

There is a diy group here. I don’t participate. I think I should…

@Lilo said:

I’m tempted to go back to my original audiologist but they use different equipment to set the software and it would be a $400 fee just for that first visit.

Is hearing better worth $400 to you?

@Neville
@Lilo

After two years of heartache and not being able to hear, If I had known then what I know now I would gladly pay $400 to hear.
I have workman’s comp coverage. I’m very very lucky that the gentleman I see now took me on as a client. I value his time and service skills very highly.

You have an advantage that’s priceless. Your hearing aids used to work! Your previous supplier’s hearing aids and settings worked for you.

A thought…does either of those suppliers have your previous settings on their computer?

Do you have the myPhonak App on your phone? You can change setting with that APP. If you’re having trouble understanding someone, try the APP. Change the program your hearing aids selected (if autosense is your start up program.) There’s a button on my APP labelled CLARITY. Push that button. Name the program so you can find it again. Now select that saved program and see if you hear better. If Lumity is the same as Paradise, pushing CLARITY does the following…

  • Bass remains the same
  • Middle is boosted one notch
  • Treble is boosted two notches.
    my starter program was “Calm Situation” based on my own APP.

Doing so my hearing aids are locked in the adjusted program until I change out. And my battery life is consumed much more quickly. So it’s not a long term solution.

Hope this helps.
DaveL
Toronto

@DaveL said:

A thought…does either of those suppliers have your previous settings on their computer?

Yes, they would. But note, for $400. The trial was free, but to keep them you need to pay for the work that was done, which it sounds like there was no reimbursement for because the OP ended up going elsewhere.

That said, heads up for a possible diminution of the original “wow” factor. It’s not uncommon when you are comparing one setting to another setting instead of no hearing aids to new hearing aids.

Thanks Neville. My thought was that if the work was done, the payment might be less to install it again.

I feel that audiologists should be compensated for their time.
I’ve worked with contractors all my working life. I expect them to make a fair and reasonable profit. But I remember and stop working with them if they mess with me.

DaveL
Toronto

In reply to @brec

@brec
I have installed. switched about 6 months ago. I had feedback with open domes. more important, I hear better with closed domes because volume was louder.
These are the proper domes for me.
Last appointment with him my dispensing audiologist erased all the programs on the . He did a Target quick fit. First mistake he did not specify which dome I used. I think the default is open dome.

Sorry. I should have written more clearly.

In reply to @Neville

@Neville

I’m a car guy. Laughing at myself. My cars run better after i wash them. :wink:

My new hearing aid practitioner can’t sell me new hearing aids. Workman’s comp. The clock is ticking. 2 years must become 5
Then whatever cost saving measures kick in. Accessories? Forget-about-it.
Shedules…

You are right…I saw him he made some changes. I couldn’t hear as well and SWMBO sure let me know! So I went back. He restored the first settings. He set volume to 110%. I insisted on taking home the Target Pro Report and Target User Report. He can’t make a lot of money, and is not paid much for hours of good work. Workman’s Comp.

SWMBO blessed the changes, and said to me to let the practitioner work!

All of this with a defective (audi had said my hearing had improved! That’s a miracle!) My hearing aids were quieter. That’s when he erased all my 2 years of work, and did a Target quick fit. (Which I claimed worked when I cranked the volume to full loud! You’re right about “wow factor”.

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