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Personal comparison between OTICON REAL 1 VS MORE 1 VS OPN1

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Hello,

I just want to share my impression of Oticon each hearing aid. Initially, I used OPN1 for my first hearing aid. And then 3 years later, I moved to Oticon MORE 1. The only reason I moved to MORE 1 was due to insufficient self-satisfaction.
More 1 was nice and it was a game changer. (FYI, Since MORE 1, I used hearing aids as based on the . ) I love the quality of MORE1.

Last month, after the gym, all of sudden left side of hearing aid was off and didn’t turn on at all. Only I could see the three times of orange blinks. As soon as I requested the repairment, I used my previous OPN1 hearing aids again.

OPN1 hearing was I feel like just amplifier. All the sounds were very clearly loud and sometimes too loud. Yes, when I stay at the restaurant or big group meeting, it was too much and stressful. However, just small group talk or not a noise environment, it was totally fine.

My intention was to use MORE 1 until the next version of REAL is coming… However, I couldn’t stand any more and I asked and ordered REAL 1. Now here is a fun part.

At first, I was a little bit diaspponinted at the REAL 1 because sound didn’t feel like opening a lot around me and I couldn’t feel “wide-open”. After using a few days, I realized the difference between REAL 1 and MORE 1. Actually, based on the setting I didn’t need a lot of amplification (I have moderate high frequency issue) because the sound from REAL 1 is sufficient enough to hear.
Also, the one I love is… Sorry if I can not explain properly… When I listen or hear through previous hearing aids, I feel like somebody just erase the scratch of sound part a little bit so that I could hear very clearly and comfortablely… Yes, REAL hearing aids does. It is really natural and I can hear all sounds without any annoying feeling at all. The other day, I was in the meeting at the big noisy restaurant, I could hear all without any problem.

If you ask me it is worthy to upgrade, for me I would say not really … before but now I want to say it is worthy. For me, I am a health care professional and I have to deal with lots of Patient(s) conversation and talks on the phone. Therefore, this is very beneficial for me. Also, listening to the music in the vehicle is way better.

No offense. Really no offence but i think this is another kind of way I can explain the difference between MORE 1 vs REAL 1.
It is kind of Lexus RAV4 VS Lexus NX. Same idea of platform but NX has a little better interior and exterior along with lots of details. That is what I feel now.

I am really looking forward to CAP (?), the new Oticon test which is available this year, Spring for REAL model.

Thank you.

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19 people in this conversation28 min readJump to latest
Edited

Well i have had the OPN1, the OPNS1, the More1, and the Real1, my take is this each is a step up from the previous. I need to back up and add that I have worn Oticon aids since early sprimg of 2010, I have seen a steady improvement in Otocon aids every step of the way. I move back and forth between the Real1, my primary set of aids and my More1, my backup set of aids. While i can tell the difference in the sound between the two sets, when they are setup the way as mine are they are fully interchangeable without to much of a sacrifice between them. The custom ear molds and receivers are identical and the programs i use are identical. They can use the same charger, but I have connect clips for each, the pairing with the one remote control I have is simply, as is the switching between them on my my Android phone and companion app. I also have the TV adapter that once I had set it up i don’t even think about which aids i am wearing. I wear my More1 aids for at least one whole day each month to ensure that the batteries stay charged and ready to use as needed.

I have also been on the same journey from Oticon Engage(OPNs) - UK NHS to Oticon More & Real 1. In summary I agree with everything you say. The difference between Engage and More was clarity of words. Reals another (smaller) step in clarity. The my music program with Reals is in my view brilliant - either streaming or listening to ambient. I use the beta companion app (much better than the current public version) for stability.

Both of my sets of aids will last 20 to 24 hours, as long as i keep my anount of streaming below 2 hours for the day. But i have streamed audiobooks for 6 to 8 hours in a day using the connect clip and still managed 16 hours from my aids.

An interesting discussion. I’ve worn Oticon products since 1998. I just got some Real 1s to replace OPN S1s, not because I absolutely needed the change but I wanted to be sure I extract the maximum insurance benefit available, i.e. sticking it to the “man.”

Despite being about 1.25 generations newer technology (More to Real is the 25% increase in my mind), stepping up had no “aha” moments for me. I like the Real 1s better than the Open S1s, though I cannot put my finger on precisely what part of the auditory experience makes me say that. In some part it may be that my hearing loss appears to have largely stabilized over the last at least 2 and possibly 3 years. The audiologist and I are still juggling fine tuning some little nits.

I am in love with the rechargeable function of the aids. Finally the rechargeable version is narrow enough to wear without an ergonomic issue for me on one side. Remarkably, the Real recharge width is 6mm, down from 10mm on the OPN S1 rechargeable version. That’s quite a reduction.

I am not in love with the Oticon “app” that supports the Real 1 product. I consider it largely an unnecessary appendage that sucks up iPhone battery life when it’s on, but I haven’t watched the battery life against the app yet. It’s only benefit that I might use is jumping over, say, the general program to the music program so I can hear instruments better. But there I also note the aid is jacking up music as the expense of vocals. That’s OK for me when my band is practicing or playing because I don’t sing, but not so much if I’m at a club trying to get a good composite “look” at another band’s performance.

I’m keeping an eye out for the announcement at the end of February to see if there’s a technology jump in the top-of-the-line units that might make it worth my while to stay at the cutting edge of the technology. I suspect that may still be a year or two away.

Stay tuned.

@eliotb said:

I am not in love with the Oticon “app” that supports the Real 1 product… It’s only benefit that I might use is jumping over, say, the general program to the music program so I can hear instruments better.

Surely with 1 touch of a button on the hearing aid, you can jump from the general program to the music program (assuming they’re adjacent programs) almost instantly.

Compare that to this: → You don’t even have to pull out your phone, log into it (with facial recognition or passcode), find and open the Oticon app, connect to the hearing aids, then FINALLY get to change to another program. Not to mention putting your phone back to your pocket or back on the table when you’re done, and also allowing the Oticon app to suck some more juice from your phone → That’s a lot more steps than the 1 hard button push mentioned above.

In reply to @eliotb

I agree with you about the MORE1 and the Real1 aids, I can wear them interchangeable. My Real1 aids are my primary set and my More1 are my backup set. The only time i really notice the improvements between them is when i am in a lecture or noisy restaurant. The Real1 aids really shine in noisy restaurants and lectures and theaters. I am retired and spend a lot of time listening to audiobooks and i can tell the difference in the aids while listening to audiobooks using either the straight streaming, connect clip or my bose headphones. Both sets are rechargeable and the Real1 aids have a longer battery life by about 3 hours. I get my aids from the and will not be getting the next generation this year. But i am hoping the Oticon rep for the VA is right that my Real1 aids will be able to be updated by way of firmware to the new bluetooth.

Edited

In reply to @Volusiano

Unfortunately, no. The two programs are not adjacent. I have them set up in the order I generally need them: General, Speech in Noise, Music, and & Mic. To jump over a program using the toggles on the hearing aid, it takes two sequences to get me to music. The app is even more cumbersome. In my daily living circumstances, the order of programs makes more sense.

When I’m playing with the band, Music works well as I’m listening for my playing against the others in the monitors via the sound board. As my biggest contribution to music is not singing, the vocals are less of a concern while playing. But it’s a different situation if I’m listening for entertainment. General actually seems to work pretty well depending on the song and singer.

The first time I went to a club with the new aids to hear some friends gig I was jumping back and forth listening for where I could best hear the instruments and the same with vocals. No single setting was perfect. It may also depend on where you are sitting. I was at a stage-side table and the Mains were hung above and to either side of me, aimed over my head toward some raised seating behind me.

Oh well, no one ever said life was perfect, and if wishes were horses we’d all be knee deep in horse poop.

I have general, MyMusic, Lecture, t-coils, TV Adapter, and remote Mic. I use music for streaming music, and when we go to the local theater musicals. I use Lecture for the lectures i go to here in the community, and i use t-coils for our church service. I live in a community that caters to its retired residents and we have theater musicals, plays, lectures, hiking Trails, a full gym with indoor pool, 9 golf courses. 11 lakes, tennis courts, and a lot more. There are clubs for everything you can think of. And this community is loaded with old muscle cars and motorcycles. I ride a Vespa scooter when the weather is nice.

In reply to @eliotb

@eliotb said:

To jump over a program using the toggles on the hearing aid, it takes two sequences to get me to music. The app is even more cumbersome. In my daily living circumstances, the order of programs makes more sense.

You mean 2 clicks instead of 1 click to go back and forth? That’s still a heck of a lot better than dragging the phone out to open the app to connect to the aids to change the program, then put the phone away.

My whole point is that I don’t even see the value of having the app to change programs because you can already do the same using the hard button clicks on the hearing aids. Even with 2 clicks instead of 1 to get to the Music program, is still far more convenient than using the app to change the program.

But if you have a need to constantly jump back and forth between the 2 programs for A/B comparison on the fly several times in a row, instead of just change it then leave it alone for a while, then yes, I concede that doing this on the app is more convenient.

just imagine you say:
OTICON, music
OTICON, TV
OTICON, general :grin::innocent:

why do we need buttons or apps to switch programs when you have microphones around you? :joy::joy::joy:
Just like Siri lol

If there are people around me, even just family members, I prefer to avoid saying out loud simple commands to Siri because I prefer to do mundane things under the radar and not attract attention. :slight_smile:

In reply to @cvkemp

I’d get confused as to where I was in that list of programs! If I was in a similar community, and I’m probably not too far removed from going into a joint like that, I’d probably add on a few more selections.

now, seriously, why the heck don’t they implement vocal commands and remove the damn buttons?
the device will even become smaller lol.
and faster to operate

Seriously, firstly, it would most likely hog more battery juice because the device must constantly be in listening mode and trying to match the sounds with expected commands. Battery capacity is something that’s already a scarce resource on hearing aids, trying to get the rechargeable battery last for a whole 16 hour day.

Secondly, even if voice command is available, there has to be fail-safe measures in case there’s some kind of malfunction with the software that supports the voice command. The hard buttons are simpler and more reliable fail-safe measures than any software can be. So they can’t really get rid of the buttons even if they can implement voice commands.

Thirdly, I’m not so sure if it’s faster to operate. If you’re in a noisy place, what if the noise drowns out your voice commands? For senior people, voice command is probably a novelty that might be harder for them to operate compared to pushing a button. For example with Siri, you need to say “Hey Siri” to activate its voice command/questioning. What if a senior person can’t remember to say “Hey Siri”.

The bottom line is that it’s not that simple to just get rid of the basic buttons for many reasons.

Yeah but I think the Signia OVP is designed to make the wearer’s own voice sound more natural. I don’t think Signia uses it for voice command yet, although I think it’s possible to isolate and detect the own voice from the rest for voice command purpose if they want.

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