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Ear molds. Like 'em? Hate 'em? Pros? Cons? Problems? (Phonak Lumity)

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In reply to @BobbyBoomer

@BobbyBoomer said:

had an Oticon dome come off when I removed my HA.

Thanks for reminding me about another reason I like my custom moulds. In my worst ear, I have the vent blocked. In my better ear, it’s open. Yes, the moulds increased my bass hearing, but also the trebles. My audi said that the two things go hand in hand, so perhaps don’t worry about better bass response overwhelming trebles. But I’m speaking as an acoustic classical guitarist. In terms of streaming, I have no real idea–the criteria may be different.

Mine took a bit of getting used to (initially)…unfortunately for me (also a musician) they cause my vocals to be extremely “cloudy” (put your fingers in your ears and sing- you will get what I mean). If using as an in-ear monitor, you will get GREAT mixes, but always have that cloudy voice in your voice tones.

I want to echo cvkemp’s comment that molds have to fit well to be useful. The first pair I had created a sore spot that got more and more painful as time went on.

I’m now using receivers that have molds wrapped around them. That is, each receiver + molds is a single assembly. That’s risky in that I lose both receiver and mold if there’s a problem in either of them. It’s worth the risk, IMO, at least for me, because I hear better with these assemblies than I did with separate molds, and separate molds were better than domes.

Another trick my audi used was putting Rexton tulip domes on my Jabra aids. That gave me clearer and more natural sound than Jabra power domes. But you need an experienced audi or be willing to try out domes that you purchase yourself for that sort or hack.

In reply to @mr.smithster

Thanks again for all your generous responses.

mr.smithster: I’d rather not post my . Having too much information online concerns me.

jeffrey: More bass and more treble sounds good to me. I have a Phonak TV connector I can attach to the headphone outlet of my mixer, but I can’t eq the mix separate from the speaker feed.

donniesdad: Thanks, l I know about the difference in sound from the decades I used custom ear-mold musician’s ear plugs. It’s not nearly as much fun as playing with naked ears, but it’s necessary.

philbob57: I’m aware of the fit with the ear plugs that I used to use, and I still have them. I suppose this is similar. The first couple of tries, back in the 1970s, when this was new, yielded in molds that were too short. The feedback from my vocals and saxophone was so loud, I couldn’t hear the music.

Right now I’m leaning towards the power-domes with the molds as a back-up if they aren’t enough. If I get the molds done, I’ll bring my earplugs to make sure they shoot them deep enough.

I have had ear molds for about 18 months and much prefer them to domes. I could never get domes that fit either to small to stay implace or so big they hurt.

Grandpaw: Thanks. If the domes don’t work out, I’ll go straight to the molds.

I wish they would give me a 30 day trial, but I can see that once they make the molds, if I don’t like them, they aren’t good for anything.

In reply to @BobbyBoomer

I wore double domes with no vents and they seal. They are hard to get out and i would move my outer ear around while i pulled as much as i felt comfortable, to break the seal. I never got one stuck. I also tried Oticon and Resound double domes, on the Phonak receivers, looking for the best fit possible. I’m between sizes on one canal.

In reply to @Neville

Thanks again everyone.

Neville: Yes. I shut my phone off, and it still went off and I. Sad because it just came back from repair, and they replaced the inner works.

Don: Thanks. That’s good to know. Does the fact that they have no vent trouble you?

I pushed them in to the second bend, so i had no occlusion. I have molds now and i wish i could get someone to make molds that fit that deep.

I just got a pair from Lloyd’s that go a smidge past the second bend. Told them I wanted them as long as possible. They’re a lot less than $300, too.

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Custom Earmold () - Hard Lucite Order online along with more hearing aid accessories!

As for cleaning them, I used to use hand soap, but google says dish soap is better. Nothing bad happened with the hand soap, though. I use a little wire brush to clean out the hole.

https://www.amazon.com/Hearing-earhook-Cleaning-Amplifier-Accessories/dp/B093B81R2M/16

Edited

THANKS! (sorry for shouting - it’s excitement, not anger)

I’ll research it, to see if I can put them on my phonaks, or if I have to have my audi do it. Also, I need to see if it voids the warranty.

I have L90s, so that should be fine. They asked me to send off a pair of receivers along with the impressions when I ordered them, to make sure they were the right size.

It may technically void Phonak’s warranty, but there’s no reason to worry too much about it. They’ll never know you did it if you don’t tell them. The only thing you could possibly break by doing this is the receiver itself, and those can be replaced for $30-$40 each. Just swap out the receivers or take the molds off before sending them in for other issues.

In reply to @CombatWombat

Just swap out the receivers or take the molds off before sending them in for other issues.

CombatWombat: Is this something I can do? If so, how is it done? Do I need a special tool?

WhiteHat: That makes sense. I use Dawn for the anti-glare coating on my eyeglasses, as per the recommendation by the manufacturer. One drop of it goes a long way.

In reply to @CombatWombat

@CombatWombat said:

The only thing you could possibly break by doing this is the receiver itself, and those can be replaced for $30-$40 each

Thanks again.

I’ve looked, but am probably not looking in the right place. Where do you get spare receivers? On the Phonak site? (can’t find them, but that site isn’t easy for me to navigate). Somewhere else?

Thanks again WH.

I went to the audiologist today, my second problem still isn’t resolved, so I’ve bookmarked this thread and I’ll come back to it, if Phonak fixes the aids.

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