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Wait for new Phonak Release?

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Hi, I just discovered this forum today and that brings me to seeking advice here.

I had an appointment with my audiologist yesterday to replace my 6 year old Starkey Muse rechargeable hearing aids. While my hasn’t changed significantly, my hearing is starting to sound muffled and I’m constantly fiddling with the volume and sound mode (via the buttons). The ’s are clean and there is no wax in my ears. I’m attaching my Audiogram as suggested by another member.

I’ve been watching YouTube video reviews looking at Phonak and Oticon based on recommendations by friends/family. The Phonak sounds like the Bluetooth and accompanying app would work best with my Android phone (Samsung S23). If you want to know why I went with Starkey in the first place, I had planned to look at the other two manufacturers 6 years ago but my Audiologist was offering a pretty decent discount on the Starkeys so I went with that. Now I’m more than ready to get Bluetooth hearing aids since I spend so much time streaming instructional videos on my laptop and using Jabra earbuds for phone calls or for listening to podcasts. I have read that the Phonak line supposedly works well with Android while Oticon works best with iPhone which is why I decided on Phonak. My sister also got the Phonak Lumity Audeo Life earlier this year and she’s been very pleased with them. I decided against the Life and went for the Regular rechargeable ones after I saw how much thicker they are than my current hearing aids, and I also wear glasses.

My question: In joining this forum today I came across a thread that said Phonak will be bringing out new models, possibly including the Lumity line in late Summer or this Fall? Do you think I should wait to see what Phonak coes out with since the Phonak hearing aids we ordered yesterday have already been out a full year and there might be something new coming out that would suit me better or improved technology (including charger)? The Audiologist Office just ordered them yesterday, I don’t have any problem cancelling the order and waiting a few more months if that might be the wise thing to do.

PC Audiogram 07 15 2024

9 people in this conversation8 min readJump to latest

Personally I would be unsure if Phonak will bring out anything big. Sometimes Phonak releases are minor (I wear Phonak btw) and are focused in a particular area that is not groundbreaking. I recall the Belong in 2016 which had rechargeability, but I think must have been massively outsold by the Oticon OPN, which was groundbreaking.

I personally wouldn’t orient my hearing aid choice around my Phone. If I had to get an Oticon (as my main aid) I would switch to iPhone. But that’s just me.

Still - I might be wrong. Some say Phonak are due a major new release, possibly with and a new platform.

Your hearing is not bad. I would expect any hearing aids to help quite a bit. If streaming from a laptop (Windows) is a priority, the Phonak Lumity you have on order is a good choice. However if you use them for very full days and you can’t take a break to recharge, battery life may be an issue. Waiting for the next Phonak model is an iffy proposition. We have no idea what to expect.
If instead of a Windows laptop you have a recent Mac laptop (M2 CPU) the Oticon could be a great choice. If you really like having the latest tech, sure wait for the new Phonak. Did your Audi adjust the programming on the Starkeys for your latest ?

In reply to @glucas

Oticon Intent works also very well with Samsung S24 (and I think with S23 too) because it has the new and this is also better or the same quality as the Phonak one (that consume a lot of energy). Atm as Iphone does not have LE Audio (but soon?), Android is the phone to go for streaming. :wink:

In near future (I think begining of 2025) you will also be able to connect it with the Laptop/PC like now with the Phonak.

Phonak will bring up a new platform, so far no idea what will be new. (chip? bluetooth? (most important better battery using?)) but I don’t think they will invent something really new.

If you want to go for Phonak I would anyway suggest to wait for it.

I’m expecting the new phonak hearing aids to be a pretty big jump in tech, but also pretty physically big to support the extra on-board processing. If you are someone who feels like they could deal with a larger form factor if it meant dramatic speech in noise gains, then wait. But if size would be an issue for you, which it sounds a bit like it is, the lumity is a very nice hearing aid.

Pricing on the lumity might also be good right now with the expectation of something new around the corner. How long is your trial period? I think the American phonak launch is in early August, so you’d probably have time to exchange. I have no idea whether there will be a significant price jump.

In reply to @glucas

How do I determine what’s groundbreaking, and what’s mediocre?

I’ve worn for 20 years. For two years I’ve thought my hearing aids were a horrible mistake

DaveL

That’s a good question. It’s sometimes hard to tell.

I think it’s a combination of factors. I think you have to look at the claims made on release. If it’s an undeniable claim i.e. it can connect to bluetooth on any device, or there is an independently verified improvement in signal to noise ratio by a significant amount, for example. Then you have to look at the anecdotal reports on here, and elsewhere (maybe facebook) etc. See what the audiologists are recommending, and then see what the sales figures are. The KS10/Phonak Paradise sold a million units, or so I heard.

I also go by what the authorities are rolling out. For example, the NHS in the UK are dispensing Oticon Engage (aka OPN 2) and Phonak Venture + later releases of Phonak.

Looking at a rechargeable model, I was just reading about the newest Oticon Intent vs. Phonak Lumity. One review said Lumity is better for streaming but Oticon is better for personalized hearing. It does look like Oticon can only connect Bluetooth to one device at a time while Lumity can connect to more but I don’t think that would be a significant problem. I did check and my state has a 30 day trial period. I will be able to take the Lumity I just ordered home for a week’s trial before purchasing, too. I may just wait and discuss all of this with the Audiologist when I go to pick them up in 2 weeks. Additional thoughts?

I have Phonak Lumity 90 and Samsung S23 Ultra and they work very well together - not perfect. There have been occasions when the won’t connect to My Phonak app and I’ve had to reboot the phone.

I don’t understand why manufacturers and their sales reps are so sneaky about release dates for new products. Case in point, in February 2023 my audi ordered a pair of Oticon More HAs. I had them for two weeks and sent them back because bluetooth with my Samsung phone was horrible and unreliable. I worked with Oticon tech support and they finally gave up and admitted their HAs work better with iPhone. I am guessing those bluetooth issues have been fixed. March 2023, Oticon released their Real HAs, the next generation from the Oticon More that I demo’d. I asked my audi why wasn’t he told by his rep when he placed the order for the Oticon More that the Real was coming. He said that’s just the way they are.

Someone mentioned August 9 as the release date and that’s correct. I have colleagues heading to the launch event. Sometimes they won’t start shipping out until a little after launch, but that’s when we’ll have more solid information.

My guess is Phonak will roll out Bluetooth LE audio to extend battery life. Let’s face it, that is really the big and only issue with Lumity.

Jordan

In reply to @JordanK

I’m in the “who knows?” camp. Phonak said something not too long ago about not being eager to do . Although I’ve been drooling over LE Audio for years, if Phonak came out with a big leap in speech in noise and didn’t have LE Audio, I’d still be tempted. Bluetooth classic works pretty well, as well as Phonak accessories.

In reply to @glucas

I had quite an experience.
My previous audi had dispensed Phonaks paid by Workman’s Comp. I couldn’t hear behind. I fired that audi and went to another one recommended by someone I trusted.
He did work one miracle. He got me Phonak Audeo Paradise P90R’s as replacement about 3 years before I was allowed under the program. (5 yr replacement) He went after workman’s comp and that’s quite a chore. Hat’s off to him. He didn’t keep me informed. He called me in and showed me my new hearing aids. They had rechargeable batteries which haven’t worked well for me. I average 15 hours use per day. I have constant “battery life capacity anxiety.” I was deaf in a recent hospital overnight stay.
He didn’t know how to set them up. He looked wise as he gave me excuses…why they didn’t work. He made mistakes. So did I because I stayed too long with him.

Hidden message there are controls in the workman’s comp program. They have qualified what hearing aids can be supplied. They dont normally supply top end; I lucked out because I was almost hit from behind by fast equipment at work that I couldn’t hear.

I picked that audi because he was recommended, affiliated with Credit Valley Hospital and nearby. Now I’m travelling two cities and 100 miles. I can hear. Finally and I’ve had them almost 3 years.

I have used Oticon on and off for 3 years now. I say “on and off”. because its really not easy to get them right for your ear. Technology is excellent - especially with the iPhone. But beware! I have the iMac M2 desktop (2024) and no matter what the technicians tell you - the Oticon’s simply do not pair with the Desktop. Even with the Connectclip extra thingy. My problem is that its very difficult to get the actual earpiece to fit into your own ear. Our ear canals are pretty unique. HA’s not. So the sound can be pretty disappointing. My Audiologist has been so patient, trying different Oticon earpieces. The only one that seems to give good sound, is the ugly big “old fashioned” mold that pretty much closes the sound so that it doesn’t “escape”. And you hear perfectly. However, at the price of the Oticon, they really need to do better with their earpiece technology. Bluetooth with the ipad is wonderful. Watching Series is bliss!

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