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Starkey Genesis CIC Bluetooth (4 weeks trial) exchanged to Starkey Signature 24 non-wireless

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Edited

(Right ear: profound. Left ear: severe to profound)

Hi everyone,

This is my reviews regarding the new Starkey Genesis bluetooth and the new Signature series non-wireless.

After 8 years of using Starkey Muse, I thought it was time to upgrade and see how the technology has improved. Once again, I went for Starkey as I accustomed to its sound quality.

High street prices in the UK are a totally rip off and there was no way I was paying up to £4000 for the top of the range aid. My last aid was purchased from Hidden Hearing for £1700 in 2016 and was second tier from the entry level model. This time I researched and found a private audiologist based 35 miles away from me and he also is a professor teaching at De Montfort University in the Audiology department. He also works at Leicester hospital. What a resume and I knew I was in good hands.

From the new hearing test, has not changed. We first ordered the new Starkey Genesis 24 Al CIC. It arrived and I was already concerned regarding the size. It uses size 312 battery. When the audi fitted me, I could feel it poking out my ear and the faceplate area of the aid was sticking out. Yes the antenna’s now are curved. I was disappointed with the size. It was roughly a bit fatter and bigger from the faceplate area compared to my old aid. I do have small canals; maybe others with bigger canals shouldn’t have a problem. It looked awesome in black colour and fit was tight thanks to the UV coating.

Performance

Bluetooth: I found the bluetooth excellent. For the first time in nearly 8 years I made phone calls with friends and family. The sound was crystal clear and felt like the speaker was talking directly into my ear. Streaming music again was excellent. Didn’t have issue with phone in pocket when on a call or streaming issue. I do have a iphone and was told Starkey aids work well with Apple products.

Battery life

Using size 312, the battery lasted more than 12 days which is insane. I do not stream music or make a lot of phone calls could be a reason for this.

Hearing performance

To the main part. I have been in a quiet world since 2016. Pervious aid the gains were really low in the mids and highs. And also the model only reached 4k frequencies. The Genesis reaches 9.4k but I been told after 8k, most aids taper off. I have really good low frequencies hearing meaning I can hear loud sounds normally but cannot hear no moderate or soft speech. I am a very hard to fit patient

The audi set me on target gain using NAL-2 and I was shocked on how loud everything was. My own voice, his voice, driving the car. The first 2 weeks I struggled. I have not heard this much before and it was over-whelming. But I knew I have to march on as I wanted to improve my life. Since the last time I interacted on this forum, I have been blessed with an healthy son who is under 4 and I wanted to hear every word of his sweet voice.

Slowly day by day, it got better. I understood speech much clearly, one to one speech improved by 90% and I am not asking people to repeat themselves. There is a slight distortion with certain speakers especially with the new found clarity of the high’s. I hope this will fade away once the brain relearns. It may take time as I never had heard high’s before.

Hearing aid capabilities

For the Genesis, the app is great. It enables you to reduce background noise, enable edge mode, less bass or more, mids and trebles etc.

The actual noise reduction is strange. For example, if I am around a lot of machinery, at the supermarket with loud extractor fans and fridges/chillers, it will reduce the background noise depending on how strong you select using the app or what strength level has been selected from ProFit. But if there is a loud sound like a bang, all sound including background noise returns. This may be a software issue which Starkey may fix with firmware updates.

Return of Genesis and trial of Signature

After 3 weeks of using the Genesis, I found aid was slipping out of ear and the fitting was not tight. I also did not like how it prodded out from the canal and we decided to exchange it for the Signature. The Signature is exactly the same as the Genesis but without bluetooth or wireless capabilities. It uses a size 10 battery and has an push button to enable edge mode and change programs. You can also use the t2 remote app to change volume levels or programs.

The aid arrived and yes, it fits my needs. It is much smaller, we also got it made deeper to the second canal meaning despite it being longer than the Genesis, the fit is much better.

I been using the aid 4 weeks now. The performance is same as the Genesis. But I could not live with the loud background noise. No hard of hearing can stand it. This week I set “speech in noise” to the max setting which is 22d noise reduction and finally it works! But the same issue still persists; background noise is reduced but whenever there is a loud sound like a bang, background noise comes back. Then 10 secs later, background noise reduces. It doesn’t make sense why it keeps shifting. I was notified by ProFit there is a firmware update and I updated the aid but I cannot make out any difference. I messaged my audi and he said the Evolve Al had the same issues but it was resolved by Starkey by sending new firmware.

I would give the Genesis 7/10 and the Signature 8/10. I miss the bluetooth connection and the app. I hope Starkey in the next few years manages to make the Genesis more smaller, maybe in the size 10 battery. If they can manage to sort out the noise reduction flutter, then it be a 9/10 from me!

Final note; for someone who has profound and severe-profound hearing loss, these aids have greatly improved my quality of life

5 people in this conversation10 min readJump to latest

Thanks so much for posting this. Has given me food for thought on changing the make of hearing aid.
I have for past 15+ years used Phonak / in various upgrades.
My current aids Phonak M90 Titanium I have Cookie Bite hearing loss and very recently ( only 2 weeks) moved to the new Phonak Sphere . Seemed like all promotional videos led to Phonak Sphere. I do notice clearer speech( is it just because my M90’s are nearly 4 years old?) but the size is a problem for me and as a retiree I am not really in noisy environments - apart from when all the family get together!
I feel they are not secure behind my ear. I wear glasses and the Sphere is short and fat. I have requested a return and replacement for non sphere to see if feel more secure. Appreciate this is my first venture into something behind my ear so trying to be objective but quite difficult. I know the RIC should have more longevity giving room for adjustment and at the price might be best option but……
I’ve never had bluetooth which I do have now with the Sphere and it is great for phone calls etc but I find need to switch it off in my car (Audi A3) as avoids issue that when in car and my iPhone connected to car systemvia cable - not using the MMI I receive a call when call ends for some reason my aids then disconnect and can no longer hear I’ll need to investigate but for now just disconnect Bluetooth on my aids. Think maybe the aids switch to car Bluetooth ?
TBH I think I may end up going back to CIC but have been told Phonak Vitro infinio CIC not available here yet but might ask if can try Starkey. With or without Bluetooth - would I miss it ?
I don’t have copy of to post but looking at it on screen my Cookie Bite is quite a deep U shape.

Hi, very similar to Yazib, I’ve trialed the Genesis 312 wireless and after many years of being used to much smaller CIC aids - they feel like I have a couple of golf balls stuck well out into my outer ears areas.

The functionality of having visual control of the various settings and streaming via the app is very appealing - but for me day to day wearing comfort has to take priority.

I’m waiting for them to be swapped for a pair of their Signature NW CIC’s which have all the same actual hearing attributes of the Genesis in a much smaller form factor. I have severe hearing loss in both ears - and require UP receivers.

I’ve gained such an astonishing increase in my normal hearing ability - that, although there is no doubt BT is good to have for streaming - I’m not overly concerned at dispensing with the wireless side of the equation. My speech understanding from TV is so vastly improved — I won’t miss streaming to any great degree - it’s more the visual ability and huge flexibility to alter things via the app I will miss - but you still get manual control of the more important aspects such as user control of up/down volumes and environmental program changing ability via the tiny press button and they are also compatible with T2 remote control which is a basic mobile sound signal based app. With that you can use your mobile to also alter volumes and a limited range of preset environmental progamms. BT is nice to have but ‘fit and forget’ is more important for me.

@Yahzib said:

Starkey Genesis CIC bluetooth and the new Signature series non-wireless.

@Yahzib
Thanks for your profound review here. Nice to read also the different responding views from other users here.
Here’s an example from different point of views about what’s important and what isn’t.

I myself tried , , BE’s, visible and nearly invisible ones, custom moulds, domes, ventings, with and without WiFi and etc.

I cannot live without the BT and WiFi anymore!
Skipped the making of music as the only way to appreciate that left was over ear headphones with or without ’s. But that doesn’t work for classical and mainly barok music,

As social live decreased other futures became of utmost importancy. Streaming music, listening to TV with captions, be able to make telephone calls and nowedays even have some information on glasses with captured readable text.

Don’t care how big the HA’s must be to do their work, but they are primarily there for speech recognition, although my hearing is not that bad. And must haves is BT of course.

So after trying out a lot already at the moment happy with the Phonak Sphere 90 RIC’s. They could even be bigger and heavier for me as I don’t care about what people think of how I look. But for sports I also need the so use the Virto’s because they stay in my ears better but functions less.

At the end there is not one that fits all for me.

Starkey have already replaced the Genesis with Edge AL. I suspect they could not fix the noise reduction issues and have started from scratch. Or they are competing with the new Phonak Sphere!

I can’t exchange my Signature for the new Edge AL as mine is custom device and I only had mine for 4 months. The saddest issue is the Genesis which the Signature uses the same chip was only released in the UK a year ago

I agree the noise reduction on the Genesis wasn’t very good.
I’m going to trial the Edge AI so I’ll find out if the noise reduction is better.

Edited

In reply to @Yahzib

The new Edge processor is available in the already rather bulky wireless - but unlike the Genesis AI version it doesn’t seem to have also been carried over into the Signature NW CIC version. Happy to be corrected if wrong because I’m currently trialing the Signature CIC and would obviously swap it for the latest release whilst I still can — if it was available for Signature aids,

Dontay, I cannot seem to find any information if the Signature series will have the new Edge chip.

If it does…maybe we can send our custom devices back just only to have the new chip installed? It should be work cheaper hopefully instead of making new molds

Right now there is no new info if the new Edge AI cic’s are smaller than the genesis…if smaller I will exchange. I do miss the bluetooth functionality and the app for adjustments

Edited

Hi Yahzib,
I agree would be good if that was the case but unfortunately- I don’t think it is.
According to Starkey’s Pro site, ( available styles) the only custom made in ear option with EdgeAI is the wireless - and my understanding is that it’s the RF wireless component which is Integral to this chip that’s the reason for the in ear option being more in the size rather than the Starkey’s overly hyped CIC size.

Signature with the Genesis NW A1 chip is currently the only option in the more traditionally sized CIC. Edge is obviously Starkey’s answer to the Phonak Sphere which is not available as a custom made ‘in ear’ size - so Starkey can at least claim to have an advantage in that - I don’t see much changing anytime soon - so best be resigned to be happy with the Signature Edge+ tech for the foreseeable. The visuals and flexibility of the app is missed but I’ve found having Edge+ being selectable on the button (not that Edge+ is as good as as it’s claimed to be) and volume up/down selectable via the T2 control app on my mobile works ok for me.

https://www.starkeypro.com/products/hearing-aids/edge-ai/ric-rt32

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