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Distortion in Phonak Lumitiy L70-RT

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I had my Phonak Lumitiy L70-RT (with Vented Domes) now for about 4 months. I’m pretty content with them. They help me with conversations in several settings and I enjoy the in the few venues where they exist and function.

But very often i think they distort - and it happens for moderately loud soundsources. (Distort and then cap? (English is not my first language - I’m unsure of my attempted use of “cap”))

This became very apparent when I tried going to the theater again for first time in, I think, 20 years. It was a stage play without microphones and loudspeakers. I sat in the front row. Very often the speak was distorted. I had to leave in the intermission since I couldn’t follow the play - very depressing - I’m sure you all had similar experiences.

I think perhaps the sound levels varied a lot on stage (as I think often is the case on stage). From low to regular to yelling level of speak. I tried adjusting volume level but it didn’t help much since the changes of sound levels were rapid and frequent. I used mostly the Automatic program.

I have tried read up on this - including on this excellent forum. I have three questions:

  1. Is this an effect of poor “dynamic range” in hearing aids compared to the human ear?

  2. What is the “dynamic range” of Phonak Lumitiy L70-RT? (I haven’t been able to find it when searching.) And how does it compare with other hearing aids?

  3. What can I do reduce this problem with my current aids? (I have yet not been in contact with the audi/vendor of the aids).

I hope someone here can help with some answers. Thanks and have great weekend all!

3 people in this conversation3 min readJump to latest

Not a lot of headroom.

It could be. Distortion can be a couple of things and hard to know exactly without seeing your fit. But moving up to a P receiver seems like an easy thing, so long as your ear canal isn’t small. But let your clinician know whether you’ve always experienced the distortion and when exactly you experience the distortion. Theater sometimes really is just too loud for hearing aids.

Do you mean the M-reciever is too weak? Not powerful enough?

I have been told my ear canals are small… but from your pic, compared to M, P seems possible to me. I will ask Audi if I get the chance.

I have been trying to read up more… Phonak writes about the Music program:

Offers an expanded dynamic range, slow compression speed and more gain for a fuller and richer music experience.

When I was at the theater it never occurred to me trying the Music program. Do you think the Music program would have helped me in the theater setting I described?

Can you describe your distortion? Maybe I’ve got the same problem with my left ear: despite it‘s the worst one, I can easily feel sounds as too light/metallic, so I have to set it at a lower volume than the right. And it didn’t use to happen with my old Starkey. As if Phonak‘s algorithms are too aggressive on the poorer ear…

Well, when the level of the soundsource goes up, above some threshold, the hearing aid outputs intelligible loud noise.

I’m sure most of you have experienced similar with some PA-system/loudspeakers sometimes.

In reply to @DamonHill

is maximum power output i learned.

It’s 114 according to spec. (max gain 51dB)

What G80, G65 and G50 is, i still don’t understand after googling. Some sort non-linear setting of gain!?

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