Phonak Infineo vs. Oticon Intent for Speech

It depends on the severity and type of your loss.

If it is severe or worst I believe you would find great benefit with a Roger microphone in a classroom setting. I can personally testify to this.

With respect to the device, if you have severe high frequency loss then Oticon could be superior here. The only drawback is that Oticon does not connect to Roger as seamlessly as Phonak.

There are other considerations such as performance in background noise and Bluetooth. Arguably both devices have great merits in these respects, with some cons as well on each side.

If these are a concern then you can look at a lot of the threads on here and see what people are concluding.

Thank you. Super helpful. I guess if there isn’t a clear winner, going with the brand I’ve adjusted to and the one my audiologist thinks suits me best is the way to go. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Tenkan is right. Phonak probably scrubs noise as effectively as any device but that does not mean speech in noise is best with them. One has to be careful. I said Oticon could be better in high frequencies based on my experience but I have also heard that Phonak has the best feedback manager in the industry.

I think you have to see what works for you. In my case neither the premium Phonak or Oticon RIC is probably optimal as I wear a BTE SP.

There are few absolutes. Whichever device it’s about getting the right form factor and optimal/expert fit, with REM and making use of assistive devices where possible.

How would characterize the Oticon sound, that you love? According to my audiologist it’s an overwhelming sound that makes Oticon less suitable for people who are used to other brands. I’m surprised by his opinion and haven’t heard it before.

More than likely it is because others are more directed hearing. To me Oticon is surround sound.

Thanks for your answer, Chuck. It will help me to take them into account. Yes, the audiologist is another variable in the chain. I’m not sure if I’ve found the right one.

I had a fantastic experience with my Intent 1 hearing aids yesterday at a class reunion. With loud music, excited conversations, and a lively atmosphere, I had zero issues understanding my classmates and catching up with them.

From everything I’ve read and the positive feedback I’ve seen, it seems the Infineo with the Spheric program could be even better in these situations than my Intents. However, I have no complaints about the Intents in noisy places—they work great for me. I’ve mentioned before that I’d prefer to hear a bit of background noise over dealing with digital distortion or an unnatural sound. To me, the Intents sound very steady and natural in that regard. I’d love to try the Infineo at some point, but right now, I don’t see the need since I’m very happy with the Intents.

Edit: Just a shoutout to @Neville—I’ve been using DSL pediatric for a few weeks now. During the entire reunion, I used only my P1 (general program), and this was the best experience I’ve ever had with a hearing aid in noisy places.

I was on Phonaks for a few years. Recently found new/better audiologist (for those in Los Angeles area, Kirsch Audiology, in Santa Monica) who suggested I try Oticon Intent 1 based on my profile (high frequency loss). These are. for me, WAY BETTER than the Phonak Lumities I had. Speech is clear and natural. I hear noise, but it does not overwhelm the speech. I highly recommend you test them.

@cvkemp said:

But it depends on the audiologist know howvto set them up correctly. And I have an awesome audiologist.

Chuck, I’m currently in a trial with a pair of Intent 1’s. What does the audiologist have to do to set them up correctly for speech comprehension in conversation?

That is a question that your audiologist has to answer, not me. I know what i went through but my issues ard different than yours. I needed a lot more volume than most believe should be applied. I took me and my audiologist 18 months of almost monthly appointments and adjustments to get me to be able to handle the volume that allows me to understand speech. I have also had 2 years of speech therapy. And I continue to do self therapy for speech understanding by way of listening to audiobooks while reading the book at the same time. I also, go to lectures, and spend more time in meetings that i use to say no to.
You need to have some really intense talks to your audiologist, explaining what you expect and need. Yes there are limitations of what the aids can do. But don’t allow the audiologist tell you he cannot do anything beyond the first or second fittings. That is a lazy way out.
I told my audiologist what I needed, wanted and expected.
Also I would say you need custom ear molds. I wear custom ear molds, and have for 20 years. It make a world of difference.
My receivers are the 105db receivers my audiologist says that a comfortable fitting calls for 85db receivers. But I had feedback issues all the time with them. The 105db receivers gives me enough overhead that i don’t get feedback or compression issues. 85db receivers may work for yoi just fine. Remember most aids are set to 80-90% of your audiogram for comfort. My aids are set to 100+% of my audiogram. If I want comfort I lower the volume. I only have the default general program. I use to depend on my TV adapter and t-coils, I no longer need either. I do use the TV adapter if I want to watch TV and my wife doesn’t. I can mute the TV speakers and hear the TV. I use to use the t-coils at our church services but no longer need them.
I do hear noise in restaurants but the INTENT1 aids give me conversations above the noise.
I do hear road noise and engine noise which I do want but I can hear the vehicle entertainment center above them or I can carry on a conversation with my wife.
So don’t expect total quiet and only the conversations.

Yes, Chuck, I have custom ear molds. Good suggestion. Thanks for your thoughts.