For your Phonak Audeo Paradise P90R hearing aids, the recommended fitting formula is Adaptive Phonak Digital (APD) 2.0. This is Phonak’s proprietary fitting formula, designed to optimize speech intelligibility while maintaining listening comfort. It takes into account the specific signal processing and features of the device, ensuring a tailored and effective hearing experience
I would be wary of proprietary formulas like . Their purpose is more to provide comfort, especially for first time users - they have difficulty accepting more necessary loudness because they have previously spent a lot of time in silence.
However, this comes often with compromises in audibility and speech understanding (in general, mileage may vary for some people).
Im currently testing the Phonak Sphere Infinios and will soon demo a pair of Oticon Intents.
My experience with the Sphere has been overwhelmingly positive, but they aren’t without their idiosyncrasies.
Ahead of trying the Intents, I see a couple advantages for the Spheres and my particular hearing loss and lifestyle:
The Spheres seem like they might be a smidge more robust and water resistant. They exceed their IP68 rating. This is an important factor for me - I’m constantly backpacking, going for sweaty hikes, putting on my aids after surfing etc.
I worry about the Intents past issues with Bluetooth and my current iPhone 15 does not support Bluetooth LE audio (although it does support Bluetooth Low Energy) - a confusing naming system btw. The bluetooth classic is rock solid and I need that for my work and life.
The Phonak app seems to have more granular controls that go beyond volume and an equalizer. However, I would like to have an equalizer for bluetooth streaming and calls! Oticon has that.
Last, but not least: the Phonak Sound Recover 2 can compress high frequency to a lower range (and bring them down from a higher and bigger range) than the Oticon Speech Rescue can compose to. This might be the biggest deal breaker, but I need to test it. However, I like that Oticon would let me control the volume of the transposed sounds independently. This will be an important area for me to test with my particular hearing loss and preferences. I currently dependent on the audibility extender from Widex. It was a game changer for me - I could hear speech and birds better than ever.
I’ll write up a comparison soon, but writing out my biases ahead of time.
@Bimodal_user I’ve been testing the Phonak Spheres with Oticon Single Vent and Powerdomes. The Powerdome allows for more aggressive overtuning, but we still cannot hit targets without feedback. I’m open to experimenting with molds, but I strongly dislike occlusion. Over time, I’ve adapted to extract every bit of information from my reasonably good natural hearing in the 0–750 Hz range. For the Widex Evokes, I had one ear with an acrylic mold with maybe 1.5mm venting? And the other with a tulip dome. I did that because it allowed me to get some “natural” ambient sound I wanted.
In the past, I’ve attempted to reach high frequency targets with mixed results. I’m not entirely convinced that my hair cells are transmitting much useful information beyond 2,000 Hz. However, it’s a complex situation—there are frequency regions where tones sound full and realistic, while others feel less natural. I’m open to revisiting this.
In 2008, when I was first introduced to frequency transposition through Widex, my life changed overnight. My speech recognition scores improved significantly, and for the first time, I could truly hear the “S” and “SH” sounds—something I had never fully experienced with conventional high-frequency gain, even when meeting REM targets. I could also really hear and make sense of the hi-hat and ride cymbal in something like Dave Brubeck’s Take Five for the first time. This is where I don’t feel that REM tells the whole story? IE that my brain still has to make sense of these signals.
P.S. I haven’t been tested for cochlear dead regions as far as I know. That may have been tested when I was a kid (four decades ago).
Im down in the low 40’s without hearing aids. I’m up towards 65% with them.
I play guitar and piano and I’m very attached to the way I experience music as it is. Id be fearful of losing the hearing that I do have or altering my experience of that in a way thats unintended? Theres a magic in the music I hear now. I get that modern surgery techniques have probably gotten better? (and allow one to keep the hair cells they do have?)
If you’re really 65% with aids you’re likely not a candidate. My understanding is one should not count on any residual hearing if one gets surgery. However, an eval is not a commitment and could provide more info about your hearing.
I am anxious to see how Android 15, with specific hearing aid improvements, works (if Samsung ever gets it out).
Android 15 with the Pixel March update includes more robust LEA control, but android 16, which is beta now, will have a full featured hearing aid audio panel: See this link.6
Gandalf I had a horrible experience with a moulded in the ear Widex. Don’t want inserts
Yes, it is possible to make earmoulds incorrectly, for example with too much material in one place, causing soreness. In these circumstances a remake should be done. I agree that it can be tedious and time consuming, but potential benefits are invaluable, so it’s worth patience.
In one of his posts, @AudioBlip even mentioned that he obtained ideal earmolds after his sixth try.
However, in our losses (yours and mine), wearing domes generally leaves many benefits untapped.
I can see that wearing Sphere (received 4th March) with largest power (double) domes waiting for earmold.
The must be quieter, because feedback is easily achieved, so I cannot obtain proper high-frequency gain despite DIYing. The antinoise features, such as directionality and noise cancellation, are less effective, making Sphere not much better than my Paradise 90-RT with its rather loose acrylic earmold, 1 mm vent, and receiver cable that is two sizes too long.
It’s worth asking your audiologist if you achieved target gain/response during fitting with , especially in higher frequencies. When not, it’s likely because the acoustic coupling is too open. And ask which prescription strategy was used - ? 5.0? Prioprietary like 2.0 (generallynot recommended for experienced users)?
The most stressful HA experience was finding a new specialist after CVA quit on me.
This is what I need to do lately. Nothing pleasant.
Make a list with questions and proposals and keep it in one place, because our advices are scattered in the forum. Some propositions here:
Earmold as occluded as possible depending on your occlusion (I have the possibility to start with the smallest diameter - pressure vent, because I don’t feel occlusion at all, especially when I have deep placed receiver, YMMV) - this is the most bothersome part.
Deep placed mold could improve sound quality and reduce occlusion. However some patiens required geeting used to deepl placed to gain comfort. Not every patient have enough spa c e in ear canal for deep earmold
Maybe redone if last test was performed long time ago
Asking about used fitting algorithm - 5.0 Adult, DSL 5.0 Pediatric or ?
Maybe setting Speech in 360° manual program could help
Speech Enhancer to max (number 20 is max) in calm situation program
The specialist I see is incredible.
Workman’s compensation pays for select make lower model hearing aids and service I’m lucky I have Paradise P90Rs. Next ones won’t be top model. Two years away
Costs me $100 Canadian to drive there and back on a toll road. He is worth it
I have an iMac. Noahlink and Target won’t work on my Apple iMac. I don’t have the skill to run pc stuff on it. My iMac is a year old.
I’m 78. I need to retire. Tired. Worn out.
I tell my specialist I want the. Pro User Report. He is reluctant. Leaves the room in a hurry before I remind him
He was General Manager of Starkey Canada. Sells Resound now. He has great knowledge.
I saw two YouTube interviews and went to see him. He agreed to take me on. I’m really grateful. My hearing aids were a year and a half old
When I left the dispensing Audi scheduled my appt. No one was in the office
He took my hearing aids. Handed me a printed hearing test.
Said my hearing had improved.
He was erasing my hearing aids. Doing a quick fit from the fake sheet
Said my hearing aids would be quieter
Said I should find someone new who could help me more than he could
I couldn’t hear except at full volume. I could hear some.
We passed as friends until I figured it out
Took me two months.
When the new guy took me on I told him I wasn’t interested in a battle between care givers. What happened there stayed there.
But workman’s comp wants service to be every 6 months. I’ve been there a bunch of times.
I only had once from the new guy.
About 4 months ago. Made a difference. The hearing test was a month before.
It showed my last hearing test from the dispensing Audi was cooked. My actual hearing a year later was 10 to 20 worse.
I want a new hearing test! And REM.
Finding HEARING WELL MATTERS was a miracle. Except he is a long way away.
Poland
SoCal
Canada (Toronto) YYZ