Can boosting speech comprehension turn down the volume on my aids?

@Bubbly said:

I went in last week to have the speech comprehension boosted on my Costco Rexton Bi-cores and I don’t know what happened, but it’s like I can only hear 50% of what I could before.

Just an ol’ NON-techie weighing in here … but it sounds as if you’ve got “Speech in LOUD Noise” set as your DEFAULT program, so that’s what the aids are in the minute they are ON. That is NOT what you want or need.

For me, the boost in speech comprehension is only used when I’m in a very noisy place. Then I MANUALLY put my aids into Program 1: Speech in LOUD Noise. Yes, it completely mutes everything down - ironically, even the people talking in front of me! Even so, I seem to be able to tune in and focus more, therefore comprehend more what they are saying. I turn the volume up a couple steps and do just fine.

Who is your audi? Someone at Costco? If not, go back to the audi and look at ALL the programs you have set up on your aids: Default, Program 1, 2, 3, etc. Write them down so you’ll know. But get the Default program set to the initial setting where it was.

Please return here to update us on the resolution!

@DaveL said:

Then he scrubbed my hearing aid programs and did a quick fit (without REM)

Whaaaaaaaat?! Is that even legit? I’ve never heard of an audi scrubbing someone’s program setup. They might erase or write over it as a mistake, but the whole point of computers is to keep all versions as a reference. Augh. Now you are essentially back to Square One.

Hi Dave! I’m sorry you’ve had so many issues, it really does seem as if finding “the one” (ie, audi) is the real magic. We can have the best hearing aids in the world, but won’t even know it unless our audi knows the right magic!

I cannot believe your audi scrubbed your programs, that is just unbelievable! Have you found someone new yet?

I have closed domes, and they are working pretty well. I don’t have wax guards, but I will clean the microphones - good suggestion. And I’ll keep this thread posted on what happens tonight.

I bought them through Costco, and have had quite the experience. The first guy who sold me these Rextons was pretty new at it, had been training and just taken his exam, etc. But he was pretty great for the 3 times I went to him. Then… I called to make an appt with him, and the receptionist told me that he was not taking appts for the “foreseeable future.” Not sure what that meant, perhaps he failed his exam, lol! So I made an appt with another lady, and that’s where all these issues came about. I could tell as soon as she opened the software and hooked my Rextons up, that something was wrong, even before she did the speech booster! The volume fell to about 50% and she kept saying she didn’t know why it happened, it was an anomaly, etc. That did not exactly inspire my confidence!

So, I called another Costco altogether (which is actually closer to me), and asked to have my file transferred. I’m going to see a new lady tonight. Fingers and toes crossed!

All of this has also led me to think more seriously about buying the software and learning to program them myself, but I’m still wary because it seems like quite a learning curve.

So, you are hearing better now than you have in 2 years?

Yes. It’s been a rough 2 years.
Thanks for asking…

The funny thing is he always did REM until this last time…
If he had done a quick fit in the beginning all would have been better.

I went in with hearing aids that had been poorly set up by another audiologist. Perhaps he just copied their setup.

DaveL

It’s my pleasure.
the holes in the wax guard are so small! They must plug easily.

DaveL
Toronto

When I was a pro photographer I used to check my equipment. I used to ask, “what can shut me down”.

As a HA user it used to be batteries; so I carried them.
And Receivers; so my audi used to change them when I saw him.
And Wax Guards; so I carried them (they are easy to change, unless you have my hearing aids.)
And a cleaning kit for my hearing aids is essential.

And now it has been masks–every time I take a mask off I can lose my hearing aids forever.

@DaveL said:

I change them often.

You are playing with FIRE!!! I haven’t changed my wax guards on these Lumity Life aids since I bought them last fall. I’ve had nothing but trouble trying to get those itty bitty thingies out of my speaker tips.

The flying saucer tool to REMOVE the wax guards simply doesn’t work. And trying to punch a NEW wax guard in with that same flying saucer tool is equally dicey. It shouldn’t be this hard. My Oticon wax guards were FUN to remove and replace.

These Phonak wax guards? I invent cusswords if I even go there.

Hey sorry it’s been a bit frustrating for you, yeah your audiologist should of offered to reset them to where you started, of course they will have that session in Connexx for you, just remind them of the date you first went in and have them program them back to that session, I cannot see any “speech comprehension boost” in Rexton
Connexx, so who knows what she “boosted” you won’t be in the “wrong” start up program as this would need to be changed by your audiologist, they wouldn’t do that and definitely not to speech in loud noise, that’s a Phonak thing, your Rexton bi-core are actually Signia AX and very good HAs at that.
So you have a program called noise/party and focus 360°that sets the microphone directional beam technology to focus on in front of you, this can change the way you hear for sure, it can also be changed in the “start up” program called “Automatic” but changing this would make such a difference that they would of told you if they were doing this, I’d say she just used the SoundPro 2.0 or the"fitting assistant" in Connexx and something has not quite worked out, but why not go into the Rexton App and see exactly what’s been set up, as in program set up, microphone, features etc

@Bubbly said:

All of this has also led me to think more seriously about buying the software and learning to program them myself

Now your talking, DIY is always an option, it’s easy enough, with a little bit of trial and error you too can play “Audiologist of the week” there’s plenty of us on hearingtracker doing this to help along ; )

@WhiteHat said:

I go with lithium USB charging packs for power if I’m out of the house.

Hm. That’s a great idea! I have one of those power banks1 that I’d sometimes take on a trip to use with a music player, but DOH, I should’ve been taking one on EVERY trip just in case it’s needed for my Phonak charging base. You never know what the power situation is on the road these days.

Note to Self: add power bank to packing list for road trips.

With my current use (power needs due to cinderblock ears, streaming at night, phone calls during the day) I get about 17.5 hrs MAX per day. It’s enough to get me thru a typical 16-hr day, but if I needed 24 or 36 hrs of use before charging up my Lumity Life aids, I’d be S-O-L.

Be careful about choice, I read on here that some banks switch off with charging bases.