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Concerning Dome Sizes

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I have a new pair of Philips 9030 miniRITE TR aids that I am getting used to. I only got them this week and haven’t tested them in many places yet.

Today was the first time I used them to listen to the TV. When listening to the TV, I noticed that it seemed very hard to hear the speech on the TV, a problem I didn’t have when trialling a pair of previous hearing aids a few months ago. To describe it, it sounded like the speech was very thin, like my ears were only picking up the 1k to 2k range.

I noticed that the quality of the speech on the TV increased dramatically when I took my two fingers and plugged my ears while my hearing aids were in my ears.

Examining my hearing aids, I noticed that the domes on them look much smaller than the other domes I used with my previous trial . The ones that are on my Philips 9030s are 6mm domes. I believe they may be too small because my previous trial HAs had probably 8mm domes, but I’m not sure. All I know is that they were bigger.

Does my problem sound to you like it might be the dome size? I’m pretty new to BTE aids, so just wanted to bat it off of you good folks. My next adjustment is not for another week.

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This is an easy fix. If you think you get the wrong dome size. You can ask them to give you a new one.

@whatdidtheysay said:

Does my problem sound to you like it might be the dome size? I’m pretty new to BTE aids, so just wanted to bat it off of you good folks. My next adjustment is not for another week.

Yes, everything is taken into account. Dome size, Dome type, Dome vents and Dome positioning. Everything can be affected, the sound quality.

Talk about position of Dome. You should check if you have inserted it correctly. Maybe Dome is slipping out while watching the TV or you move your jaw chewing, talking and your Dome can be slipping out of the ear. Everything is possible.

This is why people go with custom earmold because its easy to make sure it fits your ear and the position of the receiver is always consistent.

I had the same problem and solved it.
Visited the audiologist. Showed him what I was doing. He supplied me with (not open domes) that were size medium, and large. The large ones worked.

I use Phonak Audeo Paradise P90R’s. they require a different dome size than my old hearing aids did. Just letting you know…My hearing aids are receiver in canal. I HATE the receiver/.

DaveL
Toronto

I mentioned this before regarding the Phonak ‘tool’ for installing/removing wax guards…my Widex Moment 440’s can use Phonak domes,so possibly the Widex wax guard stick ‘tool’ would work on the Phonak’s,assuming that the wax guards are the same size between makers…I am not sure.Huck

Thanks Huck. I’m on my 3rd set of Phonaks. The design has changed to smaller for the Audeo Paradise P90R’s. I can barely see them, and never ever had an issue with the previous hearing aids. If I had known how awful they are I would have required a different make of hearing aids. However, I’m lucky the audiologist worked so hard to get me set up. I wasn’t due for new hearing aids for more than 2 years…

DaveL

Thank you, everyone, for the fantastic replies and conversation.

I have arranged with my audiologist to get fitted with some larger domes.

A question: Will that fitting typically require another hearing test, or can I just take those domes, pop them on, and carry on with my current program?

Others with more knowledge may help you more.

My last set of hearing aids I did a full hearing test, then she fitted the domes. Changed them. I noticed they hadn’t changed a setting—for the domes. They said they would do it next time. Next time never happened. I fired the audiologist that did that, because my hearing aids didn’t work.

I know there are open domes, and power domes. What I don’t know is whether they need to change the settings, and then do a “best practices” test again.

And BTW my new audiologist does much better work. New audioligist and new hearing aids a year ago.

I think that most fitting softwares account for dome type. I know that Signia’s does, you have to pick type when fitting and it will adjust possible gains, and potential compression.

An update.

I got my hands on some 8mm domes and replaced my 6mm domes with the 8mm domes.

It made a huge world of difference! I went back to the TV shows that I was struggling with and heard about 99% of the words instead of 50%.

Thanks for everyone’s help.

@whatdidtheysay

I can’t remember what hearing aids you have.

I discovered I needed to change domes after a post here. Putting my fingers in each ear, I found the signal from my receiver in ear Phonak Audeo Paradise P90’Rs was quite a bit louder. Simple test later–tv was louder.

The on my hearing aids are a pain in the you know what. They should be called “noseeums” they are so small. The names are confusing. open?/closed?/power? sizes?

I’m glad you’ve found a solution.

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