Costco Phonak Brio 4 (Product Information)

Sorry for the late reply. Yeah, sooo much better than the Preza’s I trialed. I know everyone’s hearing is different, and some models work better for various reasons, but these are just about perfect for me. Speech clarity is much better than the Resounds I trialed. I hear my wife though her heavy accent MUCH better. Love the truly hands free calling with my Androids. My family, friends and co-workers say that I sound much better over the phone, and it’s great not to have a third party piece to gear to have to fiddle with and keep charged. Only thing I haven’t been able to test is the crowd/restaurant one since we can’t do indoor dining right now. Very interested in how that works.

Every now and then, the Autosense (or whatever Costco calls it) fades in a background noise, but it’s usually just a second or two, and few and far between. I would argue that the Resound app is superior to the Phonak one (can’t beat firmware updates over your phone), but love the freedom to switch between phones and tablets. Music sounds amazing on it. I’ve been listening to Tool’s Fear Innoculum a couple times since I got these, as it sounds way better with the new aids. Edit: this model doesn’t yet have Phonak’s multiple device connection capability like the KS9.0’s. The audiologist figures it’ll come in a few months in a firmware update. She figures that they want to lag some features like that to motivate people to get the real thing as opposed to the Costco version.

If you can, get the TV streamer. I put it on my TV at home, and there’s great sound, respectable bass, and no lag that I can detect.

Incredibly happy with these. Just FYI, they’re the size 13, BTE, regular tubes. I’m 40, so I don’t care if the tubes are visible. Younger folks might feel self conscious about them.

Amazing review. I want to get size 13 with regular tubes as well and don’t care much about how I look with them.

Can you tell me how Phonak updates the firmware of the Brio 4 hearing aids? Does it happen automatically via phone or one has to go to Costco to get that done? I am not too worried about being connected to multiple devices at one time right now. I am fine with being connected to one device at a time.

Secondly, I want to ask if these hearing aids will connect to Macbook via Bluetooth automatically or do I need a TV streamer type of device for that?

Thirdly, what is Autosense? Is this the feature which tries to understand where the listener is and then amplifies their voice?

@TallRobocop said:

Can you tell me how Phonak updates the firmware of the Brio 4 hearing aids?

Anyone with up to date Target software can update the Brio 4 aids.

@TallRobocop said:

Secondly, I want to ask if these hearing aids will connect to Macbook via Bluetooth automatically or do I need a TV streamer type of device for that?

They should pair and stream with your MacBook. If all else fails a Bluetooth dongle might be needed.

@TallRobocop said:

Thirdly, what is Autosense?

AutoSense is a contoller that automatically changes programs based on the environment.

Hey Raudrive, thanks so much. Where can I buy/download this Target software from? How will I connect Target with Phonak hearing aids wirelessly? Do I need some device for that or does it happen over bluetooth?

I will make sure to get bluetooth dongle from Costco and also TV streamer just to be safe.

Autosense feels like an awful idea to me. I want to change modes myself based on environment rather than leave it automatic because I am sure it will mismatch a lot of times and will give me less control. I feel with experienced users, having full control ourselves gives us more peace of mind.

Raudrive covered your questions quite well. Just to chip in: In Canada, we have to go to Costco to get updates done at the moment. Same as with the remote appointments, we lag a bit behind the States for some things related to hearing aids. They may bring remote firmware updates up here soon. In the meantime, I feel pretty good with what I have now since they have many months experience with the KS 9.0’s. A lot of similarity with the software.

I connected to my Android tablet no problem. I can’t imagine Macs having any issues. I use my streamer for my desktop. Great for late night gaming with the family asleep.

As Raudrive said, Autosense changes sound focus based on environment. I forgot to mention in my initial post that the performance in-car is insanely better than anything I’ve ever had before. Previously, I’d have to ask my wife to repeat herself a million times. Not now. I can hear my little girl babbling in the backseat when she’s at it. Otherwise, the focus is on music on the radio or the passenger. Top notch work by Phonak there. That was a real weakness for me in the past.

The Preza’s were okay by comparison, but compared to the Brios, they felt like comparing amplifiers to full-on HA’s. To be clear, I know the Preza’s are based on the Resound Quattro 9’s, which are pretty solid hearing aids in their own right (if the reviews are anything to go on). It just felt like it was more raw power with little finesse. The Brio’s feel like they bring both power and finesse to the table.

Awesome! Thank you for sharing your experience. I believe with Target software installed, I could always experiment with Autosense myself. Glad to hear Brio 4 are performing so well for you. I am now very excited to trying them out. Have an appointment on Thursday, will report my experience after trying them out.

The Brio 4 didn’t work well for me, unfortunately. I could sense the voice was a bit clear but it was not powerful enough to unlock true potential. I need Phonak Naida B90 UP hearing aids because that’s the last model Phonak made which fits my profile. It’s a bummer because I really wanted direct bluetooth connectivity. But I guess I will have to wait a few years for that.

Do you guys think I can get a discount on the older model from an audiologist?

You might want to start a thread with your questions. Better to get away from the Brio 4 thread.
I am confident you will get some aids that help you soon.

The KS 9 now uses the Myphonak app.