Costco Rexton Trax 42 (Product Information)

Okay, thanks for explaining! In that case I think your aids should definitely behave better, but I don’t know what to suggest.

Someone else mentioned having a similar problem where the aids seemed confused and cycled features in a single environment. Others don’t complain about that. It may be that they can be adjusted in the software to be less sensitive.

I have a similar experience with my Trax 42s, driving a later model Civic, which isn’t a particularly well sound-insulated car - my left ear really picks up wind noise from the closed window. The sound is really wild if it’s raining while driving at freeway speed. I also hear the HAs trying to adjust to the sounds, which is obvious to me by the way voices on the radio cycle from crisp to soft and back to crisp. So far I’ve dealt with it by simply lowering the HA volume, or sometimes using the Noise/Party setting is sufficient. I’d welcome a better solution, as long is it didn’t involve having to buy a new quieter car.

I have issues with general road noise that comes from the tires not the wind. I’ve found if I turn up the radio, I guess it directs the aids to the radio and it subsides. If I’m riding with someone and have the radio low to talk, it happens similar to the way the wind noise as describe occurs. I hope to have programming adjusted next visit. Via email the HIS said it’s a programming adjustment that will fix that.

I want to thank everyone for the replies. At least I know that others are experiencing similar issues. I particularly thank Doubledown for the specific suggestions.

for some reason some people can hear tones very well but can not hear speech. People like you, I find are much more sensitive to noise. interesting to see that your hearing is worst in the left ear. I am assuming you are typically driving so that ear is picking up most of the road noise.

I think that you may have me pegged correctly. I do seem to have more trouble with speech than my audiogram would suggest. Yes, it is almost entirely the left ear that is picking up the noise.

Maybe you can ask the audi to create a car program that lowers the gain on your left ear.

Actually, the audi did create a car program for the car, based on the iFocus360 program. She did lower the gain on the left ear, but not by much. I’m thinking maybe lowering it more, and since the noise is in the higher frequencies that I can’t hear without aids, maybe lowering the gain in those frequencies. I’m kind of grasping at straws here.

Also possibly just have the program stay in directional mic mode. sudden change in volume tells me that the aid probably switched from directional to omni microphone mode. Once that’s done the digital noise reduction process has to engage again.

I asked her if in the iFocus360 program she could lock the mikes to the right, and she said that the software couldn’t do that. I wish it could, as that would probably solve the problem. I considered the question of whether this increase in noise was from a change in the noise reduction or a change in mike direction/beam angle, and concluded that it was noise reduction because I get the same thing happening (although not as bad) if I use the noise/party program, and my understanding is that in that program, the mikes are always directed ahead, and don’t change beam width on their own. My conclusion could be wrong, though.

Have you tried lowering the volume of the aid when you get into the car?

I have not tried that, because my reason for wearing them in the car is to better hear conversation, but I will try that.

If you have the app installed on your smart phone, you should be able to lower the volume on just the one ear. It send a sonic signal so you don’t need any accessory to use it.

turbo2thousand,
I was told that Trax 42 CIC does not come with Bluetooth , the RIC model does.
may be i need to talk to my costco audi to find out if things changed.
TJ

I too have a huge problem driving in my old van. I just take the aids out and make my wife mad.

In our other vehicles its not a big deal but the wind whistle in the van is terrible.

If you are wearing the Bluetooth, you can use the smart connect to set up directional only to the right side, away from the window. I havent’ tried that yet as I don’t wear my Bluetooth often. You cannot control volume in each ear. I may be wrong but because the aids have bi-nural or whatever that is, the sound into the left ear is equalized to the right ear so maybe siemens rationalized not needing volume control per ear. This is a huge advantage over the cheaper k6 aids (just kidding). . But I suppose that may have nothing to do with separate volume controls.
I’m very interested to see how that amazon Bluetooth works with the aids. I read somewhere that lip sync is the big problem over not buying the siemens Bluetooth transmitter.

Edit" I finally took a few minutes to figure out why I never remember the name of the Bluetooth receiver/transmitter. Its a smart connect, but the app is also called smart connect and in the siemens world (not rexton) the smart connect is called the easy tek. I’m easily confused.

I don’t wear my HAs as much anymore, mainly situationally. I find if I wear them to a restaurant or a gym, I cant hear because of all the background noise. We go for a group supper at a resteraunt and it is a total waste of time for me. No matter how I adjust them. Its the background noise that kills me. I cant’ hear without them either.

When I go to meeting or coffee or sit around the house with company and there is less background noise, I wear them and they help tremendously. Without them on, everyone get annoyed and tells me to go get them.

I forgot them for a meeting recently and it was a waste of time being there as I could not hear a word. I kinda freak people a bit as I lip read more than I thought so I stare pretty hard.

I actually have excellent word recognition but cannot make out speech. If I wear Sony wireless earphones to watch tv, (without my aids), most of the time I can make out the words even with the volume on very low. Yet without the earphones, I cannot make out most tv words even with the tv volume cranked all the way up. At movies, I don’t use the aids but get the hearing assist device.

And I’m on my third set of custom molds and they keep coming out. The latest ones are huge and fill up my whole ear. I wanted the BTE because they were discrete. I have a little vanity left I guess. The audi can see them coming out but can’t make them stay in unless I get the huge honkers.

Soooo, I’m not sure whether buying the aids was a good or bad investment.

mjd2k, Do you have tv program on your HA’s?

mjd2k,

A lot of your problems can be resolved with just using open domes.

@MTSAILOR said:

jcummins,
If your audi is able to fix the problem, please find out what he does and let us know. When is your next appointment. Mine is just over a week from now and I really hope to go prepared with some suggestions in case my audi doesn’t have a solution.

Being 120 miles one way to Costco, I try and get my ducks in order before going there.

Next appt the 15th, week and a half away. I’ll report back after that. I’ve got a long list…including new molds with locks, to do.

@doubledown said:

mjd2k,

A lot of your problems can be resolved with just using open domes. I remember you switching to custom molds mainly for music. custom fittings should only be used by people who do not have normal hearing in the lower frequencies. if music is so important then just get headphones with large cans to cover your ears and aids. This would help with the loudness of the noise as you would be using your natural hearing more to handle the noise. Also you would hear better in noise as you are once again using your natural hearing more.

but you will have to clean your aids before and after you wear them. I suspect many on this forum are stating that they are but really they can’t be bothered with cleaning their aids. wax is a lubricant. it’s also filled with viruses and germs that will inflame your ear canal wall ensuring an improper fit. I suggest you replace your domes often when you get them again. and this time carry around alcohol swabs to clean them before the audi puts them in your ear. I suspect many audis are not properly keeping the aids clean before giving them back to the users.

also check if your aids are on the correct ears. some have posted that the audi mixed the left and right ears. you can use the app for this. turn one aid off and only turn the other one on and see which aid the app detects.

hearing aids do not help in large group conversation or meetings. they do not help at the movies. they do not work at concerts. every brand has a line specifically to deal with meetings\classroom situations. typically they are fm based products. I suggest you look into assistive listening devices.

If you ever watch anybody film anything ever in your life you find that microphones are typically placed right next to the speaker. if our hearing aids worked as well as you expect them to, then these film crews would not be carrying big poles and huge shotgun microphones and stick them right next to the sound sources. this is why you need assistive listening devices when you want to hear people outside of normal conversation distant.

for movies and concert you will have to ask the venues for whatever devices they have to help you hear.

MTSAILOR,

You can turn off your left aid whenever you are in the car also.

pretty sure for focusing to the right the ifocus 360 is just putting the right microphone in omni mode and the left aid in directional mic mode. you can ask the audi to have your car program do that. don’t use ifocus 360 in the program. the only problem with removing ifocus 360 is that I believe to hear people from behind it is reversing the polarity of the 2 microphones on your aids. if you already have ifocus 360 available via your app this should not be a big deal. or you just add another program just for ifocus 360.

what acoustic option do you have? custom mold? have you tried domes? especially for your right ear?

Look, I don’t want to seem like I’m picking on your posts here as you’re an experienced poster, but have a think before posting stuff like the above and the incessant Widex plugging due to their Audibility Extender. It’s really easy to establish fallacies in the minds of the people who are looking for advice on here - this sort of stuff will make them look foolish in front of their Audiologist.

What a huge load of horse-shit…

@doubledown said:

mjd2k,

A lot of your problems can be resolved with just using open domes. I remember you switching to custom molds mainly for music. custom fittings should only be used by people who do not have normal hearing in the lower frequencies. if music is so important then just get headphones with large cans to cover your ears and aids. This would help with the loudness of the noise as you would be using your natural hearing more to handle the noise. Also you would hear better in noise as you are once again using your natural hearing more.

but you will have to clean your aids before and after you wear them. I suspect many on this forum are stating that they are but really they can’t be bothered with cleaning their aids. wax is a lubricant. it’s also filled with viruses and germs that will inflame your ear canal wall ensuring an improper fit. I suggest you replace your domes often when you get them again. and this time carry around alcohol swabs to clean them before the audi puts them in your ear. I suspect many audis are not properly keeping the aids clean before giving them back to the users.

also check if your aids are on the correct ears. some have posted that the audi mixed the left and right ears. you can use the app for this. turn one aid off and only turn the other one on and see which aid the app detects.

hearing aids do not help in large group conversation or meetings. they do not help at the movies. they do not work at concerts. every brand has a line specifically to deal with meetings\classroom situations. typically they are fm based products. I suggest you look into assistive listening devices.

If you ever watch anybody film anything ever in your life you find that microphones are typically placed right next to the speaker. if our hearing aids worked as well as you expect them to, then these film crews would not be carrying big poles and huge shotgun microphones and stick them right next to the sound sources. this is why you need assistive listening devices when you want to hear people outside of normal conversation distant.

for movies and concert you will have to ask the venues for whatever devices they have to help you hear.

MTSAILOR,

You can turn off your left aid whenever you are in the car also.

pretty sure for focusing to the right the ifocus 360 is just putting the right microphone in omni mode and the left aid in directional mic mode. you can ask the audi to have your car program do that. don’t use ifocus 360 in the program. the only problem with removing ifocus 360 is that I believe to hear people from behind it is reversing the polarity of the 2 microphones on your aids. if you already have ifocus 360 available via your app this should not be a big deal. or you just add another program just for ifocus 360.

what acoustic option do you have? custom mold? have you tried domes? especially for your right ear?