Do Phonak Marvels have a fading problem?

Turns out I had some “fading” on my Phonak Marvels AFTER I had a special program set up for “Speech in Loud Noise”. This is the 4th program on my aids (default, Speech in Noise, OFF, and Speech in Loud Noise). When I cycle through the programs, only the “Speech in LOUD Noise” seems to first fade to just about ZERO volume for a good 15 seconds or so.

The first few times I tried to use the program, I was irked to hear NOTHING - as if my aids had completely shut off. Only when I left the aids in “Speech in LOUD Noise” for a minute did the aids gradually - ever so slooooooowly kick in. The result is a nearly perfect program for super noisy places (restaurants, airport, mall, parties, etc.,).

The way my “Speech in LOUD Noise” program was set up, it boosts frequencies in the speech range, is directional, and seems to dampen down just about every other frequency.

I was going to kill the program until I had the patience to just sit tight and let the autosense built into the aids figure out where I was, what kind of frequencies were assaulting my aids, and then adjust to the parameters set up by my aud-guy. Result is I now LOVE the “Speech in LOUD Noise” program so much that I will likely kill the less useful “Speech in Noise” when I get in to see my audi.

The only downside is that if someone tries to talk to me while my aids are figuring out how to adapt to the “Speech in LOUD Noise” program, I won’t hear ONE SINGLE WORD. The aids truly fade away to like ZERO until the algorithm kicks in.

Staceylwatt, your issues are exactly what I experienced, and what prompted me to get in to my audi’s back in Sept. It’s true that the Phonak Marvels will fade in and out and go LOUD and SOFT as the autosense tries to optimize for its environment.

You can have the speech frequencies gain boosted in your aids software. The amount you can boost it depends on your own hearing loss. I have a verrrrry narrow band in which sound can be compressed cuz I have like a 75%+ loss. Even so, my new “Speech in LOUD Noise” is about the best I’ve had in a pair of aids for being able to hear most speech in super noisy places.

Have your audiologist turn down the Noise Management, too. I’ve got mine turned way down cuz I don’t like the aids to go LOUD then SOFT so dramatically - it’s very distracting! I’d rather have the aids keep sounds at about the same volume no matter what.