In canal aids? why these over RIC aids? (phonak Virto, etc.)

Hi
I’ve always had CIC or IIC ( always Phonak current aid Titanium M90 IIC) and tried the Phonak Sphere RIC, recently but found it required a whole different experience to from just close battery door and put in ear and forget them, to fiddling around to place behind ears get tip into ear and put glasses on mindful not to push aid off my ear. That said as I say never had RIC so may just have required getting used to them but
TBH I didn’t find the Sphere made that remarkable a difference to warrant the fuss so returned and awaiting the CIC/IIC infinio when available in UK.

@bradw said:

The only down sides that jump out at me intuitively is
limits to smaller batteries
and likely cost for the custom nature of the mold.

Less funtionality. Bluetooth issues (if they have it), no telecoil.

Everything is inside you ear canal, so more susceptible to wax, moisture etc.

Occlusion.

Visibility. I actually see those easier on people, than RIC/BTE.

When things go wrong with them, it a more difficult fix, and you’re likely to be without the HAs for longer.

@bradw said:

Looks like my slimtip vent is approx Ø2mm, and the hole runs full thickness, so it a 2mm pipe approx 1/2 inch long

Sounds more like a c.shell?

I think I’ve probably been very fortunate that I don’t have waxy ears and have never had ear infection.
Batteries last me about a week but I’m retired and don’t put them in until mid to late morning apart from a couple of times a week when at church or meetings.
I’ve never used an app for hearing aids impossible with titanium and never in previous aids - just went back for adjustments - I’m sorry I don’t have an audiogram to show my loss but I have a very deep U shaped cookie bite hearing loss

Bluetooth in my RIC was a nuisance especially in my car and eventually switched it off so I’m prob not an ideal user in many ways

@Bella said:

Bluetooth in my RIC was a nuisance especially in my car and eventually switched it off so I’m prob not an ideal user in many ways

To be fair, Bluetooth can be a nuisance in all Phonak aids. It overides everything else.

For example, you could be in a specific programme, and scrolling past a video in Facebook (even with the volume off), and it can switch you over to Bluetooth. After that, it won’t return you to your original programme, but back to Autosense instead.

It took me ages to find workarounds.

Thank you didn’t know that as I’ve never had Bluetooth Im not missing it.
What threw me - I was connected car play with cable but when call came in and ended I was left hearing nothing - as I returned the Spheres I didn’t bother investigating was just easier to switch off.

yeah they weren’t what I was expecting, based on the few pictures Ive seen of slimtips. I even verified and she said that they are slimptips that she ordered…