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Oticon OpenSound Booster

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I have been searching for information as to exactly what is occuring when engaging the OpenSound Booster which Oticon is touting for complex noisy environments to aid hearing. It is engaged by a button within the Oticon ON Android or IOS applications.

Watching a video where they sing the praises of Oticon allowing the wearer to hear sounds from all directions , activating the OpenSound Booster apparently turns off rear and side facing microphones and increases ambient noise reduction. The video can be seen on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKo6TPukcJM101

This has been my biggest gripe with my OPN1 aids in noisy situations for my loss. They pick up so much other sound from all around that it drowns out the voice of the person whom I am trying to communicate with. Sounds to me as though with their investigation last spring of users into what was the biggest problems in noisy environments, maybe they actually listened to real world users for once.

While this may be considered to be a dumbing down of the OPN platform once activated, I am betting that this will benefit some of us in noisy environments big time. It’s exactly what I have been asking my aids to be able to do in those situations but my Audi and Oticon claimed it wan’t possible with the OPN platform prior to this.

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I have Oticon OPN1s, as well.

My audiologist created a program for me to use when I am driving that reduces road and traffic noise. I don’t hear sirens any better, but also no worse than with the default program (which is light-years better than my unaided ears). I am able to carry on a conversation with my wife in the car on the highway now. When I get in the car, or otherwise find myself in a noisy situation, that program helps a lot.

Yeah I think that Oticon is admitting that the open strategy doesn’t always work in noisy environments for some people, so now it looks like they are implementing or restoring the beam forming option via the OpenSound Booster.

I think they should have had this option since day one for the OPNs. It doesn’t take anything more than they already have to implement it, except that perhaps it’d dilute the effectiveness of the open paradigm marketing.

What I’m not clear on is whether it’ll be available via a firmware update for the original OPNs or not.

i have Oticon OPN 1 miniRITEs and am using the OPN ON program - I don’t see any such option. My version is 1.10.0 (4635). ???

I have MoreSoud Booster, and I activated it in different sounds scenes, but zero effect.

Oticon ON, on Android
last updates on app and firmware

How is your experience with this option, it works or is just a visual/placebo feature?

I have the More1 aids and I use and find MoreSoundBoost works when in meetings so I can hear one person and not all of the others. I also use it in noisy restaurants so I can hear the ones at the table I am at. It doesn’t eliminate background noise but it lowers it enough that I can hear. In the meetings I still hear the others talking but not as loud as the one I am concentrating on hearing.
There are some settings within the hearing aid fitting that will override the MoreSoundBoost because basically it s always in it. I don’t know what they are because I don’t do do my own fittings, I am just saying what my audiologist told me.

In reply to @habasescu.nicu

Oticon OPN S1. I almost always switch on the OpenSound Booster when watching television. I have a surround sound system which still sounds good but the Booster setting helps me understand speech. The problem is the difference is subtle and I forget to turn it on or off and would like a simpler way to do so.

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