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Philips HearLink 9050 to hit Costco soon? With similar tech to Oticon Intent?

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I’m sitting with my 9050s, fresh out of the Costco fitting and return of the 9040s. It’s different. While snacking on pizza I could hear everyone around me, their food wrappers too. There is a sense of the sound adjusting as I move, a very soft whooshing phase change.

The fit seems better. There is a sharper angle from the wire to the earpiece which orients it for less twisting. I like the one touch telephone pick up and hang up too.

So far so good.

Yabut… I do both volume and program changes quite often, and one of them will require a long press – 2 sec. for each change. So, say, three changes would take 6+ sec., a subjectively long time.

In reply to @brec

Yes, that is correct. Remember the right button goes up to programs 1,2,3,4 while the left goes down 4,3,2,1 so if you know which one your are currently on, just use the left or right button to go to the program you want in a matter of seconds.

In reply to @user490

I am not sure that the automobile program is helpful for me. I find it’s just the same as to turn the volume all the way down which cuts out the road noise back to what you hear without the hearing aid, which should be quieter. I will have to experiment with driving with someone speaking in the car and see if it brings out the voice over the road noise. It certainly does not cut out the road noise from a Honda CRV at all. The program has to be added as one of your 4 programs so it’s not active unless you go to that program.

In reply to @brec

Yes, that’s probably a good money saving decision unless you still have time on your six-month Costco return option. Costco made it easy to return with no questions asked or"sales pitch" even thought with the new 9050 a new Real Ear test had to be performed and the feedback test because the receiver is different that the 9040. My tests indicated to use the open bass double dome, but the filters are the same for both models. I also asked for extra domes and filters to take with me, since I’m a two hour round trip from the store. They will change them for you in the store for free by the way.

When it is set up for volume changes, a press on the right button (remember there’s only one button on each side, unlike the 9040) move the programs up numerically, 1,2,3,4 from where the current program is. So, if you are on 2, it goes to 3, etc. If you press the left button it goes down numerically, 4,3,2,1. So, let’s say you are program1 and want to go quickly to 4, press the left button once. If you are on 4 and want to go to 1, press the right button once. You will get used to it after awhile.

I got 9050s on Tuesday this week. I had Oticon OPN 1 before.

I haven’t been in any challenging situation yet, but I have found some differences/surprises in the noise handling. I am mainly using the General program, which I believe configured according to Philips defaults.

The first surprise relates to directionality. Philips makes a big deal about how the aids switch to omnidirectional when the wearer is walking. I found the noise reduction is directional when I am walking down the sidewalk. For example, a person is running a power lawnmower across the street from me, so it is on my right. I turn my head a bit to the left to look at something as I walk, and the higher frequencies of the noise stop. I can pivot my head back and forth and the high frequencies go away at certain angles.
I also experienced a similar thing when I was standing still in my driveway with my air compressor running about 40 feet away. When I had my head looking one way, the noise reduction kicked in, and when I looked another way, I got the full spectrum of noise.

The second thing about noise also is about when the noise reduction cuts in and out. I think this is related to what they call soundmap noise control transition. I had a couple cases where there was steady background noise (light rain on a metal roof, kitchen exhaust fan). When there was an additional noise, such as my voice, or a light thump of a box being moved, the background noise would get cut back, and then immediately resume when the other noise stopped.

These behaviors are different from anything I experienced with my Opn . I think I can deal with them but they do seem strange. I can see myself wanting a program that is omnidirectional and without noise reduction.

In reply to @brec

The big difference between the 9040 and 1950 is and connection to (When available). Also, the use of has improved significantly over the 9040s. If you are within 6 months of purchasing the 9040s, I would return them and buy the 9050s, however, if you had the 9040s beyond the 6 months, stay with them until the 9060 come out.

In reply to @Don_B

Don, I use a third party dome on my 9040s - Starkey.

Is the physical connection for the 9050 compatible with the 9040 so that I can use Starkey domes on the 9050? I have a major itching problem with something in the materials in the 9040 domes.

Yes, I believe that 9050 connection is the same. However, the new fitting for the 9040 will tell you the optimal dome for the new hearing aids. In my case the open bass double was recommended or the normal open bass (with the openings on the dome which is probably what you have. The hearing fitting software will show a chart for the efficiency and suitability of the various domes.

Edited

@stevepriceloco thank you for sharing your detailed observations. I am new to and your descriptions help me to understand and identify what’s going on. I will say the 9050 is a definite and immediate improvement over the 9040.

Speech in noise is still a challenge for me. I went to a high school volleyball game and couldn’t decode speech without pulling in close. It was quite loud and I felt connected to the event and the folks near me, but still couldn’t make out much of what was being said. It was almost there but not quite.

I posted this next bit in another thread. Reposting here since this is the de facto 9050 thread:

Charger battery life is excellent. I got my 9050s 12 days ago. I wear all day every day. This morning the charger still shows two of three LEDs. That’s better than the 9040 charger, which needed a refill around day 8.

@Skywatcher said:

Charger battery life is excellent. I got my 9050s 12 days ago. I wear all day every day. This morning the charger still shows two of three LEDs. That’s better than the 9040 charger, which needed a refill around day 8.

This is great news. How does the charger compare to the Rexton Reach in size?

In reply to @stevepriceloco

@stevepriceloco said:

I got 9050s on Tuesday this week. I had Oticon OPN 1 before.

I haven’t been in any challenging situation yet, but I have found some differences/surprises in the noise handling. I am mainly using the General program, which I believe configured according to Philips defaults.

The first surprise relates to directionality. Philips makes a big deal about how the aids switch to omnidirectional when the wearer is walking. I found the noise reduction is directional when I am walking down the sidewalk. For example, a person is running a power lawnmower across the street from me, so it is on my right. I turn my head a bit to the left to look at something as I walk, and the higher frequencies of the noise stop. I can pivot my head back and forth and the high frequencies go away at certain angles.
I also experienced a similar thing when I was standing still in my driveway with my air compressor running about 40 feet away. When I had my head looking one way, the noise reduction kicked in, and when I looked another way, I got the full spectrum of noise.

The second thing about noise also is about when the noise reduction cuts in and out. I think this is related to what they call soundmap noise control transition. I had a couple cases where there was steady background noise (light rain on a metal roof, kitchen exhaust fan). When there was an additional noise, such as my voice, or a light thump of a box being moved, the background noise would get cut back, and then immediately resume when the other noise stopped.

These behaviors are different from anything I experienced with my Opn HAs. I think I can deal with them but they do seem strange. I can see myself wanting a program that is omnidirectional and without noise reduction.

Thanks for sharing this level of details on the 9050 with us. I’m also currently wearing the OPN 1 so I’m very interested in your experience.

The main thing I’m aware of regarding the directionality control of the 9050 is the new 4D Sensor feature that it gets like with the Oticon Intent, and what you’re observing while walking around as you describe is the direct effect of that. How well it can map the head motion into your actual intent remains to be seen. But at first glance, it seems quite rudimentary. I think with somebody who’s more used to the OPN 1 like you and I, we will probably prefer a program that is more truly omnidirectional to match with the open paradigm we’re used to on the OPN, like you’re alluding to in the end there.

I also presume that you already have access to the 9050 whitepaper, based on some of the terminologies you mentioned in your post. I think if you get familiar enough with that whitepaper, it might give you some clues in there to help guide you set up the most optimal parameters value to your liking. Even better is if you can DYI so that you can experiment freely with all the parameters quickly, as I know it might not be that quick to get appointments with Costco

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