Phonak Aid "Clicking"

I have a pair of 2 year old Specsaver Phonak RIC 832 aids complete with a remote control.

About two months ago I noticed that sometimes, when there was a loud high pitched noise like a bird call - I could hear a feint “click” in the right ear a fraction of a second after each chirp. I also heard these clicks when exposed to the noise of dry paper rustling or the clink of cutlery or glasses. Even the TV sound would sometimes sponsor these clicks.

Gradually the clicking got worse until it became a real irritant - I tried various settings with the remote control but could not rectify the problem without turning down the volume to the point where the aid was not effective. I also tried swapping the aids from ear to ear and it confirmed that just one aid was defective.

So I returned the aid to Specsavers for repair at their standard cost of £89.50. The aid was returned a week later but the problem had not been rectified and I returned it again.

I collected the aid yesterday and at first thought it OK - but as the day progressed I can again hear the clicks - admittedly not as loud - but they are still there and the aid is suffering from more feedback whistle than before.

I was in the garden early this morning listening to the dawn chorus and for the first time noticed that the left aid is also occasionally clicking - but only just discernable. Whereas the noise of the right aid clicking is quite prominent. Yet again I experimented with the remote control but failed to mute the clicks without turning down the aids until they were ineffective.

I am starting to wonder whether my hearing has changed in some way so that I am more sensitive to the clicking sounds and that it is me - rather than the aids - at fault.

So my first question is - can this be so - or is another trip to Specsavers required.

My second question is whether clicking of aids in response to sharp high pitched sounds is a common problem.

This is an update to my previous posts.

After my last post I returned the aid for the third time and complained that Phonak - who supply my aid - would appear to be less than competent. The practitioner advised me that all their aids actually go back to a Starkey Lab for servicing and she admitted that they would not carry Phonak spares. The second repair report stated that solder repairs had been carried out and the aid tested OK.

In my presence she phoned the Phonak Lab, spoke to their service manager and related the full tale. He said that it could be a faulty receiver and suggested she should replace it as a first recourse. She happened to have a receiver in her stock so she replaced it and did some changes to the programme whilst I waited.

It is difficult for me to check that the aid is Ok in the confines of the Specsavers office - the problem occurs in real life with bird song, rattle of crockery or cutlery. rattle of keys etc. A variety of very sharp high pitched noises will produce the clicking.

At first I thought the aid was OK but on the third day I became aware that the clicking was present. I then recorded some bird song on my phone and went back to Specsavers for the third time to report the problem had not been resolved. This time the Practitioner was able to hear the clicking for herself and undertook to send the aid to Phonak for repair rather than Starkey.

It came back a week or so later. The repair report stated that the circuit module and receiver had been replaced and the phone tested OK. It seemed OK in the Specsavers Office - but yet again out in the real world the problem remained - if anything it was worse and there was an increase in feedback whistle from the aid. I tried altering the settings using the remote control but it had no effect so I took it back to Specsavers for the fourth time.

This time I saw a different Practitioner - my usual one was on holiday - so she looked through the file and tested the aid using her stethoscope whilst I played the bird song from my phone. She was able to hear the clicking and said she would write a full report on her findings and return it to Phonak for repair.

I collected the phone 4 days ago and was told that Phonak had reported the problem was a “wax issue” - they had cleaned it, fitted a new wax guard and it was now OK. I told the Practitioner that this could not have been the case - because I had changed the wax guard before bringing it back for repair and her colleague had heard the problem herself before returning it to Phonak again. I did however agree to try the aid over the Bank Holiday but expressed doubts it would be OK.

It wasn’t OK - the clicking is as prominent as before and I am due to return it for the fifth time on Thursday. The bird song on my phone is not very sharp, so this time I will take my laptop computer on which I have saved some audio files of birdsong and other noises that consistently cause the clicking - so that she has every opportunity of hearing how bad the problem is for herself.

Watch this space.

Hmmm so they are not supposed to click, who knew?? I have a phonak ambra bte and get the clicking when I’m lighting the gas cook top and the automatic ignition is firing (the clicking is different to the sound of the ignition but is definitely triggered by it).

Will be interested to read if other people find a solution.