Power dome or custom ear mold

I have ear molds with Phonak Audeos which I like very much (purchased in Dec. 2023). However, I have been having a problem with the receiver wire breaking where it enters the ear mold. It’s happened twice in my right earpiece. Especially after the first time, I have been very careful about handling the aid and earmold, since my audiologist and Phonak both say the the primary cause of this breakage is damage caused by the user (blame the victim?). I believe that it is a design flaw that Phonak should rectify. In both cases the plastic sleeve lining the copper wire has pulled out of the earmold. For several days, the wire would continue to work until it, naturally, also broke because it wasn’t protected. I believe that the sleeve is only held in by friction with no reinforcement at the earmold, unlike at the other end of the wire where it goes into the main hearing aid. Since the earmold was specifically excluded from the 3 year guarantee, I have had to buy replacement earmold/receiver replacements costing nearly $225 each. In the prior 20 years of using domes, I have only replaced a receiver once.

What do you pull on to remove mold? Ideally the mold itself or if the mold is discreet a pull wire.

I’m clumsy when I change my wax filters

I have Phonak Slim Fit and PowerReceivers

@WhiteHat suggested I get a plastic tool from Phonak (Sonova)
Hats off to you WH! It’s wonderful.
It protects the receiver wires.

It would have been very cheap if I lived in the US

I use the pull tab. The mold is too deep to get a hold of. Because I believe that the receiver wire & cover are only held on by friction, I try to avoid putting any tension on the receiver wire.

Here is the photo of the wire entering the aid with the reinforcement.

It’s a Phonak 4.0 Receiver tool. I just broke my wrist. It hurts to take photos. Sorry!

Sounds like you’re being careful. Only thought I have is perhaps it’s getting bent? Good luck!

@Psych2 said:

I have a similar flat loss

55dB flat loss and 85 dB flat loss are not similar. In the majority of cases a power dome cannot support appropriate gain for an 86dB flat loss.

My excellent audi/provider assured me that custom ear molds would boost bass response. I’m a musician. The ear molds are indeed much better than my old rubber tips. AND: my molds don’t require wax guards on the outside. this worried me at first but it’s true. the little tool witn a brush and a pick used in the morning is sufficent. But I also got a Jodi-vac hearing aid cleaner. It’s essentially the same quality as the HA vaccuums that providers use to clear wax from any hearing aid. Not having to change out wax filters twice a week is wonderful. So yes, I’m a big fan of custom molds.