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Questions concerning custom molds

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Newby here, just joined and my second post.

I am 72 years old and recently got a pair of hearing aids. Currently I have tulip domes on my Jabra Enhance Pro 20 () hearing aids, and many times I find it hard to fit the receivers in my ear, or they seem out of alignment to the ear canal. So I thinking about getting custom molds. I can’t determine if silicone or acrylic would be most comfortable, durable and have good retention. Also, I would like the molds to be vented so I can hear bass sound. I would want the molds to be small inconspicuous unlike some I have seen. Are the receivers permanently molded within the molds or can the receivers be removed from the molds like domes? The reason I am asking is I would have to pay for new molds every time they have to replace the receiver if it is bonded to the mold. Any information is greatly appreciated!

BTW, I will be using Costco Hearing Aid Center for the custom molds.

Nick

I am over 70 old and right now it is my 7th pair, I use custom made mold ; acrylic with vents, I can not take molds without the vents. With age the ear the shape is changing a bit, Imake new ones with new hearing aids. if you do not like them , they will remake them for you, I mean Costco

@Nick.F said:

silicone or acrylic

Hi @Nick.F There are some good YouTube videos on custom ear moulds that cover a number of aspects including the pros and cons of silicone vs acrylic. I think silicone was thought to be the best alternative for comfort.

GN’s earmolds can either be encased or micromolded, and both can be vented. I use the term “micromold” to include everything where the receiver inserts into the earmold and can be removed. Although the embedded receivers can be a hassle insofar as repairs, because they are receivers themselves, manufacturer warranty can be a lot friendlier. With some manufacturers the embedded receiver warranty follows that of the hearing aid (~3 years) as opposed to micromolds which may have a warranty of a few months. Furthermore, I have found that embedded receivers allow the manufacturer to better customize where the components are located, and the earmold ends up being smaller than a micromold. Lastly, at least this is the case with GN Resound, the embedded receivers can have the wire insert at an upward angle so it can hug the anterior notch better. At any rate, if you are going for discretion, starting with a deep impression is key so the manufacturer has more information to work with when deciding what they can fit where (“your ear is the boss”), but asking to recess into the canal helps as well.

I’m using embedded acrylic molds with a vent. I’d expect bass to be stronger without a vent. The molds have an extension that keeps them in place even on road bike rides; I expect they’d keep the receivers in place even on many MTB routes.

One of my ear canals is not easy to fit, so some days it takes some effort to insert the molds properly.

The embedded molds allow me to hear much better than the previous molds which allowed removal of the receiver.

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