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Ultra/Super Power Hearing Aids with Semi-Linear option

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Hey guys! I am back in the market looking for a new ultra/super power hearing aids for my severe to profound hearing loss. I have been wearing Signia Charge & Go 7X SP hearing aids for over a year now and I am sure that I have configured it right. The only problem is that it doesn’t have a semi-linear option so I am looking to switch. Why does it matter? Here’s why:

Signia Conexx software comes with just two options - Xfit Compression and Linear. The first option has soft sound amplified more than loud sound and the second option has loud sound amplified equal to soft and medium sounds. With Xfit compression, I am able to hear better in a silent room but even the slightest of noise makes it hard for me to understand. I have tried every option under the sun, even reducing soft sounds manually in the configuration but it hasn’t helped. I could settle with linear option but honestly it is too hard on my ears now even though I have been using linear my whole life except the last year. The benefit is that it handles background noise better since it doesn’t interfere with speech as much.

This brings me to the point where I thought why not use a semi-linear option that sets the ratio in such a way that it reduces soft sounds and improves loud sounds. To see an example of the ratio, have a look at this article: Hearing aids ReSound - amplification-modes12

Please recommend me the top 3 brands and their UP/SP hearing aids that have a semi-linear option that I should try. I can’t try too many so I want to stick to the top 3 brands only. I was thinking Resound, Oticon, and Phonak. Is there any other that’s good? The only problem with Phonak is that I couldn’t figure out how to max the in their software. When I tried to manually push the MPO values to max, the sound was not as loud as Signia. In Signia Conexx software there is a single option you can turn on to max the MPO which helps me a ton.

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I think you’ll do fine “limiting” yourself to Resound, Oticon and Phonak. For programming issues, see the (do it yourself) section of the forum. If Cochlear implant is at all an option, that would be my first suggestion.

I suggest you might look at Phonak Naida Paradise P90-UP 675.
The P90 are the advance version (these are what I am currently using and programming)

Edited
@hass5744 said:

Zebra loves the sky and all the pretty colors it comes in.

And???

I’m just mentioning that MY hearing aids have this option!

First, my Sky V70 were issued by the hospital. I had no choice in them and the colour.

Yes I bought the Sky M70 but what’s the issue with having a different colour?

What is YOUR issue with the Phonak Sky?

How are you doing?

Back again trying to get some hearing out of those bad ears.
I understand.

When a persons hearing gets bad it becomes very difficult to program the aids for speech understanding. Too many piano keys are missing!

I am now bilateral . Doing very well with them.

Which brand are your and how much did they cost you? Lastly, how much difference do you feel in your hearing compared to when you used to wear hearing aids?

In reply to @Zebras

Thanks! This is the first time I am hearing of Sky V70 UP hearing aids. I always thought Naida UP were the only models for profound hearing loss users like me. Have you tried Naida models? What’s the difference between Naida and Sky model in terms of output or speech understanding or anything else?

@TallRobocop said:

What’s the difference between Naida and Sky model in terms of output or speech understanding or anything else?

They have the same amount of power etc.

It’s just the colour of them and they have a flashing light (so you know if they are powered on) which I have turned off anyway. The rest is exactly the same.

Naida is aimed at adults.

Sky is aimed at children. That is why they are in more colours and have a flashing light.

Naida V70 UP and Sky V70 UP is basically the same technology inside apart from the flashing light.

Have a look at the new Naida Paradise UP. I can’t see why the new technology wouldn’t have the semi linear option as well.

In reply to @TallRobocop

I use Cochlear brand . I wear the Kanso 2 processors now, also have a pair of N7 processors.

I could not afford CI before reaching age 65 here in the US. Once I reached 65 Medicare paid for my CI implants. Both implants were done within 3 months.

The difference between hearing aids and CI is night and day. I could not have any form of conversation without reading lips in a quiet environment when I wore aids. Streaming phone calls had become very hit and miss. With CI I am in the 90% word understanding area in quiet and mid 60’s speech understanding in noise. These tests were over a year ago and I am confident they will be better on my next audiologist visit.

Good luck with your hearing.

In reply to @Raudrive

I am so happy to hear that. Your quality of life must have gone up! I am hesitant about getting a and have some questions. I would appreciate it if you can address them:

  1. How expensive is it to get CI + Surgery as a private person (I am a non-US resident)?
  2. If you want to change brand later, is that possible?
  3. How complicated is the surgery? I always fear going under anaesthesia due to the risks.
  4. Is your CI bulky in size? How big are the aids and those circular magnets attached to the back of your head?
  5. Are the wires hanging too much out? Do you fear someone putting their hand at the back of your head and the attached magnet coming off accidentally?
  6. When you go to the airport, is it safe to go in the machine during the TSA checking?
Edited
@TallRobocop said:
  1. How expensive is it to get CI + Surgery as a private person (I am a non-US resident)?

In the US I hear numbers like $50-80 thousand for each . I really do not have a good answer. Your country may be totally different. Maybe your country will pay for your CI? I don’t know. The US Medicare system paid for my implants.

@TallRobocop said:
  1. If you want to change brand later, is that possible?

No, once the implant surgery is done with a particular CI brand, that’s it unless you have another surgery to remove the implant. All the CI brands update processors that will be compatible with older implants.

@TallRobocop said:
  1. How complicated is the surgery? I always fear going under anaesthesia due to the risks.

CI surge takes about 3-4 hours. In the US it’s an out patient procedure.

@TallRobocop said:
  1. Is your CI bulky in size? How big are the aids and those circular magnets attached to the back of your head?

The on the ear processors like the Nucleus 7 are about the same size as the Phonak Naida UP aid. The Kanso 2 is about an 1.25 inches diameter and about .5 inch tall. I find it to be light and forget it’s even on my head.

@TallRobocop said:
  1. Are the wires hanging too much out? Do you fear someone putting their hand at the back of your head and the attached magnet coming off accidentally?

The Kanso 2 does not have any wires to hang up on anything. The Nucleus 7 does have a wire from the processor to the coil. It lays next to your head, shouldn’t hang up things.

@TallRobocop said:
  1. When you go to the airport, is it safe to go in the machine during the TSA checking?

No problem going through TSA check points. If asked, it’s a medical device. You will receive documentation to prove this after surgery.

Hopefully other CI members can chime in with more help or correct me if I am wrong.

This was so helpful. I have some follow up questions since I am in the US and your comment has made me seriously consider looking into .

  • Why do you have two different processors? Which one do you use the most? Are they for two different use cases?
  • Do you have modes in your CI like how they are in the hearing aids - normal, noise environment, TV, etc?
  • Does your CI also have different compression levels like linear, semi-linear, and compression?
  • Does your CI needs to be configured by inputting different values of like how we do with hearing aids after taking a hearing test?
  • Can you wear a baseball cap? Does wearing it cause any interference physically?
Edited
@TallRobocop said:
  • Why do you have two different processors? Which one do you use the most? Are they for two different use cases?

In the US with Medicare you get a backup processor. I chose a N7 and a K2. They both work equally except the K2 has better Bluetooth reception in my opinion. If the K2 sticks to your implant they can be very comfortable.

@TallRobocop said:
  • Do you have modes in your CI like how they are in the hearing aids - normal, noise environment, TV, etc?

The processors have programs like hearing aids. With Cochlear it involves different environments much like hearing aid programs. Noise reduction is another area that can be adjusted many ways, like hearing aids. I can not answer the details like I could with Phonak for example, I don’t have the programming/mapping software.

@TallRobocop said:
  • Does your CI also have different compression levels like linear, semi-linear, and compression?

This I do not know.

@TallRobocop said:
  • Does your CI needs to be configured by inputting different values of dB like how we do with hearing aids after taking a hearing test?

The term mapping is pretty much about this question. With we go through a series of sound tests at different frequencies and db. We tell the audiologist what we hear. Mappings are derived from these tests.

@TallRobocop said:
  • Can you wear a baseball cap? Does wearing it cause any interference physically?

I have found the elastic banded caps work well. You just have to be careful putting them on and taking them off. My family says I have a watermelon head so caps and hats can be a challenge with CI.

Hopefully more CI people will help with this.

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