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Widex Moment Sheer 440 or Phonak Lumity 90

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I have been wearing hearing aids for about 17 years. I am writing to request help in deciding which hearing aids I should purchase for my next pair. I am considering Widex Moment Sheer 440s or the Phonak Lumity 90s. I don’t see much discussion about Widex hearing aids on this site, so I hope someone will respond to this post.

My first hearing aids were made by Phonak, the next were Starkeys, and I tried Widex and Resound before settling on Oticons for the third pair. I was influenced to purchase Oticons by positive reviews on this forum, but the Oticons have never had good sound for me. Maybe the open sound is not a good fit for me, and/or the audiologist never adjusted them correctly. I met with her many times. I had a negative experience with Oticon as well. I had defective hearing aids that were sent back repeatedly with no resolution. My audiologist was not helpful. Finally, I wrote to the CEO and the customer service director at Oticon, and after some negative response got a new pair of hearing aids. There had been a known defect in my original . (!) I am still wearing the second pair of Oticons, though there have been a few problems with them as well.

I decided to try a different audiologist to see if the Oticon OPNs could be adjusted to my needs, since they still have a few months on warranty. I found a wonderful audiologist who was professional, skilled and kind. I paid her for some services, and she gave me a lot of free time to try different hearing aids. The practice that employs her charges outrageous prices for hearing aids, so before using her time I made it clear that I would not be able to purchase from them. I tried Oticon Mores while my HAs were in the shop, then Phonak Lumity 90s, then Widex Moment 440s. I tried Resounds in the office and felt they were still too “hot,” which is what I found when I wore them for months before.

My audiologist told me that Widex makes a type of power dome that others do not have, and she had me try them when I tried the Widex Moment 440s. With those domes I was able to understand the voices on radio news for the first time in years. Unfortunately I did not try the Phonak Lumity 90s with good power domes, so I don’t know if I would prefer the Phonaks if they were fitted with Widex power domes, or with custom domes. I know I may need to change to custom domes at this point, but the Widex power domes were a revelation. I liked the sound of both the Widex and Phonaks.

My free time with that audiologist is up, though she offers email consultation if I decide to purchase elsewhere. I admire her professionalism, and her sense of ethics. I plan to purchase hearing aids online, and I would love to hear from those of you have experience with Phonak Lumity 90s or Widex Moment Sheer 440s. Thank you for your help!

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One thing I forgot to mention is that I love music and really miss hearing music clearly.

Looking at your I would think custom ear molds would be needed with any brand of aids.

All the aids you mentioned are good aids when properly fit.

Thanks for the response. I have seen some of your posts about your Phonaks, and I assume you recommend them. Can you tell me what you like and don’t like about the Phonaks?

Hi @ibawaya. I have no experience with Widex so I can only comment on Phonak. I switched to Lumity 90s a few months ago from older Phonaks and have very pleased with their improved performance, especially in music. I also tried Oticons and they were not right for me. Please note I did not say Oticons were bad, they just did not suit me. I and my “hearing challenged” friends have become absolutely convinced that the real difference is not the hearing aid, it’s the audiologist, and it is worth paying for the latter. If your new audi was that good, perhaps you should reconsider whether her practice charges “outrageous” prices. At least, you may want to see if they will price match other sellers.

Thanks for your response! I appreciate your comments. I did ask the audiologist for a better price, but the answer was no. I think a lot of audiology practices are hanging on to the system that may be crashing around them.

I have had the widex moment 440 since 2020. There is only one difference between the simple moment version and the sheer version, namely the design of the device. Moment 440 offers quality, clear and natural sounds. Streaming via phone and TV is also very good. The widex application is an interesting one. Many adjustments can be made with the help of the application. You can also choose different preset settings for various situations, such as for restaurants, shopping, transport and so on. The biggest disadvantage is that it breaks down quickly. I’ve been wearing widex since 2001 and it’s my first Widex device that broke in less than 2 years. And a little over 2 years later, the other Moment 440 also broke down. So the new Widex devices break down very quickly due to humidity. At the same time, I used the dehumidifier almost every day, and despite all that, they broke. For me, the repair took at least 3 months.Another disadvantage is that in noisy conditions, I could not understand speech well.

I have been wearing Phonak Lumity for a month and I can write that I am satisfied with them. They are much better than Moment from every point of view. In the first days of wearing it, I was shocked to hear some sounds that I had not heard before. For example, when I was walking outside, I could clearly hear my steps; when I was in the house with the windows closed, I heard for the first time the plane flying, also the train passing by. Speech understanding is better in noisy conditions. The music sounds extraordinarily clear and good. For the first time in my life I understand the lyrics of the songs. I can call anyone without using the phone, in the sense that I call the Google Assistant directly by double tapping the ear. Also, you no longer need the phone’s microphone, only hearing aids to talk to someone. Should I also write that Lumity can connect to my piano with the help of Roger On and I can hear the notes so well?

In reply to @frogman

Hi @frogman, Excellent question. While I have noticed improvements both from streaming music and music through speakers, the improvement in streaming music is significantly more. For me a major annoyance with listening to music through is lack of lower frequency response. this has noticeably improved with the Lumitys.

In reply to @Corpore

Thank you so much for your very helpful response! I tried the Widex Moment 440s for a couple of weeks, and I liked many things about them. The sound was good for me, and I thought the app was great! It was easy to use and it had feaures that others don’t have. When I had the Phonak Lumity 90s the app seemed clunky, and I prefer to use MFI for the iPhone over using bluetooth.I did not have a chance to see how it worked with connecting to laptops, etc., and maybe I would like that enough to make up for the steeper learning curve to use the app. I had the Phonaks for about a month. Of course working hearing aids is key, so I am taking your post seriously.

Firstly, I have not read all the comments so far - so advance apologies if I cover similar ground!
I have first-hand recent experience with both the Widex Moment Sheer, and the Phonak Lumity 90.
By way of background, I am a working musician with 40+ years experience in live and studio recording and production. Late last year I suffered sudden and profound sensorineural deafness in my right ear. That’s when I realised how badly my left ear was coping - I had been relying on my right ear for nearly 15 years whilst the left slowly faded, so the sudden total deafness was (and still is) a horrifying experience for me. I went through the process of testing hearing aids, and I spent 6 weeks with the Phonak Lumity, before trying and deciding on the Widex Moment Sheer.
Because I have the benefit of recent memory, I knew exactly what and how I wanted to be able to hear again; and because of my background, I knew exactly what and how to evaluate them. I also purchased a Noah interface for tuning the ’s myself without the hassle of using descriptive words and having the audiologist translate that and make adjustments.
In a nutshell, the Widex, to my brain, was the most natural sound. It also has an extended frequency range (I can hear clearly up to 11,500Hz) whereas the Phonak only extends up to 8,000Hz. To me, hearing the air and wind “shimmer” is critically important to how I feel connected to the world, so I turned the extended frequency on, turned all noise reduction off, and I am about as happy as is possible. Also, I went through the process of trialing different tips - and I LOVE the Widex sleeve power tips. They cut out a bit more of the ambient noise and increase the bass response considerably. and they are very comfy. I forget I am wearing it. Hearing the lower frequencies has allowed me to hear the lower strings on my guitar, so I love the sleeve power tips for that.
I hope my experience can help you, too! Please feel free to ask any questions.

Hi Steve!
Thanks so much for your informative response. I am so sorry to hear about your experience with a profound sensorineural deafness in your right ear. I can imagine how horrifying that must have been for a musician!

I don’t have experience with the Noah interface and adjusting my hearing aids myself, but I have thought about doing it. I’ve worn hearing aids for 16-17 years and I have never been totally happy with the adjustments made by others.Your comment about the hassle of using descriptive words for what you want to hear resonated with me. I am comfortable with computers and software, but I have been concerned that learning how to use Noah would be frustrating. As a music producer it must be easier for you than for a layperson, though I know all kinds of people use Noah. I do love the idea of being in charge of what I hear, or at least what the instrument can provide. I am not a musician, but music has been a part of my life and I grieve the loss of natural sound. The harsh clattering and clanging that hearing aids add to music has made me avoid it.

I found that the Noah interface and software was very easy to learn, and very easy to make adjustments. I discovered that the prescription that the software gives you (based on your ) is biased toward mids - presumably because the goal of manufacturers is to restore clarity and understanding of speech, and certain mid frequencies, when boosted a little more than those arond them, results in better speech clarity. The issue I have with that is that it is NOT how I used to hear. Maybe other people feel differently, but that is my conclusion. I took the prescription the software recommended and used a wide ‘Q’ to lower the frequencies between 1,200Hz to 2,800Hz by about 2-3dB. I also reduced the frequencies between 250Hz and 350Hz, because the introduce a ‘mudiness’ to what I am hearing. Finally, I increased 125Hz by around 6-8 . This works really well with the sleeve power tips I use, and all of the above allows me to hear my lower three guitar strings with clarity and at least a bit of bass.
The most frustrating thing I am finding now, is that HA’s do NOT do a good job of low frequencies - which astounds me! Headphone and earbud manufacturers, along with makers of in-ear foldback monitors for musicians, have the whole bass thing nailed solidly in place with amazing low-end response.
My solution is this: I am making my own HA system that places a lot of emphasis on the low and very low frequencies. Watch this space!

@steve11 said:

The most frustrating thing I am finding now, is that HA’s do NOT do a good job of low frequencies - which astounds me! Headphone and earbud manufacturers, along with makers of in-ear foldback monitors for musicians, have the whole bass thing nailed solidly in place with amazing low-end response.

Very true. The balanced armeture drivers used, in combination with the low power requirements of really restricts the ability to push the bass.
I tried going so far as putting cotton in my ears behind my custom earmolds, for streaming, and it was ok, but not great.

I dug out my old Etymotic IEM’s, and connected them to my (last of a dying breed), Pixel 5a headphone jack, and it was amazing! Just a bit of EQ and music is alive!
So I invested in a portable bluetooth DAC/Amp in order to untether from the phone, and that’s my go to!

I just got some Widex moment on Thursday and mine are horrible,
So I don’t know if I got a bad set or what. So I cannot recommend the new widex. My old Beyond Widex were problem free for 7 years.

What is horrible?

You may need time to get used to the new sound.
Also, it is possible that your has changed, so it would be preferable to make a new audiogram or repeat the insitu option if it exists.

Don’t give up, first of all describe what’s happening, etc., maybe one of us can help, and you should talk to an audiologist to get them adjusted again.

@user586 said:

I am better off without them.

If you’re used to Widex Beyond, it’s strange you would dislike the newer Widex hearing aids. Each generation comes with an improvement. It sounds to me like they were badly set up, i.e. not set properly to your and hearing needs.

And I’m afraid your post lacks proper info on the issues you’re experiencing. It sounds more like a rant than a plea for advice.

User 856. I was going a bit crazy with the ’s. I just came back from the audiologist’s office. She adjusted the aids. I liked the Beyond much better in many ways than the new ones. Beyond could adjust volume from the aids where the new ones are all tied to the phone. I am not tied to my phone, however with the new technology I will be tied to my phone. Hearing was cleaner with my Beyond and I used them for 7+ years trouble free. You can think I was just ranting. I am not impressed with the Moment.

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