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Widex SmartRIC and soft voices

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Looking for programming suggestions I can pass along to my Audiologist. Absolutely love my new Widex SmartRIC 440 - incredible for playing my fiddle in complex hearing situations like a 60 person fiddle orchestra where I also have to hear the leader speak. After 25 years of struggling with music and hearing aids, these are life changing. The only issue I have is with soft female voices - even with the volume turned fully up, I’m missing most of the conversation. All other voices are fine, and I can hear high pitched bird songs from pretty far away. We tried boosting soft sounds. Any suggestions? I have typical ski slope loss from mild at low frequencies to moderately severe at high frequencies. Using .

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In addition to real ear measurements, a program available at the 440 level that I really like for speech is called Impact. Widex states that it helps provide more speech cues by optimizing their Speech Enhancer and Variable Speed Compressor. I tend to be fairly cautious when it comes to companies talking about proprietary features, but when I have demo’d the program next to Universal on myself I do find that speech pops out more in Impact. For as cool of a program as it is it is a real bummer that it isn’t available at lower technology levels, though.

You could try rerunning the sensogram & where you are not quite sure if you can hear it, don’t try and “reach” for a positive response if that makes sense. This way you get more gain in those areas, which may be in the female speech range. I only have a couple of frequencies like this and underplaying it in my responses can help my overall sound experience. Glad you are enjoying them!

Soft voices generally are biased towards lower frequencies. Aids are less efficient with these and they are less likely to be heard with . As long as you don’t introduce feedback problems try vented and open domes which allow low frequencies to reach the ear directly. They should also increase the sound of low orchestral instruments, timpani etc.

That’s very interesting - I’ve always had open domes, but I went with closed this time (it was a steep relearning curve!) because my Audiologist said I would get improved low frequency hearing with . Wouldn’t low frequency sound being amplified by my aids be better than low frequency sounds leaking around the aids (unboosted)?

In reply to @Andria

It’s a practical problem. The speakers of hearing aids are very tiny and low frequencies need a much larger movement of air than high frequencies. If you think about hi-fi speakers tweeters are much smaller than middle and bass units. With you are blocking virtually all frequencies and are relying on the aids to reproduce everything. But with a ski slope loss the lowest frequencies are generally the strongest you can hear without aids. Domes are low price items so I’d recommend trying a variety of types to see if any help.

@Andria said:

I have is with soft female voices

This is in the mid to higher frequencies for female voices, your Audiologist doesn’t know how to help? Time to move on and find a more experienced clinic.

@JohnA said:

Soft voices generally are biased towards lower frequencies

Yes and no, OP state’s female voices mostly, remember those lower frequency can get a bit “booming” for some.

@JohnA said:

less likely to be heard with closed domes

Huh? Does depend on ones loss, we’d need to see OPs .

@JohnA said:

With closed domes you are blocking virtually all frequencies and are relying on the aids to reproduce everything

Yes that’s a good thing for most, again depending on ones loss.

@Andria said:

my Audiologist said I would get improved low frequency hearing with closed domes.

Yes but why not custom molds made with the correct sized vent could be a better option, Phonak has a good idea with the AV ( active vent) receiver, best of both worlds.

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