2017 OPN1 anyone upgraded to newer hearing aids that work better?

Hearing Aids
#1

I’ve had my OPN’s now for several years and I’ve been happy with them. I still have a hard time in noisy restaurants and trying to understand my grandson who’s sitting in his car seat behind me while driving “hey Papa! Do you have your hearing aids in?” Is a common statement from him.

My wife thinks I need an upgrade. I’ve been told by one Audi on the phone that the new HA’s are far better than my old OPN’s. I’ve been reading posts on the new Oticon’s and Philips/Costo offerings. Just wondering if anyone has upgraded from there OPN’s to something new and had a noticeable improvement.

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#2

if you got Opn S1 PP you are in bad luck, all you can get is the same.

Otherwise Real or Intent would be substantially better… good luck

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#3

Interesting that I am in the same situation with now having OPN S. I have tried several other high tech aids and find very little improvement over the OPN. There is a lot of hype in this industry, but you need to try for yourself. I will be glad to share more detail if it would help.

#4

Sorry, think my original post with the ‘s was confusing. They are the OPN1 model

#5

I switched to MORE1 from OPN1 several months ago. For me MORE1’s are much clearer where speech is concerned. Starting 2 weeks ago I had to switch back to the OPN1’s for several days due to waiting for new moulds and noticed the difference again. Some days I switched twice a day and confirmed how much better I like the MORE1’s. MY audi had programed the OPN1’s to match the MORE1’s but the difference is very noticable.

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#6

Your right hearing loss seems significant enough to benefit from the advances of the latest model, the Intent. You get the new feedback management since the OPN S, the second generation DNN AI (first generation since the More), the sudden sound and wind management added to the Real, and the motion sensor to interpret the head movements for listening intent, and BT LE audio for future streaming connecting from the Intent. A lot to pack in after 4 generations since the OPN.

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#7

I went from OPN S1 to Real 1 in December and it was a good upgrade. I’ve just transitioned to the new Intent 1. It is an incremental advance and I’m waiting until a few days from now to see how it deals with speech in noise as I have visitors coming in and will be at restaurants. I did go see a movie (very unusual for me) and was better able to understand dialogue, with minor exceptions.

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#8

I am upgrading to the Oticon Intent after 7 years with the Opn1. I’m hoping it will make a big difference as I feel like I have been struggling with my hearing over the past several months. New audiogram indicates mostly stable loss with some change in the 8000 Hz range. I’m not sure if my current OPN1 devices are failing - I’m not clear on what end of life determination is for a hearing aid. But 7 years of new technology couldn’t hurt.

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#9

I have had Resound ones for three years and I haven’t been satisfied with their performance. My audiologist gave me a pair of Oticon Intents to try for four days and I was blown away! They are like night and day. The sound on them is so natural that it was like I heard before my hearing loss. In four days I think I said “what?” Maybe twice. I put loud music on an I could hear every word said to me. Went to a restaurant and had no trouble hearing both people I was with. All I can say is try them if you can, even for a short time. I get mine tomorrow!!

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#10

Wow! that’s a positive review for sure. Now they’re on my radar.

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#11

I wonder if TS @boosh is now talking about all alternative brands… Almost assume he wants to compare it in his owned Oticon brand.

After 7 years most of all brands of HA’s will have gotten obsolete. There’s a huge timelapse and even the least expensive aids will have progressed with new usable futures.

@Volusiano gives a nice list of relevant changes to the successor of the Oticons OPN, thanks for that.

As @GoRun26 seems to try out the Intents hopefully he will inform us more about his findings regarding the advertised futures Volusiano is pointing at. And can probably answer to boosh’s question.
.

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#12

I splurged on the Oticon’s back in 2017 while I was still working. I think they were $5-6K I’m semi retired now and don’t have as much income monthly as I used too. So I have an appointment with one of our local Costco’s, it’ll be my first time trying them out. On the phone with them, they thought the Philips 9040 might be the best option since I’m using Oticon’s now. He said the 9040 is a re-branded Oticon Real (His words, not mine).

I have an appointment on Apr 2nd to go in for their hearing test. The google reviews for this Costco are good, but only 4 reviews so we will see. If the 9050’s come out within the 6 months, I have the option to return and move into those. @dhumohr review has me smiling in hope that I’d be able to hear my grandson while we’re driving to our favorite fishing lake :slight_smile: If the Philips aren’t a big improvement over my OPN1, I’d give the Intents a shot. I’ll update after my Costco visit.

Does anyone know if the 9040 has the option of recharge or replaceable batteries? I like the idea of replaceable batteries, I also think that option means a smaller form factor but I’m guessing. I guess I’m just used to always having an extra battery in my pocket when they run low.

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#13

I have rechargeable, batteries, and I’ve never had my batteries run out on the Resound, and the Intent has a similar usage time, with a much faster charging time. Charging every night gives me a full day of use the next day.

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#14

Costco HIS tend to like to boast that the Philips aids are rebranded Oticon aids. It’s not true. While they share many peripheral technologies and accessories that make it seem like they’re a rebrand, they’re not, because their core technologies are different. Bernafon is another William Demant subsidiary that shares a lot of the peripheral technologies and accessories with Oticon, but again their core techs are different.

If you’re not in a hurry, I would suggest that you wait until Costco starts carrying the upgraded Philips 9050 before trying it out. It carries the new 4D sensor technology that the Intent does, and its core technology, the AI Noise Reduction functionality, has also been improved.

Maybe someone who already owns the Philips 9040 will comment on whether Costco sells a disposable battery version of it or not. I know the Real has a disposable battery version.

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#15

I forgot to say that riding in the car cause no issues in terms of hearing. The road noise did not affect my ability to hear at all.

#16

It’s important to know also that the Philips hearing aids which Costco sells are not a rebranding of the Oticon real. The president of Oticon has stated that fact and the fact that if employees of Costco are saying that it is simply a rebranding, they are misrepresenting it. It is made by Oticon but it is not the same product.

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#17

I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that because they’ve been used to seeing their KS9, KS10 being rebrands of Phonak models (minus the tinnitus availability), it’s not far fetched for them to jump into the conclusion that the Philips aids must be rebranded Oticon aids.

But they should know better because Kirkland Signature products (KS being the Costco brand name) are always rebrands of something else. So if the Philips 9040 is called the KS11 or KSxxxx (whatever), like how the KS9 and KS10 are branded, then it’d be easier to mistaken it as a “rebrand” because it bears the Kirkland Signature brand. But it’s not a KSxxxx, it still bears the Philips brand. So it’s not in Costco employees’ place to be telling customer that it’s a rebrand unless it actually bears the Kirkland Signature brand.

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#18

Interesting post. I’m glad you’ve found such favorable aids. In reading yours and similar comments I am led to wonder if at times the original [or other] aids weren’t programmed at their optimum. I have profound loss and through the years multiple audiologists have demonstrated various levels of expertise and interest in providing the most accurate programming. In addition, various levels in knowledge in what they’re selling. In purchasing automobiles and hearing aids I am also accustomed to knowing more then the sales person on some occasions. I study my purchases.

#19

Upgraded from OPN1 to MORE1 about 1 1/2 years ago (just before the real came out) & have been VERY unhappy with them.

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#20

Can you elaborate on why you’ve been very UNHAPPY with them?