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

Hearing Aids
#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.

2 Likes
#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.

1 Like
#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.

2 Likes
#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.

1 Like
#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.

1 Like
#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.

2 Likes
#20

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

#21

I’ve had the original OPN soon after release (later relabeled as OPN 1), OPN S 1, More 1, and now Real 1 (I have very good insurance coverage for hearing). OPN S 1 had improved connectivity and fewer spontaneous restarts - some improvement in voice recognition with higher power (85) receivers and domes with 2 small vents. More 1 were fitted with vented molds and REM by a new audiologist - I was apparently under fit previously as things were louder and that made it easier to hear soft voices in quiet but no significant improvement for me in really noisy environments. Real 1 are significantly better for wind noise reduction for me - helpful as I commute to work on a bicycle. I haven’t noticed much difference between the Real and More in noisy environments but I tend to avoid noise if possible. I think both More and now Real are improvements for me as compared to the OPN in most situations. I have not tried the Intent or anything from Costco so can’t comment on those.

1 Like
#22

Switching to new hearing aids can be beneficial, especially with recent technological developments. Many OPN users have upgraded to newer models and have seen significant improvements, especially in noisy environments. It is recommended that you consult with your audiologist and try different models to determine which will best suit your needs and expectations.

#23

I think it’s all relative whether it’s worth upgrading. I bought More 1 to replace my Opn1. It was a little better, but was it worth the several thousand dollars I paid to get that slight improvement? IMO, no.

This will also depend on your finances and your insurance coverage, if any. If you have to eat beans and rice for a year in order to afford new HAs that provide only a slight improvement it’s probably not worth it. If it’s a “WOW!” improvement, maybe it’s worth eating beans and rice.

And it’s a different calculation if you can easily afford new HAs and/or have good insurance coverage.

In the OP’s case, skipping three generations of Oticon releases would probably make a really noticeable difference between Opn1 and Intent.

3 Likes
#24

I had to return my OPN 1 9 mos after I bought them. Oticon’s open hearing paradigm was simply too much for my brain to make sense of. Luckily, my audi was very understanding, and even sold me new aids at a discount when the OPNs were turned in way after trial date ended.

I first had Phonak Audeo B, then Phonak Marvel, and have been wearing Phonak Lumity Life aids the past 2 years. These Life aids are BY FAR the best I’ve ever worn - in particular, because they deliver on “improved speech comprehension”. Yes, they may not be perfect in LOUD places, but in all other cases (speaker behind me, child with soft voice, person with heavy accent, etc.,) I’ve really noticed the improvement in my ability to comprehed what’s being said. So much so, that my confidence in hearing has increased A LOT.

It was a gradual process where I first thought I couldn’t be hearing that right? Then, confirmation: YES, I actually DID hear it right, to I think hubs must’ve heard this right, to NO! I actually heard it right and had to correct hubs!

So, you be the judge. I think all hearing aids today deliver better sound quality and features than models of several years ago. But even more important is to find that particular make & model that let YOU hear your world the way you want to.

Speech comprehension is the ultimate goal, but enjoying music, outdoor activities and social gatherings are also key.

2 Likes
#25

You don’t have an audiogram posted here, but I wonder if Oticon Intent is good for those with a sloping hearing loss? A lot of the posters here have decent to low loss in lower frequencies with a slope that steepens in the higher frequencies.

For my “snake’s belly” audiogram, I don’t know if Oticon would be a good choice. I’d LOVE to try anything that improves speech in all kinds of noisy places, so I keep an open mind.

For now, the Phonak Lumity Life aid has done the best job of improving my speech comprehension.

1 Like
#26

Started out w/the replaceable battery version. Totally could not determine battery level. Kept having to replace batteries every day or so (according to charge indicator, not sure if they were dead or not). My audi got Oticon to swap @ no charge (commendable). Rechargeable part works great. Now the problem part. Get them adjusted so I can hear as well as can be expected, go home, works ok for a while then starts being muffled (like head in a bucket of cotton), turn volume up enough to hear & clattering starts. Get them reprogrammed & they work for a while & same again. When I leave my audi after programming things are ok then after a few weeks they need adjusting again. I blame the AI that (supposedly) adjusts to accommodate “what you want to hear”, but that is only my opinion.

#27

That’s ridiculous, how could this happen in just one or two day’s of use? The correct way to determine your battery level is by how many hours of use and the size of the battery, but regardless you do get ample time of when to change the disposable battery, the HAs warn you before dieing, just like the rechargeable you get a warning when to recharge.

#28

Wow, that’s a big mystery about it starting to get muffled up after a few weeks. Would there be any chance that each time you visit the audi to get it reprogrammed, he/she happened to change the wax guard on your aids without telling you just because they’re used to do it automatically to make sure it’s not a wax issue? It has every indication of a wax issue that gets cleared up upon the audi’s visit, especially if it takes a few weeks before the problem develops.

I remember I had the same exact problems. I thought that my aids were going bad and brought them in and they cleaned up the opening and changed the wax guard and I was good to go again.

The Oticon AI is not a self-learning setup where it “adjusts to accommodate what you want to hear” type of thing like you think. It’s a passive AI that’s already been trained ahead of time and should reproduce the same response every time for you.

#29

I use the phone app battery indicator for when to change or recharge batteries. I found with the OPN1, 20% meant if you don’t want to have to change batteries @ an inconvenient time, you better do it soon. On disposable batteries MORE1 got to 20% in a couple of days vs around 5 days for OPN1. Probably a fault in the app but still unacceptable to me.
BTW- you come across as very rude in the tone of your comment.

#30

I change the domes & wax guards regularly (at least every 4 weeks, which my audi said was ok), but will start changing more often to see if that helps. However, I don’t see any improvement when I do change them.

1 Like
#31

@Space-NOLA “However, I don’t see any improvement when I do change them.”

FYI I look at my waxguards by taking a picture in macroview with my cellphone. If they are almost full I’ll change or try to clean. At that time mostly the hearing went worse already till even totally vanished.
Can’t imagine that changing them often would bring you something as your hearing at that time is not decreased as you state. Unfortunately in my case I also have to pay for these guards so don’t want to abuse my wallet.

20240329_130445
20240329_1304451076×1275 204 KB

1 Like