Activevent receiver failure

Hearing Aids
#1

Not quite a week ago I had strange sounds in one of my activevents, mostly when it switched modes. I replaced the wax traps in the morning, but that side was by then sticking closed. It fairly drove me nuts feeling occluded. I left a message for my audiologist and she must have been out Friday, because she usually responds first thing right away in the morning. She responded on Monday. They were sending me a receiver and the pin tool to let the receiver plug out of the HA. The receiver lasted just under 4 months.

The new receiver came today. Maybe five minutes to swap and be back in business?

I was wondering if going with these was a good idea. I have to say, I was dreading (imagining) hearing her say we were swapping back to the conventional receivers. She didn’t though, and I sent her a note today saying the receiver came and all is good again, and thanking her.

It took a while to get used to hearing my own voice in calls with the receivers closed. It can still be strange. But I don’t think I would want to go back.

WH

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#2

I’m curious. Can you describe what you feel is the main advantages? Is it mostly while listening to audio streaming or other things as well?

#3

The streaming/TV Connector/Roger type sound is MUCH better. The non-closed mode was just a smidge better. If you don’t make a lot of zoom/meet/teams type calls, and don’t listen to podcasts, music, etc a lot (even TV) then I wouldn’t bother. I like it enough I had the titanium tips made and that made it even better.

I expected better from speech in loud noise, but the speech focus hasn’t helped as much as I’d thought it would. (Isolate the other sounds out, and feed me speech in the focus zone.) I need to play with the settings more on that, I think.

WH

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#4

Nice. That’s helpful. Thanks WH.

#5

@WhiteHat: Does it not bother you knowing that your hearing depends on such high-maintenance/short service life devices? It would bug me to no end!

#6

At a certain point things become disposable. I don’t view the HA body that way, but the receivers have certainly become more like batteries in my mind, or their wax traps, than a more permanent item. It was a week, and I’d rather not repeat it. Part of the issue was the weekend in the middle of it all. If it happens again I’ll argue for being sent pre-replacement receivers.

But yes.

WH

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#7

@WhiteHat: I hadn’t looked at it from that perspective. Thanks for your reply.

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#8

I always keep a spare set of receivers.
Guess I would do the same with Active Vents. Although they are more expensive.

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#9

The VA provides, and I still have the conventional receivers the activevents replaced. Although I’d need to do a run with target if I needed to swap over. I was provided target thanks to some forum members here, but I still need to get the noahlink wireless. If they will provide them, I’ll be glad to keep a set handy.

WH

#10

Yes, of course. That’s a good way to go once you are operational with target.

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#11

I’m generally of this view about regular receivers, too, because they’re easily replaceable and they’re fairly inexpensive. I do keep a couple of receivers on hand for each side of my ears ready to be swapped out. They’re cheap enough to stock up on anyway, especially if you can find a good deal. The last pair I bought went for only $16/pair from eBay. But they’re more like $25-$40 nowadays.

BUT, only if they’re cheap enough should you consider them disposable. Regular receivers sell on eBay anywhere from $8 to $50 depending on which source you can find. I don’t know how expensive the ActiveVent receivers are. If they’re a couple of hundred bucks a pop, then…nahh… they’re not so disposable to me… I hope they’re not too expensive, but I have no idea.

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#12

I don’t see any ebay offerings. There is a site that has them for less than a hundred. Something to think about. But I’ll see about the VA doing it next time we talk.

WH

#13

If your audi set up remote support you will probably find you can start a remote session with yourself (using 2 devices) and not need the Noah. With the usual remote session limitations.

Mine worked (bizarrely remote session was enabled for Specsavers in the UK and they weren’t set up to use it……).

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#14

That’s really weird.

WH

#15

HQ set it up and advertise the capability but the local office have internet so locked down they can’t get out to clients.

#16

Really?
That’s interesting to know!
Out of curiosity I also once made a remote session with myself.
I used the same pc I nomally use to program via Noahlink wireless.

I was thinking that the remote session needs to be performed using the pc on which the original setup has been done.

#17

I have a new pair of P50R hearing aids. Do they by default have activent receivers? Or is that only available for the 70&90 models?

I’m not sure what activent does but I’m struggling getting these aids setup for good speech recognition.

#18

Google comes up with this.

https://www.phonakpro.com/com/en/products/hearing-aids/activevent/overview-activevent.html

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#19

I had previously read that write up. I’ll assume it means all models across the RIC paradise line come standard with activent receivers.

#20

The receivers are different to the standard receivers, they cost more.