I am going to pick up and test a Roger Pen (Phonak) tomorrow. Not a cheap device - my audi quoted $2,000 - $2,500 - but it could be the solution to understanding speech in noise. I do well in quiet environment but I suck in noisy restaurants, I just nod and smile … 
Does anyone have any experience with it? What’s your opinion? Thanks.
Hi bumbrlik,
I got it about 2 months ago. It cost me around $900 dollars in total for the Pen and linking accessory - I had to get the MyLink Receiver, as I do not have wireless capability on my Phonak Solanas - so I had to pay another $200 for that. In this case MyLink receiver streams the incoming signal from the Pen to the telecoil of my hearing aid. Wireless or a direct boot via a DAI boot device are also possible. But these are UK prices, perhaps you can shop around in the U.S.
My experience with it has been mixed. The main reason for buying it was to try and get help it very noisy situations with groups of people. I have been out on a couple of occasions with work colleagues and my family to test the device and have found that it does broadcast speech, but one of the issues I had initially was that the speech itself was not coming through loudly enough. I discussed this with my audiologist (who I bought the device from), and we came to the conclusion that the telecoil on my CIC was not powerful enough. I have since tried using my Oticon BTE back up hearing aids, and have confirmed that this was the problem. The quality of sound therefore has improved, but it does have the drawback that I would prefer to be using my primary hearing aids.
To focus on the Pen itself, there is an omnidirectional mode, where you point the Pen which creates a very narrow beam and will deliver speech (of the person who is talking) effectively, even in very very noisy environments. I can confirm that this works. There is also a kind of general mode, where you place the Pen on the table and this broadcasts to you. I have tried this in a couple of situations but was underwhelmed the first time around, possibly because I was using my Phonak Solana CICs.
In general, it is an interesting device. There is a direct cable for plugging into your Iphone etc, and there are also TV connections, and it can connect to your phone etc or any bluetooth device. The concern I would have is whether it will be a mainstay in my armoury as to use it I need to wear the Pen itself, the MyLink Receiver (both which go around my neck) and my back up BTE hearing aids. If you have wireless or DAI boot then it would be easier. With regard to discretion, you can actually put the Pen under your Jumper/shirt and the sound still comes through OK.
I think to judge how effective this is, will depend on your degree of loss to start off with. I have a moderately severe loss. And my Solanas perform pretty well anyway in noise. I tend to find that if I am having a problem - then so is my wife. If you cannot hear at all in noisy environments and your hearing aids don’t have the bells and whistles - directionality etc, then the Pen would I imagine, be a big improvement. Then again, I have to concede that I was able to hear my 7 year old daughter in a noisy restaurant (over 85DB), when virtually no one could hear her, with the Pen.
You can see the UK site where I got it from online here:
http://www.fmhearingsystems.co.uk/pr…nak-roger-pen/
If you want to know any more, please let me know.
glucas - thanks for your great feedback, indeed very useful. The difference in prices is surprising, and I will bring it to the attention of my audiologist. I want to avoid wearing the MyLink receiver so I asked to demo the Phonak Bolero that should communicate with it directly - I have been using the Audeo so far. About the discretion of the device - do people ask you what it is when you put it on a table or do they assume it is just a fancy pen?
Thanks.
Bumbrlik,
I think they’ve not noticed it so far. Especially if it’s just put down next to phone and keys etc.
Good luck.
Glucas or anyone else with experience,
Do you know if it is necessary to have telecoil equipped hA’s to use the Roger Pen? I have Phonak Audeu Q90 with no telecoil
Also, I would consider getting the pen to help me better hear in meetings where I have difficulties hearing some people, because they are further away than the reach of my ha’s. Is the Roget Pen able to pick up better that the hearing aids themselves in those types of situations?
You don’t need the t-coil but you will have to get the ComPilot as well as the Roger X receiver. The receiver plugs into the bottom of the ComPilot.
I am not sure. I think the previous poster, rasmus_brown has the answer.
Attached is the URL for the Roger Receivers:
For the Audeo 90 Q it appears that the only receiver necessary is the Roger receiver that you attache to the bottom of the Audeo 90 Q.
None of the Roger receivers can be attached to an Audéo Q. You have to use the Roger X with the ComPilot.
rasmus_braun, I was wrong about the integrated receiver being available for the Audeo Q. The Naida Q that I will probably order does have it and I guess I confused the two thinking all Q series had them. My bad.
I recently purchased Phonak Brios P-UP from Costco. To get the Roger Pen and receivers I had to go to an independent dealer as Costco does not sell them. I have only had them 3 days so am in the midst of experiments and don’t feel I can report on their effectiveness yet.
The Brio P-UP is equivalent to the Nadia Q90. They support the receivers, 10(03), which attach directly to the hearing aids replacing the battery compartment. They have to be programmed by your audiologist. The reason I wanted these is because I am active in fitness classes where I can put the Pen on the floor near the instructor to hear instructions. I can participate in exercises where having something around my neck would be interfering. There is a lanyard that comes with the Pen for the occasions when you don’t mind having it around your neck or placed around the neck of the speaker across from you in a restaurant.
Hope that helps.