Medel is a great choice. But also Cochlear and AB. But streaming is an issue as long as you are bimodal (one side CI, the other side HA). In my case I knew that I will be implanted on both sides. 6 months after my first implant I wanted my second and got it additional 4 months later.
As Raudrive already said my experiment with Medel’s Rondo 3 was not very good. The sound quality was excellent but you are stuck to rechargeables. In my case that lasted at most for 14hs but I needed at least 16hs (at the end of Rondo’s lifetime - probably after 5 years) that meens I needed 20hs in a fresh Rondo 3. In this scenario Rondo was a show stopper for me as I am highly dependent on hearing anything at any time. So I went for Sonnet 2.
But Sonnet 2 has a short dayly lifetime, too: the “larger” pack lasts “up to” 10hs - in my case at most 8hs. But in Sonnet the packs are easyly exchangeable. At least my disposables last more than 30 hours (i.e. approx. 2 days)
Haha. I don’t compare to normal hearing folks. I will never hear as good as they do. I stay HOH the rest of my life as I already was with HAs all my life. Instead I compare my hearing success with my own previous life: It is MUCH easier to listen and understand people talking.
I can do this and I could do this even with my HAs in the past although I had profound hearing loss in both ears. It’s a matter of how trained your brain is and how much things you can do at the same time (I couldn’t do anything else). With CIs it is much easier and I even can listen to people talking through their masks - that was impossible with HAs.
But please don’t be too excited! Listening and understanding with CIs is very hard work! Some candidates are lucky and have very fast success with rehab. Others need 2 or even more years.
Listening to your favourite and very well known music again and again and again(!) is a great help during rehab. But keep in mind that music may sound totally different at the beginning of your rehab. Hearing with CI is different from hearing with HA - your brain needs to reconnect its synapses and after some time (weeks/months) music is slowly coming back the way it sounded to you in the past.
Music is helping your brain in differentiating pitches - this supports differentiating consonants in normal speach. Listening to music is a great rehab and should be done more often than listening to dumb conversations.
Btw phobos512 won’t chime in. He has left this forum and started being part of hearpeers (Medel) but also has left that forum soon after he was implanted. He is enjoying his life and family with their new kid. In my case I am enjoying my life, too, since my hearing is better than it ever has been the last few decades. But I am reading here at hearing tracker from time to time (and when @Raudrive or @Deaf_piper mention my name )
Sound quality is the most important thing. That’s wonderful! I’ve had rechargeable HA’s, while they don’t often die on me in a day, it’s not unheard of, pun intended. I appreciate your feedback.
But, I am curious about how you say you tried Rondo 3 but then had to go for Sonnet 2. Did you get both processors at activation? You just prefer the Sonnet?
Good enough for me!
I only survived this whole ordeal because I have been using the Roger Pen to communicate w/people wearing masks. Do you use the remote mic that you get in your starter pack? That appears underwhelming compared to Roger but I also was told that Phonak makes a battery cover that allows MedEl to sync w/Phonak HA and Roger device. If I absolutely need to stream to both ears, I will bite the bullet and buy that accessory. However, I’m not sure I will wear Phonak HA’s forever either. If I have to get the other ear implanted, I imagine it would be years down the road unless I lose it instantly. I guess you never know until you’re faced with the decision. Thanks for chiming in, Dani!
That’s good to know that Phonak now has a battery cover to pair with MedEl for streaming. As far as I knew last year, I was going to be streaming either into my implanted ear or my hearing aid, but not both, if I went with MedEl. Even though I am doing very well streaming in Mono until I get my AB M90 and Phonak Link, I am definitely looking forward to streaming to both ears. I also really enjoy not having to wear that pendant thing around my neck anymore to stream to my current HA. I let the processor and implant do all their amazing work!
I saw on your profile that you are a retired athlete. Your discipline and training should serve you very well in your rehab. All the best to you - I look forward to following your journey.
Susan streaming into both ears is really fabulous. Clarity improves, as does comprehension. And it helps the Popeye sounding speech from CI naturalise quicker. I’ve just spent 6 weeks without my GN, and it was tough going. Even though I did extremely well at my final assessment after CI 94%, I’ve been very slack with the rehab for the last 2 years. I keep telling myself I must keep up with the streaming rehab.
Hi Deaf Piper
I am having my left ear implanted with the Kanso 2 on the 18 May
My right ear , a Oticon Opn1 HA , at the moment is ok .
I was intending to buy a Resound TV streamer 2 so that I can stream the TV to my new Implant .
The problem is my HA is an Oticon OPN1 .I would like pair that with that TV streamer as well .
If I cant , would that mean that I would have to buy a Resound One HA or similar to get it all synced
I beleive the Oticon streamers are not very good.
Any thoughts
Regards
Jeff Perth West Australia
@Blanch991
Hi Jeff, if your a Centrelink pension card of any variety you come under Hearing Australia. If you don’t you have apply for NDIS. If your NDIS let me know and I’ll put you in touch with a hearing support company that will apply and manage it for you. Then you buy all your other spare parts either through Hearing Aus or NDIS.
Under Hearing Australia you are entitled to a FREE Resound aid to pair with your K2. If your under NDIS you put a hearing aid on your list of things to get when you have your planning meeting.
I don’t know of any way to pair your Oticon aid to the GN TV streamer, but I’m not all that IT savvy… @MDB@Raudrive@Zebras do any of you know if it’s possible to link Oticon aid to a Resound TV streamer?
Any of the Resound aids from the 3D, Quattro or One will pair and stream with either the K2 or N7.
I have N7 and GN 3D aid with iPhone 11 it all works really well for me. Just be aware that the K2 might not attach to the magnet being inserted very well. A lot of people are having issues with the K2 staying put.
Good luck with your surgery and your new hearing journey. (If you need any help send me a message through this forum)
If your on NDIS you have available the Australia voucher which gives you access to spare parts through hHearing Australia free other than an annual fee of around $40.
You could use a Loop System to stream the TV to both your Aid and CI. My friend wears the AB Naida Marvel CI and a very old Phonak Naida V UP (she doesn’t want to get a new Aid) so she uses a Loop System to stream to both her ears from her TV. Old technology but works really well.
Battery life is bad in my case. But there are some people who have longer lasting maps:
At my location it depends on the clinic if you can test both processors before you have to go for one. I can’t use a processor if it dies before the end of my day. I must be able to listen at anytime I want to. Because I am not only HOH but also visual disabled.
AudioLink not only is a remote mic but also my TV streamer and a head-set. I don’t use it as a microphone. And no - I don’t hear at all like a normal hearing person, I am still hard of hearing.
That’s right and in your case (having a Phonak on the other ear) I would go for that battery cover - if you choose Med-EL.
In my case I use a so called AudioStreamer. With that kind of battery cover on both my ears I am able to stream from my iPhone or an ASHA-compatible Android directly. (Btw Cochlear does not need a separate battery cover to stream directly from MFi or ASHA capable devices, AB in contrast can even interact with most BlueTooth-classic capable audio-sending devices).
@dieslgrl Please keep us posted on your choice - I’m following. I recently googled the Sonova parent company of Advanced Bionics. They make Phonak aids which have a great reputation. This makes me feel more confident in the possibility of going with AB. They connectivity with the Phonak Marvel is very appealing, as I think it will create a better hearing outcome for me personally. I will be curious what your surgeon says!
@Raudrive No - AB does not have an off ear processor. This is a factor I have considered and would miss. However, for me, if I am able to retain the good residual hearing I have in my low range, then I would be using an acoustic hearing aid attachment anyway, which is only possible with the on ear CI. By the time I lose more acoustic ability in my implanted ear, they will likely have an off ear version…maybe
Wishing you a smooth surgery and recovery. You sound very confident in taking this exciting step. That will serve you well. Best wishes for a great rehab!
)
