Hello, has anyone tested the new version of Phonak with the disposable battery? If so, how many hours does a battery last? When purchasing my first hearing aid, I am torn between the rechargeable and battery versions.
Are there any general experiences as to whether battery versions or accumulator versions have to be sent in for repair more often?
312 batteries usually last between 3 to 9 days depending on usage, I use 312 Phonak Nathos Nova M HA and they last up to 9 days, no streaming and no bluetooth, I use them for only 3 to 5 hours max per day.
I suppose these new Audeo Lumity 312 will be the same as Audeo Paradise 312.
Rechargeables have additional points of failure, like the charger and the charging circuitry within the aid. Also, the rechargeable battery deteriorates with use and time.
I have a KS 9, a Phonak product from Costco with a 312 battery. It lasts about 3-4 days for me. I prefer batteries over rechargeables because there isn’t a wait time to rechargevthe aid. You take the old battery out, pop in a new one and you’re good to go.
I also had a ReSound Quattro 9 with a size 13 battery. The size 12m’s last longer. About 5 days.
I have the Lumity rechargeable and hate having to recharge it. Ii would have preferred the 312 battery. Phonak has also had issues with their rechargeable aids.
3 Likes
Well, I’d DEFINITELY prefer a size 13 battery for Lumity Life, but my guess is it’s never coming out. They’re DONE with battery-powered aids now that they’ve released the Life 312s.
Rechargeables can be problematic to troubleshoot! F’instance. I bought my first pair of Phonak Lumity Life aids in 2022. I only got 11 hrs/day use (versus almost 6 full days with my older 13-battery Marvels). Then someone here at the forum said I needed OS 13 on my Android phone to extend the battery, and BY GOLLY that’s exactly what happened.
After updating to OS 13 on my phone, for a good 1.5 yrs I got about 17.5 hrs/day of use from these aids, but about a month ago, virtually overnight, I now only got 13 hrs of use per day. HUH? What’s up with that? Now I had to troubleshoot:
- DId I seat the aids correctly in the charger? YES, I did. I’d wiggle them, making sure the lights came ON the aids, and seated them correctly.
- Is the charger failing? No, cuz I swapped my backup Life aids into that charger for a few days in a row, and that pair is still giving me 17.5 hrs/day of use.
- Does the rechargeable base need a software update? No idea! Phonak never lets me know. I guess I’ll bring the unit in with me this week and ask my audi.
- Do the aids need to be sent in to Phonak to replace the BTE unit before the warranty runs out? Can’t hurt! So I plan to do that this week. (but that got delayed cuz the “backup” pair had a catastrophic fail in the RIGHT aid, so they were sent in first)
I think you can see where this is going. Just my experience, but for me, having no other choice for NEW RIE aids than rechargeables, I now have redundant pairs of aids AND redundant problems with them. On top of which these rechargeable Phonak Lumity Life aids EACH needed their own license xfer from a UNIQUE Roger ON iN accessory, so I’ve got 2 pairs of aids, 2 charging bases and 2 Roger ON iNs.
All that stuff replaces ONE pair of Phonak Marvel size 13-battery aids and ONE TV Connector that it worked with.
I am chagrined to say that it’s the noticeable improvement in speech understanding that has compelled me to KEEP the rechargeable aids - flawed, expensive and redundant as they are. I actually detect an improvement in my ability to understand what’s being said - it’s as simple as that. My Marvel aids are still good, and I’ll always keep them for their battery transportability, but they didn’t deliver on the speech comprehension like the Lumity Life aids.
So it’s a tradeoff. Ultimately, you have to decide what’s the #1 priority for you. If I was an international traveler, I’d have stuck with my old battery aids - way easier to fly with, wear several days in a row, no issues with power compatibility in foreign countries. But the 312 Lumity Lifes came out too late for me. Now I’ll keep the 2 pairs of redundant rechargeable aids several years and go from there. I don’t have money for a 3rd pair of aids even if they run off batteries.
1 Like
Hello. I am currently testing the Lumity L70 rechargeable. I have asked my Audiologist to switch me immediately to the battery operated version. At the time I upgraded, only the rechargeable version was available. I have always liked battery versions. I travel, have an active life, have frequent power outages in my area and my friends and family are of an age when an emergency might arise. If I need to hear important instructions during a crisis, I can’t afford to wait 3 hours for a hearing aid to recharge. Pop in a new battery and bing bang, zip zap, you’re good to go. If I get caught without a battery, 312’s are available at any pharmacy internationally. Charging stations are not. In a country that does not use North American current, would shifts in local electrical current (even through converters) damage the charger box or the hearing aids? At $7200 Cdn a pair, I am not interested in finding out. That’s my reason for batteries. I hope this helps you.
2 Likes
Not an issue, since chargers seem to be powered by USB these days. That said, I agree with you overall and hope I never have to settle for rechargeable aids.
Right you are! I did not think of the USB. Thanks.
WOW YOU ARE LUCKY!!! I wish I was still in trial with my rechargeable Lumity Life aids. I’d have turned them in for the battery 312s in a NY minute! But alas, I’ve had these 1.5 yrs now, so I’m stuck with the redundancy of TWO pairs of rechargeables.
You nailed it. If you travel a lot and need reliable aids cus you live in an area where power outages are not unheard of, BATTERY is the way to go!
We’ll see where Phonak is 3 years from now. I may just stick with Lumity Life and replace TWO pairs of rechargeables with a new pair of 312 battery Lifes.
Boy, I can see how that would make you cranky! Thanks for the supportive thoughts. All that said, I do find that the Lumity’s will give me excellent results, once the final adjustments are done and the battery versions are in place.
1 Like
I get about 8 days out of my Phonak Audeo V90s with 312 batteries. That is of course with no streaming. How long you will get with the Lumity version will depend on your level of hearing loss, your usage per day, your amount of streaming time and how noisy your listening environment is. I doubt that anyone has yet had the Lumity with 312 batteries for long enough to judge this yet but will watch this space with interest.
1 Like
Not to disagree, but how would one charge his/her HA using USB if that said USB ultimately needs to be connected to the main at some point!!!
Also, US power socket is different from the UK one, and all both are different from mainland Europe and I guess the rest of the world, something to bear in mind, when traveling abroad.
I get around 9 days with 312, no bluetooth and no streaming.
1 Like
You say “no bluetooth”. You don’t use the Phonak app? I am considering going to Audeo Lumity 312s and am concerned about battery life as I use the Phonak app with my Paradise 13Ts (which uses BT) quite a bit and am concerned about battery life.
@cleask I don’t need the app or bluetooth, since I just put the HA on and that’s it, I don’t fiddle with the rest.
If you are happy with the Paradise 13T (T stands for T-Coil, I suppose), and you are getting between 3 to 8 days, why not get the Lumity 13.
Also, is there a reason for the upgrade?
Can you not wait for the next generation?
see link below:
I see. Yes “T” means T-coil. I use the app quite a bit and wear my HAs up to 16 hours a day and do stream a bit.
I get a battery life of about 4 to 6 days. My Paradise aids are 2 years old this month; I had Marvels for almost three years before. I usually get new aids every 2 to 3 years. Main reason to consider an upgrade is improved speech comprehension especially in noise.
Anyone privy to when Phonak may release the next generation? My audi isn’t much help and thinks I should wait.
BTY, I hate the idea of going rechargeable and carry spare batteries with me at all times.
Thanks for the battery info.
1 Like
Worth reading, if you can’t trial the Lumity:
Is this 9 days using a just-launched Lumity battery version? If so, which model? Thank you for this information on a very new product.
@lace_n No, it’s an old Phonak model, Phonak Nathos Nova M 312, I suppose it is before Paradise platform.
9 days on a moderate use, no Bluetooth or TV streaming.
No, he uses older HAs.
WH
1 Like
This is just an opinion. Your needs may differ. Today I exchanged my Lumity rechargeable 70’s for the new 312 battery version. They were my first rechargeables. In my experience, with rechargeables, I cannot go to the fishing camp, the emergency room, cope with our frequent power outages or stay up all night laughing and drinking champagne without going deaf for 3 hours.
With the battery version, bing bang, zip zap, you pop in new 312’s and you are good to go. I will let you know how long these 312’s last as I test them out.
4 Likes