These new Bernafon Acriva HA’s have been on Bernafon’s web site for a few weeks now. Has anyone actually trialed or fitted them? Any reviews on how they perform compared to previous Bernafons? My Costco fitter says he heard Costco might have something new from Bernafon (I assume the Acrivas) by mid-summer. Thanks.
I haven’t seen the launch package as of yet so I won’t be able to comment on this product yet… but Bernafon in general makes a great sounding hearing aid. I would expect nothing less with the Acriva.
I thought I’d try to revive this thread now that a few weeks have passed. I returned my Resound Forzas to Costco at the end of my trial hoping that brand-new technology would improve my HA experience.
Costco should have the Bernafon Acrivas available very soon. I am trying to get an idea whether Acrivas are a quantum leap in performance beyond the Bernafon Chronos that Costco now carries, or only a slight improvement.
If the consensus is that Acrivas are only slightly better than the Chronos, I might consider going to an independent audi for state-of-the-art technology. Has anyone had any experience with the Acrivas yet? Thanks.
I went to my Costco yesterday for a new hearing test (it’s been three years) and the Acriva was in the display case.
So what is so good about the new Acriva? Any info out on them?
New features include:
- No more racing stripes ;)
- New chip (I'm assuming the same one as Oticon Alta, but the rep who visited wasn't sure)
- Better noise reduction (4msec release time vs 4 second according the rep who visited)
- Frequency Composition (most similar to Starkey's Spectral IQ vs other forms of frequency lowering)
The Acriva’s will be noticeably more responsive in speech in noise situations vs. the Chronos aids and have a new streamer, but unless you have a 70dBHL or greater loss at 3 and 4kHz with better thresholds for the lower frequencies you’re unlikely to benefit from frequency composition.
It’s interesting. Why not?
Thanks everyone for your responses. Speech in speech noise is my main issue since I am in noisy bar/restaurant situations several nights a week. I am encouraged that my decision to return the Forzas in anticipation of a better experience with the Acrivas will turn out to have been a good one.
I just got my hands on a set of Acriva 9 RITE. I will be testing them out on myself and report back.
I will wait for the report , thanks 
Come on, it’s been 2 days already…
Probably not from Costco.
I started a thread about the Acrivas in early April. I didn’t get much of a response, which was discouraging for a newbie.
I’ve kept checking back and doing a search for Acriva/Costco since. They’ve been available in Canada and elsewhere.
There was nothing new here until Ziplock revived the thread recently.
Costco has just gotten them in, but only the BTE model and my Costco fitter doesn’t know when the RIC are going to be available, he says, “Maybe months”.
I’m going tomorrow for my hearing test and will trial the Acriva BTE aid. I plan to turn them in when RIC model becomes available, or do without and wait if the end of my 90 day trial is nearing it’s end.
I will definitely keep you updated.
I haven’t had aids for a long time though I obviously need them.
This audio-gram is from the end of 2011:
…R_ L
250_25 25
500_25 30
1k__20 35
2k__25 55
3k__35 65
4k__50 65
6k__60 90
8k__70 nr@90db
Possible interesting development: On the “Hearing Aid Styles” page of the Costco web site you can click on the link that says “Better hearing starts now”. Up until a couple of days ago that link took you to an ad for the Bernafon Chronos. For the last couple of days clicking on that link takes you to a page with no information on it. Could that mean that Costco is about to redesign that page to feature the Acriva? If so, that would seem to bode well for national availability soon.
Hi,
I was at Costco today and will have the Acriva a week from Thursday.
Sorry to Hearingaidhelper, I was wrong when I said “not from Costco” refering to the RITE, not knowing that it’s the same as what I call a RIC.
They have both the RITE and the BTE available now.
I forgot to ask if it was the Acriva 9 or 7.
Does anyone know? or is it a different model for Costco.
I’m looking forward to receiving them. The Bernafon is the only manufacturer that make a microphone that will fit in my very narrow ear canal.
Cheers,
Tobi
There’s no mic in your ear.
The speaker/receiver unit on the Bernafon is common with what Oticon ship and very similar to Resound. The Sonova group receiver is smaller by volume again.
Ok after about a week with a pair Acriva 9 Nano RITE’s, the sound quality on them is very good. Their new noise reduction system works quite nicely allowing conversations to come through dispite the noise.
Their Live Music program works quite well for live and recorded music playback. The Soundgate 2 works well for cell phone calls, but music playback through streaming is somewhat lacking in richness of sound.
Overall I would definitely recommend the Acriva’s.
Let me know if you have specific questions.
HearingAidHelper, To repeat my earlier question: In your opinion is the Acriva a quantum leap forward in performance (especialy in speech-in-noise) from the Bernafon Chronos, or is it only a slight improvement? How about compared to the Resound Alera/Forza? Thank you for your very helpful comments.
Your question is somewhat difficult to answer as your experience would be different than mine. Quantum leap, no. Improvement compared to the Chronos line, yes.
Bernafon compared to Resound is also a very subjective comparison, and thus a difficult one to make. I personally did not like the Resound Alera line, but the Resound Verso seems to be better. Their speech in noise processing ability is quite good.
Let me know if there are more questions.
Is the Costco Acriva the 7 or the 9?