Has anyone had both and able to give a comparison on performance.
I have only ever had CIC so have no idea how good or bad other options might be.
I have had both and I like the BTE style better. I currently have the Costco version of the Resound Verso 9 with a custom mold and I think I hear better than with the CIC aids I’ve had. My mold sits as deep as an IIC device and stays in place all day. Mine have a volume and program change button and the aids communicate with each other. I can instantly change the volume on both or change the program on both (long press on volume up), or start the TV transmitter (long press on volume down).
I know some CIC have communication ability but I don’t know how well that works. I have the bluetooth phone/streamer device (Resound Phone Clip+) which I wear around my neck, under my shirt. With that I can communicate with my cell phone and also with my office phone and office desktop computer. I have a laptop and tablet at home that transmit to my hearing aids. I have the Resound TV transmitter that transmits directly to my hearing aids, doesn’t go through the Phone Clip+. So, all my devices go through my hearing aids, which helps my understanding and enjoyment a lot.
BTE tends to give you lots more features, like controls on the unit and a telecoil. You may get more microphones. You get a bigger battery that either translates into longer life or capability for more processing power or both.
But they seem a bit more precarious. You’re wearing it like you wear a pencil behind your ear. They are more difficult to put on. Children sometimes grab them. Over the ear headphones and similar devices turn on the telecoil and therefore don’t sound good.
CICs seem much more prone to feedback. (In my experience, MUCH more.)
the biggest difference is the use of dual directional mics in bte aids.
I have a pair of Super Power CIC Phonak Solana aids, and a back up NHS Oiticon Spirit Synergy Zest pair of BTE aids.
My audiogram is roughly as follows:
250 500 1k 2k 4k 6k 8k
40 40 65 70 80 80 90 (Left Ear )
50 50 70 70 75 75 100 (Right Ear)
It’s a moderately severe loss. I am advised that I shouldn’t really wear the Super Power aids, and should wear the BTE instead.
My observations are as follows: (NB these are my personal opinions, according to my experience):
Plus points for CIC:
i) More discreet than my BTE (for which I have moulds).
ii) Can wear headphones without any problem. Sound is very clear and I can hear at much lower volume. This lends itself to headsets as well as normal headphones.
iii) Better performance in noisy situations. Now - before I get flamed on here - this is my personal experience - not a general comment. I have used both the CIC and BTE aids in comparable situations, and I find my comprehension with the CIC hearing aids superior. Whether it is the aids, or the fact that I have use of the Pinna - I have no idea.
iv) Find it easier to use with the Phone. Like with headphones, I can hear at much lower volumes.
Negative points for CIC:
i) Every 4 days for a battery change
ii) Slightly less reliable. Have had to send them back twice within 3 years for repair.
iii) More susceptible to wax. Have to buy wax traps
iv) Music is inferior. Less bass. Guess this is because of my loss.
Plus points for BTE
i) Every 12 days for a battery change
ii) Music is far superior.
iii) Believe that sound fidelity is superior. Sound is less boomy, and noise on the whole is suppressed better, although with less overall comprehension.
iv) Have a bluetooth solution. Use the Streamer Pro.
v) Reliable - never broken down.
vi) Believe I am hearing more on the overall spectrum. Overall comprehension in quiet situations is superior.
Negative points for BTE
i) More visible.
ii) Am disappointed with comprehension in noisy situations. Possibly because this is a mid range BTE.
iii) More exposure to sweat (I do a lot of sport).
This seems all very personal and unique. I prefer CIC. Even with my loss, feedback and occlusion have not been issues. In fact, prior to Widex stuffing bluetooth into their CIC, it fit so deep I could actually fully cover my ear and not get feedback. CIC is also excellent for natural protection from the elements (rain), and is definitely better from wind noise aspect. I don’t consider them fragile, either, I have CiC aids last 8-10 years. Make your own decision from your own situation, and don’t let someone tell you one is definitely better than another.
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This seems all very personal and unique. I prefer CIC. Even with my loss, feedback and occlusion have not been issues. In fact, prior to Widex stuffing bluetooth into their CIC, it fit so deep I could actually fully cover my ear and not get feedback. CIC is also excellent for natural protection from the elements (rain), and is definitely better from wind noise aspect. I don’t consider them fragile, either, I have CiC aids last 8-10 years. Make your own decision from your own situation, and don’t let someone tell you one is definitely better than another.
I will say for me I prefer the ITC aids or ITE half shells. I have had BTE rite aids and I had issues with them being blown off my ears due to the high winds in this area at times. I have also had issues with the BTE aids with sweat killing them. Music and phones with the BTE for me was not as easy either, I could not wear head sets with my BTE and I can with my ITC. For me battery life has been the same seeing I have always used 312 batteries. I also had a lot more issues with feedback with the BTE aids, but I believe that was that my hearing had gone worse and the aids were being pushed to their limits.
The only thing I will really say is that you have to try the different types of aids and make the decision for your self. I have never had CIC aids but I have friends that have and they either loved them due to the aids note being seen or they hated them due to them not feeling right in the ear. I had one friend that said the CICs really were not comfortable but she had them only because she did not want any one to know she had aids. But everyone did know she had hearing issues due to her always saying what or please repeat.
Thanks everyone for your feedback.
I probably should try the BTE style and compare for myself but it doesn’t seem that easy, the Audios seem to have their opinion & favorites therefore you only get what they recommend.
My batteries need changing every 2 days but that doesn’t worry me.
I have had my CICs repaired many times over the 4-1/2 years I’ve had them and that is very annoying as they have to sent across the country which is a 2 week turnaround even paying extra for VIP service.
My biggest fear is not having them as I cannot work properly without them & the wife goes crazy yelling at me.
I was thinking of getting something cheaper like the Starkey AMP as a backup.
I might be better off trialling a set of BTE and if they are better keep the CICs for spare.
My health benefits only allow a set every 5 years with about a 20% refund, not a lot but after shelling out for the cover you tend to try and get all you can back 
I really would like to be able to self tune them as well as I feel the Audios don’t really know what you are hearing and are virtually working blind.
Doubledown, what did you mean by “the brio will probably suit your cookie bite lost better for your left ear.”
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the only thing I’ve read that warrants an ite aid is sweat issues.
I am amazed how much you guys know about the available technology.
I struggle to keep up with it and the jargon.
When I visit the Audio they seem to only have only a basic knowledge therefore what they give you seems sub-standard from what I see you guys getting.
They may be smarter than they let on, but definitely not passing on any technical info or options like you guys seem to get.
Maybe we should push them harder for better service.
DD. My CICs have a fairly large vent, probably about 2mm diameter or 3/32" merican;)
“a channel/band is just a range of frequency. Phonak is famous for their 20 channel aids. 20 channels for which the gain/volume can be adjust along with the compression ratio. compression ratio is just a ratio that’s used to reduce the amount of gain/volume applied to a range of frequency (channel) so that the sounds can fit between the floor and ceiling of gain/volume you can safely hear. typically aids today top out at 16 channels. Your lost is a cookie bite lost in the left ear and the rule of thumb is more channels to better shape the output from the aid to your lost. However, siemen binax/rexton trax 42/rexton emerald aids claim to have a maximum of 20 gain bands and 42 compression channel. plus the siemens and rexton aids goes up to 10kHz as they claim. phonak aids typically tops out at like 9 kHz of frequency range”
This sort of makes sense, as the problem I am having with particular sounds has not been addressed properly, I believe they are just broadly adjusting certain frequencies.
My aids are Starkey Series S iQ 7 I believe, maybe my aids don’t have enough channels to properly weed out the annoying frequencies.
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[quote=doubledown;124864]the only thing I’ve read that warrants an ite aid is sweat issues. but with nearly all aids being nanocoated with the latest company offerings even this issue may become a thing of the past.
then again some of these ite aids are hitting some incredible performance numbers. in some cases exceeding their bte counterpart. and then I see some bte actually getting worse with each subsequent generation. companies are obviously putting more money to their in the ear aids. This is sad as vanity is taking precedent over hearing.
glucas, you’ve wrote that your cic sounds better than your bte is like somebody writing that their ford escort is faster than their ferrari. clearly there is something wrong. I suspect your oticon aids were not programmed well. seeing how your loss is like my left ear I suspect you could ask your audi to change the microphones to dual mode instead of tri-mode. tri-mode has this full directionality mode for the microphone that never worked for me as I think it’s too biased towards high frequency sounds which I can’t really hear. If that does not help then adjust the compression speed by changing the mode from lively, exact, balanced, gentle, steady or possibly dynamic, active, gradual. ]
doubledown,
I didn’t say sound was better with the CIC. Re-read my post - where do I say that ?
If you look at my entry under BTE advantages, I have written:
BTE - Believe that sound fidelity is superior
In any case, I don’t agree with your comments anyway. There is not a lot in it, and you under-estimate just how good the Phonak custom aids are. Have you ever worn one ?
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No sir, all of my CIC aids had vents. I have them closed at the audiologists office. I also have a BTE (Siemens 7mi) with a full non-vented custom ear-mold, both myself and those around me seem to think I perform about as well between them, except the BTE’s programming doesn’t like live music in a noisy restaurant very much. As I said, there is no one-solution fits all. Your brain is as big a variable in all this as your ears.
glucas,
find an audiologist you can trust
Doubledown,
How old are your ITE aids ? I got the Spice CIC aids in 2012, and they were a MASSIVE improvement over the previous set of ITC Phonak aids that I had bought in 2004. You may just need to try the very latest model.
That said, I would be inclined to be suspicious about the programming of the Oticon aids. I will check this out at some point. Thanks.
It’s not so much that music sounds better or worse, what the Siemens does is jump erratically between programs, depending on who is speaking (and how loud), if there are dishes clattering, what type of music… It’s all over the map as it tries to “automatically” detect what program to use. Worthless in a dynamic environment. In fact, I have had it actually render the music inaudible on occasion, and conversely, speech inaudible as it decided the music was more important. I can train myself to pick out sounds, but not if the output is continuously varying.
I imagine I can get that all programmed out, but this aid is only for “water days”, so to speak, and the remote required is by no means waterproof, so it will not make the trip.
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It’s not so much that music sounds better or worse, what the Siemens does is jump erratically between programs, depending on who is speaking (and how loud), if there are dishes clattering, what type of music… It’s all over the map as it tries to “automatically” detect what program to use. Worthless in a dynamic environment. In fact, I have had it actually render the music inaudible on occasion, and conversely, speech inaudible as it decided the music was more important. I can train myself to pick out sounds, but not if the output is continuously varying.
I imagine I can get that all programmed out, but this aid is only for “water days”, so to speak, and the remote required is by no means waterproof, so it will not make the trip.
I’ve just switched from RIC (receiver in the canal, microphone and amplifier behind the ear) to CIC (completely in the canal) after about six years with the RIC. So far I’m liking the CIC much better than the RIC. It’s ended a the constant tug of war between the HA and my glasses for the preferred spot behind my ear, and I’m hearing better than I was. I’m not a television watcher, but my wife is. I do watch a few podcasts on my computer, but to avoid noise interference I listen to them wearing headphones. Now I can hear them much better than previously, enough so that I can turn the volume way down from where it used to be. So far I’ve been wearing them for less than a week, but I’ll try to add additional comments later.
Norman
jeffbowser,
are you using an aquaris aid?
doubledown
I wear light-weight wire-rimmed glasses, which I much prefer to the heavy plastic ones. Their ear pieces hook behind the HAs and pull them out of my ear, or the HAs pull my glasses off my face. Either outcome is totally unacceptable to me, and I would rather change the hearing aids than change my glasses.
I’ve had two hearing aids before. The first ones were the least expensive of the smallest Widexes, the Psssion 100s. I bought them from a fitter who was a high-pressure salesman, but not terrible good at giving an exact fit or fixing problems. The second dealer I went to was much more interested in giving a correct fit, but the Oticon Ino’s that I bought from him, which exactly met the specifications I asked for, came to dissatisfy me, so I decided to try a different brand.
I went to Costco expecting to buy Kirkland Signature 6’s, which could be controlled remotely by my iPhone, but the fitter there convinced me that the Phonaks would be a much better choice for my loss. He suggested the Phonak Brio I 312’s and took the impressions for them that first day, which was July 1. The HAs were fitted to my ears on July 10.
So far I have been greatly pleased with them and I was especially pleased pleased with the fitter’s great skill and desire to give an exact fit.
Norman
nbb
If you have an insurance plan that cover glasses, I suggest you get an extra pair.