I expect to be soon in the market for a new pair of hearing aids to replace my 10 year old Bernafon Verites. The KS 10 is high on my list already.
A few questions for forum members to would help inform and educate me. Please overlook the fact some of the Qs may seem naive (they only reflect my lack of understanding of current tech…)
Is the microphone in the BTE to pick up my voice (for transmitting to the phone via BT) in tel conversations?
is there the equivalent of an external microphone that I can clip on to my collar (as they do in TV interviews)? incoming voice would be streamed into my BTEs whereas outgoing voice would be picked up by the external mic and passed on to the phone. I ask this as in a noisy environment the mic in the BTEs may not be picking up my voice as well as would an external mic.
Can I wear a headphone (i.e., covering my RIC and possibly obscuring the BTE too)? or would it produce feedback and create other problems?
1)Mic is for both receiving environmental sound and for sending voice to phone
2)This is a downside. If external noise is to great, it will be difficult for the other participant in the phone call to hear you above backgroind noise.
3) Maybe. You’d just need to see how it works.
MDB, I appreciate your prompt, concise, and detailed response to my Qs.
Ok, I understand why so.
It’d be good if HA manufacturers offer an accessory that is a small, clip-on mic that pairs with the phone (and HA, possibly) and replaces the mic in the BTE for outbound voice. Placed closer to the speaker’s mouth, directional, it’d do much better in eliminating background noise and improve signal quality for tel conversations. If they can do Partner Mics and such it shouldn’t be too hard to make a clip-on mic.
Most other hearing aids use the phone’s microphone. It could help if the KS9, KS10, Marvel and Paradise hearing aids offered that at as an option, but they don’t.
Hello everyone. New to the forum and just ordered my first pair of HA’s yesterday. The new KS 10.
That being said I was fit with the KS9 and told that the KS10 would be the same except rechargeable.
Not so.
There was no documentation available or samples until today at which time I have learned that being rechargeable plus having a T-Coil that they are noticeably larger. This concerns me as I certainly wanted them to be as unnoticeable as possible. I tried both on again today and the increased size is noticeable.
Should I be concerned?
Not sure why they added the T-Coil to the KS10’s but I do not believe it will be a benefit to me.
Additionally I ordered Silver which to me just shines and and stands out more. Thinking about changing the order to Black. I have Dark Silver Grey hair and think Black would be less noticeable.
Thoughts?
I called Phonak today and asked about the size difference between the Paradise R-T and the 312 model.
I was thinking this would be a way to compare the size difference in the KS9 and KS10. They said the length was 4mm (.157") longer for the R-T.
With the other dimensions referenced in these posts along with comparing the KS9 and 10 in person today I can see that the size is much larger.
Maybe I’m missing something…my reading of the PartnerMic brochure (on the KS10 user portal) says it won’t address the issue described in #2. i.e., it doesn’t sync with the phone, it doesn’t replace the mic in the BTE for outbound voice in phone conversations, etc. It works as a remote mic and pairs with the BTEs but that is for a different problem and situation than described in #2 .
Could I be wrong?
My loss is straight across- it is drifting down to the 80’s. I’m afraid to get my hearing tested. I can only let a receiver go into my ear canal 3mm tops. Otherwise, I am absolutely miserable- my ears are so sensitive to things in the canals.
I think I am going to wait and see. I have VA Marvels and don’t wear them because they don’t really do any good. Not to mention the bother, especially in the time of COVID. I have given up on the VA. They are like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Maybe in another year when my hearing has gotten worse, Costco will have even newer aids.
KS8s are made for iPhone (MFi) while KS10s are not. I don’t know if you’ll be able to connect KS10s to your iPad — I have KS9s (aka Phonak Marvels) and the iPad is not supported. I wish I’d’ve gotten KS8s when they were available — I had KS6’s and I really liked the MFi aspect. “Regular” bluetooth is a little clunkier IME.
Anxious to hear how things go,
-kate.
PS I got the KS9s in mid-Feb since my KS6’s were out of warranty. But I hope I can exchange for KS10s — the newer technology sounds awesome!
Now I have a dilemma - I love my KS9s and do not want to consider life without them, but I really don’t want rechargeables. To me it would be like having range anxiety with an electric car! So, I wonder how long the KS9 will still be on sale, and should I fork out now for a spare pair before they are discontinued. Or, might Costco come out with a 312 version of the KS10…decisions decisions…
Yeah - same here. My thinking would be that on really long days out, such as an international flight (not at the moment!), I would take or wear the KS9s as back up, and recharge on the go. I think my travelling days are so infrequent at the moment it would not be an issue.
On the issue of a spare pair, for me, the KS9 would become my back ups on buying the KS10.
I could walk in Monday and see a tech, I could get an internet appointment by the end of the week from the medical center and within 2 weeks from local clinic. I can get an in person with my AuD in my clinic easily with a month.