Domes/tips don't maintain position in ear canal - solutions?

Hearing Aids
#1

widex Moment user here - love how my hearing aids sound when the domes are all the way in, BUT they slide just that fraction of a bit out and I don’t hear as well. I have all of the widex domes and sizes, and love the sleeves, but this is an issue :frowning: Is there some sort of aftermarket product that can keep them right in place after putting them in? Or even a third party dome that could fit these hearing aids? thanks!

#2

There are different sizes and types of Widex domes available, or custom tips may work better for you. I would discuss with your dispenser if you have one-they should be looking to get your set up right for you. Custom tips can have a special coating to aid retention if needed.

#3

There is something called a concha lock that can be added to the receiver that may help. In my opinion best solution is custom molds.

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#4

I have been using RIC hearing aids with silicon domes for 5 years. I have quite oily ear canals which makes it practically impossible to keep the domes in place for extended periods. I started with Widex HAs and tried every conceivable type and make of dome, eventually settling for Widex medium tukip domes. They were the best I could find. I even tried molds but hated them. I found the cocklear ear lock mentioned above didn’t help either. When I changed to Phonak P90 RIC HAs I tried unsuccessfully with their range of domes. I went back to Widex tulips which fit the Phonaks perfectly.

Audiologists don’t seem to understand the importance of the fit of domes and how they radically effect the quality of sound.

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#5

do the tulips hold best out of all of those? also curious how you like the phonaks after the widex?

#6

In fact I changed to Widex tulip large domes about 2 years ago. Yes they do stay in my canals. Once fitted in the morning I don’t normally need to touch them until my evening shower. One thing to note is that tulip domes do tear so need replacement every 2 or 3 months.

I went from mid-range Widex Passion 220 to my Phonak P90. The Phonaks are a huge improvement in sound quality, being much more natural. The preprogrammed music program is outstanding. I listen daily to hours of recorded music on my HiFi. They are good for streaming spoken pod casts, not so good for streaming music.

However they still fail in finding the Holy Grail of hearing aid manufacturers; I still struggle hearing speech in noisy environments.

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#7

There’s several manufacturers domes that will fit onto phonak.

I’m using Oticon open bass domes on my paradise 70. They give me a lot of the bass in music that standard open domes don’t

As an aside, my domes weren’t staying in place like normal. After checking, i realized that the dome and retention pc are 4 months old…everything is perfect again after replacing them. :rofl::rofl:

#8

how often should they be replaced? also, what’s a “retention pc?”

Thanks

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#9

Domes typically getreplaced when they start feeling stiff or in my case every 3-4 months

Regarding retention pc. This video still applies to current phonak models

#10

I have been very pleased with Oticon Grip Tips. These are like a shell made of silicone which conforms to your canal shape. They stay in place better than domes and are more comfortable.

#11

very cool, thanks for this “tip” :slight_smile: - do you know if they’d fit widex, or do the different companies usually fit each other?

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#12

Sorry, I don’t know which HA’s they fit ( other than my Phonaks)

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#13

Yep they’ll fit,widex, phonak oticon can be used, the widex and phonak fit just a little “loosely” on the oticon I’ve found, but never had them come off.

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#14

anyone know where to get these grip tips? I would try the vented version. Thanks all!

#15

I got mine from Davidson Hearing in Ottawa, Canada.

#16

You might want to consult your audi about custom ear molds.

#17

Cleaning my ears out always helped the domes or molds stay in place if properly sized.
About once a week I used some rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip, worked great.
Make sure your domes or molds are clean as well.

#18

Thanks!! i was always told q tips just push the wax in?

#19

You may get that here on the forum too. It’s a mixed opinion I believe.
Personally I have never had an issue with pushing wax into my ears.
Clean ears hold domes and earmolds in place better in my opinion.

#20

I tracked down a pair of medium vented Oticon Grip domes. The audiologist gave them to me FOC and recalibrated my HAs for the new domes.

The Oticon grip domes are the best fit I’ve ever had and seem to stay in my ear canals the entire day. I have extremely oily ear canals which till now have managed to eject every dome apart from the Widex large tulips which stayed in place. With the Oticon grip domes the receiver wires are tight against my ears for the whole day, something I’ve never experienced, So far they feel comfortable. The sound quality is good and may need further tweaking later.

One thing the audiologist warned is that they don’t last long. Within two months they will discolour and go softer. I was fortunate to get this pair FOC. If I favour them long term I’ll be paying about £30 for a pair, unless someone can point me to a cheaper supplier.