After you got the custom molds, was the REM discrepancy against the target get reduced significantly compared to the original REM discrepancy with the domes?
If so, then REM helped indicate to you that domes were not sufficient and you needed custom molds. But I wonder if it’s usually good enough to just look at an audiogram and be able to make a good educated guess whether domes are enough or if one really needs custom molds without having to find that out from a REM result.
I don’t have the moulds yet. For Phonak aids the moulds come with a code you enter (that represents the mould vent effect) and that triggers a recalculation anyway as you would expect. The REM and mapping will be needed again with the moulds as the acoustic coupling is changed significantly.
This can be done manually,you only get certain sizes to choose from, this is something that needs to be worked out between you and your fitter (feedback,occlusion) unfortunately sometimes you don’t get it right first time and the molds need to be redone with the correct vent size that “suit’s you” can be trial and error for some.
V,
Dr Cliff, and I think, Neville have mentioned when your low frequency loss reaches 50-60db range, it’s usually time for unvented molds.
Thanks @Fred_Flintstone ! That seems about right. All those low frequencies’ amplification would probably go out to the vent if there’s no unvented mold to keep it in.
My point is that if the REM result is so significant such that a change in fitting from domes to custom molds is required, then it’s not really that REM is such a huge help, but it’s more like the HCP has prescribe incorrect fittings in the first place.
Over the years I bought a number of pairs of aids from eBay. They were all used. I did the programming myself. Most of them gave me a couple of years of service. Prices ranged from $100 up to maybe $200 per aid. All of them eventually quit working and were replaced with other used aids. My first non-ebay aids were a pair of KS9’s purchased about a year and a half ago at Costco. I’m 82.
Clearly you know your stuff. Thank you for sharing! God bless you.
I’m very curious how “your guy” in Germany makes a living ? Does he provide all of this follow up support at no cost ? Or is support provided for a specific time that is included with the hearing aid purchase ?
I’ve just managed to buy 2 x brand new still sealed, Phonak Sky M70 hearing aids for £180 on eBay!
Bargain!
I can give you his WhatsApp number and you can ask him yourself. But I’ll tell you what I do know. He has two stores in Germany. Hearing aids is his livelihood. Anytime I’ve had a question he’s always answered it and been very helpful. In fact he’s teaching me noahlink wireless.
Fantastic!!! Good for you!
I noticed the first one in the middle of the night (UK) and then another one, the following evening, he then listed that one.
I think I was very lucky!
It is often the case that amplification is closer to target with a custom device assuming a relatively average ear canal and overlooking the deviations from target that are systemic to a particular line of hearing aids. RICs with domes are much more likely to be dramatically off target, yes.
It would be easier to tell if domes were a poor recommendation from the get-go if SteveCh’s audio was up, but I wouldn’t necessarily jump to this conclusion. Ears can be wonky [technical term] shapes and sometimes it is obvious that a dome won’t work because of either the hearing loss or a visible wonky shape, but sometimes they are not noticeably wonky until you take the mold and then say, “oh wow, yeah, that’s wonky”. Sometimes the only thing that gives it away is the REM. REM may also reveal that even though the audiogram seemed well within the range of a particular receiver, it’s insufficient.
And for those wondering how often a hearing aid is just bang on target from first fit: It’s rare enough that when it happens I snap a photo and send it to my colleagues for them to be impressed by. So, pretty rare. In a huge majority of cases hearing aids are underfit, sometimes enormously so. Or they are underfit at many frequencies and overfit in a peaky way at an acoustically annoying frequency. I did run testbox verification on a signia hearing aid yesterday that was shockingly over-fit, but I will wait to verify it on-ear before making judgements.
I’ve purchased Oticon More hearing aids through eBay last year. Unfortunately at that time, my Audiologist couldn’t arrange for me to have a trial for More hearing aids and also kept telling me it won’t be different from the model I had (Oticon OPN). Anyhow, I was very frustrated due to the pandemic because I couldn’t clearly hear lots of words through the mask and the Land-line phone conversation wasn’t very good. (FYI, I’m a pharmacist)
I’ve checked eBay and the price wasn’t bad at all. Also, my coverage won’t cover my hearing aids due to the 5 years of coverage restriction. Anyhow long story short. I checked and I’ve purchased through eBay. Yes, I’ve checked who was the seller and where the HA coming from. Luckily the seller was Korean and I am originally from Korea. For me, it’s quite easy to have a conversation.
I’ve sent my audiogram from hearing aids through Noah kit. And he set up the hearing aids based on the audiogram. After a month’s trial with Oticon More, I visited a different audiologist near my house to have a hearing test and set up the program based on the most current data. Surprisingly the new set-up was very nice and I was so happy with it, since then.
If you ask me, will you buy it again through eBay?
To be honest, I am a little bit hesitant because I was lucky that everything went through smoothly but a little bit difficult to get some help timely and I had to pay each time for a visit, around $250 CAD (when I visit an audiologist near my house).
My plan is, that if I can claim my hearing aids purchase under my coverage, I would purchase from a local audiologist after the proper check-up. However, my coverage won’t pay for it and I want to buy it for my personal pleasure(?), I would do it again through eBay.
P.S… Also, when you purchase the hearing aids through eBay, you also should be familiar with the program for hearing settings via Noah. It’s quite fun to adjust by yourself and find the detailed setting but on the other hand, it might require energy and time.
I have no idea about this particular business, but it is often the case that a longstanding business that doesn’t have any debt and has low overhead can sell stuff at comparatively low prices.
Yeah I suppose under those conditions one can settle for less profit. I was just impressed that he was providing so much at little to no income. We all need to find more professional people to do this for us.
Even @$2400 he must have made money, no-one works for nothing.
What does it take to answer an email or few min phone call if it keeps customers coming back?
A total guess on my part, but it’s certainly not unusual to see different prices in different parts of the world. It could be that this audi is just able to get them for far less money in the first place, no?
I’m in the UK and got 2 x brand new, still sealed, Phonak M70 hearing aids for roughly $220 concerted into your money.
Way better then the pair of brand new Phonak M50, I got a few years ago for less then $150.
I’m not sure why I’m noticing such a difference between the M50 and M70.
I sold the M50’s on and made a profit, not much but I made some money.
That’s the point. My guy is in it to make a living. He has a new newborn. Just was born last week. If he A didn’t make money I’d feel terrible.