The Phonak rep said the SP will cover as much as what the current UP does now.
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This is amazing if true!! This is a dream come true for me. Finally, those with a high level of profound hearing loss like me and @Lostdeaf will be able to hear better and utilize all the amazing wireless Bluetooth features which will improve our quality of life so much!
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Well good news if we see Naida Marvel SP in February, but aren’t you forgetting (TallRobocop) that Oticon just came out with the Xceed (power aid) and Widex might shortly come out with a Super Evoke power aid. Certainly the more brands/selections the better but I believe all power hearing aids use bluetooth, so its not like a future Naida Marvel SP has a “corner on the market”.
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Also for what its worth, many times new HA’s hit the European market first (for what ever reason) and then two, three months later in U.S. Don’t know if delay in U.S is due to FDA, general marketing plan or production issues.
Well I’d like see the fitting range for the (rumored) new Naida Marvel SP compared with Oticon Xceed. And of course to see if the Nadia SP offers size 675 battery, which the Xceed already does. Still finding good reviews on the Xceed, yet no one on HT has commented (in detail) their own personal experiences testing hearing aid.
Oticon Xceed features a radical new approach to hearing care for individuals with severe-to-profound hearing loss that is proven to deliver better speech clarity and better short-term recall while reducing the listening effort this patient population struggles with in most situations every day. Xceed is the first super- and ultra-power hearing aid with OpenSound Navigator™ and OpenSound Optimizer™, BrainHearing™ technologies that support more access to speech. The innovative technology in Xceed empowers hearing care professionals to deliver industry-leading optimal output and gain – 146 dB SPL and 87 dB full on gain – without the high risk of feedback. People with severe-to-profound hearing loss can enjoy more access to speech throughout the day with a 360° soundscape and consistent amplification without significant gain reductions.
https://www.oticon.com/inside-oticon/news/news/2019/nov-11-ces-2020-awards
Oticon Xceed may be not as power in real life as you think. See my topic Oticon Xceed SP and UP fitting range
Lostdeaf - I did review your past post and I think the jury’s still out how Xceed compares with competing brands. Right now there are very few choices in the (power HA group) so I’d have to see more reviews on the Xceed and how it stacks up against limited competition.
I should mention I trialed Evoke fashion power hearing recently (thinking its fitting chart) would cover my hearing loss. Well it didn’t and I believe the aid failed REM test. So you and I might be on the same page recognizing that hearing power does not necessarily transfer over into real gain and improved word recognition. Still if you google the Oticon Xceed - its shows up as one of the most powerful HA on the market. As in the top two or three in my opinion.
Widex Super Evoke? Have you more information about this?
Marketing is not a real life, but sales drive only
Actually, the reason for my excitement for Phonak is because they’re known to produce the best hearing aids for those who have profound hearing loss and have the largest market share in this category. Having said that, I am actually happy other companies also have UP hearing aids with bluetooth capability. I will be getting new hearing aids around April/May and will try all three brands - Phonak Naida, Oticon Xceed, and Widex Super Evoke (if they release it in this timeframe).
You do know Resound makes an UP hearing aid? They’ve had bluetooth in UP HAs for longer than anybody else.
Yes, I am aware and I am open to trying different brands, including Resound. I also have to consider a brand that has availability in Pakistan, my home country. Phonak has a presence here that other brands do not have. I emailed Phonak to confirm if the upcoming Phonak Marvel M SP covers both SP and UP hearing ranges and got a confirmation:
Yes, the Phonak has made it where the SP model can be adjusted for those who have used UP models.
Still please follow with your hearing care provider to make sure the SP is right for your type of hearing loss.
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Don’t be so sure. If you are still using a hearing aid your hearing nerve is still in use.
I have a Naida B90 SP in my left ear and a Medel Sonnet CI in my right for the past 1.5 years. No question in my mind that I hear and understand considerably better with the CI ear. The operation was in and out on the same day. I also use Roger equipment sending to both ears to assist with hearing in noise and for meetings. Could attend a show recently on an Andre Rieu concert and appreciate the music and comprehend the speech. A CI certainly has lots of room for improvement and it sure beats becoming a hermit as I age (I am approaching 81) and continue to lose acoustic hearing.
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What is happening to Widex’s ultra power hearing solutions? Widex introduced Senso Vita P38 in 1998, followed by Bravissimo BV38 in 2005, Super in 2011 and Menu SP in 2012 (latter being part of the Menu platform launched in India). The longest period between the four releases is 7 years. It has been 9 years since the company launched Widex Super and 8 years since the launch of Menu SP that was developed for the Indian market. What’s going on? Does anyone know if Widex is planning on releasing a new ultra power HA or it’s the end of the road for the company in this segment.
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You’ve ask a very good question since year’s back Widex was once of the leaders in “power hearing aids”. Many of us wonder why Widex seems to have abandoned the “severe to profound” hearing group? Is it due to merging with other companies? Is it because the market for power aids is not as big “shall we say” as normal hearing aids? Is it because Widex technology has slipped or taken a back seat to Resound or Oticon? I don’t know the answer but Widex made two major mistakes over the last few years. They stuck way too long with underperforming Zpower batteries. That turned a lot of HA users off. The company also came out in 2018 with “fuel cell technology” that got a lot of attention only to fall off the drawing board for unknown reasons.
You never know when a HA manufacturer will come out with a new hearing aid, much less a power aid but for now it appears Widex is not in the ball game.
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I forgot to mention the introduction of Widex Senso Vita SV38 in 2004 so the timeline of their ultra power releases looks like this:
1998 - Senso P38
2004 - Senso Vita SV38
2005 - Bravissimo BV38
2011 - Super
2012 - Menu SP (for Indian market)
Widex users have never been forced to wait more than 6 years for a new release to come. Widex Super is the last decent model from premium class and is close to 10 years old. Their Menu platform is basic with maximum of 10 channels targeted to Indian market.
I’m stuck pretty bad with this lack of new ultra power HAs because according to a professor specialised in the frequency lowering algorithms Audibility Extender is probably the most suitable technology that would help in my case.
After the release of Widex Moment I think this fall is the time for a new UP model. 36 million people have a severe-to-profound hearing loss, this is pretty decent market just to throw it into the bin.
I would not wait for Widex to come out with a new power aid. Instead I would trial the Resound Enzo Q (now) and see if it meets your expectations. Never hurts to test a new hearing aid as long as your HA vendor allows you to return aid within a specific time period for a full refund. Now there are those who claim someone who has used a Widex HA for a long time will be locked into the Widex sound/clarity and have a hard time adjusting to another hearing aid. That might be true - maybe not. But life goes on and you would be better off testing a 2020 HA now versus waiting for Widex to get off the pot.
Resound has very basic frequency lowering that can’t lower sounds below 2500 Hz. I trialed the Enzo Q and there is no difference with Sound Shaper on even with the most aggressive settings. Frequency lowering is second or third in my priority list - 1.Perceived speech understanding and sound quality 2. Assistive devices, Roger Pen/Roger Select is a must. 3. Frequency lowering 4. Wireless connections and accessories.
I’m used to the Widex’s sound and Audibility Extender is probably the most suitable frequency lowering algorithm for my hearing loss. There is also FM-DEX device for connecting the Roger Pen/Select.
As for the Phonak Naida UP aids, they have the most sound power, but their lowering does not go below 800 Hz, so I will probably not benefit a lot from their frequency lowering. On the other hand Audibility Extender can lower frequencies down to 223 Hz. Combined with Output Extender that boosts the low frequencies to unmatched by the other manifacturers levels it can extend my audible range to at least 2200 Hz. That’s why I can’t write off Widex easily.