Have Phillips 9010 - risk 9040's or switch to Jabra?

Hearing Aids
#1

So, I’ve had HA’s from Costco for 6 years now - originally Bernafone, and then the same rebranded as Phillips. Currently the 9010 model. While happy with the sound/functions/streaming, they have been TERRIBLE for dependability. In the first 3 years, had to have them replaced 5 times due to repeated extremely short battery life (< 2 days!). In the last 3 years they get replaced about once a year due to failing with moisture (sweat) issues. Biking, mowing the lawn on a warm day, etc. and they shut down on me. Usually a good dry AND new batteries (even if the current are only a day old - those are truly dead) get them going again. Odd that sweat rapidly drains the batteries. So much for the IP68 rating… Yeah, tried sweat protectors, taking them out when there is a chance of being warm, etc. Costco has extended the warranty for me due to all the issues. But, the time has run out for that. They are currently giving a four note error tone after start up that kills the BT connection and the external buttons, and then a bit later makes them totally dead. But this time with no sweat, and batteries test fine. Replaced once already for that issue, and now it has cropped up again.

So time for new, rather than pay the repair charge for the same old/same old. I called Phillips, and they had never heard of those issues, ever, with the 9010’s. (Wonder why they never flagged all my prior returns?). Speculation from them that the 9040’s with no battery door might be a bit more moisture proof.
Has anyone here had similar dependability issues with the 9040’s?
Had told Costco to order, but the tech called me back to come in to discuss other brand options before a full commitment. I assume it will be Jabra’s, once I am clear I want direct BT streaming from my iPhone 13.
Any reports about dependability (or lack there of) for the Jabra’s?

Glad I only live about a mile from the local Costco. And that I kept my working very old Phonaks to use when the Phillips have been off for replacement…

#2

It’s the same shell.

I have one or two clients with the sweating/capillary issue at the battery drawer on both the newer Bernafon and Oticon models.

We don’t like advising (near) hermetically sealed shells as they can cause unidentifiable issues for the client if they start to go wrong and we can’t rule out the battery, BUT in your case it would seem to be a good idea.

I’m not sure of the Jabra performance on this, but you’d possibly want to look at the Lumity Life derived aids.

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#3

I have ruined severa hearing aids by perspiration entering the electronics and batteries shorting out. It got to the point where I would take my hearing aids out if I was working. This time one of the reasons I went with the Jabras as there is no door for batteries and sweat to enter. Jabras have an IP68 rating which means they are very resistant to moisture. Theoretically you can submerge them in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes without damage. I sweat a lot and so far the Jabras have had no issues.

#4

Good to hear - the broken 9010’s supposedly have an IP68 rating too, but obviously didn’t. I concur with Um-bongo that it seems logical that capillary wicking into the battery door is the fault. Found an old thread here that I posted back around '18 about the initial battery problems - while most were due to a then bad batch of Costco batteries, there were a few remarks about Phillips acknowledging their own battery drain issues. That seems to have been fixed in later revisions. But my sweat related ones, older and more recent, no. My current problems may just be due to repeated sweat problems, and corrosion on the electronics. I speculate, of course, but…

Yet here I sit with my 13 yr old Phonaks, that while not optimally tuned anymore, have never had such issues…

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#5

The Rexton BiCores are your other option at Costco. I’ve been wearing a pair for the past month and I’m really pleased with their performance in enhancing my hearing…

But more to your point, when they were released, Rexton specifically claimed that they were built to be rugged and to be resistant to moisture (IP 68 rating), claiming that they can be worn in the shower without sustaining any damage and that they can be submerged in a meter of water for up to half an hour without harm. While I don’t recommend either of these, they are built to provide the kind of sweat resistance for the kind of activity you’re talking about. (See the link below for the company statement.) in addition, for an extra $100 bucks, you can buy an additional Rexton charger with doubles as a drying box. This device would create a routine of regular drying which shoukd enhance the moisture resistant properties of these hearing aids.

The Rexton BiCores are identical to the Signia Pure Charge&Go. Same hearing aids, different brand name. So, if you want to Google any further information, whatever you read about the Signia Pure Charge&Gi is equally applicable to the Rexton BCores.

#6

I didn’t have anything like those problems with 9010s, but I had them in my late 70s, and I don’t sweat as much as I did a few years earlier. Pedaled 3,800road miles over 3 years, plus a few hundred trainer hours. My ears can get pretty wet, but not as wet as 10 years ago. Not everything about aging is bad. :slight_smile:

I used 9030s for a couple of weeks last December. They were better than the 9010s in that voices were clearer, but the Jabra Pro10s were better still, and the Multi-mic is useful to me. I bought the Pro 10s before the 9040s were available. I considered the 9030s because of ASHA.

After using the Jabras (rechargeable) for a few months, I did a quick walk-around with the 9040s in the store. Sound-wise, my ears say they give a smoother sound than the Jabras do; that was my impression, at least. But I use the Multi-mic, and it’s unique to ReSound/Jabra, so I stuck with the Jabras. If the Multi-mic weren’t so useful, I’d have chosen the 9040s.

I generally got a week from 312 batteries on the 9010s without any streaming. I got 4 days from the 9030s, using ASHA for phone calls (not many) but not streaming. I returned the rechargeable Jabras, and I’ve had disposable battery Jabras for 6 or 7 weeks; I’ve gotten 13-14 days from 13s, and I stream TV for 4+ hours a day.

I think the 9030 wasn’t a cost-effective change from the 9010s, but I also think both 9040s and Jabras (and maybe the Rextons) would be worth the cost.

#7

No problems with the 9040 312 battery version yet, but I’ve only had them a couple of months.

I’ve never had problems with sweat issues with my hearing aids, so I can 't help you with that.

If I was ordering today, I would go with the Jabra since they now have auracast.

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#8

Curious what you ended up doing and how it worked out?