Help with suitable Aids for my hearing Loss

Your reply helps me a lot.

I had an in the ear hearing aid. When they remade it after I complained it squeeled every time I chewed, it hurt badly. I seldom wore it after that.

So I haven’t considered molds. And my wax guards with my Phonak Paradise hearing aids drive me crazy!

DaveL

Hope you can get it sorted Davel

1 Like

Love this site and community. I’m getting real first hand advice and experiences. Thanks craftychrocheter.

1 Like

RICs don’t have the same feedback problems that CICs have. If your CICs were comfortable prior to the remake, then you should be able to have comfortable custom tips for your Audeo Ps. Then you’d have the cerustop wax guards instead which generally need to be changed more frequently but many people find easier.

But if domes are comfortable for you, your hearing loss doesn’t scream molds the way others do.

3 Likes

Just a quick question for those in the know.
I understand that dome tips on RIC’s clip over the end of the receivers, do the ear molds attach in the same manner or are the receiver’s molded into the ear mold ? in one piece i.e. not detachable.

You can get click molds/ slim tips that the receiver clips into and you can also have soft silicone that the receiver just slips into.
Molds can also be fully inclosed and are not “detachable”

1 Like

Thanks for the information tenkan

It is confusing. First, I am about your age but more experienced in the confusion. If you are going to get surgery, for sure, then I would not invest in hearing aids until I had the surgery and healed up from it. Sinusitis, Eustachian tube dysfunction and so on effect the quality of your hearing. Those things have to be remedied so that you can properly evaluate new hearing aids. You are only going to get a certain trial period so you don’t want to use it until your ready. There are a great number of hearing aids so one type does not fit all. You may try them and decide you don’t like them and return them for credit, possibly buying something else to try. Also, Unitron Moxy Blue 5 is the bottom of their top end ladder. If it were to be Unitron then you should get the 7 or 9 version as they have many more features but will also cost more. Unitron does have a unique set up in that they will allow you to upgrade from a lower end version later and you pay the difference instead of the whole price for the upgrade. I actually tried the moxi 9 but turned them back. The app kept shutting down every 2 minutes to save battery life plus they didn’t sound that great to me. I am now looking at getting tubes in my ears so I am just using my old aids until I can get this straight. Resound hearing aids have the best app and are the easiest to use. The other top lines are Widex, Signia, Phonak and Oticon. All with unique features. Phonak is like Unitron but better and more expensive. Get the best level you can afford and don’t be afraid to negotiate. The Ent offices generally have the highest prices so they have room to move if they want your business, or look elsewhere.

1 Like

I’d agree with you if it was a few months, but if we’re talking years I wouldn’t want to deprive the ear for so long. RICs are pretty flexible and could just be re-adjusted after the surgery.

Or hell, re-adjusted after the ear clears up on its own. I’ve seen at least one case where someone opted against surgery and it cleared itself a year and a half later. But that’s if we’re talking persistent middle ear dysfunction associated with Eustachian tube problems and chronic fluid, which I sort of assumed because of the sinusitis. If we’re talking stapedectomy then no. If the latter, two years would make a bit more sense.

2 Likes

Thanks rickus50 good info. The surgery is at least 2 yrs away due to the waiting list for public surgery, cant afford private health. The Unitron Moxi Blu 5 was the suggested HA from the ENT Specialist Aud.
I am getting a rebadged version of Unitron Moxi Blu 9 from the new provider for less cost than the Blu 5’s were going to cost + free servicing and batteries and follow ups and the new Aud is so much more informative, not rushed and seems to be more technically orientated and accessible (10 mins down the road from me) . They have a 90 day no fuss no hassle returns policy and if not suitable the alternative is the rebadged Signia top model. Also, the Aud said the aids can be reconfigured if surgery helps me in the future as Neville suggested.
This is from their brochure:-
Advance Elite

From $3495

The top of the range Advance Elite features cutting edge technology and the latest in connectivity. Priced at $3495 per pair, or $1895 for HSP# funded customers, the Advance Elite offers unbeatable value for money.

The Advance Elite offers a range of features:

  • Superior sound quality in all noise environments delivering clear, crisp sound
  • Cleverly filters out unwanted background noise and helps you to hear speech in challenging listening environments such as busy restaurants, social events and crowded shopping centres
  • Bluetooth® connection to your phone, television and other devices
  • Available as rechargeable for an additional $500.

The features of the Specsavers Advance Elite are comparable to Signia Pure 7X, Silk 7X, Motion 7X, Styletto 7X, Insio 7X and Phonak Paradise 90 and Marvel 90.

Aud says that these are same as brand models stated and are current tech and models not downgraded versions.

2 Likes

If I was in your shoes, and subject to being able to afford the net cost of the Moxi Blu 9s, there is simply no way I would put off their purchase, even knowing that surgery in +24 months could hugely change the landscape.

Buy now, if you can afford them and enjoy the 2 years of exhuberant living that would otherwise be spent in a quiet vacuum.

Juzt my 2¢ worth…

Is this correct?

Aid for Aid, with each having the same features implemented, are they really materially any different?

No, not better, just a different market segregation.

It’s like saying an Audi A3 is ‘better’ than a VW Scirocco/Golf (Seat Leon). They share the same parts but they are sold under different brands and price points.

There’ll be different features on both but they share the same fundamentals and parts bin.

3 Likes

First the Phonak app does not shut down as quickly as the Unitron. Each aid has universal set of programs that the processor will choose according to what environment it perceives you are in. There are more programs or presets included with the universal set from Phonak plus they are somewhat more relevant. Also, I believe that the Unitron Moxi Blue is still at the Phonak Paradise level while the newest Phonak is now the Lumity which is supposed to be better at speech then the previous Paradise. Just my opinion.

1 Like

Thanks Neville.
That helps a lot.

1 Like

The Audiologist called and I have had my Aids fitted this afternoon :joy:. The Aud cautiously did her own audiogram as we were going off the results from the ENT Aud from 3 weeks ago. Guess what my results have changed (probably due to the second course of the steroid tablets and nasal spray I have had since then) This changed my hearing range from out of the severe profound range for the left ear to moderate to severe and brought the two ears more into ballance.


So, power receivers have now been replaced with medium receivers and power domes have been replaced with vented domes. The aids were fine-tuned and set up to REM feedback and I was instructed how to use and maintain the devices and we set up the app and blu tooth. Feedback was encouraged after the initial settings to the Aids was implemented, and then we reduced Volume by a couple of notches and some frequencies to reduce the harsh sharp brittle sounds ( all settings noted so we can tweak from them if anything changes or needs refinement). An appointment set for in 2 weeks to review set up and progress and fine tune further. Bloody fantastic, I’m over the moon with the results, went around the shopping centre after and heard sounds I haven’t heard in ages can’t get the smile off my face. Hands free phone is brilliant although people will think I’m a silly old bugger walking around talking to myself :smile: My pre-set TV start up volume is now far too loud and I have had to reduce it and it is a joy to hear speech on the TV at soft volumes. The Aids are extremely light and very comfortable I haven’t had to have a break from them yet. So far so good :hear_with_hearing_aid: :+1: :+1: I am very impressed with The Aids with Specsavers and my new Aud.

9 Likes

Awesome… Seems like you’ve lucked onto a keeper there …