How to identify hearing aid maker, technology and features

jfranek43 · May 11, 2023, 7:17am

Hi ,

My wife is trying hearing aids provided by Hearing Australia.
She wanted to try a specific make and model - the “Custom by Resound” which is as the name implies an ITC, rechargeable, and it is the ReSound ONE technology. (I believe these are now available also in the US with the Omnia technology, but not in Australia.)

What my wife was given is something that looks similar, but does nor have the ReSound brand name. We were told that they are branded for Hearing Australia, but are the same as ReSound.

We were not given any data sheet that would mention the technology or the features included.
I noticed that their model designation is not the same as of the ReSound devices. Instead, their model designation is the same as of hearing aids produced by Danalogic for the UK NHS.
I made some enquiries, and was told that Danalogic aids use the Quattro technology, which is older than the ONE technology.
Hearing Australia HQ is not coming back with response to my questions about these aids.

I would imagine, but would like to have it confirmed by people who are familiar with the ReSound Smart Fit 1.8 or higher software, that the precise origin and technology platform would be discoverable from the fitting software.
Is it possible to get a printed sheet with full specification of the connected device?
I would ask for it next time my wife goes to see the audiologist, which will be within the period when she can reject them if they are not ONE technology.

Thanks in advance
Edit: My mistake - the fitting software for ONE Custom by ReSound is version 1.14 or higher, not 1.8.

louyo · May 11, 2023, 9:17am

In an iPhone, if you have access to one, under settings/accessibility/hearing devices, it identifies the make and model number of the hearing aids. Blue Tooth has to be turned on. Not knowledgeable about other smartphones.

dankailo · May 11, 2023, 2:28pm

Resound Website.

Unless you have the full name of teh HA’s model then you can google for the specification.

jfranek43 · May 11, 2023, 11:19pm

I do have the model number, and it leads me to Danalogic and the NHS. But the rechargeable Custom ITC is not listed on their website.
GN in the UK told me that most probably they are supplied by Danavox in India, which is part of the GN concern.
They told me that the HA’s are the same as the Custom by ReSound ONE. But since we have not been given any specs sheets I am exploring another way to make sure about that.

GN in Australia are too busy to respond to customer enquiries, and so is the head office of Hearing Australia.

tenkan · May 11, 2023, 11:52pm

So what’s the exact model “name & number” and I’ll see what I can dig up, but if you’d confirm what the App is telling you we could go off that.

Louie · May 11, 2023, 11:53pm

@jfranek43 why not go to a clinic that has greater transparency in what they are providing you?

jfranek43 · May 12, 2023, 4:42am

We could do that, but would involve starting again afresh.
I would prefer to get the relevant data from the current provider.
Getting it from the fitting software would be the best, if that could be done.
There don’t seem to be any people around who are familiar with the ReSound Smart Fit.

tenkan · May 12, 2023, 4:59am

Oh no that’s not true at all, there’s plenty of us here on the forum who DIY our ReSound HAs, it wasn’t obvious you wanted the software but here it is, we were waiting on you to get the details on the HAs you have.

Cheers

Louie · May 12, 2023, 5:17am

I’m quite familiar with SmartFit, but GN Resound has an alternate version of fitting software (not SmartFit) for their whitelabeled aids. The problem is that when companies like Hearing Australia, Amplifon, SpecSavers etc. whitelabel products, it is done with the express intention to reduce transparency and competition and create an information asymmetry. I’m a HCP and even I can’t answer your question, which is concerning. That’s precisely what Hearing Australia want. You can’t shop around/price-match if you dont know what the hell you’re buying in the first place.

jfranek43 · May 12, 2023, 5:52am

OK, I did not realise.

I don’t want the software. I don’t have the Noah, and I don’t want to interfere with the hearing aids as they will be under warranty and maintenance agreement.
I just want to know if the fitting software shows the technology platform of connected device - Omnia, One, or whatever it is, and all the features available in the connected device.
That way I would know how it compares with the genuine ReSound brand Custom.

tenkan · May 12, 2023, 6:06am

Ok no pressure, but you don’t need the Noahlink wireless to see what’s in the software,so yes everything you want to know about the HAs is available to see, data and spec sheets, and even more information can be found as SmartFit can send you to the appropriate web page directly from within the software.

jfranek43 · May 12, 2023, 6:12am

Thanks Louie.
Yes, the intentional opaqueness is concerning. It may even be in breach of Fair Trading - but who is to bother to force them to be transparent.

I approached Hearing Australia because historically they have cheaper prices than the independent providers. SpecSavers are the cheaper than HA, but they do not handle ReSound.
However, it turns out that there is an Australian chain provider - Hearing Savers - that dispenses ReSound, and they quoted me just recently a slightly cheaper price for the genuine ReSound brand Custom than what we are paying for the whitelabeled product.
If it was up to me I would return the aids to HA and go for the genuine aids, but my wife does not want the hassle with that unless we find out that there is significant difference. Also, the HA audiologist is nice and is doing all the right things like REM.

Back to the fitting software, whatever it is - if it does not show the technology platform, maybe that will be enough for my wife to say thanks and goodbye to them. We still have several weeks when we can get full refund.

I have no idea how whitelabelled products fare in comparison to genuine brands in terms of features and future support, the smartphone app and firmware updates, etc.
That is what concerns me.

jfranek43 · May 12, 2023, 6:20am

I don’t follow.
Are you saying that I can connect to the hearing aid, and read its software, without the Noahlink wireless?
How?

tenkan · May 12, 2023, 6:36am

No not at all, what I’m saying is you can see and use SmartFit without having your HAs connected, which is what your asking for right? so you can get the data/spec’s to compare with what your wife has, as explained by Louie you most likely won’t be able to program or connect them anyway without the SmartFit with the “special sauce”

craftycrocheter · May 12, 2023, 6:37am

Danalogic Resound GN do make ITC hearing aids as well, just not supplied to people on the NHS back in UK unless they have a very special reason. If it leads you to the danalogic website then most likely that is what it is. What is the model number?

tenkan · May 12, 2023, 6:39am

Well we’ve asked at least twice but haven’t been given anything to go on, so it’s all speculation at the moment.

jfranek43 · May 12, 2023, 7:03am

Sorry and thanks - to both of you.
I swear I typed a response to you, tencan, with the model number, but after reading your last post I checked and I can’t see it. I messed up somehow.

So here it is again -
Cut out from the schedule of partly-subsidised aids by Australian government -

The model my wife has is the XB7ITC-DWC. It does not have any name.

Googling it leads me to Danalogic and NHS, but they do not show a rechargeable ITC.
I contacted GN Hearing UK, and they told me that that model is Danalogic, and based on Quattro technology.
Then, a day later, they corrected this and said that Hearing Australia is getting their aids from Danavox - they are in India. They are supposed to be the ONE technology.
Hearing Australia and GN Hearing Australia have not responded to my enquiries.

jfranek43 · May 12, 2023, 7:21am

I can’t get the data/specs for my wife’s model. That is the problem. So I can’t see what technology platform it is.

I was thinking that when the audiologist is connected to the hearing aids, I should be able to see from the fitting software on the computer screen what the technology is.
I was asking for confirmation that this is possible - that the fitting software shows the technology platform name.
But it is quite possible that as Louie says, that the fitting software won’t be SmartFit, and won’t show the ReSound technology platform.

However, this afternoon I discovered a document by Hearing Australia where they do have a table with all the models and all possible features, and show what model has what features.
I can then compare it with ReSound data sheet to see if anything is missing.

tenkan · May 12, 2023, 7:32am

They will be the same,but with different names, it’s common with rebranded models, same product (and fitting software) different names for the same features, same with the software, they
change the background colour and add different names for features that do exactly the same thing as a ReSound branded model, they don’t make “special” chips/circuits for the rebranding, just firmwares and sometimes just to really make life difficult they “password” protect the software so the HAs become “locked”

Brilliant now this should help you out.

jfranek43 · May 13, 2023, 1:55am

After going through the product range brochure that I did not see before I started this thread, I think I can be reasonably confident that the rechargeable Customs supplied by Hearing Australia - models XB 5,7,9 ITC - have the same ONE technology platform as the ReSound branded product.

The list of features and the terminology are the same as on ReSound’s ONE documentation, and some of the features on the last page that deal with directionality were not available on Quattro platform.