@jfranek43 why not go to a clinic that has greater transparency in what they are providing you?
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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.
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
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
I don’t follow.
Are you saying that I can connect to the hearing aid, and read its software, without the Noahlink wireless?
How?
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”
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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?
Well we’ve asked at least twice but haven’t been given anything to go on, so it’s all speculation at the moment.
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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Looks like you are figuring things out.
The XB7 is the middle technology of the XB hearing aids. Not the top XB9 or the bottom XB5 hearing aids. This should help you understand a little more from a price point.
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My wife bought the XB7 ITC. AU$4,400 incl the charger. The XB9 is AU$1,700 more. Currently they offer a AU$500 discount for the top models, but even $1,200 is too much.
We are old, not exactly swimming in money, mostly at home or in the garden. We have given up on travel, see our friends in the pub once a month.
She coped without HAs, so this middle-of-the-road should be enough. So far she is happy and she is in the first phase of fitting.
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I see there are Costco stores in Australia. If they have hearing centers and are even near you at all they are great for hearing aids at a fair price.
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My wife wanted rechargeable ITC, and Costco did not have those.
She is happy with the ReSound-alike.
We just wanted to be sure that what she bought is not old technology.
In the US, the Custom by ReSound comes with the latest Omnia, and it may only be a matter of a few months before they come to Australia, but she does not want to wait.
Hi, I would be gun-shy of large hearing aid companies, franchises or whatever, that market single brand aids and especially an aid that is locked and not able to be programmed by anybody or other audiologist.
I believe those practices are market restrictive and limit consumer choice. However, there may be a payoff in receiving hearing aids at cheaper prices (but verify which I think you might be aiming to do).
An independent audiologist who will sell you any brand would be my preference as they are not locked to one manufacturer and are more likely to recommend the most suitable brand and fit for you (rather than the just the plain vanilla company brand).
If you haven’t already committed, I recommend that you seek out such an independent Audiologist (or even a large company that covers a range of brands - SpecSavers has at least a small range of brands).
Then compare the products, prices and any commitments that might bind you to the supplier.
All the best…
Edit: Oh, I have just noted that “Hearing Australia” is an Australian Government funded company. As such to qualify for service you must be entitled under the system it operates under and therefore treatment and supply of devices is heavily subsidised. So my comments are rather moot in your situation.