IIC Choice - Starkey Evolv 2400 IIC vs Phonak Virto P90 Titanium

I’m looking to change to an IIC option, and don’t require any wireless/BT features.

I just want the best sound quality across speech, music, TV, outdoors, plus reliability, and hopefully an accompanying App to make simple adjustments.

They’re very similarly priced and I can’t find much difference between either choice.

Does anyone have a user opinion on either or both of these, or a professional that knows both and can offer some insight please?

I might be wrong but if you get a Phonak IIC that hadn’t got Bluetooth, it won’t work with the App?

I think the starkey is non-wireless as well. Only user function changes are via battery door and short or long presses on a button.

WH

It appears both are non-wireless, which is fine as I don’t need those features.
So it really comes down to sound quality and reliability, along with which would be more discrete of the two.

Ah okay, if you’re happy that okay.

You just mentioned that you wanted an App to make adjustments but I don’t think an App would work if they aren’t wireless/Bluetooth.

Curious to hear as I’m also looking at the exact same models. My audi suggested the Starkey 2400 CIC for the BT functionality and they appear to be quite discreet (obviously not as discreet as IIC) and he went ahead and ordered a pair to trial; however after doing a lot of research/Googling it appears the BT antennas are very noticeable and stick out of the ears - and not by just a couple of mm either.

I’ll wait until they arrive and see just how far they do stick out. If it’s a lot then that’s a deal breaker and I’ll have to go with the non-wireless Starkey IIC or Phonak Titanium, so I’m definitely keen to hear others experiences with them as well.

I understand the Starkey’s will let you change programs and volume with their T2 app? Does Phonak let you do the same with the P90 Titaniums?

Isn’t a BT antenna. That’s in the HA. It’s just a wide part that helps you take them out of your ears.

image

Not trying to detour the thread, but I was looking for IIC solution vs. my P90s. I found a pair of 3 month old Eargo 5s for a good price and opted to try them. They work great for me and they are invisible, an app to change basic settings but no bluetooth features. If you search on here you will find my review. I am sure the Starkey and Phonak versions are much nicer than the Eargo feature wise but if you can find a pair for a good price might be worth trying.

I believe @richard.silver is correct - the one shown is not the IIC in question.
On the CIC they are using the draw string as a BT antenna. This is only from memory from some discussion I came across too.

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@auGMS

Again it’s just a bit of plastic! It isn’t a BT antenna.

image

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That’s the Phonak. Not the Starkey.

This is the one being referred to:

I don’t think any of them have an antenna. It’s just a length of plastic that helps you pull the HA’s out of your ear.

@auGMS

Ah yes. I misread and thought you were talking about Phonak.

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Either way the discussion has turned to CIC with Bluetooth. The topic of my discussion is IICs with no Bluetooth or Wireless functionality :slight_smile:

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@BrBarry

All of the CICs / IICs do have a bit of plastic to help pull out but it does seem Starkey have a BT antenna which I find a bit odd.

Yes they all have the drawstring, but the Starkey CIC (not IIC) has built the BT antenna into it.
It makes it less discrete and some commentators have said that it’s unusually long and quite noticeable.
In my case, looking for a very discrete IIC, I have already confirmed with my Audiologist that the Phonak IIC can be ordered with an ever shorter drawstring.

No point going discrete if people are going to notice you have a piece of fishing wire sticking out of your ear!

The pictures I’ve seen show a longer pull cord and I read it is also a BT antenna. There’s a NW CIC version as well, but the picture below is from the Starkey website of the wireless version

image

Back to your original post. If you App functionality and better streaming, you are going to need BT. and I’m guessing from my electronics experience (teaching systems engineering), That pull line/BT antenna could definitely improve BT transmission.

Yes agree with fishing line stuck out of the ear - totally defeats the purpose and as mentioned would be a deal breaker for me, but will wait until I get them to see. The wire/antenna is not bendable either.

When I asked my audi about the Starkey IIC vs Phonak (before he persuaded me to try the CIC) he said that he thinks the Starkey has better clearer sound for noisy environments, but then that’s probably his opinion only.

Have you arranged to trial one or both brands?