I’m really not trying to be difficult, but the question is really simple. I have narrowed my choices down to between two different branded IICs. Does anyone have experience with either or both, and can offer any insights into their user experience?
I’m not interested in a CIC and never raised that or asked anything about it.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to hijack your thread and switch the discussion to CIC.
How soon are you looking to make a decision? If my trial of the Starkey CIC doesn’t work out (the fishing line antennas will play a big part in that), then I’ll be going to one of the IIC models you asked about - likely the Phonak P90.
No problems - the conversation was loosely related anyway 
I’m not in a major hurry - I need to make a choice and book in for impressions ASAP. But the timing is ultimately up to me. I would be interested in your feedback, nonetheless, so please by all means post back here!
Did you have a look at the Silk X as well? I’m no expert so I don’t know if they are suitable for you; however even though they are CIC, they are really small and fit right inside like an IIC. I was really surprised at how small they were.
I had a trial pair and they were very comfortable and they could not be seen at all unless someone was right beside my ear looking in. Discretion is important for me as well so the audi took a photo of my ears and I couldn’t even see them. Unfortunately they didn’t quite work for me as I pretty much couldn’t hear speech at all (although given a bit of time and a few more adjustments I’m sure I would have).
They have the advantage of the Click Sleeve too, which comes in 6 different sizes (I think) and vented/non-vented options, so there’s no waiting for moulds to be made. Perhaps you could add this to the mix as well and talk to your audi about a trial and you could walk out of there same day with a pair.
They weren’t suggested to me, but I did come across them in my own research. The two mentioned were the suggestions for the “most discrete IIC at any price point” and I ran with that.
I had Signia Active Pros previously, and they were great before moving to my current HAs. But after having customs now and no longer constantly playing around with open/closed/sizes of click-tips, I was pleased to no longer need them anymore.
Thanks for the alternate suggestion though.
I was afraid of this thread turning into this. Why do people always find it suitable to judge and admonish when someone is on this website actively seeking hearing aid advice? Shouldn’t we be happy that someone is not ignoring it and actively trying to hear better rather then tell them trying to be discrete is wrong?
Just because you dont find an IIC suitable/useful doesn’t mean it isn’t the best option for someone else. If that was the case, the manufacturers would stop spending millions designing and producing discrete aids and go for bigger is better.
I’m glad the OP has pointed out that none of us know his situation or reasoning. Similar to my situation, I have P90s and IIC Eargos. I use my IIC units probably 80-90% of the time. They work best for me and I choose them over the P90s for my lifestyle.
Sorry that was the advice, you know don’t be shy or embarrassed about your hearing loss.
This only happens when people talk more about wanting “invisible” discreet HAs because their embarrassed by being seen using HAs, they talk about being “not interested” in what a HA can actually offer in advancing their hearing options, extra features aren’t always a waste of time, one other thing is one was asking about wanting to use an app, but couldn’t because of no wireless with those he wanted, I offered a solution by Signia, the silk X which can use the app without wireless.
Ha, you can make as many excuses you want, there isn’t a lifestyle that one must exclusively use a CIC other then “don’t worry no one will know I’m wearing a HA”
You seem to continue making a lot of assumptions. But again, you do not know my circumstances or why I occasionally need a more discrete solution to my daily HA. Hint, it has nothing to do with being embarrassed - and more to do with other apparatus I must wear from time to time as part of professional employment! An IIC will not interfere in ways that anything larger than something in the ear canal will!
Yet more assumptions. How do you know absolutely anything about anyone’s lifestyles? I’d prefer you don’t continue contributing in my thread, to be honest.
Ha ha, whatever makes you happy, but this is a public forum, but agree it’s time to move on it’s getting late and a cup of tea… is in order.
For those talking about the Starkey wireless CIC–the antenna can be curved with a little heat and, depending on your ear, tucked into the concha pretty discretely.
For the OP, the phonak and starkey IICs are both good. The titanium is robust and it’s nice to know that if you drop it on something hard it won’t break; it often takes a bit longer to come in because there is only one titanium shell lab and it is international, but then as long as you aren’t having the shell remade repairs are more local. Starkey can usually fit a stronger receiver into a smaller space, but with your loss (and depending on your ear canal) that doesn’t necessarily matter. Starkey’s feedback management is probably a bit better? If you have a nice ear canal for an IIC and can get a good deep impression so as to have a pretty long hearing aid that is still an IIC, feedback may not be much of an issue, but if the hearing aid is going to be pretty short that might be a reason to go with Starkey. If you intend to keep these for a while, check on repair pricing out of warranty as there might be a significant difference. But at the end of the day, differences are probably razor thin; flip a coin.
For those saying that the OP needs to get over their vanity and go with something bigger, depending on the ear that may be a very nice hearing loss for an IIC. Depending on the ear, IICs are comfortable with great retention, wind noise isn’t a problem, natural pinna directionality is maintained. If someone feels that all of their listening difficulties are resolved with an IIC, why SHOULD they get something else? We don’t know what this person’s speech-in-noise abilities are like, they might not need the extra support from directional mics and wireless accessories.
There are absolutely people who demand IICs for whom they are inappropriate, but this person isn’t obviously one of them.
At no time has anyone told anyone to go for something “bigger”
Yeah that’s one of my points.
Exactly, it’s hard for some to drop that " they won’t know I’m using a HA feeling"
Who cares, that’s not the point of being vain.
Yeah and then again they “might”
Well if you say so.
Only the antenna on the Starkey wireless CIC is longer and more noticable. For the non-wireless versions, the pull strings are already just about like that.
Hi @Neville thanks for the info re curving the antenna with heat - will wait until I get mine and see how far they stick out.
Dumb question - what sort of heat should be used and how would you apply it? By doing this it wouldn’t cause damage to the antennas (if done gently and properly), however what about the warranty side of things?
Thank you!
Can’t even see it! When I tried the Silk X the cord was pretty much invisible like this.
As a first step, I would recommend asking your clinician to do it. If that is new to them, they can reach out to Starkey for advice.
Your loss is less good for IICs/CICs because of your good lows. You might want to at least trial a RIC so that you know what you could be missing re: sound quality by choosing an IIC.
