Don’t know about all the other models available but I use Widex 440 Beyonds. At the time I started using these I’d been a Phonak user for years and demoed Starkey and Oticon as well. As a performing musician there Widex sound sound was far superior and more natural sounding.
Thanks for the confirmation. I had narrowed it down to Oticon OPN1, Widex Beyond, and Widex Dream. But now I see there is a Widex model called Moment. I went to the Widex site hoping to find some info comparing the various models but it was most disappointing. On top of that it seems some (all?) of their aids work with iphones but not android. That would be a deal breaker for sure.
I read a page written in June of this year on the Nano site
that 60% of musicians prefer Widex Dream.
Any ideas on preference of ITE vs RIC would be much appreciated. I suppose BTE and RIC have the advantage of two mics.
BTW, any idea why for RIC the term receiver was chosen over speaker or emitter? Seems most illogical.
I cabn’t recall if I already mentioned that I just bought a pair of Signia AX7s. I’m a musician. These are very good! Worth trying for sure if you can. A bit finicky to tune however. Worth it!
Thanks for the post. It should be a close race as both are owned by the same parent company.
Widex seems to have slightly better Bluetooth sound. Their AI/Machine learning also seems to be the best available, maybe the only one with machine learning.
The biggest factor will probably be tinnitus. While Signia’s Notch Therapy seems like a good approach I wonder if it is possible to setup multiple notches. I have at least three tones and one drifts as I can detect it beating against another one. So I think masking will work better. In fact I have found that any stimulus helps. I have found while experimenting with tone generators to determine my tinnitus frequencies that they are elusive, they tend to diminish when playing even very low volume tones.
I have Widex Moment and I like them but I have an Android, so it’s still a no-go for Bluetooth. I was told that Widex expected to have Bluetooth capability for Android by the first quarter of 2021. Well, that deadline has come and gone. That option would be nice, but I don’t care enough about it to buy the necklace gadget.
From what I understand, this is a superior HA but I did not demo any of the others as I have tinnitus and Widex was recommended. The audi explained that the tinnitus program worked in about 60% of users. Did nothing for me.
I’m a first time HA user. I had no trouble adjusting to Widex Moment. Very comfortable.
I believe Widex pushed out a firmware update to solve this.
That’s good news! However, I can’t figure out how to start streaming. I can’t find any explanation on online. My pixel 4A with Bluetooth 5.0 is compatible. The software appears to be updated. Can someone help?
Did you pair the device with your phone?
Settings > Connected devices > Pair new device.
On that screen should be a list of available Bluetooth devices.
Tap the one you want to connect.
I was able to stream after I unpaired and then repaired the HA’s. The sound quality is fair. I don’t have a problem with the audio dropping in one ear. The app equalizer doesn’t seem to work. Are there any adjustments I could make that might improve the sound? I know music isn’t going to sound 100%. If I want to stop streaming, do I have to just close out the audio on my phone? There doesn’t seem to be a way to stop it manually at the HA’s.
You could just stop playing the music but then I suspect phone calls would go to your HA. You may need to unpair them. I can’t tell you much about the HA side as I just had my test this a.m. and will get HAs next week. I just know a bit about Android OS.
I had to be insistent as the people at Connect were trying hard to get me to choose Phonak.
What type of dome are you using, open or closed?
You’ll most likely need to make adjustments in the software to get the most out of the streaming programs.
Well this isn’t supposed to happen, so always best to stream to both HAs. Why is it dropping out?
It’s limited by the actual set up in the software for your streaming programs. I’ve found you can make small changes but it really needs to be done properly in the software. (You do mean the Widex App or the Android music App?)
Yep that’s all it takes.
You’ll want to check your settings on your phone for notifications as well.
This depends on how they were set up by your audiologist.
I have open domes. Using my finger to block out exterior noise still doesn’t improve the sound. My phone speaker is much better. I think maybe you misread my statement about audio dropping in one ear. They are both connecting well. I’m using the Widex app to try to adjust sound. I can’t tell much difference but I might be missing some adjustments. Thanks for your response!
Ok, so the open domes are not good for music while streaming, closed would be the way to go, blocking your ears isn’t the same as using closed domes, but I would have thought you’d have noticed a least a small difference.
Yeah this is strange when using the equaliser ,that you can’t notice much difference, this is while streaming only right? Or you don’t notice much in any other programs as well?
Can you post your audiogram, this would be helpful for other’s as well.
I don’t have an audiogram in a file on my phone. Perhaps I can ask the audiologist to email it to me. Most of my streaming will be speech rather than music. Still, I would rather have a richer tone. I wonder if there is a third party app that would be helpful. Also, for phone conversations, would it work to hang my phone on a short lanyard to have access to the mic?
Over the years I compared Widex against Phonak, Oticon and this year Signia AX.
My conclusion from this experience is yes, Widex still wins for music and sound quality:hands down no contest.
Just recently I compared Widex Moment to the Signia AX. Widex has way better sound quality for music. Majestic highs and accurate natural sounding bass.
The Signia AX didn’t have those god-like sounding highs when listening to the guitar solo in knocking on heavens door, and the bass was a bit muddy like you’d expect from soso quality speakers. Not bad though, but no contest against Widex.
I am new HA wearer and I use the Widex Moments. I’m neither a musician nor an audiophile. Everyone’s ears are different and this is my personal experience, so take this for FWIW. I posted elsewhere how the Signia 7AX didnt work out for me during the trial period as my Audi and me couldn’t get past the tinniness and speech recognition issues. The Widex Evoke was an instant improvement without any tuning. Last week I got my Widex Moments and my Audi did the sensogram tuning on it and things got even better. Sounds were even more natural and crisper than the Evokes. I went for a broadway show on Saturday night for the first time in years. The Moments came out in spades. The live Orchestra was fabulous to listen. The music was rich and full and probably better than I’ve ever heard with my non-HA ears. Everything sounded natural to me and it was truly enjoyable. My son was with me and he plays in an orchestra and for the first time I was able to point out different instruments to him during the ensemble. It was truly a Quality of Life experience. I am hooked on the Widex.
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I just got a pair of Signia AX7’s. I’m a classical guitarist. I love how live music sounds with the AX7’s. Very clear and natural and full. That said, I haven’t tried any other higher end current HA’s, so I don’t have much to compare with.
Ask 5 different people the same question, and you’ll always get 5 different opinions.
These days, the Widex, Oticon, Signia, Phonak, etc. all feature custom music programs.
The secret is in the fitting, and the acoustics.
They can, and will sound as good as the HCP who programs them.
I’m currently using Oticon More’s, with their new MyMusic Program.
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Major bummer. To use Widex Moment with an Android phone the phone OS version must be 11 or greater. My phone is a Moto-G Power 2021 and it is not scheduled to be upgraded beyond some version of Android 10. It is a damn shame that my $4000 hearing aids choice will be affected by a $300 phone. But it is only 6 months old so I cannot justify changing it. We tried a brand new Widex pair with my phone and two ID numbers showed up but not the Widex info that the fitter saw on his phone. WE called Widex and they verified it had to be Android !!+. Damn Widex, they have some screwball BLE scheme which requires pairing with two devices. I have a lot of stereo BLE devices and none of them require 2 pairings.
So now I am stuck with Phonak. The difference in the way music sounds with Widex and Phonak is like day and night. Bah, humbug.
One bright note. I found a fitter who knows his stuff, Hearing Masters in Dallas. He has been in the business since 1986 and he used to build custom hearing aids until our ever helpful government decided that only manufactures could build hearing aids despite the fact he was regularly getting FDA approval for his devices. Probably the work of some lobbyist.
I have Widex Beyond 440s with custom ear molds. I’m into my 5th year of usage. Prior to that I used Phonak products for 25 years. When I switched to Widex I demoed Starkey, Widex, and Oticon. The problem most hearing aids have for us performing musicians is that they tend to give you a distortion on certain pitches that you can’t ignore. With adjustment to the feedback manager we could eliminate that problem with most of the various aids but we didn’t have to do anything with the Widex Beyonds. In addition to that, the Widex helped my horns sound more natural to me than I’d experienced in 20+ years.
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