I’ve got to think it’s something unique to either your usage or the shape or you ear canal, since this does not seem to be a common complaint at all.
Note: if I ever have this issue again, I’ll see my audiologist. My ENT charged $350+ for a “foreign body extraction.”
Since others have expressed the domes getting stuck in their ear, but not quite as frequently as mine, I still say it’s a design defect. My longer than usual ear canal may have something to do with it, but for >$6K hearing aids, the domes should never-ever come of in anybody’s ear. That’s just cheap %$!@(* engineering.
If my wife can’t get the dome out, I’ll probably go to the emergency room again. ENT wants at least $100, audiologist needs an appointment and her assistant won’t do it, the emergency room is free to me, medicare pays.
Now I don’t want to run up medicare bills, but on the other hand, it’s the only way for me to get out at low or no cost to me.
As you can tell, I’m very peeved at Oticon. The hearing aids work well, but they cut way too many corners.
I was in the electronics engineering business for a while, there is probably $100-$200 cost in making this >$6K hearing aid. R&D costs are indeed a factor, but thats a lot of R&D if you ask me, especially when multiplied by thousands of users.
The least the could have done is (1) make the domes secure and (2) make the rechargeable batteries last all day.
Bob
@BobbyBoomer Considering the expenses you’ve incurred with lost domes, it would seem reasonable to spring for molds. The molds I have snap over the outside ends of the receivers a bit (the ends the wires run into) and without a good firm tug on the wires, it’s “impossible” to have the receivers some out of the molds (I worry about stressing out the receiver wires/connection each month when I change out my wax guards by removing the receivers from the molds). Besides the fact that I find molds very comfortable and improve my sound perception quality, my receiver openings are effectively protected against wax, too. With domes, I was always dealing with wax getting onto the receiver/wax guard mesh whereas the receiver openings are so positioned in my molds, towards the top of my ear canal oval 0, that I hardly ever find any wax in the mold receiver opening and the wax never makes it as far as the receiver wax guard. Since different companies make the molds depending on the HA brand, molds for you could be different than mine but even if you paid $100 a mold, that would be cheap compared to what you’ve paid so far for dome removal.
You haven’t shared your audiogram. It would help us understand your hearing aid and your dome/mold needs.
If you were really in electronics engineering, then you should be aware of the physical factors limiting the energy density and voltages of batteries. There are many factors limiting the type of battery that can be used, including current demand, minimum voltage, etc. The Opn requires a minimum voltage of about 1.4v, which is more than a Li-ion battery can provide, meaning that the highest energy-density rechargeable battery tech that can power an Opn is AgZn (silver-zinc), which can provide up to 1.55v (compared to Li-ion’s 1.2v). The theoretical maximum energy density of silver-zinc is about 500 Wh/L.
So how does this compare to the Zn-air primary batteries most of us use? Well, I’ve seen varying figures for the theoretical maximum density, ranging from ~1500 Wh/L up to almost 10000 Wh/L. The most common figure I’ve seen is about 2500 Wh/L. That’s about 5 times the best that is possible with the best rechargeable battery tech that we know of.
So what does this mean? It means that the z-Power AgZn battery has a total capacity of about 32 mAh. Those are considered about the best rechargeable batteries out there. Compare that to PowerOne Zn-air primary batteries with a capacity of about 170 mAh. That’s (surprise surprise) just about 5 times the capacity of the z-Power. Why? Simply because of the physical properties of the battery tech.
It’s easy for you to say, “The least they could do is … make the rechargeable batteries last all day.” But it’s another thing entirely to actually make such a battery. There are tens of thousands of people around the world working tirelessly to improve battery performance – companies and scientists who specialize in battery technology and have spent decades billions of dollars developing new technologies. And the best that they have yet been able to achieve in a rechargeable 312-size battery is about 30 mAh. You really think Oticon can just wave its magic wand and make one appear?
That’s incorrect. The intrinsic operating voltage of a single cell li-ion battery is 3.7 v or greater. Li-ion batteries can also deliver higher current flows on demand than zinc-air. They can also give a more accurate readout of % remaining charge, too. Zinc-air voltage vs. charge discharge curves are unusably flat.
I know nothing about this. Please explain about the molds, what they are, and how to get them.
Thanks
Closed domes, and I’m not posting my audiogram on-line (sorry)
I haven’t looked into the circuitry of these hearing aids, and don’t know if I can without buying schematics (if they are available to a non-pro).
The fact is Oticon marketed rechargeable batteries which cost hundreds of dollars for the charger and batteries and they knew the batteries wouldn’t last all day. Sorry, there is no excuse for that. It’s better not to market them at all if they can’t make them last all day.
So after 10 hours, I have to take the rechargeables out and put a disposable battery in. I don’t care what the voltage of the cell is, or how many amp hours at the expected load or any other specifications. That’s not the issue.
The issue is that Oticon knew the batteries wouldn’t last all day and out of greed sold the rechargers and under-capacity batteries anyway. That is the crime.
Their customer service is nil, basically was “too bad sucker”
It would be like your favorite recording artist releasing CDs or downloads that abruptly end mid-word somewhere about 7/8 through the song.
It’s criminal and I urge everyone to avoid this greedy company who puts profits before people. Oticon - Profits First
Bob
Or they provided a rechargeable battery option that some people wanted with the best battery life that was available and which for many people might be perfectly adequate and you failed to research and adequately understand the battery life you would get in actual use with rechargeable batteries. It took me 10 minutes online before I purchased my Opn aids to realize that rechargeable batteries weren’t adequate for the 18 hrs/day I often wear my aids. Surely an electronics expert such as yourself could have done the same.
You are right; I mistyped: it is NiMH batteries which have a nominal voltage of 1.2V and are therefore inadequate to power the Opn. Li-ion batteries won’t work because their voltage is far too high and must be downregulated for hearing aid circuitry. They therefore cannot be made into ~1.4v size 312 batteries that are interchangeable with Zn-air batteries. Li-ion rechargeable hearing aids must be made specifically for Li-ion batteries.
I thought that might be the case. If you look at the PowerOne website, though, they are covering all bases. They sell or manufacture for HA OEM’s zinc-air, NiMH, and Li-ion batteries and give a little blurb (but not very detailed) on the limitations/advantages of each. Products - power one
Get real. That’s an absurd statement. You are bordering on being a troll here. Any more like this and I will put you in my ignore pile. I don’t feed the trolls once they are identified.
Oh, people wanted air bags in their cars, so Benz or Ford installed them knowing they would only work 70% of the time. This is what you are saying and that’s absurd. .
Do you check out everything you buy from a trusted source?
If you buy a major brand refrigerator do you check to make sure it will be 40 degrees F for 24 hours per day? Most people just trust that for 4 or 5 hours a night the refrigerator will not quit working.
If you buy an e-book written by a famous author and from Amazon or B&N, do you trust that the last chapter will be in the book? Most people do.
If you buy a bottle of 100 vitamins do you take them out and count them?
If you buy a TV do you expect it to get all the TV stations sent to the input or only 75% of them?
If you buy a Cable TV package of 150 stations do you expect to get 150 or only 120?
Get real. Oticon offered rechargeable batteries with promotional literature that indicated I can wear them all day, put them in the charger all night, and repeat that every day. This was false advertisement and they cheated thousands of customers. Now they aren’t even offering me the fix they provided for newer models.
I bought a used car. It was recalled by the factory for a window switch that might cause overheating and in extremely rare cases damage to the car. The company contacted me, the second owner, and replaced the switch at their expense.
Oticon should be fixing their problem that way, but instead, after their terse and insufficent response to my first e-mail, they ignore all the others.
NO: Oticon knew the product was defective, they advertised it would last all day. That means 16 hours since most people are supposed to get 8 hours of sleep. It doesn’t last 12, or 10 if using the Connect Clip supplied with the hearing aids. Oticon sold it anyway out of nothing but blind corporate greed and screw the customer as they already got their money. Oticon - Profits first.
When in business, problems are bound to occur. The business has two choices depending on how that business handles the problem (1) make the customer happy and gain a customer for life (2) make the customer angry and lose a customer for life.
Which do you think Oticon is doing.
New hearing aid customers, beware of Oticon.
Bob
I use Oticon mini BTEs. I’ve tried these with domes and I’m currently using a micro mould (custom made).
I’ve had one instance of a dome coming off - this happened in the audiology office as we were experimenting with dome and tube sizing. The cause appeared to be too large a dome size and too long a tube. It’s possible it wasn’t clicked on properly too.
Never had a problem since although as I did have a problem getting a perfectly sized dome, Oticons are 8 and 10 mm, I did try Starkey domes (9mm) these worked ok. I did go for custom moulds and these are better for longevity and staying put.
Mine are 312 disposable batteries. I get 9 days each, including streaming 7 hours a day at work. Rechargeables were never a consideration for me as they ‘must work’ whilst I’m at work. Swapping a battery is simple and easier to carry batteries than a bulky charger.
You don’t wish to post your audiogram. That’s fair enough but it is a valid consideration regarding battery life. More amplification equals more current draw. It’s unfair to discuss battery life without this.
The cost of removing a stuck dome is ridiculous. The nurse removed mine for nothing. Took her a while to find the tweezers but was removed in seconds.
Sometimes there isn’t a fix. Perhaps taking on board some of the valid suggestions may help you find a solution.
Having the occasional rant is fine. Ranting repeatedly about the same issue achieves nothing.
I’d prefer to use domes as they look better, but they don’t work for me. It’s essentially tough sh*t for me. Life’s like that sometimes…
Indeed, I have never made a $6000 purchase without doing extensive research on it and understanding its specs and features and whether they were adequate for my needs.
I suspect this was the case for me, as I’d had them off for cleaning just before I had the issue. Sometimes I also find that they can feel like they’ve clicked on but actually be at a slight angle with one edge still off. I’ve been extra vigilant since this incident, of course.
Really? I get nowhere near that with my Mini-RITEs with a milder prescription than yours. I used to get about 7 days with my Alta2’s before streaming, but that’s down to 3-4 now.
That just goes to show that for some people a rechargeable battery just might be an all-day solution. If you’re getting 9 days from a 170 mAh 312, that’s about 20 mAh a day. A 32 mAh rechargeable AgZn battery should work fine for you.
I have an appointment with the audiologist next week. I’m going to inquire about the molds. If that is a workable solution, I’ll consider it.
These Oticons give me 4 days of charge using disposable batteries. The audiologist said that was normal (that was before I got the charger and rechargeables). She said the new technology “eats batteries for lunch”.
My guess is that the technology that delivers better sound to my ears might be due to a higher sampling rate of the A/D (audio to digital) and then the D/A converters. If anyone knows differently, please correct (I’m always curious).
I know in audio products, higher sample rates render better high frequencies and all other things being equal would probably require more power to operate.
And as far as the rant goes, I wouldn’t continue ranting if some troll wasn’t trying to convince me there is nothing wrong with the design of the hearing aids.
[tlahey1] posted here that Oticon replaced his out of warranty hearing aids and chargers with the new model. I tried going through Oticon for that and they first gave me a form letter that had nothing to do with the question I asked (probably generated by a bot) and then ignored all subsequent emails from me.
@tlahey1 - I had OPN1 rechargeables for over a year and the batteries never lasted for an entire day. It got to where I just started using regular batteries. About 2 months ago my audi got Oticon to give me a free replacement pair of the new OPN S1 rechargeables. The new HAs are excellent. Oticon has changed the battery and the charger. They recognize there was a problem with the old system. Have your Audi talk with an Oticon rep and see if they will replace them.
I’m going to ask my audiologist to see if Oticon will do the same for me. If Oticon replaces these, I’ll let everyone know there is a happy ending and they redeemed themselves. If not, I’m going to have her put the original doors back on and I’ll go back to disposables trashing the planet with used cells and used cardboard and plastic packaging.
Yes the cost of removing the domes is absurd. That’s for-profit medicine for you.
My wife broke her arm in Australia last year. We had no insurance there so we were charged full retail price for an osteopathic surgeon, MD, anesthesiologist, a half dozen nurses, cast, and supplies. Total cost less than $500 US. Yet here in the US it costs +$2K to remove a dome in our emergency room.
When she got back to the USA they did x-rays and said nobody could have done a better job of resetting the bone and putting the proper plate in her wrist.
But that’s another thread.
Back to the domes.
After the first stuck dome (10mm) I made sure that when I did my regular replacement of wax filters and domes that I made absolutely, positively sure that the dome was seated well.
The audiologist’s assistant put an 8mm dome in it, that is a bit too small so I have an extra plastic ‘wire’ to hold the aid in place. This may or may not be the solution but a quick fix until I get to see the audi at my appointment next week.
There are a lot of military people with noise induced hearing loss (mine was allergy induced but with similar results) so if someone could find a way to regrow those hair cells, that person would make tons of money. That’s the up side of for-profit medicine. Hopefully that day will come soon.
Bob
A few years back I lost a dome. I thought it dropped onto the floor. I couldn’t find it. Two months later I went to my primary care doc for my annual checkup. When she looked into my ear she found my missing dome. It was pushed far back by the receiver and replacement dome. She could not reach it with her tweezers.
I went to Costco HA, and they told me that they don’t venture into ears. But they did recommend a nurse practitioner who specialized in cleaning earwax and doing other things with ears. She had the right pliers and popped it out in about 30 seconds.
The morals of this story are:
a) These things probably aren’t going to do a lot of damage if they are in there for a bit. So, there is time to look for a cost-effective practitioner.
b) Keep doing your annual checkups, everybody! You just never know what they are going to find.
Since my domes are closed, I know immediately if the dome is stuck in the ear - it’s like putting an ear plug in. That’s why I need to get it out ASAP…
But other than that I like the closed domes. If I find myself in an obviously louder than 85dba environment, I can turn the hearing aids down and they domes work as ear plugs to protect what;'s left of my hearing.
Bob
I wear Oticon Opn1 open domes and had one it stuck in my ear while on a river cruise in the Netherlands. The cruise director made an appointment for two hours later and the doctor just flushed it out with saline. Cost me 20 Euros.
Thanks. That’s worth a try.
OK I saw my audiologist today, the appt was delayed due to Dorian.
The solutions:
1a) A slit was cut in the closed dome to keep from creating a suction. I’m not sure if I like this or not. On the way home the radio bounced from ear to ear. I turned the dome around.
1b) Make a mold, which I shall use as a last resort because I don’t know if I want the mold in my ear canal all day
2) A new set of rechargeable batteries. She says they are a little better than the originals (more amp/hours). When these go to where they don’t last all day anymore, I’ll just go back to disposables and trash the planet.
She says the batteries usually last 6 months and cost $65. That’s $130/year. At the rate I go through disposables it would only cost me $42/year. That’s quite a difference.
Plus mining gold for the contact of a battery that lasts only 6 months is not environmentally sound anyway.
I’ll see how the slit works out.
Is there a better choice than Oticon out there?
Bob
I’ve been told that Phonak rechargable batteries last six years.
Back to the “dome stuck inside ear canal” conundrum. Yes, I have also been there, done that! Proper seating of the dome onto the receiver head is key - in fact, give a little TUG on that dome after you’ve put it on the receiver before you insert it in the ear. It should stay PUT.
Next: when removing the aids, always pull them out to the BACK - not straight out of the ears and never yank them forward and out! Pulling them out towards the back will put the minimum pressure and tension on the dome as you gently, slowly remove the receivers from your ears.