Oticon Dynamo, SP8

Hearing Aids
#1

Hi Everyone,
This past week I have been trialing the Dynamo SP8.
Something I have noticed, and I’m not sure if this is a feature of the Dynamo, or if there is a malfunction of the hearing aid.

While engaging in a conversation with my husband, the volume will increase on it’s own. His voice becomes loud, then it goes back down. All on its own. This has happened during normal conversation or even when watching the television. The audio from the tv will increase and then go back down. Very strange.
I am not familiar with all the features of the Dynamo, so I don’t know if this is normal for the Dynamo or not.
I am hoping that someone, who is better informed about the Dynamo, might be able to explain this to me.

Beside this odd occurrence, I’m becoming more comfortable with these new aids, liking them better every day.

I have a bit of occlusion going on with the right ear with the sound of my voice radiating in my ear canal, but I’m sure the audiologist should be able to correct that. All in all things seem to be going well.

If anyone has any ideas on why the volume goes up and down, it would be appreciated.

Thanx,
Laura

#2

I have a pair of Dynamo SP8 too, and I self fitted them. There are different profiles in these aids - Exact, Balanced and Gentle. Gentle is a slower profile with longer reaction. Ask your audi if you have a Gentle profile, then change it to Balanced or Exact profile.

#3

Thank you for responding.
I have no idea what these profiles are that you refer to, but I will ask.
I’m hoping to get in and see her tomorrow.
Thank you again.

#4

Here is two pictures showing a difference of these profiles. There is a moderate compression speed with my audiogram in Gentle profile. But you most probably have a slow (“min”) compression speed, so hearing aids have a long reaction to voices.

Exact
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Gentle
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#5

Thank You. Hoping to get in to see her today. Will bring this up.
Laura

#6

Well, went back to the audiologist today and she did change the profile setting. I didn’t think to ask what the setting was or what she changed it to.
Anyway, it’s worse.
This increase in volume is still there, but now it’s louder.
What I’m confused with, is I thought this feature would decrease volume in loud sounds, not increase.
Very annoying. I wonder if this feature can be turned off.

She will also be bringing in Gn Resound, and Phonaks for me to try.

#7

Very strange… I would ask her what was changed and would ask for second program with different profile for comparison. About Phonak - Naida UP killed for about 5 years of my life . And Resounds (Enzo) are too unreliable.

#8

Thank you for the heads up on the Phonak and Resounds.
I had tried Phonaks years ago and was not too impressed. They always sounded tinny to me.
I have not had any experience with the Resounds.
I am somewhat frustrated with the Dynamo mainly because I do not understand why the volume would increase and not decrease, and why it continuously does this.
I’m riding in the car, the road noise level is good, not too loud, not too soft. All of a sudden, the road noise gets really loud, ten seconds later it goes back to normal.
I’m hoping she can just turn this feature off.
I like the sound of my Oticons.

#9

I tried your audiogram in my Genie software. Most probably you have a Gentle profile with slow compression speed in your hearing aids. Ask to change it to Balanced or Exact (most preferable because of minimal system intervention.

Laura1
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Laura3
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Laura2
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#10

Thank You. I will get back to her. I know she made a change, but I didn’t ask what the change was.

I will be going back and ask again.

#11

I finally got back to my audi, on this setting. When she first fitted me, she had it set on balanced.
When I went back, she changed it to exact.
The Exact profile was better, but was still there,
So yesterday she made another change. It is better. But now, it does appear that everything stays on the loud side. Not uncomfortable, just loud. I want to give it a couple of days, as with any adjustment that is made to my aids, it may be nothing more than something to get use to. She also said, there is still another adjustment she can make, but wanted to try one at a time.
This feature where the volume raises and lowers on its own, is it a feature that Oticon has a name for ( i.e like noise reduction ) or does it just have to do with compression ?

Lost Deaf, out of curiosity, what did you not like about the Phonak Naida Up.
This is what she is bringing in for me to try next.

#12

If it is too loud - ask your audi to adjust Overall Loudness Trimmer or play with only one point of BONE audiogram - in 1 kHz. Moving this point up make sound louder, and moving down make sound weaker.

Naida UP have too muffled and robotic sound. They sounds as if through a pillow. In addition to this Naida never has any binaural features for spatial sound. So if you have a pair of Naidas, both hearing aids will work independently.

#13

“This feature where the volume raises and lowers on its own, is it a feature that Oticon has a name for ( i.e like noise reduction ) or does it just have to do with compression ?”

Maybe it is a Speech Guard? This is a double (fast and slow) compression working in parallel. I think you can feel how it works. I can feel it only in Balanced and Gentle profiles - when I speak with background noise, my voice suppressed by noise reduction feature, I’m unconsciously trying to speak louder, but Dynamo still suppress my voice deeper. Very frustrating so I preferred an Exact profile without this issue.

#14

wow, now I’m interested in Speech Guard (might be worth trying next year after my birthday though)

#15

Well, I finally had the chance to try the GNResound and the Phonak. I decided to keep the Oticon Dynamo.
I did not like the sound quality from the Resounds at all.
The Phonaks were not bad as far as sound, but there was a sharpness to hearing my own voice that, by the time she got that corrected, I couldn’t hear as well as I do with the Oticon.

I tend to get stressed out when trying to adapt to new hearing aids, so rather than put myself thru that, I decided to keep the Oticon.

My audi did bring in new ear molds with a shorter piece that goes into the ear canal, hoping that it may fix the plugged up feeling I have.
Did not like the shorter molds at all. I went back to the longer ear molds and all is as well as to be expected. The plugged up feeling is minimal so hopefully within time I will get used to it. I’ve only been wearing the Dynamo’s for three or four weeks now, so I think I need to be a little patient.

Lostdeaf, thank you for all your help and suggestions. It really made a difference.

Laura

#16

Glad Oticon HAs are working for you.

Do you think you’ve got the perfect settings or will you back for adjustments?

#17

Not sure right now if I’ll need more adjustments to my everyday program.
I still have a slight problem with occlusion on my right side. I have a sensitivity with my right ear that makes adjusting somewhat limited. But so far, these have been the best and most comfortable I have had in my 25 years of wearing hearing aids.

I’m hoping I just need time to get used to these. I am not very good with change, so every time I get new hearing aids, I tend to get stressed out. If after a few weeks I find I cannot adapt to this new setting, I will then probably ask for more adjustments.
I just hate to have her make a change without giving myself time to adapt.

Laura

#18

I understand how you feel. I also get stressed when getting new hearing aids. I would rather stick with my current hearing aids for 10 years.