Ok so the Oticon Opn appears (sounds) great but how does it compare with the Siemens 7px model, does the OPN take a leap over the 7px or just a catch up?
I think it’s impossible to make judgments like that; best you can do is 1) get someone who will do good fittings, preferably with both, and 2) listen and decide which you prefer for the situations you’re in, cost, accessories, etc. - whatever is most important to you. Most of the comparison charts I’ve seen between HA’s in the same cost/feature segment are utterly useless when it comes to “better”. My 2c.
Marc
p.s. With my hearing loss (moderate, worse at high frequencies), I have always preferred the “natural” (not sure the best word, maybe “unprocessed”) sound of the Oticon aids (which I have compared with Phonak, Sharkey, and Siemens). But that’s just me.
Yeah I was thinking the same thing. I’m going to see how the initial fittings go then I may see about buying the kit if possible.
I talked w/ Buyhear about buying the kit, and the response was that it’s possible in the future, though not immediately. For now, I’m using an old Hi-Pro (serial), which is kind of clumsy, but works perfectly.
Thanks for the info. Anyone know if the OPN has tinnitus masking? I didn’t see any literature about it online.
The Opn does not have the Tinnitus SoundSupport feature, but you can use the Oticon Tinnitus Sound app to stream various relief sounds.
Ok good to know. Thanks for the info.
Anyone know if the OPN has a BICROS option? Thanks.
No BICROS.
I’ve been wearing mine for about three weeks.
These are exceptional aids. I had been trialing Widex Dream 330s, Widex Unique 440s (good sound quality but not the greatest build quality, and they struggled to boost high frequencies sufficiently for my needs), the Resound Linx2 9 (awful sound quality, though I had previously worn the Resound Airs for a solid 12 years…), and my audi then thankfully suggested the Opns.
The Opns are a paradigm shift in their approach to processing sound and it really works for me. I dislike directional focus and I want to hear details from all directions. The Opns do that (however also allow for toning-back background sounds for those that don’t like them) and they don’t monkey around with features and modes. They are set it and forget it aids, that said, I find their app works really well, wireless communication is very reliable from an iPhone SE, and streaming works a charm, and these work much better than the Resound linx2.
Speech intelligibility is very good, build quality is good, music sound quality is good (live as well, they can handle up to 113db SPL).
Battery life for my purposes is 6 days.
I have been on a personal quest the last few months to find the right hearing aids. I am a 62 year old male with pretty common hearing loss pattern in the higher ranges, worse in my left ear than right. I also have Tinnitus in my right ear, a tapping sound. This was the real reason I decided on hearing aids, although it turns out they don’t help at all, but I am going to keep the OPN because I just like them. There is no built in Tinnitus program, but I don’t think they work for my kind of Tinnitus anyway, having tried Resound LInx2 and Starkey Halo II without success.
I have been wearing the OPN for a few weeks and they just seem to have a more natural sound from my judgment. They also just fit better which I don’t really understand. I had to use the plastic wings with the other brands and I don’t with these.
Now, the true revelation. I paid $7200 at one place for the OPN I started with. After finding this forum, I learned about BuyHear.com and couldn’t believe they could sell them for $3500. So, I sent away for a pair and they arrived, and they are identical to the ones I bought for $7200, same box, same packaging,same everything, They work seamlessly on my iPhone and they seem to have programmed them correctly for my hearing test. I have 60 days to try them out, 30 days longer than the local retailer. Also, when I called for a simple question, I got a person, almost right away.
So, I am waiting for the other shoe to drop, but for now, I think BuyHear.com is the deal of the century.
They say those minirites are IP68, does that mean you can wear them in light rain?
Yes, you can!
I have ordered a pair of the Siemens 7px and Oticon Opn to try out and see which is better for me. I have mild hearing loss mostly in high freq. range, miss words, need to have the TV vol. up louder than family likes it to be. I will try them out and write a review the best I can on this as a new hearing aid user. Orders both from on-line sources…will see.
I have tried Siemens Pure 7px and Oticon OPNs. OPNs were the best for me. Interested what you think !!
M
Last week I started a trial with the ReSound Linx2 961.
I had an appointment with my audi this morning and asked her about the Oticon Opn. She told me that the Oticon Opn HA don’t tackle feedback as good as the latest ReSound HA do. Can any one confirm this?
I know she carries Phonak also, but I would prefer to try out the Oticon Opn regarding the very good reviews other users are given about these aids.
You should try them yourself; “don’t tackle feedback as well” is pretty vague. In my experience, they are perfectly fine.
I have demo’d OPN. No issues with feedback. With your test results you should not have any feedback. Maybe she was talking about someone with MUCH worst results and she had to crank way up.
M
Never had any feedback with my OPNs.
With the feedback manager enabled in the OPN there is literally 0 feedback. With it turned OFF I can turn it way up before the feedback starts, up around 6k. Using feedback management really affects sound quality to the worse. If you are a musician or serious about music you must try a program with the feedback controls either low or turned off. For me with mild loss it is no problem with open dome to have no feedback manager.
It took me 5 sittings and on going with the audiologist, not to mention studying here, downloading the software to take a look and lots of listening to weed through this maze of weird strategies in hearing aids. I am quite stunned that (my) audiologist is so clueless about someones true needs and what a “music program” should be after all these years. I tried to clue her in over 10 years ago. It is my belief that as an audiologist one should have a solid understanding about sound, traditional sound engineering in addition to the special strategies inherent in the programming of hearing aids and their limitations. End of rant.