There is another difference between ConnectClip and Edumic. ConnectClip streams to hearing aids in any program, and Edumic streams only in a dedicated program “TV Adapter/Edumic”.
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Like Volusiano, I don’t have the EduMic but do have the ConnectClip. I’ve used the Clip outdoors a few times. I seem to recall that it can go 100 feet or so when outdoors. I’ve only used it for shorter distances indoors.
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One thing I forgot to mention about my Reals is that on the first fitting, my audi fitted me with double-vented bass domes and proceeded to run REM. After making REM adjustments to the left (had to up it a little bit), she proceeded with the REM adjustments on the right aid, and immediately she could hear sounds leaking out. So she proceeding to replace those bass domes with the Signia Connexx Sleeve vented domes as seen below. That plugged up the leak real quick (I guess my ear canal is more suited and conforms to the shape of this type of dome better → it’s not round like the Oticon bass domes, but kind of more flat shape). What’s even better is that once these domes went in, she reran REM and immediately, the REM results told her that everything was up to target and she didn’t need to make any adjustments at all.
So that makes me happy because I didn’t want to have to rely on a baseline REM adjusted gain curve all the times, which makes it hard for me to experiment with things. I even asked her in the beginning if she would run REM on all 4 of the programs I wanted to have, and she declined and said that she would only do it for the General default program. I asked her why not for all 4 programs and she said that it’s because the other non-default programs are “environmental” programs (she kept using that word “environmental”), so they don’t “need” to be REM adjusted because they already have their own “coloration” anyway. I don’t buy it but I didn’t want to argue. I think she was just not willing to spend more time to do REM 4 times for me on 4 programs. I saw that she was very relieved that REM matched well with the Signia Connexx domes, which made REM adjustment no longer necessary. Well, I’m relieved, too, because that also means that as a DIY’er, I’m free to try out anything without being stuck to using a REM adjusted program as a starting basis. So actually, kudos to her for immediately being able to find me a better fitting dome from another brand to allow the Reals to perform to target and remove the need for REM adjustments.
Anyway, in case some folks might wonder why I don’t do custom molds with my level of hearing loss in the highs, it’s because I use Speech Rescue and I already forgo trying to have any kind of amplification from 4 KHz and up. Rather than having custom molds to keep the high frequency sounds from leaking out, but in turn prevents low frequency sounds (that I can still hear OK) from coming in, I’d rather use bass-type domes with vents (not open dome though) to preserve my ability to hear the low frequency sounds naturally, and also not feel too occluded.
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Exactly what I was thinking as I was reading, not willing to do 4 REMs.
I love her verbiage, though, “environmental” that’s so funny!
Glad those domes work for you, Now with the Intent, and custom molds, I can’t try out domes, because the reeivers are sealed in the mold.
On another note, didn’t you mention you wanted to get the Philips 9050s?
Yeah, if I couldn’t get the Reals, I probably would have gotten the Philips. They charged me $3700 from Hearing Care Solutions for the pair of Real 1. I get 6 free visits within the first year with the local audi, after the first year or 6 visits, they will charge me $75 per visit. Even to drop off the aids for repair, that’s $75, then pick up the aids is another $75, even if you don’t even see the audi to drop off the aids, and even if the audi doesn’t need to reprogram anything again when you pick up. Last time I got the near-end-of-warranty replacements for brand new OPNs, the factory already programmed into the new aid replacements. The old audi didn’t do this $75/visit stuff, but then she didn’t sub her service out to a big chain like HCS, she sold to me direct.
I had to pay up front then submit a reimbursement to my insurance company. Since I’ve met my max out of pocket, they’re supposed to pay for the whole $3700. I’ve heard that my claim has been denied, but the concierge rep said she’s working on getting that denial overturned because I should be 100% eligible for the whole $3700. Push comes to shove I have 2 months to return, but there’s a $75/aid restocking fee for returning the aids. Boy, they seem to like that $75 number at this new HCP place. Worst case I’m out of $150, but I’m hopeful that they’re going to resolve the issue for me.
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I’d love to try those! Do you happen to know how the medium size compares to Oticon’s dome sizes (8, 10, 12mm)?
I think my audi told me she gave me the medium size Connexx domes. I used the 10mm domes on my OPNs.
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By the way, I forgot to mention, my audi gave me a Connexx dome with a single vent for my left aid, and another one with no vent on the right ear. When I got home I definitely felt that the right ear always felt occluded but the left ear felt fine. At first I chalked it up to ear canal difference.
But it bothered me enough, so I got a magnifier and checked and sure enough, discovered the right dome has no vent. I looked through the other 6 that she gave me and they were all with no vent (even though she claimed that she gave me the vented kind). There are 2 very short tubes on both sides of the center opening to support a vent, and the one dome that has the vent is basically 1 round opening right on top of 1 of the short tubes. The other short tube is covered on top. So I tried to create a vent opening for the right dome. It was easy to poke a hole through that short tube with a pick, but because the dome is rubbery material, it still plugs over again when I removed the pick. I tried to heat gun the round pick to see if I could melt the rubber to turn it into a hole or not but couldn’t. The rubber seems very resilient. In the end I had to take a cuticle cutter and cut an (ugly) opening next to the still plugged up hole.
Long story short, now I’m vented on both sides and I’m happy. And I thought I’d mention to you to make sure if you’re going to buy some of those Connexx domes to try out, get the kind with 1 or 2 vents if you prefer to have vents. It’s not easy to just poke a hole and have a vent. The rubber just folds right back up.
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Yeah the closed dome is the one, but they’re a silicone based rubber, so that’s why it’s not easy to work with.
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There are open and closed domes, but there are no unvented domes. From page 260 of “Fitting and Dispensing Hearing Aids”, Third Edition:
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Not sure what is there to nitpick here? I reviewed my posts above and I didn’t see any place where I literally used the words “unvented domes”. So what’s the point of pointing out something I didn’t say to “correct” me?
Regardless, you can call it closed domes if you like, and I might call it unvented domes going forward if I like. As long as people understand what I mean, I’m OK with it.
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I stopped by my audiologist’s office this morning, hoping to get the Connexx domes you mentioned. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get them to fit on my Intent receiver. She said she’d try again another day and follow up with me.
Oh yeah, since my Reals use the old style receiver, I guess it’s more compatible with other brands’ domes because it’s a more universally used type receiver. I guess it’s a small consolation for me being stuck with the Real instead of getting to benefit from the Intent that I’m able to retain this more universal type receiver.
There’s no significant difference in the receiver sound tube on either model: they take the same wax-trap too.
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Hm, I wonder why @e1405 's audi couldn’t fit the Connexx dome onto the Intent receiver then?
Not sure, some people get hung up about what manufacturers decide about what’s ‘made’ to go with what. Other people just use what works.
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That was precisely her mindset from the get-go. On the bright side, I did figure out my dome size (for me, 10mm would be S and 8mm XS)! I might try ordering them online.
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It’s good to remember that what goes on can also come off. For example, ReSound says to use only their new grey domes, not their old black domes, with their new SureFit 3 receivers, and I can see why. The black domes go onto SureFit 3 receivers nicely enough. But you can pull them off the receiver by holding the rim of the dome. That’s equivalent to the rim clinging to your ear canal when you pull the dome out. The new grey domes don’t come off, not easily anyway, from the rim. You have to grasp them at the base.
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I have to warn you though that there has been a few occasions where I pulled the receiver out too fast that it slips out of the Connexx dome and I had to use a tweezer to pull my dome out. So just be careful and pull it out slowly. But maybe the Intent receivers will fit tight enough on the dome that this won’t be an issue.
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