Hi tim_64, yes we have really a severe to profound hearing loss in the mid and high frequencies. Currently I’m wearing the Phonak Naída Paradise P90-UP with closed custom earing moulds. They are the best hearing aids I’ve tried so far, I’ve got a better speech understanding and they also do their best in understanding speech in noise. It’s 34 years I’m wearing hearing aids (since when a was 6 years old). I always weared BTE with custom moulds as they are the best for our type of hearing loss. But from 2019 till 2022 I was fitted with rechargeable Resound Linx Quattro with ultra power RIC enclosed in moulds like yours. They sold me like they were very powerful and cover severe to profound hearing loss range (they also was very expensive). They were the worst, they broke very often and also they didn’t cover my hearing loss. The HAs were programmed to max output which was 70db and with up ric they reached 100db but the battery dried very fast and I was forced to recharge them twice a days. Every 2 months i was forced to repair them because they had a serious problem with microphones that broke very often with that power. And during these times i was wearing as backup my old Rexton Targa P5 BTE with 13 battery size. People around me also heared my voice and the sounds when i was talking on the phone or listening to music through the Ric receivers. They were not for severe to profound loss but for mild to moderate. I changed my audiologist after so.
Tim, it sounds like it is time to look at BTE HAs. The Oticon BTEs are very old at this point. (Xceed, I think, and about 4 years since release) while they would be closest in sound to what you have now, I wonder if they are a good choice. The phonak naida HAs have a lot of power and are pretty popular.
Best wishes!
WH
You realise that pushing out 120-140dB usable output needs loads more effort and control than 110dB where most aids are already saturated and screaming.
Is that why the old Naida SP which goes to 110dB can cope with a size 13 batteries yet 120db Naida UP has to use 675?
Could be completely wrong tho.
@Um_bongo I don’t disagree with you, but if you look at this article from hearingtracker:
“Now in its seventh generation, Naída Paradise is 14% smaller, 27% lighter¹, and further improves upon the legendary hearing performance that ultra-power wearers expect from Phonak.”
That’s compared to the previous generation I suppose (Marvel in this case).
If Sonova/Phonak/Unitron could reduce the size of their most powerful BTE, why can’t Oticon & AL do the same?
I am sure they’ve already reverse-engineered Phonak’s products; We will see what they will come up with, if they decide to help out the severe to profound hearing loss category of people.
Bottom line the number of HA manufacturers over the years producing power hearing aids has dropped some what significantly. Widex after it merged Sivantos Group stopped making power aids. Starkey seems out of the picture. Resound still in the game but I don’t feel they make reliable power aids. Signia also seems be ignoring the severe to profound hearing group.
That some what leaves Oticon and Phonak as the only true providers of power aids that use 675 battery. Seems FDA and most HA manufactures are more interested in OTC aids and aids for the moderate to mid-range group. Since the HA industry is highly unregulated its hard to force aid manufacturers to provide a wide selection of aids for of all types of hearing loss.
And as we know small canal aids sell at a higher volume than big BTE aides. So HA companies are following the money and spending more time, research and money developing aids that can’t be seen or hidden from view versus large aids that fit behind a users ears.
Such is life.
Your reply is very interesting! I had a trial of the Resound top of the range model around 2017 can’t remember which model but it was expertly programmed. I remember that it was excellent for hearing in noise but the audi did not reduce the background sound settings so traffic etc drove me crazy & I returned them! The thing that worries me about BTE models is that I would need a pair of those huge ugly ear shells! Are they what you have with your Phonaks?
So BTE casing worries you. Hmmm. I think what you really meant to say was BTE casing turns you off due to size. Understand since I was that way when I was younger. But at some point with a declining hearing loss, someone’s hearing level becomes more important the appearance of hearing aid. Thus if you need more power to hear clearly, at some point BTE aids are usually required.
And to be really really honest Tim - all HA’s are pretty much unattractive. Be they big or small. Unless you think lipstick on a pig improves things.
I saw that, but that applies to the weight only as the (1) is on the “lighter”, not the size me thinking.
The roger receiver is size is more than 14% in any cases.
I am with you, but normally they put the superscribe numbers on each item they would define at the end of the page.
Also, as I’ve stated above, the roger receiver is what 12mm (half inch or so), that’s at least 30% or the HA length.
That was a new platform, Paradise, so they’ve changed the shell and the inner components.
Also, integrated the roger receiver inside the shell.
So, to sell this new Naida paradise, they said it is 14% smaller than the previous generation, and 27% lighter (1).
They put (1) next to lighter and explained that this weight reduction is in part to the integration of the roger direct, instead of having that bulky receiver connected at the bottom; They just want people to know that their statement (lighter) is true if you factor in the roger receiver.
The Naida is much smaller than the Xceed, I suppose you can agree on that?
Yes, I have the Phonak Naida P70 UP myself.
If you look at the reference to number 2. It’s based on the whole sentence so I don’t know.
Yes but the Xceed had separate volume and program button. That might come into play?
Hi Steve, sorry for the late reply, just had another 6 REMs
Is this what you are meaning? I think I could just about tolerate it if it did the job! I am so frustrated with the situation here in Turkey that I am seriously considering organising a trip to see Dr Cliff
Thanks for your feedback! Please could you post a pic of your Phonak earmoulds in-situ so I can see whether I can tolerate them! So frustrated with the audis here in Turkey that I am thinking of arranging a trip to see Dr Cliff!
It seems that the release of the superpower Real was delayed in order to push back the release of the new platform. Phonak and Oticon said they won’t move to the new Bluetooth standard until they test it.
Your previous post mentioned “ugly” BTE aid. -
The thing that worries me about BTE models is that I would need a pair of those huge ugly ear shells! Are they what you have with your Phonaks?
Your recent photo shows a full shell aid and not BTE. In any case ordering “flesh” colored aid casing or clear casing would blend in better versus darker colored aid you presented. But there are aid users out there that like all kinds of aid colors. To each his own,
Hi thanks for your reply I will post some pictures of my BTE Naída Paradise P90-UP and also a close up picture of my earmold inside the ear. It closes completely my ear canal so I will hear better and more amplified due to my hearing loss.
Many thanks for your reply & photos - much appreciated!
Just a couple of questions:-
Did you have any choice of colour for the ear shell?
What equipment if any did you buy for listening to the television?
Best regards
Hi! Glad to help you with my photos and advices :). I didn’t choose the color of the shell because I had to wait more days in order to select the desired color so I choose the one available it’s beige sand I like it and it’s also very pleasant to see. When I bought the HAs I also bought the Phonak tv streamer which I connect directly through bluetooth. It’s very powerful and I can use it with any source like TV, computer, stereo etc. even if they are old as it has even the classic jack cable and I can connect with USB port.