Oticon water resistance?

Hearing Aids
#1

I had Oticon OPN 1 from 2017-2020 and greatly enjoyed the sound, but the water resistance was an absolute joke. I work in a hot and very humid environment and had to send both in under warranty to be replaced due to water damage in 2018, then got rid of them when they both failed again in late 2019.

I switched to the Phonak Paradise in 2020 and haven’t had a single water/sweat related issue since. For my hearing, though, the Oticons are definitely better, so I’m hoping when I’m up for new HAs later this year to check out the latest Oticons (More 2?).

How’s the water resistance these days for Oticon More mini-RTEs?

#2

I doubt they will use that name since they currently use it for the middle technology More. I just ordered More 1, the high technology level aids.

It seems everyone is claiming IP68 resistance to dust and moisture. It has been surmised that rechargeable aids may be more moisture resistant that those with a replaceable battery compartment.

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#3

In the Oticon More Next Generation thread we got a little crazy suggesting names.

Here is what you want LOL

Have you heard about the new waterproof More:

… it’s the genuine Oticon brand
:trident: Sub-More-iner.:trident:

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#4

It’ll be sub-par just like the rest of them that tried, I can only think of “Davy Jones locker” for any manufacturer who’ll claim to be “waterproof” HAs.

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#5

Time to work on that. From Phonak

Phonak Audeo Life™ Lumity is the second generation of the world’s first waterproof rechargeable hearing aid. Ideal hearing solution for anyone who has an active lifestyle and puts their hearing aids to the test: Waterproof* Sweatproof .

#6

I live in a very humid climate and I sweat a lot and haven’t had any issues with my Oticon aids since the set I got in 2010. The last 3 sets including my More1 haven’t been an issue with moisture.

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#7

I don’t think the Oticon More has any better dust and water rating than the OPN. I think they’re both IP68.

I also had issue with my OPN 1 taking on excess moisture when I exercise outdoors in the humid heat and had to send them in for replacement because the mic needed servicing. I’ve heard from a number of forum posters here who complained the same for their OPN. But I haven’t heard from any More users on this forum complaining about having to turn in their aids due to moisture issues.

Oticon claims that the nano-technology coating helps make their hearing aids more water resistant. But the mics are exposed to the outside and not protected so I’m not sure how the nano coating really helps, unless they actually can nano-coat the mics and still have them perform well. The only protection for the mic I can see is that its opening is below where it’s located, to help with keeping water from flowing upward into it. But the moisture defies gravity so that doesn’t do squat to keep moisture out.

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#8

So are the receivers.

#9

Yes, but receivers are much cheaper and more easily replaceable than the mics. It’s a given that you can have many receiver failure in a hearing aid’s lifetime, not just due to moisture but also due to being overdriven, overuse, etc. I’ve had many receiver failures on both ears and I have always been able to just buy replacements on eBay for a very reasonable price and swap them out myself if my aids are out of warranty. So exposed receivers are really not a concern in terms of reliability simply because they’re so easily replaceable.

Besides, ALL receivers are exposed to moisture in the canal, regardless of brands, because all major HA brands pretty much use the same OEM receiver types (except for Phonak with their smart open/closed receiver). So it’s not like you’ll have less receiver failure between one brand or another. It’s more like you can have more or less receiver failures depending on how much moisture your ear canal produces, or how hard your hearing loss requires the receiver to be driven.

#10

Another Costco advantage is they just replace them. My aids are out of warranty and I just got new receivers installed while I waited.

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#11

Yeah, but that’s not just limited to Costco. When my OPNs were still in warranty, I just came to my HCP and had her replace the bad receiver while I waited, too. In fact, I asked her to replace both even if one was bad citing that if one has gone bad, the other might go bad soon after that.

After they were out of warranty, I would just buy and stock spares from eBay so that I can swap them out instantly without having to wait for anything.

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#12

I had mine replaced outside of warranty. My 4 year old aids only had a 3 year warranty.

I guess with my new aids from elsewhere I need to get used to buying filters and domes. They were freely included in the Costco purchase.