Could someone post info on the I-Cube? I have just purchased the Yes with I-com and would love to use the I-Cube. Would us users be able to purchase and use?
Hello ccvickers,
I didn’t buy an iCube yet but have thought about doing so because I live in a rural area and a visit to my hearing center is a 200 mile round trip. My little plan is to wait till I’ve had at least a couple more adjustments and see how it’s working out by then. I’m certainly satisfied with the progress with the HAs so far as I’ve only had one followup adjustment since the initial fitting but being a fussy person I want them to be tweaked up as well as possible.
I told my audiologist about having downloaded the iPFG program when I had my last office visit. I asked her if she would email my iPFG file to enable me to see her settings and she has done so. What I was considering doing was to try some slight changes in the manual fine tuning area of the program. I have no idea of course how badly a person could screw things up.
I think there’s a post from someone that has purchased the iCube and mentioned it was a snap (probably not the exact word) to adjust the HAs himself.
I think a person could save his original file from the audiologist and import it back into the program to reset the hearing instruments to where he or she had set them.
The iPFG 2.4 program is 32 bit and couldn’t be installed on my laptop running Vista 64 bit.
It’s working fine though on my older desktop running XP.
AUDEO Yes V
Thanks Dunk, That’s what I wanted to do as well, the fine tuning and MyPilot tuning. Did you find any sources for the iCube. I’ve only found one from a link someone posted here. It was $350. (I haven’t gotten my HAs yet, but i’m hoping the Audeo Yes IX will work for me.)
I could only download the slim version of the software. I’m in Iraq and dont have the bandwidth to get the full versions. Did you see where to get the “step-by-step” instructions that the help menu refered to? Are they in the full download version by any chance?
Well please keep us posted if you do get the iCube. =)
I’m afraid that I’m not of much help with those questions. I was able to download the full version of the program (split as in two Cd’s) after a few tries. There are some videos with audio examples of speech like in noise etc. that may offer a little benefit. There are links in the help menu to short on line tutorial movies for such things as changing the mike screens or guards etc. There doesn’t appear to be a full manual or full instructions. I suspect that the audiologists receive training for use of the specific program.
There are short instructions for each screen accessible from a question mark icon at the top right of the screens.
I haven’t spent much time in the program but it appeared that after I had imported my file from my audiologist that I could access more settings. Before that I’d just entered my audiogram settings manually in the program.
I watched closely as my audi went into the program but she’s very smart and quick and I wasn’t able to quite keep up with what she was doing. Her hearing center is very busy and a one hour session seemed to go too quickly. Having my questions and concerns printed out to give her was a plus.
Having looked over the terminology used in the program was helpful in describing what I was hearing.
I haven’t looked into purchasing an iCube except for reading something about it in the forums and doing a Google search.
Good luck with your HAs when you get them. If I learn anymore that could be helpful I will post it or send it to you as a PM.
PS If you haven’t already downloaded these tutorial movies from Phonak they would be helpful.
http://www.phonak.com/professional/productsp/fitting/fittingsoftware_ipfg_-_tutorials.htm
During the first consult with my new audi, I was very up front with telling her that I intended to do self programming for various reasons. At first she seemed quite offended, but said nonetheless she was willing to support me but couldn’t help me acquire the equipment. I thought it was important is was up front with her then.
Phonak is a beautifual thing because as far as I’m aware, they are the only brand which make the software and interface (icube) so easily available to the consumer. I purchased the icube for $350 and run it successfully with YES IX on windows vista and a USB cable.
iPFG is not trivial by any stretch, but it is very rewarding. The great thing is that my audi now spends most of our follow up time teaching me how to use the software and what it’s capabilities are. Then I go home and experiment. The whole process is extremely satifying. To know that you’ve explored the limits of compression, sound recover, tweeking the four gain curves, as well as a plethora of program options with ecoblock, noise cancelling, etc. has been quite an experience for me.
Compare $350 for and icube to $5000 for a typical pair of high-end HA. This is 7% of the cost! I think there is a theme on this forum that the fit is every bit as important as the HA. If you have an attentive audi, you are very fortunate. For the rest of us that are rushed through follow ups and then suffer for weeks until the next one, self-programming may be a good option.
Oh and by the way, I promise there will be a small panic the first time you attempt to tweak your own HI. The key is to make sure that you choose the option of using the program thats IN THE HEARING INSTRUMENTS the first time you connect at home. Then, save a snap shot in case you totally botch it. Then when you go back to your audi, make sure they do the same or else your adjustments will vanish.
Either way it takes some guts. Worse case is you have to go back to your audi and start over. Big deal. Have your audiogram handy too.
Thank you Pax576! This is great. Could you clarify one point? The iPFG will learn the programming from the aid or do you have to import the initial settings file from the audiologist? I’m reading from your post that the iPFG reads the settings from the aid. If this is true, I wouldn’t have to get the initial programming from the audi to load into the iPFG and would always have a “saved” copy. that’s awesome! Did you get your iCube from the on-line place in New York?
The icube came from here:
http://store.yourhearing.net/phonakicube.html
In iPFG click the button “Detect connected HI”. A screen will come up and ask you if you want to use the settings in the HI or those from iPFG. Easy as that. No need to export anything from your audi’s iPFG.
As I understand it, the iCube lets you wirelessly program your HAs, but you also need the PHonak software right? Where do you obtain a copy of the iFPG software for programming the Audeo Yes?
Link to Phonak Professional software:
I got another question, hope you don’t mind 
I’m wondering which Bluetooth software you guys use on the PC? I tried to connect the iCom with the pc. At first it got connected, but then the headset didn’t work. So I tried to re-connect the bluetooth connection, but the whole program got stuck. This happens everytime… maybe it has to do with the software on the pc and is there a better one?
I use BlueSoleil.
El linko, no worky.
For some reason they have the iCube listed under “FM Systems” Try this one:
http://store.yourhearing.net/fmsystems.html
BTW I noticed the PRICE went up 19 bucks! =(
CORRECTION!
I had a shortcut in my favorites to this site for the iCube. It doesnt work now. I skimmed the sight and didn’t notice that the link I provided in my last post was for the iCOM 
This site no longer offers the iCUBE for sale… did Phonak get “wise” and have them pull the product? :eek::mad:
Any leads on a new source for an iCUBE?
I too have an iCom and find the volumes too high. The background noise is so high that unless I am in a quiet place, people on the other end of the conversation can not take the noise from passing cars or even the ambient noise in my car at 50 or 60MPH. I visited my Audiologist who plugged in the iCom to a different piece of software. There is mic gain and output volume. I may not have the exact terminology but the controls are not unlike what a sound engineer would have for a performance mic on stage. If the mic gain is too high, the background noise becomes a bigger problem. I found that both controls were set very loud. The Audi had no idea what settings to use so I just had her turn them down a small amount. I wrote to Phonak and they gave me a rediculous answer: “make a knot in the neck cord to get the iCom closer to your mouth”. I asked if I could get the correct settings or the software to experiment, both were refused and instead they replied: “visit your Audiologist” (who has no idea how to set it). Does anyone have the software that sets the mic gain and output volume for the iCom?
I believe the audi can adjust the volume of the hearing aid’s mic up or down, which should reduce the amount of background noise you hear when in bluetooth mode. If the problem is the amount of noise the people talking to you are hearing, that is a problem with the icom mike. I have mine set to 39/39 on the icom, with the hearing aids mike turned down to -8. I have found, unfortunately, that the icom does not work well outside or in loud conditions :mad: I have not been able to find a setting which eliminates the sounds of passing cars but is still loud enough for the person to hear what I am saying.
How would I go about doing that on my iCom?
Unfortunately you can’t unless you were one of the lucky few who purchased the Icube before phonak pulled it from general purchase. You will have to go see your audi and have him/her adjust your icom settings.
Ah! So he can adjust that volume? That is good to know. I’m going to see him in a few days - I’ll ask him to cut back on the mic’s sensitivity.
(I was talking with my daughter the other day while sitting in a turn lane and she commented as to how loud the turn signal was!)
Your audi can lower the mic attenutation on the iCom. That controls what sounds the people you talk to hear I believe.