Phonak Lumity 90 vs ReSound Nexia 9 vs Oticon Intent 1 - why I chose Oticon

Hearing Aids
#1

I’ve been wearing hearing aids for about 15 years and most recently have been using ReSound Linx 3Ds. These needed replacing and I searched long and hard to find a decent audiologist. Fortunately I found one who was prepared to let me trial the latest Phonak, ReSound and Oticon aids. All the aids I trialled were rechargeable models.

I trialled each of the aids for about 7 to 10 days, with the Oticons I kept them longer and we did have a second session during which we tweaked the MyMusic program because I was really unhappy with this after the initial fitting.

I am a retired 66 year old male so don’t have to attend conferences or have needs around hearing in complex situations for work. My speech recognition needs aren’t that complex However, I write and compose music at home, so the music reproduction capability of the HAs is very important to me (so that weighed heavily in my consideration).

Phonak Lumity 90 - very comfortable to wear, and the BT classic capability was an improvement over my Linx 3Ds. However, I felt they were not an improvement in speech recognition, sound in noise or music over my current ReSound Linx 3Ds. Also, the battery life was a bit suspect - I got a low battery warning on one day of fairly normal use. I ruled these out straightaway.

Oticon Intent 1 - I trialled these next. They were slightly uncomfortable at first (mainly the power dome in one ear) but I got used to them. General speech recognition and speech in noise were noticeably better for me compared to both the 3ds and the Lumitys. Battery life was excellent, no low battery warnings (despite wearing the aids for 19 hours one day). However, the MyMusic program was initially awful IMO, a big negative based on my requirements. So I kept these aids while I trialled the Nexias, and the audi tweaked the music program so it was much improved for me.

ReSound Nexia 9 - I trialled these alongside the “tweaked” Intents. These were very comfortable to wear, general speech recognition and speech in noise seemed better than the 3Ds and the Lumitys but not as good as the Intents. The music program was the best of the three (like it was on the 3Ds), really warm and coherent. A really big plus for me. However, battery life was poor, I got low battery warnings on two days of not particularly intensive use.

So despite the excellent music reproduction capabilities of the Nexias, I went for the Intents as I feel these are a better all round HA and seem to deliver a noticeable improvement for general speech recognition and speech in noise. The battery life was another important factor.

I’m still not completely happy with the music program but I will be tweaking this by working on the Genie software at home and with support from my audiologist.

This is all of course completely subjective, I have realised since I have been on this forum how different we all are in our needs and hearing loss. However, I hope this may be helpful for anyone looking to replace their aids.

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Music w/ Oticon Intent: Is some distortion to be expected?
I tried Oticon Intent 1. Expensive. Another option? Resound 1?
#2

Have you thought about the new Widex SmartRIC?

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#3

I did discuss the Widex Smart RICs with my audi and we ruled them out. Despite the positives about music reproduction with Widex, the technology is still an old platform and I have concerns about investing a large amount for new aids on an old platform. I could’ve just stuck with the ReSound 3Ds, which also have excellent music reproduction (in fact I have kept these as my backup). The Intents certainly seemed to be a step up in all round performance compared to the others I trialled.

I will add that although we ruled the Smart RICs out, we did agree that they might be worth trying if we couldn’t get the music program sorted on the Intents, because I was ready to rule the Intents out on that basis. However, we did get the music program on the Intents close to what I need, so that overcame their major negative.

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#4

Thanks for your review.

I wear Lumitys and I am wondering if in your case that they have been fit optimally. I only say that because I was fit last month and it took quite a lot of tuning and DIY. I had to change the fitting formula from APD 2.0 to NAL-NL2 and then make numerous adjustments.

Historically Phonak have had notorious problems with their first fit algorithms. They say their first fit acceptance is much higher now though.

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#5

I’ve realised since being on here that everything can be tuned and improved, especially with DIY (which I will be doing). However, the first fit experience is a kind of level playing field for all the aids and my audi is very good, so the first fitting wasn’t a quick “in and out”. The Lumitys did not impress compared to my current aids, whereas the Intents definitely felt like a step up in some areas. Also, the lack of BT LE and poor battery performance put me off the Lumitys. But of course YMMV.

I will add that none of the aids I tried were “perfect” for my needs. The choice involved some compromises.

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#6

This doesn’t mean you had a good fit. But, yes, can appreciate that one can only evaluate the aids on the basis of the first fit algorithm, the Audi and any follow up tweaks in the time frame you mentioned.

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#7

My exact impression as well.

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#8

I’m sure it could have been improved. However, the other issues (battery life and lack of BT LE) meant I did not want to put the effort into getting the Lumitys into a better fitting state, whereas the Intents had some significant positives that meant I was prepared to put some effort into seeing if we could overcome their major negative (for me).

I think I would have been very happy with ReSound Nexias but the poor battery life was a killer for me. I will be making use of the streaming capability, as the BT LE on the Intents (with my updated music program) sounds really good, so battery life is important.

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#9

Thank you for your review. Very recognizable too. Regarding BT LE, which phone are you using with the Oticon Intent?

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#10

I had to upgrade from a basic Samsung A12 as it didn’t support LE, only BT classic. I went for a Pixel 8, which works fine with LE.

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#11

Very informative post; thank you!
I’m not enjoying the music settings on my Phonak Paradise 90s too much right now, and I’ve been eyeing the Intents for my next pair of aids.

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#12

Thank you. Does hands-free calling work properly? (so it uses the microphone from the HA)

#13

Yes, but I have had some situations on calls where the microphone has stopped transmitting my voice properly part way through the call. People say it sounds like I am underwater.

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#14

Just be aware that I hated the MyMusic settings out of the box on the Intents and we have tweaked them a fair bit. But I am getting there.

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#15

Thanks for sharing this! That is true for my current hearing aids as well. Many visits to the audiologist!

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#16

When you had your DIY project up and running, give the DSL v5 fitting formula a try for music. If I’m not mistaken, MyMusic uses VAC+.

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#17

curiosity - why did you feel the need to replace your resound aids?

i wear quattro’s, and after 5 years I am wondering whether there’s been enough change to warrant my looking at newer models. i hesitate since aids are quite an expense, and after a lifetime in technology i realise that advances are no longer leaps and bounds, but more a matter of refinement - and, as such, how much refinement do i gain for $4k>?

#18

Thank you for your informative review of your selection process. One of the big deal that was made about the Intent is its support of BT LE Audio. Does the Lumity and the Nexia support this?

Also, how does BT LE Audio on the Intent sound with your Pixel phone? I remember some folks who tried out the Intent (along with Dr. Cliff Olsen’s YouTube video) couldn’t rave enough about how its sound quality blows the regular MFI or ASHA or legacy standard BT connection out of the water.

#19

sshh, don’t let the Oticonians know ; )

How about $1600 “refinement” Costco should be on your list to visit (Jabra= ReSound)

#20

ah, temptation, unfortunately the nearest costco is over 300km away, and i’m not a member. that said, i love my audio at specsavers, she’s terrific (emma at charleston, nsw), best i’ve ever encountered, and i’ve been through quite a few - having worked in tv and recording studios my whole life i know what i would like to hear, even if i can’t ;-(

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