Phonak Naida Review/Rant/Fustrations LoL

Hearing Aids
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#15

I seem to have solved most of the issues to my satisfaction…by having the audio set the compression to “linear” and getting rid of the “speech in noise” program. So it’s as manual as it can be. I also had him turn the low and high frequencies way down. Still not too happy with the telecoil, but I think if we get the low end down a little more, high end up a little more, increase volume, I can live with that program. The main issue with the telecoils on these is that they are way more sensitive than the Superos (or any other ha’s I’ve had in the past) - despite the audio/Phonak’s assertion.

I can hear a little better in the car with having turned the high freq way down…(not as great as the Superos but liveable).

Hope this helps. The biggest key was turning the compression off (“linear” mode). This makes it more like we’re used to.

#16

So how do your aids work in noise then if they’ve turned that off completely?

What does setting the compression to linear do (I don’t remember that setting during the fitting; if it’s not linear what is it?)?

When you say they turned the low and high frequencies “way down” does that mean volume or what? Are you still able to hear things–volume and clarity?

The Naida V’s have can “push” high frequencies down so that though I cannot hear them anymore, by pushing them down to a lower frequency, I can hear them again. I am afraid that we’ll lose that feature if I have them “turn things down.” Any thoughts on this?

I had them turn the phone setting right off because I had so many problems with it (awful feedback every time I picked up the phone). I don’t use the phone much anymore, or use the icom/bluetooth with my cell phone.

#17

Without the speech-in-noise, the aids work similar to the Supero’s. I didn’t like the feeling of “muddiness” I got each time the program kicked in.

I’m not exactly sure where it’s at in the programming, but you can choose a “compression” algorithm or a “linear” algorithm. It tells the ha how to process the inputs. Linear is what you’re used to with previous ha’s.

By turning down the gain on the high/low frequencies, I still have the feeling of volume, but what I hear is similar to what I’m used to…True, I don’t get to enjoy the “advances” in technology that the Naida can do, such as hearing someone breathe across the room, or my dog licking water from her bowl 30 feet away…but turning them down makes it so the high-end doesn’t overwhelm me - just taking dishes out of the dishwasher made me cringe. I admit it was fun to hear the things I never could before (hi freq), but it got to be too much.

The frequency shift is related to the input algorithm. You do lose that by shifting to linear, but the problem I had with the shifts, is that it sometimes made normal noises sound strange - some speech or music, for example.

I do use the telecoil a bit because I have the phones around the house and at work…but am finding that I tend to use the Icom more and more with my cell phone, since I get the “stereo” sound with the Icom. I can use my ha with the telecoil/cell phone pretty decently though. (if the background electrical interference is minimal)

The telecoil and FM modes do come with the microphone input (so you hear normal sounds in addition to the telecoil/FM) - I don’t like this since I’m used to shutting out all other noises when on the phone. (like the Supero). You can’t turn it off BUT you can get around this by having the microphone attenuation turned WAY down so it’s almost as good as having no mic volume (I think its something like -60 in the settings)

#18

Thanks a lot for your experiences! I’ve printed off your response & will take it with me next adjustment I get. I am cautiously optimistic!:rolleyes:

#19

Good luck!! If the audiologist is not familiar with the iPFG controls, there is user friendly stuff that asks for user input in auto and manual programs such as:

"Too loud, too bright, dull/muffled, hollow/tinny, hollow/boomy, echoing/reverberating, Not sufficiently Intelligible, /s/ inaudible, too much lisping…and more…

The program will take whatever response and “fix it” the response.

You can also download the iPFG program to look at it and run a simulation without the actual hearing aid hookup, so you can see what it looks like. I was able to help assist my audiologist with the adjustments, as she really was not fluent in the software. Once the audiologist gets ready to make the adjustment, he/she can actually she what it will be adjusting and make an educated guess on the ramfications of the decision. Here’s the link to the iPFG for the Phonak instruments:

http://www.phonak.com/professional/productsp/fitting/fittingsoftware_download.htm?Product=iPFG&ProductVersion=iPFG+2.1a&Language=English&Country=USA&PrivateLabel=

#20

The telecoil and FM modes do come with the microphone input (so you hear normal sounds in addition to the telecoil/FM) - I don’t like this since I’m used to shutting out all other noises when on the phone. (like the Supero). You can’t turn it off BUT you can get around this by having the microphone attenuation turned WAY down so it’s almost as good as having no mic volume (I think its something like -60 in the settings)

There is both FM/Tcoil with and without the aid microphones. You can only insert 4 manual programs in the Naida V aids though…

The manual options for the Naidas are:

Calm situations, speech in noise, comfort in noise, music, acoustic telephone, tcoil, tcoil + mic, FM, FM + mic, and mute…

Only four can be used in addition to the auto mode. You also have the option to have EasyPhone and EasyFM enabled.

So…the Tcoil mode can run without the microphones on the aids.

#21

ljjehl Hi, I noticed on another forum that you were interested in the icube, did you have any luck with getting info on it?

Sue

#22

There’s not much to know on it other than it’s a bluetooth transmission medium to connect from Phonak iPFG fitting software to Naida/exelia digital aids. I thought I heard that the iCom/MyPilot combo would do the same, but I think I was mistaken…

#23

My 5-year-old daughter has been just fitted with this new aid, I listended to it one night, I was so suprised that it has a constant loud white noise when the house was very quiet. It’s like the noise of a water fall when you stand right beside it. I then listened to her old Siemens, it doesn’t have any noise. Our audi listened this model in the consignment with her settings(he didn’t listen to the aid) and he said it’s not noisy. Is this normal? At the moment a hearing aid is programmed, does it matter the environment is quiet or not?

Thanks.

#24

Barring background noise, and assuming the aids were not switched to telecoil, which can pick up interference although the interference will get less when you move away from the source, if all is quiet then those aids should be quiet. No white noise. Take them back and have the audiologist listen to the aids using a stethescope. Tell him you would like to listen to them to. If you are not satisfied let him know.

#25

Well, my audio listened to the aid and said the noise is normal because of the high gain. Even when we feel the house is quiet there is soft sounds which are amplified by the aid.

#26

Tell them to adjust the threshold Kneepoint. What is most likely happening is since there is such high gain the aid is probably over amplifying the very soft sounds. She is probably gettign too much ambiant room noise–I find this to ba a “problem” (although very easily solved)pretty often with the Naida in the software there is a place where your audiologist can “increase the TK” if she does this a few times you should notice that white noise decreases. If it does not change then this is not the problem–However you should NOT be able to hear white noise of static coming from the hearign aid–this is NOT normal

#27

By the way does the “White noise” sound a little like running water? If it does this is exactly what the problem is!

#28

audiosmalls, thanks. The white noise is just like water running noise. The audiologist thinks my daughter probably won’t hear the white noise because she is very deaf(her audiogram follows), but the noise is unbearable to me because I am a normal hearing person. Do you mean I should not hear the loud white noise while listening to the aid through a stethescope? I’ll have him adjust the TK asap because I am thinking now that if the soft noise is amplified so much then they are competing with the speech sounds, yes?

Also do you have experience with the frequency transpose? Do you know how long does it take a child to grasp? When I do Ling test with her, she consistently says ‘h’ to ‘s’, it’s been more then a week now. My understanding is the ‘s’ is transposed to a lower pitch, will she eventually get it right or the program needs to be tuned right a way? My audio is more specialized on CI, he doesn’t program HA a lot, my daughter is his patient becuase she also has a CI.

500 - 85
1000 - 90
2000 - 100
4000 - 105

#29

ok im in the trial period with naida vsp my audioligest picked them for me.in the car they are hard to hear with they seem to change quality sound on their own .The other day I was in Canadian Tire talking to the paint man or trying to, I just couldn’t get what they were saying. Sometimes they are good and other times very bad. Should Naida vsp be like this or is it my profound hearing loss? I asked to try phonac cause I read they were the best or up there ,anyway what are your thoughts on my frustrations I used to have beltone aids.
One more question is it possible to understand all tv speach with hearing aids or not I sit and watch pictures a good deal of the time not understanding what they are saying thank you Richard

#30

hi i think your in the same boat as me .Same frustrations with naida as I have, my own voice is gruff and the echoing. I do think they are good aids but we need to find a very talanted audi.
If you read what the audiolagest said from Calgary she’s had great success with her patients . I have a question, are you able to understand much on the tv? I miss lots watching tv Im trying phonak naida vsp they were ordered by my audi .I think hearing aid success depends souly on how good the audiologist is.I understand phonak has a lot of adjustments .take care

#31

Hi Everyone. I have 2 Naida 9’s and 1 Naida 3 as a backup. I have moderate to severe hearing loss with most all my highs gone.

Recently this week I asked my dispenser to turn off data logging on the hearing aids. I would like to say there has been a massive improvement in speech intelligibility as well as overall comfort all day by just using the basic overall melody channel. I really recommend everyone to try this programming once and see if you feel better, that is if you are having lengthy fitting problems like I did. I suspect that data logging is attemting to dampen (too much) the overall performance of all the other features.

Since i have owned these aids for a bit over a year, they have been totally replaced once (first batch were lemons) and repaired twice (factory replaced electronics). I question its overall durability and do not recommend anyone purchasing them without a coverage plan and additional insurance beyond coverage limit. When they work they are fantastic and I love them…when they work. I have to say, nothing in the market beats the reliability and durability of SIEMENS.

My next pair will be from them definitely, that is if they meet the same sound quality that I am getting from the Naidas. I am confident they have one now.

#33

Interesting… Have NOT tried that… I just may try that right now!!
Anything to increase intelligibility…

Do you self tune??

#34

Hi Matthew. No I do not self tune yet (dispenser in training), but I do spend a lot of time bothering my dispenser and she likes a challenge so its all good. I just simply pay attention to her software behavior and read the options in there and then ask questions about the features.

Did you know there’s a lot of subcategories in basic settings? For example say you select speech and noise or maybe say music-you will find more selections in a drop down menu applied to that speech and noise or music to specific enviroments that might meet your needs. There’s so many there it’s too much to list here. Ask your dispenser to show you this.

I spend a good deal of time explanation specific details I notice in my daily life in visual detail that would be easy for a hearing person to sort of experience from my end I suppose. . You have to be really aware of your hearing and pay attention. It’s tiresome at times I know :slight_smile:

As of late, I have noticed automatic gains and suppressions like in a form of a wave. It is really annoying and I also notice that this event occurs in several days or hours after the new fitting. That is why I sent this repair out. Problem is gone for now. Phonak states replacement of internal electronics. As I said, it’s a durability issue.

This has happened in 3 results from fittings so far (that wave i mentioned of gains and fades…aid will also whistle no matter how you program it). Now that I have my second aid out for repairs, I am wearing the Naida 3 as backup, I am finding the 3 outperforming the 9 (in terms of overall volume gains and clarity).

For last week’s repaired hearing aid experience in a nutshell is that people have said this week that I am not yelling anymore. I myself can easily understand personal conversations, radio and television a lot more (with less actual speaker volume too).

In the course of about 1 1/2 years, I have had approx 20 programming fittings done for all models I own. Take time finding that golden spot. Sometimes that golden spot could trick you and it could mean it is that data logging confusing you, so try turning it off and see what happens. It isn’t easy I know, but it is sure worth it.

I will follow up when I am wearing all repaired Naida 9’s only with no data logging and no Naida 3 in either ear to make a final conclusion. There is something definitely interesting going on here.

#35

Hey,

I have a severe hearing loss in my right ear and a profound loss in my left ear. I currently use the Widex P38 in both ears-my first pair of digital aids after using analogs.

I took the Naida V on trial today. Is there any feedback from you guys on which model within the Naida series works better for you? Are more channels better or less in terms of finding that “golden spot” when programming the aids? (Especially those who grew up using analog aids, as I did).

Thanks!