I currently have Phonak Audeo B90s. I would like to upgrade and I love what I am reading about the Paradise aids. However, the Marvels came out just a couple of months after I purchased the B90s and I don’t want to make that mistake again. I would rather wait a few months if a newer model is coming out rather than at the end of the current model’s life. Does anyone know when I can expect Phonak to update the Paradise aids? Do they have a regular release cycle?
The Marvel was introduced in October 2018, the Paradise August 2020.
The pattern for most manufacturers seems to be about every two years.
The Costco KS10 is a cheaper Phonak option that’s similar to the Paradise.
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Also, “any day now” Bluetooth Low-Energy Audio is about to come out (since about when it was announced in something like January 2020). It’s supposed to be “the Bluetooth of the Future.” Other HA OEMs might start offering HA’s that operate on its protocol any time between the end of this year and on into the spring or so of 2022 (Starkey has declared that it has a big announcement coming in the spring of 2022). So the $64,000 question is what is Phonak going to do relative to BT LE Audio, which Starkey, ReSound, Oticon, etc., are likely to adopt. But as jay_man2 points out, Phonak is perhaps not due for another major upgrade until about a year from now, when if it decides to take the plunge, could come from behind and scoop what everyone else has already committed to with BT LE Audio, if the HA world is really moving in that direction. Since it will take years for BT LE Audio to really catch on, though, it’s more of a thing of getting the latest and the greatest rather than missing out on a whole bunch of stuff that’s not there yet. Since you characterized not getting the latest and the greatest relative to the Marvels as a “mistake”, there is the potential for the same thing to happen again if Phonak is planning on going with BT LE Audio - but who knows at this point! But if you’re determined not to miss out, it would seem your best option is just to wait until whenever Phonak’s next model is available, very likely within a year from now.
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With Costco KS-10 which I like very much as a six month return for full refund and 3 year warranty fro $1,399.
I had Phonal Audeo V-90 prior and got tired of paying $7,000 so went to Costco and I like it …
Two Cents –
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Thanks for the info! I especially appreciate the KS10 recommendations. A little research shows that they are made by the same company that make Phonak aids. I don’t have a Costco very close (nearest is about 80 miles away) but I am sometimes in that area. That location has an audiologist as well as hearing aid specialists. With the difference in price between the Kirklands and the Phonaks, they are worth trying. Thanks again!
@johnlill2 Like you, I don’t have a Costco nearby but figured the cost savings and quality outweighed a day’s trip out every so often. There’s always an option, I believe, for remote programming adjustments so it removes that as a need to go back for everything.
I’m happy with mine, but I’m a long term Phonak user so I’m used to that sound. Might be different if I tried different options.
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Dr. Cliff reviews the KS10 here - amazing the similarity to the Phonak Audeo Paradise R90 - virtually identical, in fact! - LongJnSilver - https://youtu.be/j1M5aj7pofk
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