Phonak Slim RIC - DOA?

Hearing Aids
#1

I ‘ve used Audeo Paradise aids (my first pair) for the past few years. They are getting worn from various accidents and use, and after a bunch a research I decided to pick up a set of Slims. This was back in the Spring, release date - end of summer. I actually put a demo pair in my ears and couldn’t believe how comfortable they were. Two sources told me the project was dead. At my audiologist’s office, we called the company and were told the delay was due to quality assurance test problems. However, it seems Phonak has purged the articles on Slim from its entire website.

Does anyone have any thoughts on whether or not this hearing aid will ever be released - or is it truly a defunct product line?

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#2

image

This is what Aid the OP is talking about.

I hadn’t realised they hadn’t come out. I saw the information on the website on them.

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#3

Yeah there was some talk about them here on the forum a while back, a copy of the Signia Styletto style, hard to say where the project has gone for now, nothing much online about them.

Also Unitron Moxi B-RS is the same, but I don’t see that on their website ether.

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#4

Project slim was discontinued by Phonak

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#5

Do you know why?

@Espresso

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#6

I’ve heard speculation that they are going to release slim as phonak’s OTC. Purely speculation

#7

I was wondering what happened there too. Sonova recently purchased Senheiser so there must be a lot of stuff happening. And for sure it is OTC related.
Also, they have Slim-like OTC HAs already, at least in Australia.

#8

@Zebras This is what my hearing care professional with good connections to Phonak Germany told me

#9

@Espresso

Thanks. Do you know why they have been discontinued?

#10

@Zebras
Not specifically. He spoke of technical problems. Phonak has also demanded the return of all hearing aids already delivered from dealers in Germany

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#11

Time to open this one up again…real brief though! As those who are into this concept may already know, Phonak has now released their slim line as Lumity Slim. The earlier concept was based on the Paradise OS but this brings the new offering up to Phonak’s current highline model.

As always, the insurance companies take a long time to add new offerings to their line-ups. So I have proposed that I pay my audi what my insurance co-pay would cost, giving him far more than he would get from the insurance company, and maybe reducing some of the variable costs he incurs to bridge the gap. We’ll see how that plays out!

Phonak Infinio Sphere 90- Amplifon/Insurance coverage?
#12

Got a call from my audi just now. The deal is on. I’ll be buying these Lumity Slims for just the cost I’d pay anyway to insurance. The difference on his book is not having to cover free office visits (something that is key to many patients, but which I won’t need for many reasons). I’m going to negotiate that the deal includes one followup visit, in case the programming is just plain inaccurate, but I also don’t anticipate that to be a problem since he programmed my current Marvels to my satisfaction.

My hearing profile is not like some folks who have more severe loss and require the extra support. I’ve been able to tweek my HAs pretty well using the Phonak app, and have the DIY route to fall back on if all else fails. So I am psyched to be able to get these HAs at what I’d be paying, regardless of their source. My audi is smart enough to know that this is a better deal for him than the insurance stipend he would get if I waited for the insurance company to finally even offer the new HAs (no timeframe, at present) and paid them the same I will pay him anyway. Win-win.

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