RonnieG - I am getting fitted in a couple of weeks time with the Audeo S Smarts with super xreceiver. My current aids are the Micropowers same as you, so I will be following what you say with interest. It may help me greatly when I get fitted. My Audie is not familar at all with the Aids (I am the first one she has fitted and she has had no other enquiries - in fact I had to show her where there was a super xreceiver for my hearing loss
as she kept telling me they were not suitable for my hearing loss)
Great comments RonnieG!! Keep posting your impressions…
I do agree with this point. The soundflow switching does help to smooth out the transition when the hearing aids switch programs but I do agree that it switches too much. This tends to happen in very noisy/busy environments. I think the best solution here is to switch to one of the manual programs when you get into a busy/noisy situation. Many of the hearing aids that I have owned over the years didn’t have an automatic mode and you were always switching programs. Having an automatic program is a huge bonus but it doesn’t always get it right.
I have no issues with windblock at all. Perhaps this feature was turned off by mistake.
Interested to hear what you ordered. The user guide for the Smart IXs shows both a shell and something called a “Slimtip” Was wondering if someone could tell me what the difference is.
Same thing happens to me but I don’t find it bothersome. I think you get this when you the hearing aid picks a program with heavy noise reduction. The base typically gets cut out and this makes it feel occluded…
Think you can adjust this in the settings. I seem to remember the audiologist saying that you can alter the logic that the hearing aid uses to switch programs. Perhaps its too sensitive. Great comments. I’m hoping that Phonak is lurking on this discussion board and can address these things in an update. These are great hearing aids that will probably continue to improve.
JordanK.
Hi again German,
Siutation 1 looks like it would have benefitted more from StereoZoom than Automatic. You could have also turned up the flexControl whihc is designed to improve speech clarity while keeping noise down.
I am however happy to see you are doing better. Have you been back to the audi for some adjustments since you were fitted?
Seeing that your audi is new to the Spice, just make sure she enters the acoustic parameters of the aids before starting a fitting. She might also receive an earmould code from Phonak which she needs to enter. She HAS to run the feedback manager as it also estimated RECD which seems to improve first fit dramatically. Also make sure you let her know if anything is not as expected as you probably know more about what to expect by reading this forum than she does.
The software is much more simple than iPFG once you know your way around, so I am sure she’ll be ok.
Good luck
Its a pity you weren’t in Melbourne hearnow 
Could really do with someone knowing what they were doing especially with all the $$'s I’m paying.
Hi hearnow
The Phonaks came just aut of the box and we fitted it together with the new software. I think,this program is totally new to the audio woman.
Feedback manager is off. The main thing is Phonak programming.
In Agil she changed the Otocon proposal and she is very flexible.
First she had programmed only 1 automatic program for Phonak. I wanted manual and she did, added 2 manual programs ( Speech in calm and speech in noise)
Next fitting is in 8 days.
The speech in noise today gives some hope, because I feared, the Phonak would not handle that right.
We are on the way to become freinds: Phonak and me.
I test the YES ,but would prefere the smart. So the original spice-smart comes to test in the next weeks,
I changed the position of the dome and tested minor loudness
Maybe my brain gets mor used to the HA or the HA learn, what to do in some situations.
Basically they scan the impression that is made by your Fitter, digitize the impression, file it under your info then manufacture the hollow soft shells to the digital information of your impression.
Web search:
SlimTip Soft - Better sealing, retention and wearing comfort
With SlimTip Soft, Phonak introduces the first custom earpieces that are produced with digital UV soft shell material. Compared to standard hard acrylic shells, the flexible material helps minimize the pressure for sensitive ear canals and provides maximum wearing comfort, especially for long wearing periods. The innovative digital UV technology used in the manufacturing process, developed by Phonak, delivers high precision and offers easy replication of identical parts in case of remake, damage or loss. Digital 3D modelling of the earpieces allows Phonak to offer the highly acclaimed AOV (Acoustically Optimized Venting) technology for the first time to be used with micro BTE and CRT instruments. AOV technology designs the right-sized vent into each earpiece, customized to the patient’s hearing profile, minimizing occlusion while providing the necessary benefit.
The innovative SlimTip Soft earpieces are available as hollow SlimTips
and…
The C-Shell is a hard or soft material like a custom in- the -ear mold… hollow for placement of receiver and venting.
Hope this helps
I share your frustration (albeit from the other side of the world!)
I’m still waiting for a pair of Ambra in-the-ear aids.
Today was supposed to be the day when I was fitted, but my audi had ordered the wrong model…
How much are you paying if I may ask?
Happy Thanksgiving!
For those of you with questions about the different tip options (slim tip vs. shell, etc.)…Please see the following link…
http://www.phonak.com/content/dam/phonak/gc_us/Documents/Product/Audeo_SMART_PI_Sheet.pdf
Day 2…
First let me say that I opted to try these HA’s with Phonak’s recommended settings on auto mode. I had the audiologist program the buttons on the HA’s to control volume instead of programs. I did not choose to use any remote control or bluetooth (icom) accessories. The reason for this has to do with my prior experience with the original Audeo smart IX’s. With those HA’s I ordered everything all at once…Icom, Ipilot and Hearing aids. I found that I was trying to adjust settings way too frequently to try and get the HA’s to work for me in all of life’s different scenarios. This was a tedious process that did not work very well for me —I returned the HA’s after a 6 week trial as noted in my previous post. I strongly believe that a top of the line HA should work in most situations a majority of the time without the need for manual controls. I decided to try and give the new spice chip a chance and deliberately bypassed the ability to change settings via hearing aid or remote.
There are pros and cons to this approach. My experience today confirms that these HA’s change programs too frequently. I wish I had an Icom so that I could try to follow which programs are being utilized at any given time. A majority of everyday listening situations do not fall into one of Phonak’s pre-defined sound processing environments. I find it amazing that these hearing aids continuously analyze sounds and try to adjust amplification and suppression based on internal algorithms, but I feel that this is still an imperfect science. My brain is still reeling from a day spent feeling like I’m stepping on and off an airplane at 30,000 ft altitude. Not only is there intermittent feelings of ear plugging, but there is also intermittent humming and occasional roaring - varying from a sensation similar to listening to a sea shell oceanside to the hum of an airplane jet engine at 30K feet. There are many times throughout the day were I can’t judge my own voice due to the sensation of ear plugging. Everyone tells me to stop speaking so loud at times.
On the positive side…I know that these hearing aids will work well if I can only find the correct sound processing mode for my hearing loss. There are occasional times throughout the day when they actually sound wonderful. I wish that I could just freeze the sound processing in whatever mode they are in but unfortunately that’s not an option without the manual remote controls. When working correctly, sound is crisp and clear…voices sound great…my own voice sounds natural…and my surroundings sound rich and natural. My Micropowers are great hearing aids but I have to say that while everything is clear and crisp, sounds are more linear in nature. Kind of like mono vs. stereo sound. The Spice Smarts are more like stereo sound. Have you ever been in a new theater with a high end sound system? Rich and natural sound from all directions…that’s what the audeo s smart IX’s sound like when they are not applying a myriad of sound processing protocols.
I will call my audiologist tomorrow and order a remote or an Ipilot. Once I get my hands on this, I’m sure I will be able to figure out what modes I like and dislike. Then I will go in for tweaking.
By the way…wind block feature seemed to work better today. Another interesting issue that I’m having is that my L hearing aid seems more obstructed (fullness sensation) today than the R. Yesterday it was the opposite. I’m not sure why this is.
One last thing…
I thought that maybe everything was just in my head and I just needed to get used to my new hearing aids. I don’t think this is the case. First, I had my wife and my 13 year old son wear the Audeo smart S IX’s (after turning the volume down as much as possible of course) for about 10 minutes or so and they agree with my findings as stated above. Also, when I take my smarts out and use the micropowers, I do not have these issues.
Anyway, sorry about the long post.
I’m excited to share my experiences and get feedback from individuals in similar situations.
Hearnow - I am paying $9,000.00 which includes the remote and the icom. These are for the top of the range Audeo S Smarts with the superpower x receiver. What’s your thoughts? Would love to hear them.
Ronnie G
You describe exactly my feeling after 4 weeks
Yesterday was a good day. I had also days like you describe:
The stereo feeling, the own voice difficult, the left aid with more occlusion
and the changing.
One point in Target was the reaction time. Audio got it to slow. She wanted to stop the changing. But: the changing got worse. So we went back to a faster reaction time.
The good feeling I had yesterday was only in the “speech in noise” program and in one fixed situation. That was good, but the first day in 4 weeks.
I can share your experience.
Hearnow - I am paying $9,000.00 which includes the remote and the icom.
Wow … I am clearly undercharging over here in the UK … my current price is nearer $4500 for 2 x top-end SMART S IX plus icom & mypilot.
that is pricey…
Reading your posts about “I wish that I could just freeze the sound processing in whatever mode they are in but unfortunately that’s not an option”. Perhaps the solution
is the Unitron passport- they have a remote control with the option of “learn now”
and also a confort - clarity control. I would give them a try.
They are not as good as the phonaks but the self learning is great i think…
Hi RonnieG,
Thanks for adding your very detailed review for those of us considering the Phonaks with the new Spice chip. They’ve really made progress with this latest generation. It’s great to have your comparisons of old and new.
Here’s an updated link with the tip options for the Spice series. Your link showed an older set of options, I think.
Thanks again. I can’t wait to start my trial less than two weeks from now.
Chris
Glad to hear what your prices are. I also have unlimited visits for tweaks for the life of the hearing aids.
so what is the current charging price in the US ?
I also have unlimited visits for tweaks for the life of the hearing aids.
Let’s say 10 visits of 1-hour.
At the US price mentioned that works out at $450 per hour. Not bad!
I think my audiologist is charging approximately $6K for the new Smart IXs with iCom, myPilot and unlimited visits. The provincial government here in Ontario, Canada kicks in $1,000 grant (every 3 years) and my company medical insurance pays another $500. The Canadian tax department then lets you write off the rest as a medical expense deduction on your income tax return so you get the tax you paid on this amount back as a refund.
So…
Smart IXs: $6,000
Prov Grant: -$1,000
Med Ins: -$500
Tax Refund: -$1,000
So…the net cost to me is about $3,500. If I keep them 3 years then its about $100 per month to hear properly. Not a bad deal all things considered.
JordanK.