Phonak Spice

Hearing Aids
,
#585

Thought you all might be interested but this is what was located in the new update’s “news” section regarding what Target 2.0 offers: (and can also be found on their website)

Spice+
10/11/2011 - The sound of quality

Increased spontaneous user acceptance especially for mild to moderate hearing losses
The Phonak fitting formula has been enhanced to better address the challenges posed by the individual properties of the ear, the chosen acoustic coupling, the direct sound reaching the ear and amplified sound.
More natural hearing experience in quiet
We have refined expansion (soft-squelch) to effectively manage subtle signal amplitude fluctuations in real time for quiet situations.
Furthermore, smooth adaptation of the time constants addresses temporal fluctuations in input signals when in quiet, for example during very short speech pauses and longer periods of silence.
Phonak Target™ 2.0 - Streamlined for fitting success

Refined fitting workflow for faster fitting success
Simplified program manager for intuitive manual program management
Convenient practical commands and actions that you will appreciate
Breakthrough Designs - Innovative styles that impress

With the Phonak Spice Generation we introduced an impressive variety of styles in many sizes and power classes. In addition to enriching all of the existing Spice instruments with Spice+ advantages, we are now proud to present new design innovations in three key areas: water resistance, miniaturization and connectivity.

#586

Are the Spice+ models the same, or are there new names & numbers? Is Spice+ new hardware or just upgraded firmware for the aids?

Just curious, especially for helping others here.

#587

It’s the same. I believe the + stands for the addition of the newer models to compliment their existing lines.

#588

Sounds like someone at Phonak was finally listening!!

#589

It wasn’t that they were listening but rather got tired of all the complaints and returned HA!

#590

It will be interesting to follow this subject and see if the complaints fade away as the new software takes hold. Personally, I liked the S Smart IX, apart from the out of phase feeling that certain sounds caused and the fact that because every time the audis fiddled with them they got worse. I just lost confidence.
I had a totally different experience with the Widex - the same audi seemed to know what he was doing and it showed in the results. I think that it could only have been down to the difference in the set-up software.

#591

I’ve read the announcements on the Phonak web site and it is not clear to me whether the Spice+ advantages are available in older Spice models. Does anyone know for sure?

I only got my Spice 9’s in September, and some of the Spice+ features definitely sound very interesting, e.g., more natural hearing experience in quiet situations, improved sound quality. At the moment I get a lot of low level “rustling” and “shushing” noises which means I am coming close to rejecting the aid. I am not even at the nomimal 100% prescription yet.

#592

The new software will be used with all spice products…so I imagine that the new features will transfer over. I hooked up a demo HA I had and it asked me if I wanted to upgrade the firmware (I ignored it because I was just trying something out with audiogram direct) so yes, if you have the Spice chip when it gets hooked up your professional should be upgrading your hearing aid to reflect the changes.

#593

Damn!! I have just bought and paid for the Widex!!!

#594

You mean Starkey has not cornered the market on adding new features to older aids?

Don’t let ZCT know that.

:rolleyes:

#595

Lol…I think you’re fine. I don’t think that this update would have made a big difference in the phonak’s you tried…

I’ve heard some great things about the Clear HA’s by widex…I think you made a good and appropriate choice for you given your difficulties with Phonak.

#596

Thanks. I need to make a tactful suggestion to my audi to upgrade their Target software!

#597

Hi Doc,
Yes, I was only kidding. I am very pleased with the Widex. Superb sound quality and the T Coil works!!
It was quite surprising just how little the audi had to do to the Widex to get them just right.

#598

This is the fact that, I think, Phonak missed. Perhaps they have learned with the Spice+ chips. Time will tell.

With other brands, there is very little the audi needs to do to get a reasonable sound result. That happened to pbs & Widex and to me with a Starkey brand. Other than the standard feedback adjustment, my fitter just raised the overall volume level on my programs. I will likely go back for further minor adjustment, but the sound has been much better than my AuD audi was able to get from Phonak aids.

This placed a much larger burden on the audi than needed ny other vendors to program the aids correctly.

#599

Very true Prodigy. The manufacturers must realise that the audi is as much a part of the chain as say, the guy who designs it.
You have two choices - make it very easy to adjust and sell it via audis who are not necessarily up to speed, or make it complicated and sell ONLY via audis who are FULLY trained in the Phonak set-up procedure. So far, Phonak have, in many cases, have got it totally wrong and their reputation has suffered as a result!!

#600

I am sure Phonak’s aids are very capable and people like DocAudio have had a lot of success with them. Unfortunately, several of us have had experiences with less skilled Phonak professionals.

#601

Yes, and it is up to Phonak to sell ONLY through people as skilled in their software as DocAudio OR, make their set-up procedure less complicated as say, Widex has done. They had the choice on the route to market but it would seem, from this forum, that they failed in many instances.

#602

Is there an aid that is hands down the best to have? People seem fussy about the Phonak Smart 9’s. Is there an aid that comes close to matching natural ear performance? I am still in the grace period on my new 9’s and I don’t want to make a $4200 mistake. However, I must say, though I may have forgotten what natural sound is, the 9’s in an uncrowded setting are “natural”. I have had them for a week and a half. Do I have the Target 2.0 software?

#603

You need to ask your Audi if he downloaded and programed your aid with the 2.0 TARGET version. It is just recently out, and many Audi’s may have not downloaded it. Also, try your aid in a noisy environment as well, to see if they still work for you.

#604

Thanks to this thread, I have downloaded and installed the updated Phonak Target software and have updated the hearing aids as well. Boy, what a difference so far! I have kept my Ambras in the drawer since this summer because of the poor sound quality. My audi convinced me it was just a deterioration of my hearing. I was feeling lost with no where to go. What I want to know is why didn’t my audi contact me regarding this? She knew how much I was struggling. Thank God there is a way to program your own aids if you look deep enough. I love having this control even if the professionals think it’s unethical. It’s my life! I doubt my audi would have ever let me know about this important upgrade.