Phonak Titanium Slim Tip Fitting issue

Hearing Aids
#1

Hi all,

I have a question and hoping someone can help me understand or provide some additional context. Long story to get there but wanted to provide full context.

I’m a veteran with high frequency, asymmetrical hearing loss, tinnitus, auditory processing disorder and vestibular issues due to jet noise and JP8 exposure during my service. I was recently fitted with Phonak Active Vent receivers (paired to Lumity L90) by my own request so that I could better hear phone calls and streaming as open domes leaked too much sound and make certain calls or streaming activity nearly useless. I’ve been in them a few weeks now and REALLY like them.

I’ve been working with my audiologist (VA which they really have been awesome) to tweak some settings. I started to look into DIY because I wanted to lower the turnaround time in the whole process for some of the programming changes (making an appointment, having a setting changed slightly and then evaluating) and just do some of the very minor stuff myself. In the quest for learing I keep finding mention in Phonak’s literature that the universal slim tips are for temporary use while the titanium slim tips are manufactured for the patient.

In my fitting for the Activevents, earmolds were taken. My audiologist called me about 2 weeks later to explain that “your ear canals are too narrow and curved for the titanium slim tips”. I was provided the AV D-R/L universal slim tips (with an extra supply) which fit my ears (they take a little “going around the bend” to seat them but after that they feel great and seal up nicely).

I am perfectly happy with the fit and comfort but wondering if this is something that phonak intended or not given the notes in their literature. Should I even be concerned about this? Does it sound right that my ear canals cannot accommodate the titanium slim tip but can accommodate the universal slim tip?

Thank you in advance for any guidance.

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#2

I’ve been wearing activevents for nearly a year. I was told going to the titanium tips was purely my choice; the universal tips could work indefinitely. But they wanted to be sure I liked the activevents before they made the titanium tips for me. I don’t think I waited more than a couple weeks before I asked for the tips to be made. I’m sorry you can’t use them, but I think you should be OK with the universal tips if they fit you OK.

WH

2 Likes
#3

That’s helpful thank you for your reply. I was thinking the same about being OK with them if they work but thrown a little bit by Phonak’s mention of the intent of them being temporary.

#4

@WhiteHat : Titanium Slims - sounds like a kind of jerky or hand-rolled cheroot

#5

They sell those along with C-Shells. I’m not sure if they’re like pasta or beach mementos.

WH

1 Like
#6

@WhiteHat: C-Shells I think they’re a local variety of crispy, deep fried pigs’ ears.

#7

WhiteHat, what are these universal tips made of? Some kind of firm silicone? Or are they a hard plastic?

I found the sound quality of the firm silicone custom molds I got made VERY flat and thin in dynamic range. They were quite stubby in length, so I wondered if maybe they didn’t even poke into my ear canal as deep as the double-dome silicone domes I have on my in-ear speakers.

#8

I think it is silicone. They are a bit squishy. I used them with activevents. They sounded great, but the seal on the titanium tips is even better. The titanium tip seems to keep the end away from the side of my ear canal better then the squishy one did. I am not sure the tips of either kind apply to conventional receivers, as the activevents are a bit different. No vent in the mold at all as the receiver is either open or closed.

WH

#9

Hmm… food for thought! I’m sure my audi would agree that I could benefit from a better seal, and while I’m not having trouble discerning speech (except in NOISY places), the sound quality is improved when I push my aids IN the ear canal.
Thanks for your insight!

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#10

I think (I could be wrong) that the universal slim tips only work with the active vent receivers because of the larger speaker hole.