I agree and also I found, I didn’t even need the car program as speech in noise did just as good a job.
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How does the “in car” program work? Does it steer the focus toward the passenger side – and possibly in addition to the regular speech-in-noise features?
I found a text about it Phonak AutoSense OS: The Evolution of Automation Technology Stephanie Watson Hearing Aids - Adults Hearing Aids - Children 13646
Speech in Car
Speech in Car is an exclusive program that the hearing aid will access automatically when it detects a car situation. It utilizes binaural synchronization in the Audéo V90. Just one of the hearing aids has to detect the signals of a small environment, such as a car. When one hearing aid changes to the Speech in Car program, it will talk to the other hearing aid and direct it to change programs after a 20-second timer within that specific environment has elapsed.Speech in Car reduces the low-frequency engine and road noise. The Venture chip has the ability to enable lower noise floors. When the car stops and the hearing aid no longer detects that environment for a sustained period of time, the hearing aid will go back into whatever program is appropriate for the next situation. A validation study comparing the Audéo Q90 to the Audéo V90 showed that 60% of patients reported less effort with Venture, including when listening in a car.
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The Paradise is much more complex- at least for the user. I was initially put off by that. The Signia AX is very similar for me, and easier to tailor programming using the assistant feature. But I feel I can hear a bit better with Phonak, and I like Classic BT, hands free phone, live BT connections to 2 devices at a time, and availability of Roger devices. I think with improved programming, the Oticon More would work for me too. I really loved my On1.
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The Oticon tv adapter?
Thanks. I did not know about this feature, as I have not had a passenger yet since I bought the Phonak. That said I’m not sure it is working with music in the car.
If it works, it is another reason to like my P90s.
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I have not noticed my Phonak N Paradise P90s switching in the car but that did happen today. I was at the fly casting ponds in SF’s Golden Gate Park at a casting seminar. The instructor was speaking from 15 meters away in the water but I seemed to have heard almost as well as many of the others in the class. So far so good.
But uh oh, the clowns in the Dodge Chargers roared by (about 4 blocks away) and the auto sense adjusted way down. Same thing happened when an airplane flew over.
Rant warning: I really resent Van Diesel and Jeremy Clarkson for glorifying modified exhausts. They are even worse than Harleys.
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What’s worse than Harley’s is the Dodge Ram bunch with open exhaust on their Cummins diesels.
And they intentionally release exhaust smoke at any hybrid car they see. Nice folks…
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It’s been an interesting journey for me, and engendered very interesting related and unrelated discussions! I’ve decided to buy the Phonak Paradise. Thank you everyone who answered my questions or shared your experiences. I had 12 good years with Oticon, and the More is another excellent hearing aid. But my needs are different now, and I’ve chosen the Paradise for reasons previously discussed. This is a great resource. I really appreciate everyone’s support.
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Which do you think is clearer in the multi person environment, Phonak P90 or Signia ax？
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Due to Covid restrictions, I wasn’t able to give either pair a test in a loud indoor environment with several people at my table. I did have small indoor and outdoor dinners, and both did well. Both have the ability to be programmed by the user on location. The Signia uses a hearing assistant approach which uses an A B comparison. Paradise has several modifications the user tries out directly. For Paradise, I found I had to do a lot of research to learn how to use the app to make modifications. I found some helpful YouTube videos. Signia AX approach is much easier to use. Both were better for me than Oticon More, which surprised me since I’m used to the Opn1. It could be programming for the More was a limiting factor, as a new Audi set up the demos for me, not my regular Audi. Oticon provides no option for the user to modify programs.
So in my limited testing, I thought AX and Paradise were very similar in noise. I’m very disappointed that I was not able to test them in the most difficult noise environments.
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I understand…
Here’s what I’ve learned since I last posted.
–Workman’s Comp has approved hearing aids from 3 manufacturers for audiologists to supply to people that qualify. . Phonak is one; Oticon is not. Siemens too; don’t know the third.
–I qualified about 8 years ago; I’ve had two sets of Phonaks. I tried Oticons at the beginning. Due to nerve damage I couldn’t feel the switch on the Oticons. I could on the Phonaks
– my last audiologist grabbed the sale when I asked for it. New hearing aids were improved a few months later. I got what they recommended. No trials. No choices. I trusted them.
–I figure the new audiologist grabbed for the ring at the carousel ride…after all, he wouldn’t make much money adjusting the hearing aids I already had.
–Well he made it. New Hearing Aids approved. He did a good job. Paradise bluetooth, rechargeable.
So, summary. I can’t get Oticon. They’re not approved. I’m getting new Phonak Paradise rechargeable haring aids.
I appreciate everyone’s help here.
I’ve worn my new Phonaks for a week and a half now.
I want to thank you, LawyerFL for this thread. I went from knowing-nothing to knowing-enough to start asking the right questions, and being a more effective advocate for my health and care. That’s a big step.
A comment–when I went to the audiologist I weighed what he said carefully. He wanted to get new hearing aids for me. He postponed/didn’t set up my existing hearing aids. His point was that doing so would squash any attempts to get new high-tech hearing aids for me. Like others here I wondered, “what the heck?” and “he’s trying for the big sale! He’s not doing what I need to hear right now.”
He worked miracles for me.
- He got my hearing aids replaced about 2-1/2 years earlier than the process with workman’s comp allows.
- He got me new High Tech hearing aids.
- He supplied them to me so quickly! He motivated someone at workman’s comp to move quickly. That in itself is HUGE!
Thanks everyone. Thanks LawyerFL for your post, and tolerating my posts here
Dave
Toronto
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You are welcome - glad if I was any help.
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LawyerFL You and other members helped a lot.
Although I found this forum some time ago, I had to return recently to find out how valuable it is.
(I also have sleep apnea; I participate on the apnea board forum. I had some help there too. Most helpful was a link to this forum)
I’m looking forward to my next appointment with the audiologist I’ve started seeing. I’m sure every visit will bring improvements in my setup.
He has offered to set up my last Phonaks when he has determined what my final setup should be.
I tried to convey that I trust him when I started posting. I didn’t want to jinx my pursuit of new hearing aids. Law of Attraction.
Dave
Toronto
This was a great thread for me to go through, thank you! I had just posed this very question as a new topic yesterday, as I hadn’t scrolled back far enough to see this post. The main difference is that I am a first time hearing aid user, so I don’t have prior comparisons of what I’m used to, nor do I fully understand exactly what I’m looking for, to be frank. But enjoyed reading through the initial impressions as well as user experience with the apps!
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I’ve had the new Phonak Paradise Hearing Aids for a little over a month. I’ve had a follow up appointment and Mike the audiologist turned up the gain and taught me a little bit about hearing aid maintenance. I had botched changing the wax guards.
He explained things.
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He made a case for replacement. H didn’t want to kill that request. His letter to workman’s comp was exteemely polite and made a strong case for new hearing aids. He followed up and got approval in about a month. That’s a miracle.
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He will set up the better of my two sets of old hearing aids so I have a spare set–no charge. If he had done so and submitted a bill he would have killed the request for the new hearing aids.
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Since their covered all repairs are paid for . He told me if I had to pay for new batteries say 3 years out the bill would have been high. I’m adapting to rechargeable batteries. He gave me a spare charger to keep in my car in case I mess up charging.
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He gave me the Phonak tv interface. Phonak Canada doesn’t have them; chip shortage.
I deal with contractors all the time. That’s my work. I can smell a rat when someone tries to pull a fast one. The comments here about being sold a line…I didn’t respond to them at the time. Frankly I just wanted to hear. I know he makes money from selling hearing aids. But in my case the guvmint has established prices through their requests for proposals.
Finally, Peel Audiology caused me a lot of stress. There was one partner who did good work; she retired. her work; not perfect but good enough. The young audiologists had no experience. the other partner who sold her business just recently didn’t resolve my problems. I still couldn’t hear after she worked on my hearing aids. And they were regularly worse. I threatened to buy the best Ear Buds I could from Apple and use their app to set them up.
@flashb1024 I’m doing much better. I think the next follow-up appointment will fine tune the HA’s even more. And I’ll get him to program the HA’s i kept. So I have spares.
Buying hearing aids here in Ontario is like buying cpap equipment for sleep apnea. Stressful. And I’ve become my own advocate to get good treatment in each case. (Google Apnea Board Forum if you have sleep apnea.)
DaveL
Toronto
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It’s been more than 3 months.
Last visit the audiologist switched the lead program for me. He reconfigured the “music program” with changes to match my test. My second program is the automatic program.
I’ve been doing better.
I understand spoken word better. I still miss some talk. Or don’t hear right…and respond poorly. So for me it’s still a work in progress.
DaveL
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Just here to confirm that workman’s comp in this province does have some weird rules. Their reimbursement for new hearing aids is also pretty low–this clinician probably could have gotten comparable reimbursement from repairing and re-fitting the old ones. So, I think Dave is correct in his assessment of the clinician trying to do his best for him. Plus, replacement is typically at 5 years; he must have made a strong argument to get them replaced at 2.5 years, that’s unusual.
I do hope real-ear measures were done at some point.
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