Resound Linx3D-9 (AKA Costco Forte 8 and Beltone Trust 17) versus Phonak B50

Hearing Aids
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#1

Hello:

Sorry in advance but English is not my language. Thank you very much all of you for your opinions and thoughts in this forum. It really helps me a lot. I have learnt a lot from this forum. I live in Europe in a very isolated area far away from any other place and I need a new pair of HA.

In the place I live I can only buy Beltone Trust 17 RIC at 3.825 euros a pair (4.511 american dollars $) (which researching in Internet I found is the same as resound Linx 3D-9 and Costco Forte 8).

I can also buy and afford Phonak Audeo B50-312T RIC at 3.670 euros a pair (4.327 american dollars $). Phonak B70 and B90 are very very much expensive and I cannot afford it.

I would know from you your opinions, thoughts, etc. Which one do you think it´s better Phonak B50 or Beltone Trust 17?. My first goal is better hear speech in noise situation, in lectures, in restaurants and in big places with echo like museums and libraries. Streaming directly from the phone is not a very big concern.

Tinnitus feature is also very important for me.

Thank you very very much and I really appreciate your help.

#2

I did just a little research and I don’t think the Beltone True 17 is the same as the Resound Linx 3D-9. Briefly, the pictures I saw looked different and the True did not seem to have bluetooth streaming with smartphone. I know you said this wasn’t important, but it implies it’s a different model. The Beltone First seems to be their bluetooth capable phone.

So, if those are truly your only options, I don’t know what to suggest. Your English is quite good by the way.

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#3

You are right MDB. I made a mistake the name is Beltone TRUST 17 There is also a Beltone True but the HA the audiologist offered me was The Beltone TRUST 17 wich I think is the same as Resoud Linx 3D-9 and Costco Forte 8

I correct the mistake in the original post.

Tanhk you very much MDB

#4

I’ve always been impressed with Phonaks technology myself. Their anti-feedback system is really really good. I’m profoundly deaf and wear Phonak HAs and get NO feedback what so ever, even when I put my hands up to my ears.

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#5

OK, I agree the Trust 17 does look like it could be similar to the Linx 3D. I think that model would likely do better in speech in noise than the Phonak 50. Adding a myPAL Pro (a remote microphone) (or Resound multiMic) could add a lot for lectures or conference table discussions

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#6

Tank you very much @MDB and @Zebras again for your answer. I really appreciate it. Any help is really appreciated.

I Think that Beltone Trust 17/Resound Linx 3D-9/ Costo Forte 8 are Top HA and Phonak B50 is not a Top HA but an “intermediate” HA, as Phonak B90 is the Top HA

#7

Well, the Forte is MFi but not Tinnitus or remote programming but it is the recent platform. The Linx(1) also had MFi capability. MFI has been available in all the Linx series. All currently required a seperate BT device for other phones. I think we may be having a mistake occur in how your provider described things more than detailing just what product it is.

Beltone is also a locked system. By that I mean that it can only be programmed by Beltone software and isn’t suitable for being programming anywhere other than a Beltone office.

Phonaks is a good brand also. It well received and sells in volume with a solid reputation. The software should be open and that means if you relocate or wish to change fitters that can happen more easily.

Either brand can serve your loss but you are likely to prefer one over the other. I don’t know what trial programs are like in your country but, if you can, trying both will be the determining factor. One will just seem to work better for you than the other and only you can determine that.

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#8

Thank you very much @KenP and all of you guys from this forum for your opinions an thoughts.

I really appreciate them and help me a lot. I have a 30 day trial, so I will try firs the Beltones and if a I am ok with the Beltones I will keep them.

The Tinnitus feature is also important.

#9

All software programmable hearing aids (including Phonak) can only be programmed with that specific manufacturer’s software. How is Beltone locked?

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#10

I was told the Beltone software was similar to the KS6. It couldn’t be programmed by the regular release software.

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#11

I know of only two instances of locked hearing aid fitting software:

  1. Costco KS5/KS6; read this-> Costco Hearing Aids ARE NOT LOCKED! except KS5/KS6
  2. NHS-England’s locked-version of Connexx Fitting Software for Siemens Impact Pro and Siemens Reflex

This is the first time I am hearing about the inability to program Beltone hearing aids with Beltone SolusMax or Beltone SolusPro fitting software. Do you have any other details that might help determine if this is another rumor about locked fitting software?

I think you are saying that all versions of Beltone SolusMax or Beltone SolusPro fitting software are locked and that only a Beltone office can unlock the software.

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#12

I can’t substantiate it. It just something I thought I read here quite some time ago. I could easily be wrong.

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#13

I don’t think Beltone Solus Max is locked. Beltone Solus Max is able to detect my fitting device (mini Pro/Hi-Pro) and it makes the left/right lights blink on the fitting device while attempting to detect the hearing aids/HAs. I couldn’t go any further because I don’t have Beltone HAs. It doesn’t seem locked to me.

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#14

For places with echo I do not think the Phonak B 50 come with the software especially for echo prevention. This is genearally in the 90 version for phonak. The Phonak professional website has good information on which programs are in each level aid.

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#15

Thank you very much @Psocoptera . All these opinions really helps me a lot. There is a lot of information and reviews from users on internet about Phonaks HA but not so much about Resound Linx3D-9/ Costco Forte 8 / Beltone Trust 17.

Anyway every information,opinions thoughts about this topic is really apreciated (Phonak B50 vs Resound Linx3D-9/ Costco Forte 8 / Beltone Trust 17).

#16

I purchased Resound’s Linx3D 9’s back in September and I’m extremely happy with these hearing aids. Before finalizing my purchase, I tested both the Phonak B90R and the Signia Cellion hearing aids for at least 6 weeks each. Here is why I picked the Linx3D:

  1. Linx 3D is a Made for iPhone (MFi) hearing aid. If you have an iPhone, you really should look at MFi hearing aids. The integration with iPhone is so good that talking on the phone or listening to music/video on an iPhone or iPad is a dream come true. It completely takes the stress out of talking on the phone or needing to carry around another device to connect. It’s amazing.

  2. The integration between Resound’s iPhone App, the iPhone and the hearing aids is a game changer. Not only does the app work well but there are two key features that make is incredible. First is that you can actually go into each program and make some adjustments on your own. These include adjusting the low/med/high frequencies, adjusting the noise reduction and even play around with the microphone focus. This is incredibly helpful when you are having issues as you can trying playing around to see if you can improve clarity on your own without having to go to the audiologist. You can only make simple adjustments but it’s still way better than nothing. Second, you can then save these adjustments into your own custom programs that are accessible via the app. You can even tell the app to use the GPS feature to identify where you are and have the app automatically switch to that program when you are in this location. These two features are very unique to Linx3D and I haven’t seen this level of control on other platforms.

  3. I don’t use it but Linx3D has a tinnitus feature and a separate app than you can download for tinnitus therapy. I’ve played with it a bit but I don’t quite get why people want this. I have tinnitus but it doesn’t bother me. The therapy feature seems to play mood music and this is supposed to somehow calm/mask the tinnitus. Maybe some people find it useful…not sure.

  4. The hearing aids perform very well in many environments. The most challenging is always a noisy restaurant but I’ve found that I can make adjustments via the app to allow me to hear well in just about any environment. There are two buttons in the app called “Speech Clarity” and “Noise Filter”. Enabling one or both is noisy places solves most issues. Phonak uses a different strategy called “Stereozoom” which narrows the microphone focus and cross broadcasts the incoming sound from both sides to the opposite hearing aids. This certainly helps in very noisy situations but requires you to be looking directly at the speaker to be effective.

Hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have any specific questions.

JordanK

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#17

Hello @JordanK and thank you very much for your response. It was very precise and helps me a lot. All answers here from everybody helps me a lot.

Again, excuse me for my English but my reading comprenhension is better than my writting. The streaming from the Iphone (MFI) is not a big concern to me as I am an Android user and I don’t use phone calls very much.

I am happy to hear from you that you likes a lot your Linx 3D-9.

I would like to ask you two more questions if it posible:

  1. Which one was better in noise situations Phonak B90 or Linx 3D-9? and

  2. Do the Linx 3D-9 change the programs automaticaly?. I mean, when you change from a calm situation to a very noise place (like restaurants) Do the Linx 3D-9 change from one programm to another automaticaly? I read somewhere that Phonak B90 change automaticly from one situation to another.

Thank you very very much!:blush:

#18

…didn’t mean to interrupt the conversation - I will add later! … also from www.resoundpro.com, there are “whitepapers” that speak to Resounds philosophies and the features they refer to as Binaural Directionality III, and Resound Noise Tracker II.

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#19

Here are my thoughts:

  1. Which are better in noise? I would say its a toss up. The Phonak Stereozoom is very effective in noise but the Linx3D gets my vote because the App gives you much more flexibility to optimize the microphone focus, noise reduction and frequency. The Phonak App doesn’t provide this ability to make small adjustments.

  2. The Linx3D has a fully automatic mode (All Around) that automatically switches between different programs depending on the situation. Same as Phonak. You can also manually switch into any of the programs (just like Phonak).

Jordan

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#20

Thank you very much @JordanK for your answer. You are very kind .It really helps me a lot.

Any other opinions will be apreciated.