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
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.
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.
All software programmable hearing aids (including Phonak) can only be programmed with that specific manufacturer’s software. How is Beltone locked?
I was told the Beltone software was similar to the KS6. It couldn’t be programmed by the regular release software.
I know of only two instances of locked hearing aid fitting software:
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.
I can’t substantiate it. It just something I thought I read here quite some time ago. I could easily be wrong.
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.
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.
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).
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:
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.
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.
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.
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
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:
Which one was better in noise situations Phonak B90 or Linx 3D-9? and
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!
…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.
Here are my thoughts:
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.
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
Thank you very much @JordanK for your answer. You are very kind .It really helps me a lot.
Any other opinions will be apreciated.
The Phonak app I have (Android) does allow some directionality adjustments when choosing a Speech in 360 program. It lets you set for a person in front of you, behind you, to your left or right.
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The Phonak app I have (Android) does allow some directionality adjustments when choosing a Speech in 360 program. It lets you set for a person in front of you, behind you, to your left or right.
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Yes, the Phonak App does let you pick a direction but that’s kinda it. What makes the Linx3D App a game changer is that from any program, you have a number of useful adjustment options that you can use to tweak the program. First, in the fully automatic mode there are two buttons that say “Speech Clarity” and “Noise Filter”. Pressing these immediately provides two quick options to help with noisy environments. There is a third button called “Sound Enhancer” which brings up another screen that allows you to raise or lower the Bass/Mid/Treble settings for this program. It is a bit crude but extremely useful for playing around to see if you can improve clarity. When you are in the other programs (i.e. Restaurant, Outdoor, etc), additional options appear depending on the program. As an example, for Restaurant you can increase/decrease the noise reduction and charge the focus of the microphone from very narrow to wide open. In the Outdoor program, you also have the ability to increase/decrease the Wind Noise setting. Once you make any changes to any program, you then have the option of saving these changes to a brand new program that is available for future use.
Typical situation is that I am in a noisy place and I flip on the Restaurant program. I then play a bit with all these settings and then save the program to the App. Next time I go to the Audiologist, I show him the program and explain what I did to improve clarity. He then goes into the software and makes changes based on this input.
Make sense?
Jordan
Thank you very much @JordanK for your full explanation and also thank you @fortnotes.
Your thougths are very important to me. I think I am going to trail the Linx 3D-9. I can not afford the Phonak B90 which is very very expensive here where I live as I wrote in my first post. I can only buy the B50 or the Linx 3D-9. Both of them has similar price.
So thank you again all of you guys from this forum. If any of you guys of this forum wants to write here some more information I really will be very very happy.
I am a new HA user and trying the Linx3D aids. I am still trying out all of the various programs, but I wonder if you have used them to stream music? I tried using a nano-i-pod with my multi-mic (ReSound) and was able to stream until I tried to change the volume on my i-pod. Then I lost all connectivity. I am not sure if I could have just the multi-function button on the back of my HA to change listening programs? It put me back in the all-around automatically, so no more streaming.
I have the Beltone Trust 17 and did look at the Linx3D-9 They are both made by Resound and electronically are identical. There may be differences in the software used but I note from the ads that they both mention the identical features. I had Linx1’s before and bought the remote mike and TV adapter. They both work with my Beltone Trust’s.
They both work with my Apple Watch as well.
Someone mentioned “Automatically switching settings” Both allow you to choose “Favorite locations” such as a individual restaurant, store or whatever. You just set up your aids and then memorize their locations in your App. It works with your GPS in your phone and changes your settings as you change your location.