@AbramBaileyAuD. On the Omnia vs. the Lumity, with the Hear Advisor ratings, I’m paying more attention to Hearing Tracker reviews. Overall, I’d say the evaluations are very fair and balanced. And I noticed the reviews in listing features have a built-in disclaimer that some listings of hardware and features may be incomplete or inaccurate, so a reader should check the full specifications listing by the manufacturer.
Since I was interested in the Omnia vs. the Lumity, I found the Lumity/Omnia Hearing Tracker review helpful, but I noticed a few modest errors about the Omnia/Lumity comparison that probably should be corrected.
First, in the hardware department as to buttons on the HA body, the comparator notes that the Push Buttons on both HA models can be used to control volume and program selection. But then there is a separate Volume Control listing further down the page that shows only the Lumity has a volume control, none is listed for the Omnia. What is meant is that the Lumity also has a rocker function (which is really is also used as a “push button”) whereas the Omnia only has a push button - but does the Omnia really have no volume control? Weird categorization…
Under Downloads, a User Guide and Datasheet are listed as being available for the Lumity, none for the Omnia. That’s just plain laziness in completing the Omnia listing as both are also available for that device, too.
Under Audio Stream Mixer, again a listing for the Lumity and none for the Omnia. Carelessness again as the Omnia actually can mix in the streaming audio into any environment program and the left and right external mics as well as the left and right streams can each be separately adjusted for volume as well as adjusting the overall balance of bass, midtones, treble, noise reduction, and wind reduction for the mixed-in stream whereas none of this adjustment is easily available to the user in the Lumity Audio Stream Mixer. So, this categorization summary is a really EGREGIOUS lapse.
Same for Automatic Acclimatization and Automatic Phone Program. The Omnia has both these features, but nothing is listed for either category. (For the ReSound Phone Now program you do have to tape a magnet to the receiver of any phone for which you want the phone program to be active if the receiver does not have a sufficient telecoil function to induce an HA response). Actually, further down the page, there’s another category entitled New User Adaption where an entry is provided for the Omnia but none for the Lumity. Seems like the same category as the Automatic Acclimatization further up in the Lumity/Omnia comparison. The two categories ought to be fused and show no difference in gradually accommodating new users.
On Ear Simulation, none is listed for the Omnia whereas the Lumity is described as compensating for the pinna effect of natural hearing. This categorization totally omits the potential benefits of M&RIE receivers, which provide better localization than an artificial HA pinna compensation.
Under Expansion, nothing is listed for the Lumity. In Target, under Program Options, Soft Noise Reduction is listed as one of the options. So, lack of an Expansion listing for the Lumity seems to be another error.
Under Occlusion Reduction (sound of your own voice), there is an entry for the Lumity but none for the Omnia. Believe that’s an omission, too, but I’ll have to look it up in Smart Fit and add the name of the Smart Fit version by editing this post.
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Well, I can’t find “own voice” adjustment in Smart Fit 1.15
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OTH, in Rasmus Braun’s posting of the initial ReSound Omnia announcement, compensation for one’s own voice is a prominently announced feature:
Introducing enhanced ‘own voice’ perception, ReSound OMNIA hearing aids sound natural, feel natural and connect people to the world naturally GN Hearing launches ReSound OMNIA
Similarly for Spatial Noise Cancellation, an entry for Lumity, none for the Omnia. But in the 360 All-Around mode on the Omnia, the HA that detects better speech is favored and shares the audio with better speech with the other HA. The HA that’s detecting more noise processes that out of input as much as possible, AFAIK, so that’s effectively dynamic spatial noise cancellation, since as the source of speech and noise shifts, each HA will switch its functionality to concentrate on obtaining the best speech signal, the minimal noise input.
Under Smartphone App, there is no listing for the Lumity but there is for Omnia?! How can one overlook the myPhonak app?
Under Telecoil, the Multi Mic is listed as an accessory for the Omnia but since I’m comparing the Omnia to the L90 R, not the L90 RT, there is no Lumity telecoil reference. Since the Multi Mic is an additional accessory purchase, I would think one might want to at least have a cross-reference to the L90 RT line of Lumitys to let the reader know there’s a way to have telecoil functionality with the Lumity, too.