@Neville: I find these explanations of yours interesting and helpful. Thanks for taking the time to post them.
(What is an RECD, please? Real Ear to Coupler Difference : Never mind … found it!)
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I liked the Lumity, The sound was better I thought. In Automatic program, I believed it changed to different environments more quickly. I could hear pretty well without using Bluetooth for TV or phone calls. When I’m going to spend $5K + I would like to know that my audiologist understands the capability of the hearing aid and program them to their fullest capabilities & features for my hearing loss. Not just what the manufacturer & computer tell him. It is Not the hearing aid - it is the audiologist. You could have the best most expensive hearing aid technology and if the audiologist can’t program & adjust them to benefit your hearing loss, then but the lower technology level. The hearing aids are only as good as the audiologist is.
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Thank you @JordanK I’ve had REM done bt the previous AuD on my Paradise. I hear well with them. I believe like you have stated that REM is the fine tuning that is required.
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Hi @Sequoia_Woman. I’m so sorry about your audi. He sounds absolutely incompetent, and I would have done the same thing in your situation.
My audi made some adjustments to help me hear better in the supermarket situation you described. I’m still getting used to the adjustments, and so far they seem to be working. He also was able to show me what the current settings are. However, I think that having REM adjustments would fine tune them to the best possible degree. I have found an audi who performs REM, but they are two hours away from me. I’ll probably continue with my current audi for now and make the two hour drive in the spring when the roads are good for travel.
I wish you the best in your search for a good audiologist.
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Hi again @JordanK. When I got my Marvels I had moved 600 miles and now had a new small town audi. I had always had custom molds, and I was surprised that this audi fitted my new Marvels with closed domes. Back then I knew a lot less about hearing aids, even though I had worn them for decades. I noticed that when I used my hands to press them farther into my ears I could hear better, but I continued with the domes because they were a lot more comfortable than the custom molds I used to wear.
I felt that I might be missing out by not having custom molds, so when I got my Lumity I asked if I would benefit from custom molds. We both agreed that I would. Ordering aids with custom molds took a lot longer, and some getting used to after I got them. I’m so glad I did! I feel that these aids are much more effective with the custom molds, and I had never seen custom molds like these before.
My audi is very flexible on the trial period. If he doesn’t have a trial pair, the new hearing aids he orders for you become the trial pair. If they don’t work out for you after a very generous trial period, you can return them. This small town audi that’s been in the business for over 30 years is more interested in helping people and not in it for the money. We are working together to make adjustments where I’m having problems in certain situations.
I have found an audiologist two hours away who performs REM. I’ll work with my current audi until spring, then make the trip to get REM when the roads are good. I believe that like you, fine tuning with proper REM will achieve optimum performance.
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jonifoz. I did a trial on the lumitys and had custom molds similar to what you have… I didn’t care for them because the receiver was right at the tip of mold and it was a wax trap I had to brush tip of mold off several times a day I have worn silicone molds for years and the reciever is down inside of mold about 1/8" so be careful of that…
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@Ureout Thank you for the heads up and I’ll pay attention to that. I’ve never had a problem with wax. I’m just lucky in that department I guess!
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@jonifoz are the molds called skeleton molds. Just something I’ve heard. Not familiar with molds at all. Did your Audi tell you why & how the molds would benefit you.
Yes, they are full skeleton molds. I have had half-skeleton molds but found them too uncomfortable and difficult inserting and removing. (broke the left one on days #3) I went back to the Canal Lock style molds. I find them not only comfortable but easy to insert and remove. For me the retention is excellent regardless of activity.
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@Sequoia_Woman Yes. They are skeleton molds. They fit very snugly, but for me, comfortably. Because of the perfect fit, the amplified sound cannot leak out like it did with the domes.
I don’t know if my audi requested the skeleton version, or if Phonak chose to make the skeleton mold based on my hearing loss. Perhaps Phonak chooses the skeleton molds for the Life waterproof version so that they won’t float out of the users ear should they choose to swim with them in (something I’m not planning on doing).
I can understand, however, that without a perfect fit they might be uncomfortable. I don’t know if it was luck or expertise that resulted in a perfect fit, but I have zero sound leakage now.
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I wonder why, it could be your ear cannot lock the ear mold in place? I have the Encased micromold with a pull out string for my resound omnia rechargeable Here is a picture of mine with the Nucleus 8 sound processor
Yes the sound processor is that small 
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Thanks for the picture. I have a cardboard cutout of the Nucleus 7 that came with an information kit from my audiologist. It was a bit depressing to be honest.
Are you saying this because it wasn’t the latest and greatest sound processor model?
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The thought occurred to me later that my post sounded disrespectful to those of you who already have implants. I apologise. As a prospective implantee I’m dealing with various anxieties and concerns: losing residual hearing, losing enjoyment of music, the possibility that it might not work for me, and- yes- the hardware attached to and hanging off my head. So, yes, the smaller size of the Nucleus 8 seems like a positive amidst the worries. If the Nucleus 7 is what’s offered to me, then that wouldn’t stop me. If the Nucleus 8 provides a better hearing experience and that’s what I’m offered, then even better.
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@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.
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Cochlear already discontinued the N7 for all but N22 implant
SCAN 2 is a huge improvement in noise from my experience, it vastly improve noise scenario i was having problem with N7. Speech in quiet is the same because it is excellent with n7 and i don’t see any improvement compared to N8…
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Don’t worry, you will enjoy music in ways the hearing aid could not provide… in my case the high frequency is missing from my hearing aid side. it made me hate hearing music through my hearing aid as it sounded like i was listening through a wall or a broken tweeter. I would take my implant over the hearing aid any day for music enjoyment but i am bimodal so why not use both…
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Encouraging. Thanks. I gave up listening to music with my aids long ago. Airpod Pro 2 is what I use now. I can hear the cymbals at least. Well, I can hear that they’re there anyway. I miss that communal experience of listening to music with other people. Getting off-topic I guess.
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I like how you went from “modest errors” to “plain laziness” and “EGREGIOUS lapse” 
Something tells me you got a little carried away with that post.
Thanks for the tips Jim. I will get this reviewed and revised.
PS. More than happy to get some help. I do all the data entry myself for the products, and I do my best… but you really have to dig deep to pull out all the possible functions that each proprietary feature provides.
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One other comment… when I go down the spec sheets, I am exhaustively comprehensive in making sure each feature listed makes it into my comparisons… but if the manf doesn’t list something like expansion, I’m not going to spend an hour tracking down whether or not that feature exists. I do send the features to the manf’s to proof, and sadly, they don’t spend the time they should giving me the type of feedback I need.
Oh, and some manf’s don’t make useful spec sheets… That’s the other part of this.
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