My statement of fact that the Surflink Media device is subpar is based on observation and personal experience. I will say that with the RIC AP (power) molds, the Surflink is a fair to good performer. If it is paired with open fit aids, it stinks. No bass, super tinny. The aids often drop signal in one ear and the aids must be turned on and off for it to pick back up. I think with a little tweaking though, the product will be quite good.
The Spectral IQ is different from the SoundRecover system in that it does not use either of the two common methods of transposing high frequencies, and provides significantly better results for high frequency hearing loss that meet the criteria for fitting.
I disagree with your comments about wireless. As I’ve said before on this forum, Starkey did have a first generation product they joint developed with ReSound. But they didn’t like it and chose to come to market with second generation wireless technology, that gives vastly superior speech in noise hearing than first generation technology.
In technology terms, being first isn’t everything. Remember NTSC and PAL?
Actually, next time you go in for a service, you can get the firmware update for your hearing aids to take advantage of much of this new technology including Voice IQ2.
It’s one of the things that makes Starkey superior from many other aids; firmware updates.
I had mine updated with the new firmware today and I’ve got a bunch of new features, including Spectral IQ and Voice IQ2!
I’m downloading it to my laptop right now; it’s around 750Mb big!
Can’t wait to update my demo hearing aids, and put them on some patients next week.
I live for this stuff, the chance to help people better than I could a few years ago, it’s awesome. 
(Plus I also like technology!)
I think part of the issue is that if you have open fit aids, they are not designed to be very bassy. They are in fact designed to let normal bass in through the open fit design, and then just enhance the high frequencies. So if you have a HF loss, I think you are far less likely to enjoy the Surflink than if you had a 50dB loss across the board, with custom ear pieces.
The drop signal can be due to environmental issues, and isn’t necessarily a product flaw. Starkey have a whole system of investigating issues like this now, and will work with patients pretty extensively if they are having that issue.
There are some FCC rule changes afoot that could make it easier for them. A bit of tweaking and some firmware updates and I think this product will be spiffy! But I do think that people with mild losses in the bass could still be disappointed, and that isn’t really a flaw in the design. Of course the new firmware would allow a specific memory to be set to the streamer, and perhaps it could be set up to be less tinny, as much as possible taking into account the acoustic constraints of that type of mold/bud.
ZCT, I agree, the product is almost there. Any wireless device, even Oticon and Phonak problems aren’t perfect 100% of the time – but my expectation is that they will be someday. I’m an obnoxious, type A PITA that expects perfection from herself and the equipment she uses. It’s a flaw.
I agree with your comments on the SurfLink Media. The sound was terrible. I returned it and use a wireless TV listening system (not anything by Starkey). Unfortunately, that’s on its way for some warranty work, so I’m struggling to understand the TV w/my WI’s.
I noticed under the Starkey ProX features a TV Memory: “Television Processing is a new memory program designed for optimal performance while watching television.” They don’t mention the SurfLink Media on the ProX page, so I don’t know what to think.
I will mention this TV Memory when I upgrade my WI’s. Hopefully they can add that program. It’s not great watching TV with my WI’s the way they are now.
I sure wish Starkey would pay more attention to us bass-challenged folks!
Diane, I know your struggling with the TV right now while your device is being repaired, but here’s a quick tip you may not have tried yet, which works for 90% of my patients. Go in to the sound settings on your tv and turn the bass down and the treble up. Normally this makes speech Waaaay clearer. Hope this helps!
I have not checked that lately; thanks! My car’s audio is set that way and you’re right, speech is better. I’ll definitely try that tomorrow. Too late in the evening to pry the remote from my husband!
And on that basis, another tip is to buy a surround sound system. The center speaker that goes on the TV in the middle is basically a speech speaker. You can turn that one way up, and do the bass / treble thing if you like, and that way the dialog takes over from the background noise, and not the other way around.
I had to laugh when I read your suggestion about purchasing a surround sound system.
When we built this house in 2007, since it’s a custom home, the sound system was my husband’s responsibility. All TV’s are hung on the walls and components are in one location that we call our electronics room and are controlled by an infrared system. Fancy-dancy, right? Wrong!
The clowns my husband chose to install this system, well let’s just say they weren’t very good, so for the time being we just utilize the center speaker of the plasma, since it’s the only way my husband can hear the TV when I plug in my TV listening system.
One of the surround speakers died anyway and we plan a complete redo of this system (with competent installers this time) when we return from our trip. If we get it done right this time, I may not need the listening system. We’ll see.
Anyway, thanks for the suggestion! Since this is a touchy subject in our house, I’ll keep it to myself.
Diane
Diane,
Even though your tv’s are hanging on the walls, each tv has an audio out plug on the back.You can put a stereo cable into this plug and as long as you don’t mine being tethered to the tv you can plug into your Streamer, Icom, etc. and listen to the tv without affecting your husbands listening pleasure.
I have a wireless Sennheiser RF840 TV listening system that I use just as you posted. However, I had to send it back for warranty repairs, so I’m watching TV with my WI’s, which isn’t as clear as the wireless headset. The Starkey Surflink Media didn’t work for me.
I appreciate your reply. Thanks!
Do you have to pay for these firmware updates? The location I purchased my WI’s 5 months ago was taken over by another company and my specialist was transferred to another location. When I learned of the update from this forum, I contacted my original specialist who advised me to go to the original location for the update, since that’s where my file is.
Just got off the phone with the new specialist who informed me he’s waiting for training on how to use the new software and indicated to me he’d have to charge me. Really??? After only having these aids 5 months? Is this how Starkey operates? I received my upgrades free with Siemens.
When I threatened to rattle some cages at Starkey over my having to pay for upgrades and the fact that the specialist doesn’t know when he’ll learn the new software, he changed his tune slightly, asking me to come in Thursday, that he was going to “check on some things”. I told him I would call him next week, in order to give him more time to learn about the new software.
Can anyone who has had the latest upgrade advise me on whether or not they paid for it? I appreciate any help you can give me in this regard before I go any further with this. Thanks.
I’m a 30 year user of hearing aids, starting from a mild loss analog ITE to digital BTE for severe/bordering on profound hearing loss. I started trialing a pair of STARKEY Xs. I just picked them up yesterday. The audi set up three memory programs for me to experiment with. My first impression was very good, but wearing them on the way home, I noticed how frequently they were changing programs without me touching them. Just sitting home watching TV, if I turned or moved my head, the same thing was happening fairly frequently.
Instead of the normal wheel for volume control, there is a touch & slide bar which you slide your finger to increase/decrease volume, and tap on this bar to change programs. It bothered me to the point of going back to my older pair of back-ups!
I do have a follow-up appt in two weeks but I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem? I can’t believe this slide bar should be this sensitive. I tnink just my hair touching it is changing the programs.
Ken,
I guess Starkey just wants you to shave your head or get a marine cut.
Have your audi put the touch surfaces in “Surface Control Sleep” mode. This is done in in the advanced section of the User Control Panel. Very simple to do. This way, you have to first touch the surface to wake it up before it will respond to your touch.
Yep, that’s the correct fix for this problem. Although I thought the Marine cut was a nice idea too.
Consider too that the 312 flavor of this device has a physical push button, and not a sweep pad.
OH MAN ! I am happy to hear from you guys.
I really like my new Starkeys but they seem to have mind of their own.
I think I might be the “poster boy” for this model from where I purchased them. I just hope my audi doesn’t think I jumped the “Chain Of Command” before I got back to her.
I am coming to the end of trialing the Oticon 9s. they too are very good, but I like the idea of being able to change the memory programs myself instead of automatically as the Oticons do…
But, if I don’t get the satisfaction I know I will get from the adjustment, about that haircut . . . .
Thanks again for the response. I really appreciate it.