ibawaya, I am still SUPER happy with my Phonak Audeo B-Direct. I don’t know if these are the “90” series cuz my manuals are all at home … and alas, I’m over on the Big Island of HI having way WAY too much fun in the voggy sun.
Every person is unique, and for me, my particular hearing loss curve, listening preferences and lifestyle, the Phonak hits all the right notes. I’m especially enjoying the edge of speech clarity these Phonaks have over my older Oticon Alta Pros. The TV streamer works SUPERB, and I am completely spoiled with single-ear streaming to my Android phone.
In stark contrast (for me!) the OPN miniRITE was a total disappointment. The so-called algorithm for speech clarity? Simply did not work EVER for me. It was incredibly frustrating to not be able to discriminate speech in any surrounding but a tomb. That means: doctor appointments (poor acoustics), travel (car, plane, airport, even outside with ambient noise), restaurants, large gatherings - completely unable to distinguish WHAT a person was saying even as I could see their lips move. I was also disappointed with the OPNs compared to my Oticon Alta Pro aids, which I’d worn for the previous 4 years - LOVING them! But they were ITE, not BTE, and somehow the speech in restaurants with my old aids was NEVER ever an issue!
To be fair, both the Oticon and Phonak BTE aids have an annoying habit of “hair rustle” and “eyeglasses clink”. Wearing a hat in winter is a prob, too, with rustling and feedback. But hey, I’ll just move to HI and throw my hats away!
The best thing a person can do for themselves is try out BOTH the Oticon and Phonak models and see which one is best for your own lifestyle and listening/connectivity preferences.
You’ll likely find good things and bad things with each one, so it’s a matter of priorities. For me, the SPEECH was a huge plus for Phonak; initially, stereo streaming on the phone was a real worry with the Phonak being only single ear. But I am happy with the decision I’ve made.