Here is what they look like:
The left one is an earbud mold for headphone, but shows how opaque they can become. The R one is clear and almost invisible initially. Probably worth replacing every 3-4 years.
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@jcech: I beg to differ. My experience has been the complete opposite of tour description over a period of 16 years.
Members reading this post should take it for what it is: a single person’s subjective opinion. (IMO)
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Not sure what you are referring to as a difference of opinion. That molds are used because they stay in position better? That silicone is softer than hard acrylic? That they stain and gradually become less clear? Or what???
I have worn both and domes as well. IMO and my smaller canals, domes do not work adequately. They constantly changed position in the ear and that changes how well you hear. I found myself constantly pressing them back in.
Hard acrylic was NO different and also more uncomfortable to me.
As you can see from the picture I posted, the silicone molds fit the shape of outer ear better and this holds them in place easily and because they are soft, they are very comfortable. Unless you have tried all three, how you can say one is better than another.
@jcech: This is what you asserted. My experience has been different from your assertion: for 16+ years , my hard acrylic molds have stayed comfortably in place and afforded me excellent acoustic coupling and great sound.
I never said that acrylic was better. I said your assertion doesn’t hold true for everyone.
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smaller canals are personal to you, and others of course. I have large canals. Actually several reconstructive surgeries have left my canals…unusual.
Spudster is correct: on a forum frequented by folks with a wide variety of anatomies and hearing loss caused by a variety of reasons,–flat so called ‘statements of fact’ that may be true for one person have to carry a caveat: namely, what;'s true for me may not be true for others.
I have acrylic molds and they work well for me.
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Small canals, bu definition, are a minority people. Unless you have tried, at least, a more common canal size, how can you adamantly refute the experience of someone with a more common canal size?
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@prodigyplace: Thanks for making the point that hearing losses and their treatments are highly variable, and highly specific to each individual who is affected.
I think the usefulness of possible approaches to hearing problems is diminished when opinions are presented as fact, and options as mutually exclusive.
I have learned (sometimes the hard way) that open mindedness and the avoidance of absolutes/categorical statements makes for more helpful conversations here in the Forum.
It’s a trap that I sometimes fall into, myself; but, nonetheless, I (increasingly) try to avoid it.
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Just like no one aid is the best for every user, no one type of mold is the best of every user.
Hard acrylic molds are very comfortable for me, they just tend to back out a tad. Silicone seems to work best for me, and i dont seem to have discoloring at all on my well used Resound silicone molds, see pic.
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I have a lot of confidence in my audiologists. When it comes to things like decisions as to whether I need a power aid and what type of mold will work best for me, I leave it to them. As a side bar, when I was dialing in my new aids, on one visit the audi called the Signia on line audiologist. The conversation was on speaker phone, The Signia rep mentioned immediately how I needed a power aid in my right ear. My audi had already ordered that. So these folks have a lot of experience based on seeing hundreds of patients. Sometimes one can just trust the knowledge and experience of an audi and go with it.
Of course, I also had to walk my audi and this same rep through programming my new aids for a functioning musician program. That was the next visit.
My point is, yes, we need to be informed and bring our requirements to the audi. Sometimes we need to press the point and advocate for ourselves. And then, maybe most often, we can expect the audi to make the right call. This last may be controversial!!!
we all like to think we should be in charge our own heart surgery. that’s a bad idea.
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