Testing Widex clear 440 with TV-DEX and M-DEX

Hearing Aids
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#1

Hello, I am new here, found you whilst searching for blue tooth problems with hearing aids!
I am glad to find the site and discover that Apple may be the problem with blue tooth cutting out at times. I use iPhone, iPad and iMac. I haven’t used a telephone for years so am not sure whether I dare risk strange voices, BUT am having pleasant results listening to talking on iPhone such as news, until it cuts off!
The TV-DEX is very good.

I will copy the numbers from my audio graph - I have severe to profound loss.
250 500 1000 2000 4000 5000
R 70 85 90 110 120 100
L 85 95 90 110 120 100

#2

Apple have certainly been futzing around with the Bluetooth interoperability in IOS 5, my Nokia visor hands free will no longer voice dial from an Iphone 4 as of a fortnight ago.

You might find that the cutting-out is a power save feature, I notice that the Iphone doesn’t run the battery down as quickly now when Bluetooth is on, but dormant.

TV Dex is an excellent bit of kit. Has the integrated landline Phone-Dex been launched in your location yet?

#3

Not sure about Phone-Dex, but there is an optional programme to use telecoil - and can shut out background noise. Currently I have zen sounds, but I may try the telecoil phone (you have to choose zen OR phone).
I am in UK by the way. So far I am having a love hate relationship with these aids. Worst scenario is in a large room! I go back to the audiologist on Thursday - I have a list of queries for him…

#4

The phone-Dex is out here (UK).

Larger room listening can still be difficult even with aids in. The directional setting is effective to maximum of ten feet.

I’m sure you’ll do really well with the aids.

#5

I have tested these aids for four weeks now and REALLY wanted them to work. Unfortunately I was kidding myself that I could hear OK with them, and have come to realise that my 10 year old Widex Senso P37 are far superior for speech recognition - which is the most important function. Even the bluetooth devices are not as clear as my old widex connected to computer, iPhone or whatever with a Geemark clearsound loop on T setting.
It is disappointing - but maybe my hearing is too poor for these to work.

#6

Wait for Widexs new Super. If you had a P37 there is no other Widex aid strong enough right now.

#7

Thanks for confirming that Ohmy - Do you know when the Super will be out?
I’ll certainly wait for them, and ask my hearing aid provider when I see him next week.

#8

Can you describe how you experienced the sound quality of Widex Clear?

In my experience, I feel that the Widex sound quality has worsened in the past 10 years. The bass is somewhat unbalanced or artificial.

What I have noted is that the sensogram values at the lowest frequencies (<500Hz) are much higher (15-20dB) in the new Widex models than my old Widex hearing aids (Inteo, Senso). The bass used to be more punchy.

Another user of this forum described the sound as mechanical. I agree to this term.

#9

Hello Arni -
the first week all sounds were too loud, and I was forever adjusting volume on the remote device. The blue tooth to TV and to iPhone speech apps was comfortable, BUT was no better than the Widex senso P37. It depended on the speaker/s, but overall I couldn’t hear the TV without subtitles.

I got an adjustment to reduce volume to a much more comfortable level. For 2 weeks I didn’t put my old hearing aids in, just the new Clear. I regretted not taking my old ones to a few social events. Background noise was bad, despite using the directional option. I felt very isolated pretending to hear and made excuses that I was sure the these new aids would be fine when adjusted again.

Friends told me that I was not hearing as well with the new aids. The sound quality was comfortable, but I could not hear speech adequately, even though I tried the whole gamut of programmes.

Finally I started to take my old aids with me, and if I couldn’t hear with the new ones, I would put back the old.

The difference when I put the old ones in was improved quality of speech detection. In conversation I am used to filling in the gaps that I don’t hear, but with the new Clear there are just too many gaps for me to keep up with a normal conversation, not to mention shopping, and casual greetings when walking the dog. I just feel more deaf when I wear them amongst people.

You could be right about the low frequencies being higher - there is something that prevents clarity.

Very disappointing, cos I really wanted these to work!

I will copy the numbers from my audio graph - I have severe to profound loss.
250 500 1000 2000 4000 5000
R 70 85 90 110 120 100
L 85 95 90 110 120 100

#10

I am sure that the problem is in the bass where your old hearing aids do better. Have you tried to switch to the music program or switching off the speech enhancing feature, i.e. use different microphone settings? The speech enhancer of Widex distorts the signal and actually it makes me hearing less speech. I also recommend reducing the noise reduction to minimal setting.

If that does not work I recommend that you ask for some of the older Widex types.

I worry that Widex does not value the bass anymore, unfortunately for those who have residual hearing only in the low frequencies.

#11

I don’t think that’s quite right. I would suggest that what the original poster has tried are RIC aids when she was previously wearing a very powerful BTE.

IMHO, I wouldn’t try to move anybody with such a severe loss onto a less powerful aid. I can’t say as to why it was tried, but clearly it doesn’t provide the power required. The only real step to take here is to go to another high/ultra power aid. Anything else would be pretty pointless.

The amount of bass prescribed is quite adjustable - the fitting strategy with a RIC aid has to get the balance of this right, otherwise you either over or under compensate for the level of venting in the canal. Using the proper fitting wizard should deliver the optimum level according to Widex, but any audiologist can adjust the aid to deliver more as necessary.

#12

Thanks for helpful replies. I had three adjustments of Widex clear with audiologist, but have finally realised I can’t hear speech adequately through those aids and have returned them.
The new Widex Super are expected in January next year, so I shall test those and hopefully be able to hear speech as good as the Widex Senso P37.

#13

I am trying the clear 440 with Dex and M-Dex. After one adjustment by my very experienced and conscientious audiologist, I am finding these devices to have extremely good sound quality. The M-Dex works well and has very helpful adjustment capabilities. There are a few glitches that she says might be worked out over time in terms of the way the software works. But overall I am satisfied that these are at the top of the heap in terms of everything I’ve tried. I will post again to report on minor issues and with further observations.

#14

Hello everyone,

im testing the widex clear 440 right now. I like the natural sound, but have 1 big problem with the right one.
At loud"m" the speaker is cracking for a little of a second. The audi says, im hearing it, beacause my ear is too god for the high frequencies.
At the left side i dont notice this noise at all. After switching around the aids, same phenomen.
Did you notice something like that?

Greeting.