The Evoke 440s Are Here!

Hearing Aids
#81

Actually, there is a much lower tech that I’ve pointed out before, at least for ReSound, maybe not for Phonak? Just buy a 2nd charger case. If you leave both charger cases plugged in all the time, you have TWO WEEKS of HA power stored in those two case when the lights go out.

I think the basic problem is sweet, innocent disposable users never seem to want a miss an opportunity to diss rechargeable rather than peacefully co-exist (my preference). No one has yet answered my question as to with disposables whether you get a good read out on your HA SOC and avoid the forgetful problem that the batteries start to crap out on you right when you most need them and it’s inconvenient to change them out .

Actually, the bigger problem in the U.S. is that it only prepares for the 50-year disaster, never the 500-year one. How many people were killed in Japan in the magnitude 9 Fukishima earthquake? - 152 unfortunates. I wouldn’t want to bet the same will be true in LA and SF when a similar big one strikes and that’s something that’s a bigger worry than whether one has chosen disposables or rechargeables - what is it, the Whittier Dam above LA - fills with a big rain storm before the Big One, the dam breaks in the shakes, and there go a whole lot of people.

So if you’re interested in rechargeables, just buy ReSound and get an extra charger or two and you’ll be able to go weeks without electricity. Since I can hear pretty well without my HA’s, buying a spare charger is an option for me.

Correction:: I’m way off on the # of people who died in Japan as a result of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Japan. The total is 15,800, estimated (or more). I misheard the number while listening to a recent Science Friday radio program segment on the dangers of the Whittier Narrows dam above L.A. It’s a good idea to think about the potential for disaster in your area of the country, how critical your HA’s are to surviving and communicating in a disaster, and make plans to preserve your HA’s and their power supplies, maybe keep spare power supplies both at home and work, etc., especially if you hear very poorly without your HA’s. cnicklo made a good point in asking folks to consider what happens to their hearing in a big disaster.

#82

Well to be perfectly honest I don’t want rechargeable hearing aids. I love camping, backcountry backpacking, and traveling light.

#83

And the readout on the SOC on your disposables so you don’t have to keep memos to yourself and set calendar reminders as to when you last changed them? Just trying to learn something without having to run out and buy HA’s with disposable batteries to find out. Perhaps my impression is erroneous about the readout thing?

#84

Regarding read out on charge status. I don’t mean to be dismissive, but I don’t care. I rarely even look at the smartphone app. If I want to be organized, I just change the batteries every week on a certain day. Otherwise I just wait until I hear the chimes and pull out a pair of batteries. It’s really not a big deal. I really don’t get why you continue to harp on this and act like the victim. You’re the one who told somebody his reason wasn’t valid for not wanting rechargeables. I’m glad you like rechargeables and that they work for you. I just don’t want them forced on somebody.

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#85

Nobody’s forcing rechargeables on anyone. It is bad if an HA OEM only offers a rechargeable option but hopefully that would just be a choice of which model they want to crank out first (like Phonak with all the different varieties of Marvels, some yet to come).

You’ve got things wrong on who came first. cnicklo said that rechargeables would be a no-go in an earthquake and I simply pointed out a number of different ways that’s not true. cvkemp mentioned camping, etc., as to a place where rechargeables won’t work - that’s also not true. My audi claims that my Quattro’s are more impervious to water than most HA’s with disposable batteries (have no idea whether that’s true). She said not to worry about wearing them under occlusive headphones or have my receivers fully occluded by molds and she again reiterated to me that charging them in the charger every night will dry them out as much as I might want or need (perhaps she is just buying into ReSound PR). She did say that thoroughly drenching myself, dripping from every pore with sweat and inudating the HA’s would probably not be a good idea (probably for any HA).

So there is a sort of arrogance in the current disposable users on the forum that “WE ARE THE MARKET” and HA OEM’s should cater to us. We know what’s best. Maybe as high-tech baby boomers get older and older, you’re going to be in the minority. I’ve already pointed out that a VERY SLIGHT 53% majority of Consumer Reports readers (17,000 total) reported that they’re looking for rechargeables, not disposables. I do think the current performance of Li-ion batteries could be an issue. TraderGary and gr8dane604 are optimistic that it’s been considerably improved in the last few years. Widex fuel cells sound very interesting. Rather than say “get that stuff out of here. no one wants it (a lie),” I think there should be experiments and competition and give all possible technologies a chance to try to win the user’s preference and in that way, hopefully improve things all around. Win-win for everyone no matter which preference you start out with.

#86

This has become another iPhone vs Android thread. Meh.

2 Likes
#87

BTW, relative to “how do I power my rechargeable HA’s after an earthquake?!,” maybe folks living in CA haven’t kept up with the California regs:

#88

With all due respect: Let’s everybody give the chance to decide for themselves whether to use rechargeable vs disposable batteries. Is this about evoke 440’s?

#89

@gsl - The discussion branched off a comment on Dr. Cliff’s review of the Evoke 440’s and essentially whether or not the lack of a Li-ion battery rechargeable solution was a fair criticism by Dr. Cliff of the Evoke’s as a premium brand of hearing aid offering the user all the options they might want to chose from. If Li-ion rechargeables were an option for the Evokes, would it be stupid to pick that option anyway? I’ve watched the video and I find it hard to tell if Dr. Cliff’s criticism isn’t more towards only criticizing offering Z-Power as the rechargeable option as opposed to Li-ion (non-removable, built-in) battery - some folks have found Z-Power unreliable so perhaps that’s what Dr. Cliff’s negativity is all about - that maybe he thinks users will be less satisfied on average with a Z-Power as opposed to a Li-ion version and he’s disappointed for that reason.

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#90

Just another reason I don’t and want live in California

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#91

Hi all - Sorry to have started the thread getting us off track. I meant no disrespect to rechargeable users/lovers - just meant to say that, for me, disposables provide an element of comfort in case of an issue with the electricity based on my needs and disaster preparedness planning!

Thanks - and my apologies again for the distraction.
Chris

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#92

What I find strange about the criticism is that it comes after the Widex announcement of the not too distant release of their fuel cell technology. Olsen knew this months ago. One would think he’d know because of that technology, that Widex has no reason to offer a LI-ion solution.

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#93

I agree in that at least he could have given the fuel cell option a mention but it is a little bit strange that Widex went with Z-Power, too, given the future fuel cell option - but if one is an optimist one might say Widex just wants to give its users as many options as possible - much of the rest of Olson’s review made me appreciate what a great hearing aid it is as you guys have been telling us.

#94

Mark, quick question about phone calls with your Evokes. Do the aids pick up your voice, or do you need the phone’s mic?

#95

I have to answer with and speak into the phone. Not a big deal for me. The phone is usually sitting next to me on my desk and I don’t need to hold it. In the cars I sync with the sound system, and if I happen to be walking around it’s in my pocket.

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#96

I can’t hear my cell at top volume on its own with aids not connected. That would be fine.