What does Phonak offer? And what to you is important?

[markoo355]

The Phonak Lumity is only available as a rechargeable version, if you use bluetooth a lot and the additional mic will drain the battery faster, you may need to charge the battery in the afternoon.
The reason is bluetooth classic, which unfortunately is not economical for the battery.

As an additional microphone, there are Phonak Partner Mics, which your partner wears on a shirt

There is also a microphone like the Roger Select which has more options and is worn on a necklace around your partner’s neck, and it also doubles as a desk microphone, see the video.Roger Select – Versatile microphone to enjoy restaurants - YouTube
Roger Select – Versatile microphone to stay connected - YouTube

You also have Roger ON as a microphone like roger select but to operate them, you have to point it at the person. Phonak Roger ON Review | Best Remote Microphone Accessory EVER? - YouTube

[markoo355]

Regarding bluetooth listening, by default it is set to combine ambient sounds and bluetooth streaming audio.

If you want, you can press the top button on the hearing aid to reduce the sound coming from the microphone to make the bluetooth louder, this is useful if you are somewhere noisy. The bottom button turns down the sound coming through bluetooth, but I turn down the sound through the smartphone instead. What I said can also be done in the application, i.e. determine the balance of the sound from the microphone and the sound that is being streamed.
Your audiologist can adjust this to your liking, because every time you remove it from the charger it returns to its default settings.

[WhiteHat]

You don’t have to point Roger On, but you can use pointer mode if you like. There is also table mode, presenter mode, and media mode (plugged into an audio source via a cable. The new Roger On version coming out soon will have a few more modes. I like my Roger On a lot.

For table mode, it automatically goes from pointer mode (when you hold it like a phaser) to table mode when you set it down. You can go into the MyRogerMic app and select which pie sectors of a circle around the mic you want to be heard. The mic does beam forming to exclude what you have deselected.

I have heard the select is a little better at table use. I dunno. I like the on a lot.

I also have Activevents. I also like that a lot.

The Roger Mics and the TV Connectors don’t use BT Classic, they use proprietary protocols that are much better on the battery than BT. I typically stream ~6 hours a day and probably more than 5 are either TV connector (hooked to a computer) or the Roger.

WH

[markoo355]

I don’t use Roger, I tried to describe as best I know

[1Bluejay]

OK! Taking these one at a time as I am currently wearing - and SUPER happy with - Phonak Lumity Life aids (well, other than the fact that they are NOT WATERPROOF!)…

@BobbyBoomer

What kind of programs are available? **

** I definitely need music.

** Also speech.

** Is there more than one speech, like one for noisy places?
Yes, per the Phonak Features link provided by Markoo355 above, there are various programs you can add for SPEECH enhancement: I have Speech in Loud Noise on mine, but had also used Comfort in Echo. I no longer need the latter cuz these Lumity Life aids seem to adjust for a wider range of ambient noise situations than my older Phonak Marvel aids. I DO NEED the Speech in Loud Noise, as there can be MANY places (restaurants, malls, outside traffic noise) where I simply need the ambient noise dialed down in order to comprehend speech coming at me.

** Any other programs I may want?
YES!! Get the Music Program set up - and keep refining it till you’re satisfied with how music sounds. You want dynamic range but NOT “peaking out” distortion. I am very impressed with how music sounds (live, recorded, over my home music system, etc.,) when using the Music Program. It seems to deliver the entire range of low to high frequencies beautifully, with a rich, full sound.

Also, consider Acoustic Phone! This vastly underutilized and never-crowed-about program is a LIFE saver for all situations where you need to hear on the phone but are unable to stream via Bluetooth. I’ve been tossed the phone by family, friends, in offices, while traveling … All I need to do is put my aids in Acoustic Phone and the sound is transmitted to both ears ALMOST as good as streaming into the aids. It’s amazing for those call center phone calls, too. Only downside is that you need to hold the phone receiver up to your ear. It can’t be like a cell phone sitting on a desk. It’s got to be right at the ear for the stereophonic capability to work.

How about a remote mic? I’ve read about a “pen”. Anything better?
Yes. Read other posts about Roger Pen. I don’t have one - yet - but I’m glad it’s an option.

I’ve read about speaker domes and one that can be either open and/or closed. Is that worth it? I do fine with closed domes.
Your audiogram and listening preference should determine whether the dome is OPEN or CLOSED. Altho I’ve got cinderblock ears, I’m allergic to any kind of molded tip (except those shiny, ugly, flesh-colored ones), so I’m using double-dome silicone in a smoke gray color. I’ve even heard that clear silicone is more prone to provoking allergic reactions, so I’ve avoided that. I’ve tried molded firm silicone and molded acrylic - both made my skin lobster red, with burning and itching. I hear good enough with the soft double-domes. ANY dome (and even some molded tips) will work their way out of the ear canal all day long as you chew, yawn, laugh, talk, etc., so don’t let that bother you. The “leash” sometimes put on to hold these tips in place are a joke. They just hang on to the speaker as it works its way OUT of the ear canal, lol.

If I’m listening to something on the Phonak via Bluetooth, does it mute out everything else, or does the mic on the aids mix with the Bluetooth input?
You can have the audi set your streaming to allow some ambient sound in while streaming. This works quite well … as long as the VOLUME isn’t too loud. Sometimes hubs has our movies so loud I get an echo-effect when streaming. The only way to prevent that is jack up the volume on MY aids, but that’s too painfully loud. Most times, I can have a bit of ambient noise coming in PLUS excellent stereophonic streaming - the PERFECT world!

Anything else I should know that is important to you and and might be important to me?
Find an audi you can really communicate with and connect with. This is going to be your partner for life, unless you’re a real DIYer (which many are here!). Be persistent and able to articulate what you like and don’t like about your aids. NEVER just take a pair right out of the box with REM fitting and think you’re done. You’ll need several follow-on appt’s to address different issues: what programs to set up, noise management control, frequency boosting, etc., till you’re in a world hearing how you want it to sound.

I’ve had ReSounds and Oticons so far, and from what I’ve read, for my situation and amount of hearing loss, the Phonak aids seem to be my best bet.

I’ve also been a happy Oticon user - but changed tracks years ago when they dropped the ball on a hands-free streaming “necklace”. Oh well! That forced me to try Phonak, and I’ve been in that camp ever since. The Lumity Life aids are indeed noticeably better for speech comprehension in a wide range of situations than the older Marvels I had. So far, so GOOD!

[BobbyBoomer]

Thank you all for your kind comments.

There is a lot of food for thought. My appt is later next month, so I am going to collect as much info as I can, so that I can tell her what features I want.

[tomead64]

I am glad I stumbled across this post before asking any of my own questions. I have the Paradise p90s and work some shifts on an ambulance from time to time and have been considering the Roger since I spend a lot of time seated behind the patient.

[markoo355]

sorry for asking, I didn’t understand when you would use a roger microphone? You said that you are always behind with the patient.

[tomead64]

The patient is usually talking away from me and not in my general direction, so I figured that the Roger placed closer to them would help. Essentially the patient is on a stretcher with their back to me. Also, even with hearing aids, the ambient noise from the ventilation system and road noise makes things difficult.

[WhiteHat]

See if you can get a trial. Velcro it to the ceiling maybe, pointing down at patient?

WH

[markoo355]

maybe Roger won’t be as effective in an ambulance. Because the environment is noisy, because of the noise of engines and traffic. Try it out to see if it works for you. I think that it is still difficult to listen, especially when they are not the same person, some patients, when they come down injured, do not try to speak intelligibly. … If there is a possibility, maybe they will move you to another position in the hospital? Where would be a better environment for you? Where there is less interaction with patients and more work such as preparing medicines for patients, etc.

[BobbyBoomer]

I heard they make an external mic that looks like a pen but can’t find it. Was I misinformed, or is the Roger On what they are talking about?

[MDB]

There is a Roger Pen. I’m including a link just for an example. There are different versions and one still needs to deal with the receiver issue. Don’t buy until you understand what you’re buying and KNOW it will work. PHONAK ROGER FM PEN 1.1 WIRELESS MICROPHONE | eBay

[BobbyBoomer]

Thanks MDB.

On further searching, I find the Roger Pen has been discontinued, so I won’t be looking for one.

Phonak has other remote mics, so I’ll choose one that my wife can easily have during noisy situations. Perhaps a clip-on.

I’m not sure of the difference between the Roger On and the Roger Clip on. The Phonak site doesn’t make it clear. I suspect they think the provider is the better choice for information, but I don’t know how much my Oticon preferring provider knows about Phonak gear. I’ll find out next month, but I want to be prepared to ask the right questions.

I plan to get everything from my Audi, so that will insure compatibility, if not, she won’t charge me for it. Plus, if I have a problem, going back to the Audi for service is easy.

In the rare instances in the past where my aids needed servicing, she always provided a loaner for me. With the Oticons, the only failures were the speaker attachment, resulting in a dead speaker.

I suspect the Phonaks will be at least that reliable.

My insurance will give me $2k off if I choose an in-system partner, and I checked, the Audi I have been using is in system. $2K will help a lot, as I’m not wealthy.

Bob

[MDB]

Roger On can function in multiple ways. It can be used as a clip on mic. It can be used sitting on a table and will focus on whoever is speaking and it can be used as a pointer mic. If all you want is a clip on microphone, the Phonak PartnerMic is much less expensive and works very well. Roger devices purchased new are quite pricy.

[Kado]

If you are considering the Roger On, I would wait. They are going to launch the Roger On 2 (I think that will be the name), and it has additional functionality. Although I love my Roger On, and it has proved to be incredibly valuable in complex hearing situations, I wish I would have hobbled along without it until the new one came out.

[BobbyBoomer]

Thanks. I didn’t know about the Partner Mic, and that might be a good solution.

[nursebill48]

I just sent back the Phonak Lumity 90Rs that I had been trialing since January (the VA gives a long trial period). I had a Roger On remote microphone that was the best thing about the Phonak system, in my opinion. It was nice to be able to be paired with multiple devices simultaneously. The Phonaks are the only HAs I’ve had that would pair directly to a PC laptop. There was a lot to like about them. I just did not like the sound quality that I got with them.

[Raudrive]

This thread has gone into the remote mic direction but I wanted to say something about Phonak aids that was special for me.

Frequency lowering technology was the key for me. Phonak has questionable the best and I believe it goes to lower frequencies than other brands. For many of us that have high frequency hearing loss Phonak just might be the ticket to better hearing. They have also been very reliable in my experience with them.

[aky13rx]

Hi Bob,

I have had my Phonak Brio 3 BT HAs from Costco (no longer sold there) for about 5 years. I chose them, after auditioning two other brands first, primarily for ONE reason: natural sound reproduction for MUSIC. Even though I am not much of a musician, music is a VERY important part of my life - almost every genre. As I write this, I am listening to Handel oratorio music. I had choice of maybe five programs when Costco set them up for me. In the end, I ONLY selected “MUSIC,” and - I think - something like road noise suppression (which, btw, interferes with full audio spectrum hearing while driving - my Subaru has a Harmon-Kardon sound system that is superb). Switching between programs is automatic, although it can take 20-30 seconds. E.G. when sitting in my car listening to music and I come to a long red light, I can easily hear when the MUSIC program cuts in! HUGE difference!

[IF you enjoy classical music - use “The Russian Sailor’s Dance,” from Gliere’s “Red Poppy” to test sound quality! This is my favorite classical (or romantic era) piece. It ranges from whisper soft to thundering loud; from deep base to tinkling chimes!]

At least THIS model of Phonak HA has one enormous DRAWBACK! The ANDROID APP SUCKS. Sorry for the language, but that is actually polite! It is SO useless that I’ve deleted it from my phone and tablet. The Apple app MAY be better, but I DESPISE anything Apple (with reason).

SUGGESTION: ONLY buy from a HA source that provides a LONG time for trial and return at NO COST to you. Try a FEW brands where you can listen to your favorite music and TRY to be objective. This is NOT EASY because each set of HAs must FIRST be customized for YOU. In MY experience, this goes FAR BEYOND setting the HAs to accommodate your audiogram!

In THIS respect, Costco cannot be beat, if they have brands that you think may be suitable for you. I forget their trial period, but it is much longer than anyone else’s!

I am not going to respond to your question about domes because I do NOT fully understand the difference in function. My current domes are closed.

I doubt that any modern hearing aid is going to be much different with respect to speech. I understand that Costco is currently selling a JABRA model that has microphones IN your ear, in addition to behind your ear. This is supposed to help with directionality. BUT, I understand there is a problem with audio feedback that may or may not have been remedied.

You mentioned Resound HAs. I started with those and was very pleased by the sound quality, but they crapped out very quickly.

One last PERSONAL thought - I would not mind replacing my current HAs, maybe with the Jabra if the feedback issue has been remedied. BUT, Costco, so far, is ONLY selling rechargeable HAs and I actually WANT to use batteries!