I am curious about how to know which domes are right for me, and a bunch of ancillary questions… like,. are there times when I’d want an open dome, and other times I’d want a closed dome?
My Philips 9050s (aka Oticon Intent, I think) will be fitted next week at Costco, and I’m assuming the audiologist will set me up with the domes she thinks are best for me, but I want to understand the options.
I’ve looked at (e.g) amazon and see all sorts of replacement domes I can buy, but most of them are packages of the same size/type (e.g, a 10-pack of 8mm vented). Is there any way to get an assortment of different sizes and types to play with?
Is there any way to find out cross-compatibility? For example, Amazon has assortments of domes for Phonak and Widex and GN hearing aids, any way to know if they’ll fit on Oticon (RIC) hearing aids?
Hmmm… if I search “domes for hearing aids oticon” I indeed only see packages of ten for the same size- probably a manufacturer thing. As for compatibility, that depends on what receivers (“tiny speakers”) such domes fit on, and I am not sure what goes with Oticon.
The Phonaks I just sent say they are for RITE RIC. Those I see for Oticon claim both RITE and Corda, if that helps. My hunch is that all fit, but I am not certain.
By all means have a play about, but you’ll find your prescription is already optimised for one particular dome type.
That said for the most flexibility/comfort of partially occluded (unless the loss is really mild or canal really small) fits I’ve moved most people on to the grey Resound Tulip style. They work across the Oticon range too.
Sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one: Costco.
Explain the fitter what you want and what you need to understand. Dome selection depends on the type of hearing loss, ear architecture and, probably most important, feedback. If they fit you with a vented/closed dome and you switch to open, you may get nasty feedback.
Talk to the fitter, you will have plenty of time to ask tons of questions during the fitting. Don’t try to re-invent the wheel. Costco will allow to walk around the store with your hearing aids prior to purchase.
After that, Costco will give any domes you want for free (they don’t even ask for your name), so why bother spending $$$ on trials?
