I’m a classical pianist and considering different models of Widex RIC hearing aids— moment , evoke , Beyond , unique , dream . Basic preferences are no rechargeable batteries, no interaction with phone,
Is there a difference between Widex models that concerns the mysic platform for optimizing acoustically sounded music?—NOT amplified music.
Any musician with experience using Widex and which model would be really helpful. I have an appointment this Monday with Audi to discuss which model to order.
Thanks for any insights of experience using Widex.
Signia and Widex are owned by the same company. I’m a classical guitarist. I’m trialing the Signia ax 7/5. I think these are very good with playing solo guitar. Haven’t been in ensemble yet. It could be much of the same tech is used between the two brands. The AX are rechargeable, which I thought I didn’t want. Turns out I like this feature. The aids get 16 hours of use per charge–and I suppose I could wear my old pair as backups in a pinch. the sound is very clear,with lots of presence and very good discrimination of notes in chords and also voicings. The 7 and 5 model AX come with a pre installed “muscians progrm” as well as one for recorded music and another for live. The musician program seems pretty good. However it’s possible that it can’t be altered–I’m not sure. There’s a huge difference between the normal program and the musician’s, so they seem to have known what they were doing. I have a music program on my current aids that an audi installed.
I have been trying the Widex Moment for the past 2 weeks. (Tried Oticon More 1 before) Although I am not a musician, I work with audio in a studio. (I have moderate high-frequency loss above 4 kHz. and am using an open dome) Even without a Real Ear calibration, the transparency of the HA’s is great. The Moment’s have a “PureSound” program that greatly reduces audio latency. No fluttering on musical notes. The Widex Moments are rechargeable and last at least 16 hours with constant use.
No different techniques, Widex have their own respective proprietary way of doing things, even though they were brought out by WS Audiology
(Sivantos) it was only 2019 or so.
Could be a few years more before we see big changes more aligned with Signia HAs or if they ever do.
Your post is really good advice for the OP, I myself like the Signia X7, I tried them against the Widex Evoke, which for me just couldn’t quite match the 7X.
For the OP use the search button from right here on hearingtracker to help you find more posts about this very topic.
https://forum.hearingtracker.com/search?q=Hearing%20aids%20for%20music
Thanks to all for your responsiveness to my topic. I don’t want to seem unappreciative of your comments, but my question centered around different models of Wiidex, comparing them for any plus or minus differences focused on a playing musician’s use… hopefully a musician using Wdex Sitting at an acoustic piano.
I’m meeting my Audi tomorrow to discuss which model to order… i’ll let you know results… thanks again for all of the very interesting points everyone has made.
It’s all good that you’re asking about Widex. If a good moment comes up, and If your audi carries the Signia Ax…you might ask his or her impressions. I’d be curious to know. I’m really liking the Ax 7! Also curious as to which model Widex is recommended for a musician.
I used to be a professional musician and wear Widex. The biggest thing for me was that I HATED the HAs trying to detect music and then changing the EQ to some scooped “loudness” mode. I asked my audi to make me a program that I could select that forced the HAs to do nothing outside of my normal frequency/volume correction. He had to jump through some hoops to make the program but that really made playing music enjoyable for me again. I was having issues recording/mixing/playing because the sound kept changing and I couldn’t trust my ears to hear what was actually being played. That program helped a ton and I’ve been happy with mine for music. Wearing Widex Beoynds but looking to upgrade to Signia AX or Phonak Paradise in the next couple of months here.
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Edit: I just realized that the Signia Ax7 HAs that I’m trialing have to be turned way, way down when in the musican program in order to avoid distortion; then they’re crystal clear. They still sound plenty loud! It’s jsut, the nearness of the guitar to the mics, as well as the absence of various noise suppression programs, which are turned off in music mode, can overwhelm the aids. This is a relief to discover!!
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Hello again. I have the Widex 330 Moment HA’s on trial for a week so far. My hearing loss began with low frequency and added on some high frequencies. I tried former Widex products twice spaced 10 years prior and both time Widex had a very distinct woolly woofy overall sound quality. That’s improved greatly, but all hearing aids overcompensate for low frequency loss.
This time I’m noticing a distinct resemblance to the various nasty maximum digital effects that I experienced with Phonak and Resound. random white noise sounds seem to be clipped off abruptly at the end of these sounds.
I’m trying three programs— universal ,music and pure sound. Sitting at my grand piano, the music program has a very typically weird digital response which makes the initial attack of sound characteristic of piano very very percussive and clanging… I doubt this is going to improve… I will post more later.
My 11yt. 0ld Starkey S series 11 hearing aids are still winners with perfectly functioning music program representing grand piano (mine has a big sustain) beautifully and naturally.
And yes, I’ve posted & searched this topic on this form previously.
I’m aware of and expect I’ll try Signia–Starkey doesn’t need 3 separate settings for live concert, recorded, and performing musician.
Is anyone familiar with Bernafon HA’s? Two years ago I found them highly recommended for live classical music and musicians playing.
!
I’m not familiar with Bernafon, but before in your original post and a subsequent post you authored in this thread, you seemed only interested to find out which Widex model would be good for a musician for live acoustic music (grand piano apparently), so I had no comment because I don’t have any experience with Widex HAs.
But now since you started to inquire about other HA brands/models that may be good for music, possibly Bernafon, it seems like you’re interested in widening your search and are now receptive to entertain trying other HA brands/models. Although I don’t have experience with Bernafon per se, I have experience with Oticon, so I just want to mention that you may want to try out the new Oticon More (at least the tier 1 or 2) and specifically using the very recently released MyMusic program that Oticon released for the More maybe a week or two ago.
Do a search on this forum to learn more about the new MyMusic program and read all the comments from forum members who’ve had a chance to try it out, to see if it may peak your curiosity enough to want to try it out or not.
Incidentally, Bernafon, Oticon, and Sonic are sister companies under the William Demant holding group’s umbrella that manufacture and sell hearing aids. Philips has also recently (within the last year or so) license HA technologies from William Demant and market and sell their own version of HAs as well. Oticon is one of the big six HAs companies in the HA industry, along with Widex, Phonak, Sivantos (who makes Signia), Starkey and Resound.
I haven’t myself,but the musicians did like them because they were using “Bernafon’s Channel Free technology”
There’s plenty of posts on this topic,use the search button from right here on hearingtracker to find more about what HAs are working for musicians. You may want to check a couple of these links out as well.
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I’m trialing Signia AX7s and like them. I’m a musician: classical guitar. I have both the ‘standard’ musician program and a second musician program that was tweaked to address some artifacts in the first program in very live rooms. Anyway, I like these very much and intend to purchase them.
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There are lots of ways you can use the software to change your preferences. For instance I always have trusound softener switched off as it prematurely clamps sound that is sudden, but I prefer to hear it as it is. Have you asked for the Widex tech teams support through the dispenser? They would be able to check your set up and advise on things to try, if you have already not had success on this with the fitter.
Thank you for your observation about working with a tech consultant directly from Widwx. That was in my mind to be the next step for checking out if this hearing aid can be adjusted enough for me to use it.
Initially I’ve had not a favorable impression of the pure sound for universal setting… it seems very very dull and I like bright and lively and universal setting.
I’m not sure to what extent a tech consultant could change the unusable effect of the dedicated music program but I’ll ask my Audi to work with a hopeful zoom consultation with Widex’s tech support.
my audi got on the phone with a Signia audi and was able to share my chart and AX 7 info. It showed that I was nearly maxing out on volume at some upper registers in my music program, so my audi brought down the gain on those frequencies on that program. I kept the pre installed musician program as well because in certain rooms this is a non issue. It’s helped with artifacts tor reduce some gain. (My issue is a kind of echoey, “bad electric guitar chorus effect” sound.)
YES! Every music program setting I’ve used in the past and with this trial Widex has necessitated turning down volume specifically on the dedicated music program… and I’ve heard of other pianist playing acoustic grand pianos y to adjust the dedicated music program will have to be in conversation with a tech consultant at lWidex.
The biggest challenge I have in using this product’s dedicated music program is how it does not represent the initial beginning of piano sound… I have doubts this can be over come but my husband is explaining a lot of music recording sound effects good and bad that might help me explain this to my Audi.
I forgot to mention that I also turn the normal volume on the Signia AX way down when I play my guitar. I still get plenty of volume. The guitar is so close to the HA mics that it can overwhelm them (this is my pet theory anwayy)
You could have your audiologist clinic adjust your music program volume, to just where you like it, so it would start off with less gain to begin with.
I’m still on trial with Widex Moment 330 and remembered a website titled “ Grand Piano Passion” we are I found two articles with recommendations for programming dedicated music settings on HA’s. This side is a collection of articles and videos organized by a freelance writer in New York and oriented towards adult piano beginners who also have hearing loss. 2 articles by Dr. Chassin, Canada and Dr Bauman, Connecticut. both audiologists totally concerned of providing optimum settings for playing musicians… following are primary points they use in choosing program settings:
M. Chassin article:
- First, be sure to select hearing aids that have 20-bit or 24-bit architecture to allow for a higher input level.
(Cassin)
2. A low compression ratio of 1.7 to 1 (or a maximum of 2 to 1) is best for music.
(Baumin article)
Purely Linear Compression Ratio
Dr. Bauman strongly recommends a pure 1 to 1 compression ratio for musicians (instead of the 1.7 to 1 ratio from Dr. Chasin’s checklist). This means that the gain of hearing aid will remain the same regardless of the input.
(Chassin)
3. Disable the noise reduction system for the music program.
The noise reduction system is designed to reduce the sound of the microphone inside your own hearing aid, but this feature sometimes has detrimental effects when used for music.
(Chassin)
4. Disable the feedback management circuit when setting up the music program.
(Chassin)
5. Disable any frequency shifting or frequency transposition for the music program.
(Baumin)
- Dr. Bauman always gives less gain for music than for speech, since music is a continuous stream of sound information and the total amount of energy is much greater than speech. Otherwise you riskoveramplifying.
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