Hello, today I am trialing Widex aids for 2 weeks. I don’t know which model they are; I didn’t think to ask. Is there anyway to find out just by looking at the aids? I really don’t know what to expect. Any information or hints or tips would really be appreciated.
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They are most likely Moment, SmartRIC, or Allure, and they all have distinctive looks:
Left is Moment sRIC, middle is SmartRIC, right is Allure
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Widex work best at connecting to iPhones for the app to control the hearing aids. Android smartphones - connectivity varies a lot by brand and model.
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Thank you very much. They are Allure. The name of the app is Allure but I had no idea that was also the name of the model. Can you tell me which of the 3 models you mentioned is most current with best features?
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Allure is the latest model. It was just released last month. I just got it this week and it seems like a clear step up compared to the SmartRIC based on my experience so far.
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Hi. I’m inteerested in the allure, what differences are you hearing with it?
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I’ve only had them a couple days, but a few things I’ve noticed compared to my memory of the SmartRICs I demoed a couple months ago:
- Puresound seems to be better fitted to my hearing. I’m guessing the fitting range is better/more expansive than the previous generation’s, at least for my cookie-bite hearing
- The overall sound quality is extremely “clear” or “natural”. The SmartRICs were great with this, but Allures seem even better. No artifacts or weirdness in sound at all, at any moment, since I started wearing them.
- The wind reduction is great. I ride my bike downhill on a daily basis, and every hearing aid I’ve tried including the Phonak Spheres and SmartRICs created some amount of wind noise, but the Allures create none.
- Live music (at venues or on my audio system) sounds great even in Universal mode. SmartRICs needed to be put in Puresound or Music programs or else the feedback reduction, compression, etc. would mess up the sound.
- I did this word-in-noise test and got a higher score than any other hearing aids I’ve tried. 59% with SmartRICs, 74% with Allure.
- Streaming sound quality is better than the SmartRICs, but not as good as Phonak Spheres
I haven’t done more extensive speech-in-noise testing (where I simulate a restaurant environment) yet, but I’ve worn them in a couple noisy situations and they seem better than the SmartRICs at filtering out noise.
I liked the SmartRIC form factor and case better, but it’s not all that important to me.
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Thanks that’s really helpful to know. What kinds of tips are you using for these and how have you found feedback management? BTW does it still speak when it changes programs with the button? does Universal sound better than it did in the previous generations? you could always hear a little bit of delay with Universal, is that still there? oh and do you feel Pure has the front and back sensation the slightly less sharp comfort feeling that universal has, or is it still omni and you get blasted by sound from everywhere?
Feedback hasn’t been too much of an issue with hearing aids I’ve used, so not sure how the Allures compare. I’m using open tips even though the audiologist prescribed vented tulips, and they do squeak if I cup my ears but otherwise no feedback.
They don’t speak when changing programs like the SmartRICs; just 1, 2, or 3 beeps.
Universal sounds better to me than I remember it sounding with SmartRICs, but still a bit of delay is noticeable compared to Puresound with sounds like drums or quiet voices.
I haven’t used Puresound too much in busy situations, so not sure about the omni/sound blasting…
Yeah I recall pure sound being better if you were in a fixed location and universal doing a much better job of picking up sound in an every day situation. Usually I like to stick with 1 program all the time but this seemed not to be a good idea.
The way you describe squeaking when you cup your ear I would definitely class as feedback. What I notice is that if I get near a wall or hear reflections from nearby objects I can detect a very very very slight feedback sound in the hearing aids. Widex were traditionally really bad for this even with vented sleaves.
Do you mind commenting on their size, particularly their width compared to the SmartRIC? I have small ears with little space between my head and ear so most aids I’ve tried tend to be uncomfortable and push my ear out too much, causing fatigue and soreness after a while.
As a follow up. I was with 8 other ladies at a rectangular table in a home and I was surprised that I was able to hear all of them pretty well. This was a major improvement for me over the years with different brands of aids. That same evening we were all in a restaurant (13 of us). I heard a lot of background sounds just like the other brands I’ve used which made it difficult to hear any conversation at the table. Last nite at home I was able to hear the TV really well without any accessory. I’m still trialing these Widex aids. Tomorrow at our daughter’s for Easter celebration. Should be interesting what I hear and what I don’t.
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Another FU. Was at a family gathering yesterday (Sunday). Not so great. Not any better than the Phonak Sphere’s or the Senneheisers I’ve trialed recently. Thought they’d be great at the table with 4 others like previously reported, but they were terrible. Don’t know why great at one gathering in a home and then terrible yesterday in another home! I’m really confused because I’m looking for being able to “hear” in a group and so far none have done that! I’m beginning to think that will just be impossible for me.
I have a moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. I wonder if the Widex Allure would be a good fit for me? I am blind and stream a lot of music and audiobooks off the Apple I-
Phone. I also use the Apple voice over feature.
I have worn Phonak and Starky BTE analog brands of hearing aids with skeletal earmolds for 40 years.
Been using Resound RIC aids for last 5 years and had compression problems throughout. Here are my questions. Do the Widex Allure brand of hearing aids offer skeletal earmolds? How is the sound quality in different situations?
How much better are they in comparison to the Resound brand?
How well do they stream music and audiobooks off Apple I-Phone?
Is the app user friendly with voiceover?
How well do they do with live music and in public speacking events within auditorium?
I have moderate-severe bi-lateral hearing loss & currently have Moment 440 customs. Speech in noise is excellent-noisy restaurants, cafes, concerts etc are no problem & I usually hear better than those with normal hearing. I will say that the set up is critical to this. So long as the aids fit your ears well & the dispenser follows the exact fitting protocol that Widex prescribe it’s great. If the fit isn’t quite right or if something is adrift in the set up then speech in noise is impacted. The Allures are meant to have better speech in noise plus feedback management too.
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When I last used the Widex app a year ago, it was accessible. I believe they have maintained this from speaking to their tech support guy in the UK. Sound quality is great compared to other hearing aids, using 0delay will give you a great result depending on your hearing loss. They stream well from an iPhone in my experience, they have low latency due to iPhone HA compatibility and BT LE. It really does depend on your hearing loss though, you’d need to consult your audiologist. I would certainly give them a try.
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Hi. Do you know if the allures have the option of remote care? I assume being cloud software based they should, but wasn’t sure. You still liking them by the way? have you noticed any new features in the app? speec in noise controls etc? and how are those working if so? can you notice when those settings kick in?
Yes, Widex can do skeleton earmolds for their receiver-in-the-canal hearing aids, including Allure.
I have not had a lot of opportunity to put our Allures through their paces, but from what I have experienced so far the sound quality and general functioning is at least comparable to previous Widex platforms.
Obviously, or at least in the case of the big 5/6 manufacturers, no one brand does everything better than any other brand. Traditionally, some things I have liked better about Widex compared with Resound is sound quality, custom earmolds, number of fitting bands, and ease of replacing receivers. However, Widex has been much more prone to feedback, and they are somewhat notoriously late to the party insofar as wireless connectivity. The Allure platform seems to address a lot of Widex’s shortcomings, but I have several users in Resound and are doing great.
This is something that likely has improved with the new Allure platform, but it is not something I have been able to explore very deeply on my own. I am unfamiliar with the voiceover accessibility feature on iPhone, but it sounds like @Xonic83 has good insight on that.
Apparently there’s no remote care yet, but it should be coming soon. At least that’s what my audiologist said.
The main change to the app is the “AI Quick Assistant” which is a much simpler version of the “AI Sound Assistant” in the Moment app. I haven’t used it much but it’s definitely quicker and more user friendly, although it only works with a list of 10 activities/environments. The AI Sound Assistant is still available too. Other than that, it seems to be the same as the Moment app but with a better design.
I’m still liking the Allures, but I have noticed a few quirks that I hadn’t experienced before my previous post. For one, I’ve encountered wind-in-microphone noises after rolling the window down while driving. It seems to adjust within a few seconds, but it’s not immediate. Also, it’s slow to react after exposure to noisy environments – it seems to be supressing certain frequencies for a few seconds after the noise ends. Also, it’s not great at adjusting itself when I’m wearing a helmet; today I was having more trouble hearing people on the ski lift than I did with the Phonak Spheres, although it was fine after I turned up the volume to 2. Otherwise, I still think they’re the best hearing aids I’ve tried, all-around.
Is one of those app modes doing AI processing on the phone?