Widex Super 440

Hearing Aids
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#21

Isn’t it wonderful how a major HA manufacturer like Widex can claim they can make a clear mold (which I might suggest is not translucent) and then put an ugly dark brown cover over the “supposed” clear mold. Wonder what “bright” engineer thought that up?

In any case it appears the Super 440 might be the only “major” new HA out this year for people with severe to profound hearing loss. Reports on the Super aid seem to be coming in slowly, and not as fast as I would like. In fact I’m not sure Widex is getting the results they want in sales, but its still early in game.

What size shell did you get for the mold? Half shell mold? Full size mold? Also do you notice HA to be a little heavier with larger battery used?

I tried out the Widex Fusion last year but returned them due to feedback problems. Over all the Fusion was OK - but not a big improvement over my old Senos Divia. I did like the HA program that worked extremely well in noisey situations. So hopefully the Super 440 works well for you in restaurants, large groups and areas where there is a lot of background noise.

Have you reached the end of your test trial period and are you going to keep Super HA’s or try other aids?

#22

I used transparent shell was huge and gave great views and nothing discreet.
I’m waiting to get the wi Starkey absolut power and soon I will also try resound Alera 9!

#23

the mould is clear/translucent - the need to put that horrible beige clap on the outside of the mould is so they can easily change the wire if ever needed in future without having to break the mould. It makes sense an is actually somewhat clever and i guess you just need to accept that however that beige colour i agree is just woeful. Couldnt they come up with something else? I reckon they could have position the clap closer to the top of the mould…not middle…slightly better cosmetics…

I have full shell…i doubt you could get half shell with a receiver and audibility extender. i do agree the mould does feel quite full in the ear with the receiver but again…you just need to accept that. i doubt there much else in alternative unless you wont proper old fashioned BTE

#24

If you take a look around the previous posts in this forum about frequency transposition (Widex’ audibility extender program is such a strategy where important high frequency sounds are shifted down in frequency) you will find that there has been a rather headed debate about this subject.
Nevertheless, it seems that there is a general consensus that frequency transposition may improve the speech intelligibility considerable but it may also have a huge impact on the “sound quality”. It should apparently take some time getting used to. I don’t know if this explains why you hear people as ‘hoarse’, but it is likely that the frequency transposition inherently changes the perceived pitch of speech?

Beside making voices sound more hoarse does the audibility extender help you follow conversations better than the master program?
If it doesn’t help you after some weeks of trial it should probably be fine-tuned, see e.g. the “Individualising the Audibility Extender program” section at
widexireland.wordpress .com/2010/10/01/the-audibility-extender-and-how-to-individualise-it/

With regards to the feedback, the mentioned claim must be a mistake in the flyer. I have never heard about a HA without feedback! The FBC may be excellent and the feedback may be low but it would be revolutionary if it could be entirely canceled :slight_smile:

#25

HI Aldu

Thanks for the explanation but I would say it is unlikely that this explains the hoarseness.

I dont experience this hoarseness at home (or seeming in most home environments). In fact the sound/speech is perfectly fine or acceptable in these situations (I detect n hoarseness).

There seems to be something in the a different sound environment that triggers this hoarseness. I’m struggling to put my finger on just what it is…Seems to be most common in cars, outdoors, cafe but then occasionally there is no hoarseness…

I did switch to master program and music program on one occasion and the hoarseness disappeared - it needs further experimenting though

#26

It’s the audibility setting. If you are in a more challenging environment, the aid is working harder to preserve speech. You can have this turned down in the fine tuning page, though you might lose a little of the sharpness.

#28

Leviathan,

So did you ever decide to keep the Super 440 for keeps? From what I’ve read the Super 440 probably has the most power of any power aid out there. If you did keep the new aids, how would you rate then?

Also, any chance you could show a picture of your SP mold. From what I have been told Widex only offers SP mold (largest receiver for Super 440) in a beige color or a milky white color that is not translucent. It basically a solid off white color, and not attractive - looks like someone has cotton stuffed in their ear. I have yet to see an all clear translucent Widex mold for either a Fusion custom fit mold or the Super 440 custom fit mold. Widex is blowing it if they think people with severe or profound hearing losses don’t want an all clear mold. Even if a part of the receiver shows through the clear mold, users will take it versus the other two choices. But the brown strip covering the receiver is a big time mistake.

Wonder why Widex can’t tell the mold makers to come to their senses and just add a different solution to a mold cast that is clear versus the darker colors. Must be a major hurdle for Widex.

#29

the ‘cap’ Siemens iMini is a flat black color… so is the caps on my HP molds. no one has ever noticed it.

#30

I’ve now tested the Super 440 for two weeks and am generally satisfied with the new hearing aids. I am hearing better, but can’t say it was a huge improvement over my Widex Divas.

Master Mode - incoming sound is normal and natural. Seems as if clarity is there, but at times I’m still asking people to repeat things. You start to wonder when you have a severe to profound hearing loss if HA’s can pick up different voice patterns across the board. The Super 440 certainly has power, but I’m still sitting on the fence if its a major improvement over HA’s say five, six years ago.

Background noise mode - There seems to be two view points on how the Super 440 should work in a noisy environment. Some say the aid in the master mode will adjust automatically to handle background noise. Others say you need to kick in the background noise mode to improve hearing quality. From what I can tell both statement are some what true. In a noisy area I tend to think the master mode works OK - not great in controlling outside sounds and people talking. In a loud noisy area I think you have to switch to the noise program to reduce incoming noise. Unfortunately when you do that you not only reduce background noise, but also the voices of people talking around you. Its almost as if you are just reducing the volume, thus lowering ths sound of people talking. The odd thing is that last year I did try the Fusion (returned due to feedback problems) and had wonderful results regarding the background noise program. The Fusion eliminated or muffled background noise, but still pulled in/zeroed in on people talking next to you. You would think since both HA’s are made by Widex that they would both work the same in a noisy environment. Unfortunately they do not.

TV mode for me needs a slight software change since TV sound is not totally clear and natural. The sound really boosts up in TV mode which is good, since I listen to the TV in a loud volume setting. But until I get an adjustment I’d say I hear the TV better in the master mode.

Ear molds feel some what full in my ears but comfortable. So much for an inverted ear mold since the SP receiver seems to push the mold to the outer portion of the ear. I’ve been told that Widex will offer an all clear mold with clear receiver cap/strip sometime this year. Why that’s taking so long is beyond me, since if you can make a brown cap cover you can make a clear cap cover.

I’ll update in a week or two on how things are progressing HA wise.

#31

On the cap cover, nylon has far more ‘give’ than clear acrylic, it’s not just a question of the colour of the mould, it’s the flexibility which is needed to mount/ demount the receiver.

#32

We’re not talking space shuttle material here. Maybe you should review Westone molds, since they seem to provide translucent molds of any type and color and nylon does not appear to be needed. Widex is just being lazy offering limited choice of mold color. Its as if they think the HA is visible (which iusually isn’t due to hair coverage) and the mold is hidden. Yea - right.

I always get a kick how HA manufacturers say pick a color for a HA body which no one sees, yet when it comes to a mold - companies like Widex say forget shaded rose, clear translucent, skin tone color, etc., and go with brown, or semi-clear with brown cover. Tacky.

#33

Westone can’t make moulds to the same standard, with the same matched acoustic performance for this device. Sorry to burst your bubble.

#34

Thanks for the review :slight_smile:

I can’t see why you should experience a difference between the noise handling in the Fusion and SUPER aids. Do you know whether the aids been fine tuned likewise with regards to microphone modes (adjust directional system) and speech and noise modes (adjustment of the noise reduction system) in COMPASS?

#35

I’m set to see the audiologist in a few days for my first HA software adjustment. My audiologist lead me to believe he couldn’t tinker with or adjust the background noise program on the Widex Supper 440. As if it was preset and settings were not changeable. Audiologist also said Supper 440 would automatically adjust hearing level on its own (no program change needed) in a noisy setting.

From my experience with the Fusion and reading about the Phonak, a background noise program or mode should do better under noisy conditions then say the normal setting - master program mode. One would think a program change would improve hearing level in say a “noisy restaurant”, then doing no HA progam change and letting the HA do the sound adjustments on its own (automatically) Am I wrong on this???

From what you just posted, its sounds like the WIdex Super 440 does have software capability change within the background noise program. If that’s true then maybe (hopefully) some adjustments can be made in the (adjust directional system) or the noise reduction system in Compass, as you say.

By the way, what does COMPASS stand for do you have first hand knowledge that the “Background Noise Program” can be computer/software adjusted?

#36

Hi Chris

Sorry for late reply…I just read the message.

Hoarseness

I went back to my Audiologist regarding the hoarseness. To fix the issue - my audi reduced the truSOUND feature. Its removed the problem for the most part. He created another program with even further reduced the truSOUND features. Should I ever get hoarseness in really bad environments.

So the hoarseness is definitely a fixable problem although I have to admit, I dont understand how Widex seriously expect to get the full benefits of truSOUND if you cant use it with it full capability.

Would I choose Widex 440?

I’ve previously tried the Phonac Naida and Oticon Chilli and in my opinion I think the Widex 440 is wayyy better than both of these. Generally speaking there aint many other super power aids left to try. My audi doesnt deal with Starkey (I cant go to a different audi as my aids have been pre-paid for with this audi by the government), I could try the Siemens Nitro but that’s about it. So I’m almost certain to take the Widex 440 aids and I would say I don’t have an issue with them, other than to say you always do wonder if there if there is something better out there.

Regarding Noise in background

I’m not certain the background noise mode is meant to reduce background and focus on speach. The way it was explained to me - it actually reduces speach and maintains background. Sort of like if your on a train and you want to read a book but dont want to hear the people around you. This is what background option is for. Thats how I understood it anyway…My audi and the widex specialist that also came said not to bother with it. It did sound like a waste of a program option from what was described to me.

As for reducing background and focusing on speach…i think as you said…its pretty automated. The problem is and I suspect this is what your finding, everything seems to be on the loud side. Not just in noisy situations but also just generally. Personally I found things very loud after my first setting. Its possible my audi set things slightly on the loud sound but I also think it is a fair bit of Widex programming. The loudness doesnt necessarily mean better hearing though - A lot of it has to do with your brain adapting to the new aids. That take time unfortunately. I’m pretty syre, in time you will do better with speach in background once you adapt. Nevertheless - My audi has since put the volumn down 3db at my request. I dont believe Im doing better or worse which is interesting since my hearing is really poor and every db would count. You may wish to experiment with this?

I’ve no idea about TV program - havent tried it. Nor have I tried the Dex series yet.

The Ear Moulds

Like you…I found the mould do leave my ears feeling quite full. Cant say I like it but it doesnt bother me enough to worry about it. I would rather get all the hearing possible.
I agree the beige clap is horrible, dont know about the white one but the clap does serve a function. The thing is - even if the clap was clear - you would still get the silver metellic receiver behind it…so you wont get really truly clear?

No?

I’m happy to post a picture of my mould with the beige clap…when i get home tonight.

#37

If you have a chance, give the MDex a try, just for the directional controls if nothing else. All of my top end Widex aid users have it: the only manufacturer where the take-up is 100% accessory-wise.

#38

Your audi is right in that respect that it shouldn’t be nessesary to alter the background noise mode in the master program as it is set to the optimal mode by default. But you are able to change the mode if you for instance have been happy with the classic noise reduction system in your old Widex aids:
“In the default setting, the Speech and noise modes feature uses the Speech Enhancer to make sure that speech is amplified in the optimum way. To change the setting, use the drop-down list to select a Widex classic noise reduction setting. You can define noise reduction as minimal, enhanced or comfort. You can also turn off the Speech and noise modes entirely.” According to the COMPASS Manual.

[SIZE=2]With regards to the “noise program”. I presume your “noise program” is the
comfort program described in the COMPASS manual on p. 43. The description from the manual of this program is as follows:
[SIZE=1]"Focuses on optimum comfort in noisy environments as well as in quiet environments. "
The main difference between the master program and the comfort program is:
Higher knee-point for soft input levels.
Speech and noise mode: Widex classic noise reduction comfort
In other words it seems kingleviathan’s understanding is correct.
The master program should provide the best overall performance in all environments, but if you want a dedicated “noise program” you could as a trial ask your audi to change the speech and noise mode in the comfort program from the default setting to “speech enhancer”.

I don’t know how your audi has programmed your present and previous aids, but it may be worth the while to hear him if he has set anything different in your previous Fusion aids since they performed so much better in the comfort program.

Good luck :slight_smile:
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#39

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#40

Hi Aldu

Based on your description regarding Speech in noise

Whats the go with the audibility extender in noise? for speech?

or if you did want to try getting the best possible speech in noise what would you be trying/recommending in for theory?

Hi Um Bongo

I will look to get the assisted devices once i decide this is the aid for me. If you need the accessories to decide if the aid is any good, then I would say the aid isn’t up to it.

Also with the M-DEX…there is something called Free Focus…Which allows you to choose the directionality…right, left, back. Are Widex 440 set to ‘in front’ by default or all around? Is it possible you could choose ‘i front’ if its not the default? therefore providing possibility to cut out background?

I’m mostly happy with the aids…so certainly the assistive devices seems to be the next step.

I notice Widex have launched a new Dex device called the FM+Dex. Any idea if this is stereo or mono? like i know it will go to both ears but is is stereo surround (playing slightly different sound into each ear)?

#41

The ability to set directional focus can be make or break for some people, as can clear and concise program/volume control, especially important to have this kind of a contol where the aid might need fine tuning in challenging situations.

The forward bias is will depend on the automatic program functionality, but you can select it with the M-Dex, it will reduce the volume from other directions.

I haven’t had a chance to try out the fm-Dex yet.