Widex Super just died, using W. Evoke - unsatisfied

Hearing Aids
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Hello,

I have been a Widex-wearer since I was 3 years old, now 41 year. I have a profound hearing loss in both ears. CI is not an option for me, yet!
I have used W Inteo, W Super and now W Evoke. My Widex Super 440 last for 10 years (impressive!), and just last month don’t work properly. My best hearing aid I used ever was the discontinued model Inteo, and the Super that recently died for me.

Now I must use my second pair, Widex Evoke which I am not so pleased with. Why I like the Widex hearingaids is that they have the phone+ program that allows streaming in stereo when using landline phones which I use in the work a lot. I don’t want to use dongles, necklaces and so on, it is just clumsy.

Now, when I can’t use my Super, I am willing to change hearing aid brand, because of the Evoke is not just powerful enough for me. Speeches in silent environments is perfect, but everything except silent environment is almost a disaster. I have been adjust the Evokes maybe 7-8 times, without success. As you understand, I want to reach Evoke-settings just as close to my recent Super hearingaids. And even in silent environments i don’t hear the fridge working, or sometimes i don’t hear cars passes outside.

Is there any other good hearingaids except Widex, thu Widex don’t make any H.A. for profound loss. I just looked at the Phonak Lumity, Phonak Marvel? Or do you recommend any other truly powerful hearingaids?

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I like the phonak naida paradise which means absolutely nothing. It’s what works best for you.

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I like Oticon Xceed 1 UP but that means nothing either.

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The Evoke has automatic sound classes so will move to the specific sound class/acoustic that matches the sound environment best ie transport/social. The Super wouldn’t have had this so the sound processing will be very different to what you are used to.

You can try setting up a programme that may better match the acoustics you are used to from the super. In the kitchen you may hear the fridge in one sound class but if sounds around you change the class, the fridge noise may then be tuned out to concentrate on other sounds. Once you get used to it, it becomes normal.

Has your dispenser asked Widex technical support to assist? Not sure which model you have but changing the fit may help give the power you need. The two models work in very different ways-they can advise on your options.

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If you need a hearing aid now, Phonak Luminity is not the solution for you because now it only exists as a RIC version and you need a BTE because it is intended for more severe hearing loss.

Phonak Naida Paradise UP is the solution for you

Oticon Xceed is 4 years old if I’m not mistaken, that doesn’t mean it won’t be good, but if you want the most modern hearing aid, then oticon is your option.

The Marvel hearing aid you mentioned came out 4 years ago, followed by the Paradise and recently the Luninity only as a RIC version.

Maybe another Starkey Evolv BTE version? I haven’t tried it, I’m just saying it as an option if an audiologist near you offers it.

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Phonak Lumity goes to 105 dB max and no more so doesn’t cover the whole range of profound.

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If you’re dissatisfied with Evoke, you might consider trying the Moment line. They have a BTE option which goes to 105 dB max. Then they have RIC with HP speakers that can cover up to 100-110 dB loss. Considering you have Super that went up to 120 dB loss, Widex nowadays sells only MENU SP (Super Power) that goes to 120 dB.

Nevertheless, I am a lifelong Widex user and I can definitely tell a difference between Evoke and Moment lines. Moments can provide far better speech understanding in noisy environment than Evokes (my experience).

I have personally never used Phone+ program because it did not work well for me. Streaming to the other ear has failed on me more than often so I preferred listening to telephones with my dominant ear rather than using this clumsy program. I do not use landlines as they are a relic of the past, though. Nowadays I solve my phoning needs via iPhone and direct streaming to HAs.

Landline telephones sound too soft to my liking. Perhaps they could provide you with a landline with enough amplification for people with hearing issues? I know such devices do exist…

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Thank you all for your answers!!

Mir ; Oh, what do you mean that Widex sells MENU SP (Super Power) that goes to 120 dB.
I can’t find anything at their homepages. Can you please link.
Otherwise, maybe I should give Moment BTE 440 a try.

I can’t find any data sheets of evoke and moment, would like to compare these hearing aids.

Well, maybe I will get stucked to widex after all, because i am dependent of the telephone plus function.

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You can find everything you need to know from the Widex compass software, it’s very handy for things like this.

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But are people who aren’t audiologist download the software? How can I reach/download it?

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Sure it’s available, it’s pretty easy to use as well.

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I believe that Telephone Plus function ended with Dream Line, Unique and newer hearing aids don’t have this program…

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The issues you describe do sound like a power deficit issue moving from the BTE to the RIC.

Let your clinician know that your must-have feature is the bilateral landline phone audio. Is it automatic for you or do you switch into a program? Is it acoustic or are you using telecoil. With the general trend towards cellphones a lot of manufacturers are removing these options. At this point I’d have to dig a bit to find out who still has auto dual t-coil. Off the top of my heads, maybe Starkey.

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No, they are still an option, both for Evoke and the new Moment. It is only available for the 330 and 440 models I think.

Auto dual t-coil, does that mean that sounds come in stereo like with the phone+program för Widex, but for other brands?

I have always used BTE when I had Inteo and Super with an RITE HP with customer modular eartip?
I assume my Evoke is also an BTE, because this have also an RITE HP

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If your desk phone at work is VoIP (Cisco, Polycom, Yeaklink, Grandstream, etc.), you can (with the permission of their IT staff), run a SIP app on your smartphone that acts as a replacement for or additional extension to the desk phone. If apps such as FaceTime, WhatsApp or Skype play well through whatever HA you are considering, the landline audio should do likewise. SIP apps to consider include Groundwire and Zoiper. This method avoids any unnecessary conversions between digital and analog, or between electrical and acoustic.

If the above is not feasible, check whether the desk phone supports a headset. This is generally via an RJ9 jack, but you can use an inexpensive adapter to convert to 3.5 mm, such as
https://www.amazon.com/VoiceJoy-3-5mm-Smartphone-Headset-Adapter/dp/B06ZYGXKV4/
From there, you can connect a Bluetooth adapter or whatever device is compatible with the new HAs. This method entails a gratuitous D/A/D conversion, but is still better quality than anything involving acoustic or telecoil coupling.

When you refer to ‘stereo’, I think you mean ‘binaural’. The audio is sent to both ears, which improves comprehension, but the content is the same; both landline and cellular calls have only one audio channel.

1 Like
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For such an adapter, a UNI-DEX streaming device might be a good and simple option as it has a jack and a microphone. Unfortunately, it seems that Widex no longer sells these devices.

Yes, Evokes have a BTE and RITE HP option. I am currently using Evoke RITE HP with custom modular eartips. Super models were available only as RITE HP.

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Yes, of course I meant binaural.
great to know, i have already checked the deskphone, and yes it has a rj9 input, and honestly i didn’t thought about converters.

Mir ; can i ask you, what is your feeling about the evoke rite hp? what were your previous hearingaids?

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How about the Oticon Real? Is that a good hearing aid? Any former Widex users that gone over to Oticon? How is sound compared to Widex?

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Yes, of course. This is why this forum exists. Yet, please, bear in mind that my experience is untransferable as everyone’s hearing loss is different in severity and ability to understand speech.

My entire life since childhood was in 90 % of the time with Widex hearing aids. Widex Bravo BTE, Widex Real BTE, Widex Dream Fashion Power BTE, Widex Evoke RITE HP.

When I changed HA style from BTE to RITE HP, I noticed improved clarity in sound. And I would not go back to BTE even though RITE are more complicated to maintain (drying them every day, taking care of my ear canals as my ears sweat a lot and the liquid could damage the speakers, paying for repairing speakers - I had two speakers KO due to moisture in my ear).

The Evokes (which I am using now) provide me with best sound I have experienced once I got them set right. They provided me with open enough sound and enough speech amplification so I could understand in more complex environments. The Evokes absolutely excel in quiet environments as home or outdoors (both with and without speech) and are great with music. But, there were issues as no hearing aid is perfect. The issues are that Evokes amplify soft sounds (which is good) but those softer sounds hamper speech understanding when in a problematic environment because they blend in with speech. Understanding in a café is a tough work for me but manageable. Reverberant rooms (such as doctor’s offices, school classrooms, meeting rooms etc.) are a nightmare for me due to persistent echo that disturbs my speech understanding. I have tried Widex Moment recently and those problems, which Evokes have, vanished in the moment (literally!). Moments also have improved details in streamed music and music in general. In general, listening to speech was less of an effort with Moments and I felt a relief in my brain that I did not have to strain my ears anymore.

Now I know that my next hearing aids will be a pair of Moments and I will happily recommend everyone with hearing loss if not purchasing, then at least trying them because for me, Moments surpass Evokes in every way.

Yes, you’re right, I have looked into Widex user manuals and they have kept this program. Sorry for my mistake.

I have not tried Oticon as in my country, Oticon has not good customer treatment and is not as spread as Widex and Phonak. I have tried Phonak Marvels but their sound was abysmal to me and my speech undestanding went to hell. So I disregarded Phonak as a brand. Perhaps I am so used to Widex that any other hearing aid will not be sufficient for me.

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I received my first pair in February. Seven months later I just went to the audiologist to pick up my third pair, (second replacement). Unfortunately the left hearing aid is not functioning properly. So before I left the audiologist office another replacement for the left hearing aid was ordered. This makes it the third replacement and fourth set I have tried. I have worn hearing aids for over 20 years. I’ve used Sieman’s, Phonak, and Oticon and have never had such a negative experience with hearing aids. I’ll be stuck with these for at least 3 years. You would think that over $6500 hearing aids would be of a higher quality. Using Widex hearing aids has been a frustrating experience. Luckily my Oticon hearing aids that are older than 6 years are still working. Unfortunately the Oticon aids are not set to my new hearing needs, however they still work better than the Widex.