Will Custom Molds reduce Feedback at the expense of Occlusion

Hearing Aids
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#1

I recently purchased the new Widex Smart RIC and the sound is perfect, except for the feedback.

To reduce the feedback;

  • I’ve tested at least 10 different domes
  • My Audi has made numerous adjustments
  • My Audi replaced the wire length of the speakers
    All to no avail.

I’ve decided to live with the feedback annoyance because the Widex sound is superior to the new Otticons’ and my old Widex Moments

My Audi has suggested trying custom Widex molds, $300+.to reduce the feedback

I have my mild hearing loss in the upper Khz and my natural hearing from 0 to 1.5Khz is normal (see my 2023-02-15 Hearing Test), so my fear is that custom vented molds will block much of my natural hearing.

Can anybody offer up their experience or advice on hearing molds in this respect?
I understand that widex makes them vented, but will it be enough not to block my natural hearing?

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#2

I don’t wear widex aids but do wear custom ear molds. Due to my hearing loss my vents a very small, and i don’t notice my own voice rhat much anymore. At first I did and it was terrible. But with the help of my audiologist and getting use to my new life it has been really great experience.

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#3

Interesting that you’re having such troubles. Custom molds should be able to include a big enough vent to prevent occlusion, assuming your ear canal is big enough to allow. Is it just one ear or both? Did your Audi run feedback management?

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#4

Looking at your audiogram you do not need molds but you do need the aids to be properly fit.

Have you tried pushing the domes in a little further with your finger when you are having feedback? If this stops the feedback the dome seal or gain is not right.

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#5

thanks MDB, unfortunately my ear canals are small, O-Oh!
I hope it will still allow me to have a bug enough vent, and yes I definitely would do the same molds for both ears.

#6

and yes my Audi is the best.

#7

Thanks Raudrive,
Originally she gave me longer wires and I had the ability to go deeper into the ears and BTW I loved the longer wires, but it did not reduce the feedback so after speaking with a widex rep they suggested going with a shorter wire and believe it or not there was some small reduction in feedback so I stuck with the shorter wires. I’m thinking that if I get the Custom molds at least I’ll be able to go back to the longer wires but I agree with you that with my hearing test results I don’t think I’m really a candidate for custom molds

#8

Something strikes me as not right. Feedback control should be pretty straight forward. If feedback management is run it should lower gain in susceptible frequencies. I wonder if there is something wrong with the hearing aids or perhaps Widex is just really bad at feedback management?

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#9

It may be possible to have say a skeleton ear mold made that holds your receivers in place but allows for your small canals. But it would be very iffy. I wear custom semi skeleton early molds that keeps my receivers in place and i don’t have any feedback issues, but i have large canals, and have worn either ITE aids or custom ear molds for about 20 years.

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#10

Hey MDB
you are Correct, Widex is not great with feedback management but you can’t beat their sound, so I’m sticking with them

#11

Hey CVKemp,
Skeleton molds? what’s that, I understand that widex offers their own custom molds and I don’t think they refer to skeleton molds…

#12

It is a reference to the way the ear molds are held in the ear.
My ear molds are semi skeleton

20240714_201129
20240714_2011291920×1440 244 KB

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#13

Unique molds.
If they hold that’s a good thing.
Thanks for the picture.

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#14

Hi Ive had 4 Custom Silicone Ear Molds fitted in Office and sent out to return in 2 Weeks.These Fit Resound and Signia and are made by Signia with Serial Numbers at a cost of $50.00 by HearUSA,a Humana Designated Provider,not a Co Pay as they dont cover Hearing Aid Molds but the nice thing is I can use them on my Resound Omnia rechargeable and Signia Charge and Go.

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#15

I have found Widex to feed back easier than other manufacturers, but it is somewhat suspicious that you are having issues with feedback more so than your previous Moments in particular, as the receivers are the same and it is largely just a different form factor. The microphones on the SmartRICs sit higher up though, so they may be more exposed from behind the pinna and therefore more open to feedback. I have not had any significant feedback issues unique to SmartRICs relative to mRIC/sRIC, but experimenting with retention tails would be my first try. Backing off on soft gain can also help with feedback.

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#16

Hi PaulC,
Indeed Widex has complaints about feedback and these SmartRIC’s are no different. however they are far superior to my previous Moments (2020).
I had my Audi attempt to provide the same gain on my Moments as I was receiving on the Smart RIC’s and she could not come close, I kept saying to myself that the sound improvement on the Smart RIC’s was easily 20%-25% improvement, possibly it has something to do with the larger battery but the improvement justified my purchase. my question comes down to shelling out $300. for custom fit molds which I’m quite sure will be a bust because of the occlusion I’m certain to have. oh well nobody here can tell me.

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#17

People here have answered your questions including pros.
Maybe rereading the posts will help you.
Good luck

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#18

They are very comfortable and don’t slip and i don’t have any feedback issues. But Oticon seems to be good at preventing feedback as long as the aids are set up correctly.

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#19

I did my best to answer your question. To be as honest as possible, it all comes down to how good your audiologist is and how well you explain your issues to your audiologist. And me not knowin Widex just how well the aids are designed to prevent the issue.

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#20

Hey Raudrive,
apologies for my response “oh well nobody here can tell me”
It should have read nobody here can predict the degree of occlusion I may have

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