Wind Noise in BTE vs CIC + Old vs New Hearing Aids?

Hearing Aids
#1

Hi I recently tried these 2 Widex hearing aids:

  1. The Widex Moment 440, behind the ear

  2. The Widex Enjoy 330, completely in ear canal

The Widex Moment 440 BTE produces zero wind noise when riding my bicycle.

The Widex Enjoy 330 CIC produces a shrill and unpleasant wind noise when riding my bicycle.

My question is:

Why does the Widex Enjoy produce this shrill wind noise while the Widex Moment doesn’t?..

Is it because the Widex Moment is positioned behind the ear instead of in the ear? (less exposed to the wind which almost all comes front the front when cycling)

Or is it because the Widex Moment has better wind noise suppression technology?

I prefer the CIC style hearing aids. I don’t want to change that. But…

I wonder if waiting for the Widex Moment CIC style hearing aid will be worth it in terms of wind noise reduction/elimination. Or if it will have cycling wind noise just the same due to its more exposed position.

Anyone got any insights in wind noise reduction between BTE vs ITE/CIC hearing aid styles and/or how the different Widex models fare on this?

#2

I just switched from CIC aids to BTE and I’ve also noticed a huge drop in wind noise with the BTE. I think in general BTE have better technology and better features mostly because of the bigger size they are able to pack more in there. BTE has more microphones and different positioning.

I live in a very windy area and I used to take my CIC aids out in the wind, but now I hardly notice the noise. I sometimes find myself checkig to see if my aid fell off because I’m used to the terrible wind noise and now its silent.

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#3

I’ve had the opposite experience. My Phonak BTEs pick up a lot more wind and other noise than my Widex CICs. I guess it depends on programming, with BTEs having more power but also programming ability.

Positioning and cover might be an issue.You could ‘protect’ the BTEs with a bike helmet, a hat or even long hair, while the microphone in CICs are rather more exposed.

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#4

I tried the 330 Evoke custom-and then the 440 Evoke custom. The 440 has increased wind noise suppression, going back to the 330 meant I really noticed increased wind noise so I stayed with the 440 and that’s with exactly the same style hearing aid.

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#5

Just wanted to say that I find I have more wind noise if I wear junior ear hooks on my BTE Aids. Think because the Aids are more forward. I much prefer the fit of junior ear hooks despite more wind noise.

#6

Was that an in the ear or a behind the ear version of the Evoke? The Moment 440 behind the ear I tried produced basically no wind noise. Would be interesting to know if an in ear canal Widex can match that.

#7

Which Widex CICs do you have exactly? Is it a 440 model or lower?

When checking specs it seems only the Widex 440 models have wind noise suppression which is too bad as I don’t see wind noise suppression as a luxury but more as a basic need. Hence I’d expect it to be included in the more basic configs. But maybe the underlying tech is advanced.

#8

It’s an in the ear, called an Evoke custom IP. It was only when I went from 440 down to 330 and started getting the annoying wind noise again that it highlighted that’s part of what you get with the 440-great wind noise suppression. The Moment would be the same. I think the difference between the 330 and 440 is the wind noise suppression and optimum speech in noise.

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#9

Here is the Evoke specification-note the difference between 330 and 440.

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image726×550 94.9 KB

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#10

The manual says they are Widex Unique CICs (Widex products - UNIQUE hearing aids | Widex Pro), and according to that company profile it is meant to have some wind noise attenuation.

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#11

I wear Signia x7x with a bicros and also am a cyclist something that might help you is called Cat-Ears. They are a fury patch that clips on to your helmet that is similar to a wind noise protective cover that you would see on a television commentators. The are available on Amazon.

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#12

@tewinlaw

Thanks. This is good to know.

#13

Thanks for the tip, I’ll look into it. In the Netherlands we never wear helmets when cycling though and I’m not going to just to fit cat ears :slight_smile: I found something better though: Ear Bags - they clip on without the need for a band holding them in place and they sit flush over your ears.