A little backstory, I have been using Phonak hearing aids from about 2016 due to high frequency sensorineural hearing loss. (per my audiologist they were the “best” available at the time but I don’t know the exact model). I recently wanted to upgrade mostly for bluetooth capabilities but I also assumed the new technology would help me hear even more. I recently trialed Unitron hearing aids and thought I hated them due to my hearing feeling “unbalanced”. Higher pitched noises were so loud they were almost painful and lower pitched sounds I felt I could barely hear. I went back and they told me to try Widex because it’s “the best”. I’m learning that these new technology hearing aids don’t seem to be my cup of tea and that I almost hear better with my older ones?
My questions since I received different answers from my current office…
The “floor noise” that I hear on the new models is quite annoying. Does the brain just actually get used to this or does this have to be changed setting wise? There is not tinnitus background noise on FYI.
I can audibly hear the hearing aids changing settings to where I will hear speakers somewhat clearly (although they still feel softer than my previous hearing aids) and then all of a sudden they sound very distant and the background noise was louder. It is making hearing others harder and the point of hearing aids is to help with this. Will these settings seem to stop shifting so much over time?
Some noises are so loud that they are physically painful to hear. My audiologist said that I will get used to this and that they don’t change the settings for this and probably never did before, meaning I just go used to it. But I literally hate wearing the new hearing aids due to be wincing in pain randomly from a loud noise.
Any insight from users that have upgraded would be super appreciated before I spend a ton of money I regret.
I’ve been where you are for the last two years. Audi and I met more than 10 times. I currently have Phonak Audeo Paradise P90R’s that are approaching 2 years old. My previous HA’s were a simpler hearing aid. those old hearing aids I couldn’t hear behind me. I’m grateful for the new hearing aids. But they are only as good as the person who sets them up. You have to find someone skilled that is ready to spend time with you. My audi spent lots of time. His setup didn’t work.
My hearing aids have an “auto” program. They change programs automatically. They have directional microphones. There are a number of settings that change when they change programs. I couldn’t understand speech in a quiet environment, let alone a noisy environment which is more challenging.
Do they work? They didn’t before. He quit. I had to change to a practitioner who knew how to set them up. I can finally hear better than before. I have hope that the new practitioner can make them even better.
A suggestion…the new practitioner provided two reports.
Target User Report
Target Pro Report.
Printed! I can finally see how my hearing aids are set up. It’s amazing being able to read them.
Others will say that you should post your audiogram. We all have different needs. They’re right.
I blamed my hearing aids. Now I see the real issue was mistakes made in setting them up.
I hope this helps.
Yes it does help! And thank you for the warm welcome!
I do think that the settings need to be adjusted but the one particular audio didn’t seem to think it was necessary and I left more frustrated than when I arrived. I remember my original audio back in 2016 helped me constantly with adjustments (but of course the new audio said she didn’t…and I don’t believe her one bit).
I will definitely be requesting to not see that particular audiologist again as she did not seem willing to help me at all.
I will upload a photo of my most recent audiogram.
If you can enter your most recent audiogram (Top of page, click on FORUM, click on My hearing tests) it will be readily available and people won’t have to hunt for it. In short, I think you need a different audiologist. The solution isn’t the perfect hearing aid. The solution is finding somebody who will work with you. All of the concerns you mentioned can be adjusted. That said, there is value in trying to get used to them.
Hi @Alyssa, I am not posting this because I have anything new to add. I am doing it so that you can hear from several people and be convinced. It is highly unlikely that the hearing aids are the problem. The difference between aids is more nuanced than the major problems you are experiencing. I have tried different brands of hearing aids and found that some work better in some environments than others. But the overall help that reputable brand hearing aids give you is very equivalent brand to brand.
On the other hand finding the right audiologist makes a world of difference. I have found that out first hand after years of trying different audis. I know that “firing” your audi can be uncomfortable but I would encourage you to persist.
@Alyssa
Your 2nd point is essentially Phonak’s AI, which they call Autosense, deciding what you should hear. It makes decisions on what it believes is your current environment, and switches settings. I find this particularly annoying, and through self programming, have disabled it. The HAs are fine, but their first fit is often dreadful. There’s loads the Audiologist can do. For example, he/she could reduce the gain on the load sounds, as it seems, from your description, that louder sounds are painful.
Good luck, it can take a while, but when programmed correctly, they should be great.
This is a brand-dependent characteristic. Phonak and similar brands use the environmental classification to choose which program to enter. Other brands (I have experience with Oticon and ReSound) have a general program which shifts its operation depending on the environment. The latter design can be more seamless.
@x475aws
That’s very true, however, from what I’ve read, Phonaks different parameters in Autosense can have very drastic differences, so the perception for the user can be unnerving, as it can sound like the hearing aids are faulty, and cutting out.
Some settings use beamforming to focus on sound directly in front, and may cut out sound from someone talking to you from the side. I understand Oticon try to keep everything 360⁰, so their changes may not be as obvious. All these settings ‘can’ be altered in Target, if the user requires, but the Audiologist will have to be savvy with Phonak.
Back to the OP. If parts of the new hearing aids annoy, alterations in the software can be made. I do, however, still use an 8 year old pair of Spice+ in certain circumstances, such as loud gigs, as the newer ones just don’t work with loud music. They consider it undesirable background noise! Maybe, they have a ‘taste filter’
I had an issue recently.
I was riding shotgun in my Jeep Wrangler. It’s a little noisy.
I missed a conversation because I didn’t hear it.
I checked the app. autosense had selected "Adjust Speech in loud noise. Speech focus is the narrowest possible. I hadn’t heard talk from the driver. Comment was “selective hearing”…
I’ve had the hearing aids for almost two years. I was asked to change to a new practitioner because the prescribing audi hadn’t set them up properly. Paradise Audeo P90R’s…workman’s compensation for hearing loss due to exposure to noise.
I appreciate turning off autosense. I had that done quite a while ago, but it’s been restored.
I hope that the Lumity and following Phonaks work better.
Looking at simple things first…after I got the Paradise P90R’s I had issues.
horrible wax guards (I change them frequently; never had issues with my previous Phonaks wax guards)
dome change. My dispensing audi used open domes. I had feedback. needed a better seal in my ear canal. Went to closed domes with two small holes…(after this change when I put my index fingers in my ears there was no volume change. before the change my hearing aid volume was twice as loud with fingers in my ears using my Paradise P90’s.) (I hated power domes, which have 2 seals for the ear canal.)
setup. Dispensing audi set my hearing aids wrong. one error was setting for domes.
Autosense doesn’t just make a choice between different programs. It actually blends them together as it perceives the need in changing situations. Here is a link to a video which explains it.
I had my Audi place the autosence in last place since she could not remove it, and on start-up have a quiet mode customized to what I wanted, so now (P70T) it work’s even better, in the auto mode, some sounds after 6 or 7 seconds became much louder, i.e. increasing in volume,now this has stopped, I also notice that in Autosence, and connected with the App, on the change settings, this does not happen, only when disconnected from the app, anyway now with autosence being last in line, I don’t have anymore issues. (for now…LOL) Have a great holiday season.
@Gilbert
Sorry, I should have watched the video before commenting. I based my comment on Autosense3 and Autosense4, as the switching on them is far from seamless, and often makes the wrong decision. I also find that when watching gigs, these modern hearing aids are just unusable. Not a fan of those versions of Autosense.
However, the L90 features do look interesting for general use especially StereoZoom 2.0
