My ear canals are so small and elliptical I can’t get any of the domes in my ears without discomfort. I just have the speaker end of the HA jammed into the canal. So, any bass sounds have to come from the HA.
As several previous posters in this thread indicate, streamed bass leaks out of an open fit. You can lose as much as 30 to 40 dB of bass. An open fit has the advantage if you have good low-frequency hearing (ski slope loss) that allows environmental bass to easily reach your eardrums and sound natural.
I have ReSound Omnias 962s DRW, IIRC. I like to wear a very occlusive fit because when I want noise exclusion and binaural beam forming, that gives me the best directional speech, e.g., in the Front Focus or Ultrafocus mode, the least environmental noise is leaking directly to my eardrums. (I have good low-frequency hearing, so, unfortunately, I can hear environmental noise unamplified by my HA’s all too well).
So when I stream, bass is trapped in my ears. I also boosted the streaming bass to Moderate in the “equalizer” adjustment in the Smart Fit fitting software (there’s also a Strong option). Even so, I have deliberately amplified my high frequencies by using the NAL-NL2 fitting algorithm rather than ReSound’s proprietary Audiogram+, which is more tuned for “user comfort.” I find that amplifying high frequencies helps pick up high-frequency speech and speech cues. Turning up high frequencies and mid-tones and turning down bass is essentially what the Speech Clarity button does in the (Smart 3D) smartphone app. YMMV. If you have an accommodating HCP, I’d ask him/her to make further adjustments and see how you like any tweaks that might help you. Don’t just take your HA’s out of the box in the standard setup.
I trialed the Phonak Lumitys back in January 2023, and I thought the bass was better, but I didn’t want to trade better bass for a shorter battery runtime (I got Omnias with size 13 disposable batteries), lack of MFi and Apple Watch connectivity for the controlling app, and the app being slow and clunky compared to the Smart 3D app. Phonak makes a great HA. Don’t know why it can’t make a better app!
I commented on Omnia bass in the following post: New hearing aid comparison engine - #6 by jim_lewis
With the Omnia telephone calls are very clear and natural sounding. Streaming with my molds and the bass adjustments sounds great to me (certainly not equivalent to my home or truck audio setups though). Hopefully, your HA’s just need some adjustment.
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I did the experiment with fingers in the ears during Bluetooth transmission. A tremendous improvement! I’ll talk to my Costco guy about closed domes. Thanks!
My left ear canal is pretty small and takes a sharp turn. I can still get custom molds made to fit both ears. If you’re not comfortable with domes, you might like a mold custom-made to fit the shape of your ear canal. They’re not that expensive at Costco - only $40 or $50 each, IIRC. Ask your HCP about them.
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Thanks, Jim. I will look into that. I have a follow-up appointment in about 10 days. I have this thought. Right now part of my hearing is from the HA and part from the outside world. If I go to a closed dome or a custom mold, I will be shutting out almost all outside sound. This will significantly improve my Bluetooth reception in terms of frequency response. But, will it also degrade my hearing of external sounds since I will be getting ALL of my audio via the HA??
I’ve participated in lots of discussions about open fit vs. closed fit over the past few years. Here are some links to a few of those.
Basically, with an open fit (if it fits your hearing loss), your own voice won’t sound occluded, and you’ll hear low-frequency sounds “naturally.” But speech may not sound as crisp as it might be with a more occluded fit. You’ll have trouble controlling noise going straight to your eardrums and bypassing the HA filtering/cancellation mechanisms. You might lose too much bass when streaming.
With a closed fit, you may not like the sound of your own voice (too loud, stuffy, etc.) but you can titrate the size of the vent with Select-A-Vent if there is room to accommodate it in your custom molds. You’ll have more control over noise since less of it will leak directly to your eardrums. Speech may sound crisper if the shape of your ear canal leads to some cancellation/interference between HA processed sound and sound making its way directly to your eardrums. You’ll get more bass when streaming but perhaps less when listening to external sounds unless compensation in your fit is made.
Here’s a recent discussion in a thread: Resound Omnia vs Phonak Lumity - #42 by jim_lewis (see posts around the linked one).
Here’s an older discussion: Article on open fit vs closed fit started by MDB. And down in the thread, I specifically mention a 2006 Widex paper on the subject. Article on open fit vs closed fit - #10 by jim_lewis
Unfortunately, Widex no longer makes the paper available on its website but it was published in Hearing Review and here’s an https:// link to the version (no longer an insecure HTTP:// link): Fitting Tips: How Do Vents Affect Hearing Aid Performance? | The Hearing Review
It was reading that 2006 paper and posts by @Don, who also believed in occlusive fits, that induced me to try them. If you go to a 1 mm vent size, that reduces the occlusive sound of your voice a bit but gives you most of the noise control and bass amplification you get with a more occluded fit, in my experience. I like the M&RIE receivers (microphone on the receiver in the ear). It really helps with sound localization for me and makes sound in the environment more natural in that regard for me. I couldn’t wear M&RIE receivers if I didn’t opt for an occlusive fit. So for that benefit and getting the most out of Front Focus, it’s worth it to me. One can quickly get used to the sound of one’s own voice with an occlusive fit just as one gets used to more amplified sound than one was used to before wearing HA’s. But, as always, YMMV.
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My reco is to call tomorrow to see if you can get in for adjustments before 10 days are up. Music isn’t great with the Jabra Pro 10s. I have trouble with some people on my former high end Samsung, but most people come through loud, clear and about as well as I’ve ever hear from a phone.
The Pro 10s are definitely ready for prime time. Did you try the Philips 940? You may like them better, but I doubt they’d do better on phone calls, but they might on music, and I think they sound more natural than the Pro 10s.
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I’m pondering the info from Jim on the issue of occlusal fits with venting. I don’t expect streamed audio to sound like audio through my ear phones, but I would like a significant improvement. Sounds like the longer range solution may be to try vented occlusion with some tuning of the vent and frequency compensation. That might give me improved hearing of streamed audio and addition improvement in non-streamed. Seems like the major down side is getting used to my voice sounds via the mastoid bone.
As for trying the Phillips, do you think a quick in-store comparison will tell me anything?
I’m beginning to be mildly annoyed at the Costco audiologist. He tried fitting the ear pieces with domes of various kinds. That was uncomfortable for me so he took them off and left me with just the ear pieces, no domes of any kind. Then he quickly ended the session and sent me on my way. It could be that he didn’t want to overload me with information. Dunno. This thread has been EXTREMELY helpful to me in understanding the issues of fitting a HA.
I’ve got the Costco Jabra enhanced pro and I had the same problem. But I told my HAS of the problem and he did a great job adjusting for music streaming and phone calls. Now people sound the same on my iPhone 14 as they do in person. Music streaming is never going to be great but I find it perfectly fine for my listening while I’m working or for watching a movie while waiting for my doctors appt.
Go back for adjustments as many times as need to get them right for you. Don’t just live with the problem. They can make them sound very good but you have to tell them what the problem is.
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Quick in-store ‘trials’ aren’t great, but to my ears, the difference between the 9040s and the Jabras is not subtle. The Jabras use the ReSound Multi-mic, and that is very useful to me, because I attend condo board meetings, and I really need to hear the crap the president comes up with. Also, I like the noise suppression I get with the Jabras. So I’m sticking with the Jabras, but it’s a close call. If you like the 9040s, you will be able to change within 6 months of taking delivery of the Jabras.
Also, my reco is not to wait when you think an adjustment is needed. Don’t get me wrong - I can find reasons to put things off with the best of us. 
But my reco is to call when you want help. All the Costco hearing people I’ve ever come across want to help.
My hat is off to Lisa and the HIS/Audi, whose name I did not get, at the West Springfield, MA Costco, who helped me without an appointment while I was traveling. I needed new dimes and wax filters, which I had left at home by mistake.
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My Audi recommended the Jabari to me based on his presumption that because I am an engineer, I would prefer to tweak stuff. He said the Phillips uses AI to auto-adjust a lot of things, which I had read. Once I got the phone app up and running, there is in fact not much to tweak. Ok, volumes, but the only other thing is the frequency respose, which I don’t mess with. Why? Because it seems to me to that it would be counterproductive to mess with the frequency response while I am getting acclimated to the audi’s frequency compensation.
One thing that still bothers me. I had problems with the dome he tried, so he completely took the domes off. Because of the resulting large leakage, I get terrible streaming audio, so tinny and shrill it is almost painful. I intend to get him to address that at our scheduled meeting next week.
No dome would concern me. With my Philips 9010s, I had to change wax filters every 4-6 weeks. With the receivers potentially sitting in the wax every day, I don’t think the filters would last eveb half that long.
My wife has KS10s, and she uses vanishingly small domes, but she does have domes. Starkeys are supposed to fit Jabras - perhaps the smallest Starkey domes would work for you, but you’d have to find a Starkey dealer.
Good luck.
All of today’s aids are pretty amazing engineering…
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Until i got custom molds, streaming music was pretty awful. Even custom molds with large vents can sound pretty bad due to low freq leakage. In my bad ear, my mold is unvented and sounds great while streaming, probably better than my better ear that is vented slightly. Ask your audi to tweak the streaming adjustments in SmartFit to increase the lows. Using SmartFit I also have boosted lower freqs for my TV streamer and it sounds really good with crisp, clear dialog.
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It took me the best part of a year to sort this out, with the help of this crowd and a really determined audi at Costco. Setting things up for normal situations improved dramatically over 6 - 8 months.
The remaining problem was TV streaming. After a few adjustments, I tested it with the resound power domes specifically for streaming. The results were remarkable. Having to change from the all day tulips to the domes is a pain, but the results are truly worth it. YMMV etc.
If you are using an iPhone then get a pair of AirPods Pro 2nd version and use transparency mode to enter your audiogram. Music will be unbelievable as it will be amplified based on your audiogram. If I want to listen to music I take out my hearing aids and use the AirPods.
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I actually have a pair of AirPods but not sure they are the Pro 2nd version. How do I determine? But, I have a terrible time keeping them in my ears. I have a strange ear canal, apparently.
If you don’t mind spending $260 or so, get the ReSound TV Streamer 2. You can special order it at Costco (my audi wanted more $$$). You might have a bit of puzzle figuring the best way to hook it up to the TV and any associated audio system. Works great for me, cuts out room reverberation but if you want, you can still listen through your external mics at the same time you stream and adjust the relative balance. TV speech is much clearer. (and I wear custom molds, too, so I already have excellent speech recognition in one-to-one closeup conversations that don’t involve reverberations and lots of movie soundtrack noise, etc., in a big open, high-ceilinged family room with lots of sheetrock reflective surfaces).
Jim, I had the Resound Streamer 2 from the start. The problem was that the tulip domes weren’t delivering any useful bass. I change over to the Resound Power Domes for streaming. They work remarkably well.
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I have had the Jabra Enhance Select 200s for a couple of months and I have them packaged up to return. After several Zoom calls and many settings changes, I cannot hear conversations with them. Streaming works fine as does my iPhone, I had Phonak from Costco prior to the Jabra and used them for about six years. When I lost one, I decided to upgrade. I am now wearing the one and can hear. I have an appointment scheduled with an audiologist looking for another solution.
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That’s exactly why I returned mine. The sound was hollow and tinny. Even with adjustment I thought the bluetooth streaming (which I do about 6-8 hours a day with news, podcasts, tv and audiobooks) was subpar. Plus I kept losing connections with one aid or the other.
Trying to decide if I want to give the Philips a go and see if they have better bluetooth.