Hearing aid technology question.

J

JOhnH

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
May 20, 2009
Messages
14,509
Location
Florida
Display Name
Display name:
Right Seater
My hearing loss is in the severe-profound range. Without hearing aids, I am functionally deaf.

Two years ago I upgraded from my Starkey Behind the Ear to a brand new, more powerful IN-The Ear set. But they aren't doing the job. My audiologist recommended I buy a new set of Oticon Xceed, Behind the Ear hearing aids. They are supposed to be the most powerful hearing aids on the market. They are larger than my previous BTE aids. But, they were announced 3 years ago.

I'm wondering what the odds are that right after I buy these they will announce a new version that is even better and more powerful. Or do they continually upgrade the existing line as technology improves.

Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with Oticon upgrade history?
 
Well, a little bit. Just went through this with my MIL. The hot new Oticon technology is called deep nueral processing, which really pretty amazing stuff. it has an on board database of sound patterns. A microprocessor compares the sound pattern the device senses in normal conversation, compared it the sound pattern in the database, and amplifies the sound frequencies based on your audio graph. Pretty amazing, but each unit is about $2,200. In addition, it has all manner of bluetooth connectivity activity to phones, devices, TV's etc. You can adjust the unit during social gatherings discretely using an app, or your audiologist can make adjustments from their office while you sit in your favorite recliner at home. But for sensio-neural deafness, it seems kind of overkill. Might be very valuable for someone with a little more ability to hear nuance. I don't recall her scores, but they followed the classic downslope pattern of age related hearing loss.

The next level down, about half the price, is the Zircon. Has pretty much the same capabilities except for the deep nueral network technology. Both are behind the ear, both are very comfortable. Oticon is a good brand, but spendy.
 
Last edited:
The MIL went with the MORE Deep nueral network thing, but only because my sister in law sprang for them. The jury is still out on whether all the whiz-bang was worth the extra $2k. She's still getting used to them, and at 95, she has no interest in the connectivity aspect. Indications are so far, she would have been fine with the Zircons.
 
Just one more point of fact. The hearing aids she replaced are Oticons, worked flawlessly for 7 years and actually still work fine, but her hearing has deteriorated to the point of needing new, or so she was told. the never needed service or were updated in any way.
 
JOhnH said:
My hearing loss is in the severe-profound range. Without hearing aids, I am functionally deaf.

Two years ago I upgraded from my Starkey Behind the Ear to a brand new, more powerful IN-The Ear set. But they aren't doing the job. My audiologist recommended I buy a new set of Oticon Xceed, Behind the Ear hearing aids. They are supposed to be the most powerful hearing aids on the market. They are larger than my previous BTE aids. But, they were announced 3 years ago.

I'm wondering what the odds are that right after I buy these they will announce a new version that is even better and more powerful. Or do they continually upgrade the existing line as technology improves.

Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with Oticon upgrade history?
Click to expand...

I can't answer your Oticon question directly.

But, this is the interweb.... so I'll offer something unsolicited: (I'm assuming "powerful" is related to processing capability). I would suggest that you don't fall into the trap of waiting for the next great version. If a current model will meet your needs (making sounds loud enough to be heard and processing it so that it is intelligible, then who cares if something else is released next week or next month. Get something that works for you now.
 
I think that's great advice Bob Noel....but it does hurt to buy something only to have the newer model come out next week.

if you're not familiar here's a forum I found when i was researching and learning...knowledgeable folks there that can likely answer the question
https://forum.hearingtracker.com/
 
I had the previous version of Oticon’s high end model; they were my first pair at 54 years of age but needing them since early adulthood. They came out with the latest greatest version 2 years later:(. After watching my father bluetooth to his phone and struggle much less than I with hearing folks on my phone with any background noise I decided to upgrade the the newest technology. My current aids are the high end ReSound rechargeable, bluetooth that pair with smart tv’s, have an app to adjust on my phone. I suggest getting similar. I paid over $5K for a pair with a professional discount…ouch. However, the truth is that Costco sells a version that is near identical made by ReSound and just rebranded at near half the price. I would go to Costco. Oh, that ‘neural processing’ feature will be present in any high end current behind the ear model.
 
Last edited:
robin ardoin said:
Oh, that ‘neural processing’ feature will be present in any high end current behind the ear model.
Click to expand...

That's interesting, because Oticon makes much of being the "developer of this exclusive technology". I really can't comment, because I don't wear an aid. But it seems to me that with neural/profound deafness, no matter how well-processed, equalized and amplified the signal may be, the if the loss of cochlear hairs and nerve damage don't transmit the signal, the brain can't process it, the it's time for a cochlear implant.

That said, it's amazing technology that's come a long way in the past few years.
 
Yep, if the hair cells are mostly toast, a hearing aid can not provide much help. Both Oticon and Resound (the two major players who own most all of the brands) each have their patented version of that same sound processing technology. Splitting hair cells when choosing between the two. ;)
 
Bob Noel said:
I can't answer your Oticon question directly.
I would suggest that you don't fall into the trap of waiting for the next great version.
Click to expand...
Normally, I agree with that advice. I even offer it in many instances.
But I probably didn't make myself clear.

About 5 years ago I bought a pair of the latest hearing aids for about $8k.

Then about 3 years ago, Oticon announced the Xceed line which became (and still is) the most powerful hearing aid. (Power is not everything in hearing aids. Other features may be just as important).

But 2 years ago, my provider sold me an upgraded version of my 3 year old hearing aids, for another $7,500, which were more powerful than what I had and were "In The Ear" which I preferred to my Behind the ear. And they did offer some improvement.

She is now recommending those hearing aids that were announced 3 years ago because they are still more powerful than my 2-yr old aids, and my hearing has deteriorated slightly. My existing hearing aids still work, but they aren't perfect. And I don't know that if another $7,500 pair will offer very much of an improvement. I suspect that if they announce a new upgrade soon, they will offer more improvement than their previous upgrade.

My hearing is important to me, but $23,000 in 5 years is a bit steep, especially if the same money will buy me better quality in a near time frame.
 
Remember what happened with computers in the 80s? Every year there were newer, more powerful computers available at the same price or lower.

people would be paralyzed by analysis and not buy any computer thereby not having the benefit of a computer
 
My MIL's audiologist offered a trial period and if the new units offered no clear, measurable improvement via word recognition score they could be exchanged for less expensive aids and the difference returned. Any chance of a deal like that?
 
in my limited perspective, most of the advancements from model to model come in two areas

1) connectivity.... better connectivity to cell phones and/or external microphones such as Phonak's Roger system.
2) processing .... and that seems to be in the form of auto switching the programs. I've had my Phonak Marvels for coming up on 4 years. I think there are two iterations newer now but at the time mine were their top end units. The Oticon's I trialed at the time were also top end but they required manually switching programs...go into a noisy restaurant them manually switch to that program. Step into a different situation and they wouldn't be right till you switched the program.
My phonaks do an amazing job of detecting which program to use and automatically switching. Works seamlessly and I really never even have to touch them or think about them.
My understanding is that the newer aids are just even better at it. They do an even better job of things like kicking in the wind noise filter when that is needed, etc...

At this point I would love to be able to connect to multiple bluetooth devices at the same time...and wouldn't argue against better processing.... but neither of those are a big enough deal to me yet to spend the kind of money it would take. I'm content with what I have.

The big beef I have is that they all seem to be going rechargeable. If I end up needing new aids in the short term, I will most definitely be switching brands just because I will not accept rechargeable aids at this point and that seems to be the only thing Phonak is offering.
 
Chip Sylverne said:
My MIL's audiologist offered a trial period and if the new units offered no clear, measurable improvement via word recognition score they could be exchanged for less expensive aids and the difference returned. Any chance of a deal like that?
Click to expand...
Actually there is, but if I don't see a noticeable improvement I plan to return them and just keep the ones I have. I'm not real sure if they will go for that.
 
I know nothing about anything, but was curious:

Is there some point where the hearing loss is profound enough that you can instead do a cochlear implant? Or are the two "fixes" completely unrelated and incompatible?

I ask because 8k is something I would want to be a lasting fix.
 
I believe a hearing loss of 80dB and a 60% word recognition score is when cochlear implants become an option. My understanding is what they provide is quite different from what we would call normal hearing. Very artificial in tone.
 
schmookeeg said:
I know nothing about anything, but was curious:

Is there some point where the hearing loss is profound enough that you can instead do a cochlear implant? Or are the two "fixes" completely unrelated and incompatible?
Click to expand...
If your hearing comprehension is below a certain threshold with regular hearing aids, you may be a candidate for Cochlear Implants. I believe that threshold is around 35%. In other words, if you only understand about 50 or 60% of spoken words in a quiet office setting, the CIs may help. But Cochlear Implants are irreversible surgery, and destroy any residual hearing you may have left. If you get them and everything sounds like Donald Duck and you hate them, tough. They are yours for life.

My threshold, with my current hearing aids is about 70%, so I am not a candidate. CIs would probably make me worse than I am now. But missing 30% of the spoken words in a quiet office setting sucks and it is worse in a noisy room or God Forbid, a noisy restaurant. Or a Christmas party or an airplane or . . .

Also, they (CIs) cost approximately $100k+ each. Medicare will cover them, one at a time, but with strict requirements. There are also the standard risks of surgery as they have to slide a device up into your cochlea, which resembles a spiral snail.

I ask because 8k is something I would want to be a lasting fix.
Click to expand...
You would think so, but there is no way to guarantee that your hearing won't deteriorate and require more powerful aids. You quickly find out that your hearing is worth WAY MORE than $8k, even if that is a recurring expense. It's bad for me, but it is worse for people that just can't afford it.
 
JOhnH said:
But Cochlear Implants are irreversible surgery, and destroy any residual hearing you may have left. If you get them and everything sounds like Donald Duck and you hate them, tough. They are yours for life.
Click to expand...

Thank you, that is a bit of information I didn't have, and yeah, caution way warranted there. Sorry for the interruption. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top