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Hearing Loss | Last Active: Oct 21 8:31pm | Replies (47)
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I am using an N8 and a resound hearing aid. I loved the Widex I had before (but not half as much as the set up I have now!) I have adapted well to the Resound hearing aid. I find the hearing aid really adds a roundness to the sound. I can hear with either the CI or the HA but it's so much better with both. I love the ease of controlling both at the same time. I've only used telecoil with the CI. Most over the ear hearing aids don't have telecoil these days; they need to go through a mini mic or whatever. I was told they're just too small to fit everything in. Interestingly my audiologist says if she was choosing just hearing aids for herself, she would choose Widex.
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@pennyr Thank you for sharing your experience. Glad you have adapted to the ReSound aid. I will try again in the coming year. My audiologist was not surprised that I preferred the Widex aid. The reliability and success patients have had with Widex is a standard.
What they've done with the N8 and the rechargeable ReSound aid you likely have, is include Auracast technology. It takes up space and at this point in time has no use since Auracast isn't available yet, and will have to be installed in locations where we want to hear when it is. I wonder how much that will cost those facilities??? According to valid sources that is going to take several years.
Meanwhile, hearing loops, FM and Infrared systems are installed in thousands of venues and can be used either with receivers or telecoils in our personal hearing devices. ReSound and Cochlear tell us we can live without telecoils because we can use their Mini mic 2+ product that is equipped with the telecoil feature. That is true, however the mini mic must be charged and with you at all times if you're going to use it that way. How frustrating it would be to go out for dinner where we used that mini mic prior to a play at a performing arts center where it has to serve as our telecoil transmitter and run out of juice in the middle of the performance?
I actually purchased a second mini mic for my N6 processor when they became available so I could always have one charged. The earlier CI processor models all had telecoils so this intermediary product wasn't needed when telecoils could be used.
The big issue, as you pointed out, is size of the product one has to wear to hear well. The stigma that pushes the idea that hearing devices should not be seen has driven this concept. Thus, we are seeing smaller products with less potential.
I look forward to Auracast being available someday. Meanwhile, I'm extremely pleased that our local performing arts center, most worship centers in our area, and educational facilities, meeting rooms, etc. have installed hearing loops that my telecoil equipped devices work with. The result is clear understandable speech from the state, pulpit or other source.
Cochlear implants and today's quality hearing aids are wonderful. Why is there such a push to hide what helps us?