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I am bimodal with both a hearing aid and a cochlear implant. I have found that the CI audiologist who assists me has a better understanding of the bimodal situation than my hearing aid audiologist for the most part.
This is a bit tricky because my products are not compatible. I have a Widex hearing aid and a Cochlear Americas implant (Freedom) which I received in 2005. In 2005 there was no 'compatibility' feature, nor were the accessories like the mini mic available yet. To make the two products work together I used a neckloop with the telecoils in both. In a venue with a hearing loop, I simply turned on those telecoils and connected. With FM or IR the neckloop plugged into the receivers provided. They all worked well for me.
While I tried a recent version of the ReSound hearing aid that is compatible with my N8 CI processor 2 years ago, I didn't hear as well as I had with the Widex in typical situations. I worked on that for 6 weeks and ended up returning the ReSound and went back to the old Widex. I'm now at the point of needing a new hearing aid. I'll give a more recent ReSound a try again as I know that having them work together is a logical improvement. I use the Cochlear mini mic in noisy social settings. Due to incompatibility, my hearing aid won't work with that accessory. That's the tough part.
This is a complex issue for a couple reasons. The ReSound with rechargeable batteries does not have a built in telecoil. What a shame! The model with a telecoil uses disposable batteries. I have no issue with that other than convenience. I just want them to work together with the available accessories. Telecoil connectivity is priceless. (So is Bluetooth in some situations. I want/need both.)
Again, though...this is 2 years after my last experience, so I'm hoping for a better outcome.
My hearing aid audiologist is a gem. It is difficult to change providers, but sometimes it's the only way to get things figured out. With the current CI products, it is different than it was even a decade ago.
I have absolutely no regrets about being bimodal. I know I would currently qualify for a second CI, but the bimodality has kept me in the hearing mainstream. I'm very thankful for that so am where I am by choice.
Julieo4
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I also have a Cochlear America CI Nucleus 7. I have a Resound Nexia aid. It does not have a telecoil but both devices are direct Bluetooth - they can be paired with other BT transmitting devices. I use the Resound / Cochlear TV streamer for streaming off of about any device that has an audio send. The Cochlear cell phone app is nice, if you have a Resound the two companies are working together - They pair to each other. and they will accept BT streaming pairing from several sources, so you don't have to re- pair each time. It's really great for cell phone use- audio straight to your devices on both sides. Or direct stream from your car audio. But telecoil is being phased out, in favor of bluetooth.
BTW if you need a remote microphone, you can use your iPhone for one.
As far as sound quality, I use modifications of Resound's "Music" Channel and the (Ask your audi) Target Mode DSLv5 Pediatrics, for improves response. I use no sound processors, either, but that is another story. I work with music a lot, performing, recording and mixing, so I have to have the best sound I can get. It's not perfect, and getting used to hearing treble out of the CI and low end out of the Aid, gets to be tricky, but it works well for me.
My issue is this - there doesn't seem to be a established process of adjusting the two devices to work as a pair, and then testing the response in realistic sound environments. Like you, I have an audiologist for the aid, and another audi for the CI, so a bi-modal person is stuck in the middle..