Hearing Aids - Reviews of the latest Hearing Aid Technology
The Phonak Audeo SMART – a
genuine breakthrough in hearing aid technology
comments Paul Minikin of
Digital Hearing Care. As an independent hearing aid
supplier Paul has been a fan of Phonak as a manufacturer for
a couple of years now. ‘Their hearing aids are reliable,
they are always on the ball when it comes to developing new
technology and compared to other manufacturer's hearing aids
it just seems so much easier to get high customer
satisfaction.’
Paul says ‘The thing that’s
really impressed me about the Audeo SMART is the number of
clients that rave about the results, even a few clients that
have not been particularly satisfied with previous older
technology hearing aids. There’s a feature called
‘SoundRecover’ which really seems to give that bit of extra
clarity, and a couple of clients are really impressed
with the ‘WindBlock’ feature that reduces the effect of wind
noise quite dramatically.
Says Paul ‘the fitting range
is so wide too, you can fit the Audeo SMART to virtually any
loss from very moderate to very severe, and it’s a really
neat cosmetic hearing aid too.
It takes a lot for me to be
impressed with new technology, I tend to reserve my
judgement for at least 3-4 months, but since the launch of
the Audeo SMART last November it’s been hard for me to
dispense much else!’
Review by Paul Minikin RHAD,
MSHAA, chief hearing aid audiologist of
Digital Hearing Care.
Review date 22/4/10
The
Widex Passion series - A Review by John Lloyd of
Crystal Hearing. The
Widex Passion offers unprecedented results for those clients
seeking maximum performance with minimum fuss. Coming in at
three technology levels to suit every client’s budget and
hearing needs, the Widex Passion is the smallest, lightest
and neatest receiver-in-the-canal digital hearing aid
currently available.
'The
Passion-115 sets the standard with performance in background
noise,' says John Lloyd of Crystal Hearing. 'This is where
most of our clients say they really struggle. Using the
Widex developed ‘Integrated Signal Processor’ this hearing
aid can ensure that its priority is to enhance those
difficult speech cues even in the most demanding listening
environments.
The
Passion has added flexibility in that it can be fitted
instantly to most clients using a variety of off the shelf
ear-tips specially designed to suit any hearing loss.'
John says
'All levels of Widex Passion can be programmed to a higher
accuracy than most other hearing aids by carrying out a
hearing test with the hearing aids actually in the ear
during the programming process.
This
allows us to fit the hearing aids to the exact settings
required by each individual. It is not uncommon to hear
clients report they cannot switch to another brand once they
have experienced the Widex sound.'
Be
by ReSound – a new concept in invisible hearing design.
Colin Oxnard of
Coastal Hearing Services reviews this revolutionary new
design in hearing aid technology.
When Danish
hearing aid manufacturers GN ReSound launched this new
product in September 2008, so revolutionary was its styling
and so unlike any other product on the market that a whole
new category of hearing instrument was born. Invisible Open
Technology (IOT) looks like no other aid, is worn like no
other aid and literally disappears when in the ear.
Unlike
conventional open ear technology which houses a processing
unit behind the ear the ReSound Be fits comfortably into the
ear canal. A small microphone unit which is attached with an
extremely fine wire sits invisibly underneath the
cartilaginous part of the ear. Not only does this
significantly reduce wind noise, but also utilizes the
natural amplification of the outer ear to improve sound
quality and natural directionality.
Available
in two levels of technology and with the recent addition of
custom made and custom power models, ReSound Be can now be
fitted to more severe hearing losses that traditionally
would only be possible to fit with larger ITE or BTE hearing
aids.
Colin says
'Having
fitted my mother in law 2 years ago with a pair of BTE open
fitting hearing aids with pretty good results I decided she
should try ReSound Be. The results were fantastic as she has
reported greater comfort, improved sound quality and no wind
noise when she’s out walking, a problem which many people
who enjoy outdoor activities report.'
The
Starkey 'S' Series. Mike Forsythe of
Allerton Hearing reviews the Starkey 'S' Series range of
hearing instruments.
'The 'S' Series offers a tremendous range within a range'
comments Mike Forsythe of Allerton Hearing Ltd.
'As an independent Hearing Aid Audiologist it is vitally
important to be able to offer the client the best solution
to their hearing problem without the restrictions of being
tied to a particular manufacturer. I supply hearing aids
from all the manufacturers but find it very difficult to see
past the 'S' Series at this point in time.'
'The Starkey 'S' Series offers 5,7,9, and finally the 11
Series which is top
of the range technology.
The feedback management system
is second to none in my opinion, and this allows us to fit CIC
[completely in canal] hearing aids without the risk of
whistling. I cannot recommend this hearing aid highly
enough, and the versatility within the range means not only
can it be fitted to match the
majority of clients budgets, but it gives them the quality
hearing they have been missing out on!!'
Mike Forsythe RHAD, MSHAA is a
qualified Hearing Aid Audiologist (since 1994) and has run
his own business
Allerton Hearing since 2001.
