I have the Phonak and they are a game changer for me. I am in loud environments all the time and i can hear speech so much better. I really love them and they have changed my thinking about going out in loud areas.
Great video as always Dr Cliff. I use the VA for healthcare and upgraded to the Sphere last week and it’s unbelievable how much better I can hear in outside of busy environments. The VA allows you to choose your hearing aid as long as they are available within the system and because of you I was able to choose my last Phonak as well as the new Sphere and I owe it all to you. Thank you again.
Had Oticon opn for 7 yrs. Just switched to the phonak today. Love them so far. Going to try them out in church and a restaurant soon. Lots of background noise In those situations.
Dr Cliff, you're awesome. I first had Oticon Intents with rubber molds from the VA. I love music and try to walk several times a week while streaming music from Spotify. Boy was I disappointed to use them the first. There was no presence. Everything was high and tinny with no lower register. So they got me ear molds with the wings and boy was I happy. The sound was much fuller with nice bass feel. I have heard the Phonaks have an Active Vent receiver that is supposed to be pretty good. Would love a streaming music analysis between these 2 providers. Greatful for what I have from the VA.
I just got Sphere Infinio - the background noise performance has to be heard to believe. I can hear people across the room in a busy store. It's nothing like anyone else's noise processing. Overall, the sound quality in general is way better than my old KS10s.
Agreed! I also went from a KS10 to the Sphere I90 and the difference is hard to believe. Almost feels like super-hearing when you can hear someone across the room when there is a lot of noise.
@@johnbrews9724 yes by having my audi add the sphere program as a manual program,and also a regular speech in noise and a calm situation program so that I could compare. The difference was not as dramatic as the phonak videos because I use vented domes but still a huge difference. With power domes or custom molds the difference would be greater.
I am up to my neck in hearing aid research for my dad and his buddies. Its no wonder they all give up. Your video is *really* helpful. thanks. good job.
I’m so done with trials and researching. I’m placing my order for the Phonak I-Sphere! I never thought the process of selecting hearing aids would be this complicated. 🙄🙄🙄
Very good. I especially appreciated your comment regarding Oticon's superior performance in regard to live music. I am new to the world of hearing aids, have mild to moderate hearing loss in the 500 to 6,000 Hz range and severe in the >6,000 Hz range. I would like to use an open dome in order to allow as much natural sound through as possible. My enjoyment of live (not streamed) music takes presidence over other considerations. The variables in finding a pair of hearing aids that address my concerns are overwhelming, but it seems my choice comes down to the Widex SmartRIC or the Oticon Intent. I would love to see you do a video that addresses the concerns of musicians and live music lovers.
I bought the Intent and had two speakers fail in less than two months. I had the OPN-S prior to the Intent. The Intent was better than the OPN-S by a bit. After the Oticon Intent had yet another failure, I bailed on Oticon. Got the Sphere’s on trial for 2 weeks and got my own set last week. I think the Spheric program is almost a super power. With a few small adjustments some of the other programs are sufficient. If you are an iPhone user be sure to activate Voice Isolation on the phone. The only problem is that I carry a spare smart charger with me because I have run the battery down a couple of times.
Love my Phonak. Not the Sphere. Not sure of model but the latest generation.(VA is my provider) Not re-chargeable. I live in a small apartment with paper thin walls. My computer, my phone, my tablet AND my TV are all bluethoothed(?is that a word) to my H-aids so I can use any/all of it anytime and not disturb my neighbors. Also was a working professional sax player, and until this generation of Phonak performing was a nightmare. At one point I had to use "earbuds" into a small monitor amp on my mike. Now, no issues at all. Can adjust with my phone app to hear very well in different environments. The slightly lager body is no issue with me, but I'm on the bigger side of average so the size compared to the benefits settles that issue for me. I have never had another brand to make a comparison, but I do know the Phonek has changed my world dramatically, not only worth my music but I was also a practicing barber for 40 years and wow, did they make a HUGE difference behind the chair.
Dr. Cliff, You are the best! I am a Kaiser patient and just got Oticon intent 1 in March! Still having a bit of a problem and wondering if I came to you would you be able to see me. I am willing to pay you for your service , but would not be able to buy new hearing aids! As you might already know, I am only allowed to update them every three years! Thank you so much for all your support. I truly appreciate you!🙏🏾
This is the comparison I’ve been waiting for. I’m due for new hearing aids in a year. I have the Paradise but I need better speech clarity and reduced background noise.
I switched from the Paradise to the Sphere 2 weeks ago. I have had several occasions to wear them in very noisy areas. The difference is amazing! All of the background noise almost disappears. I wear them from getting up to going to bed. The battery has never dropped below 50% even with lots of noisy situations and lots of streaming from the TV. Highly recommended!
@@sterlingstoll that’s great to hear! Looks like Phonak made a fantastic product and a major upgrade over the Paradise and Lumity models. Thanks for sharing.
Great review and so informative. I just replaced my Oticon Opn s1 with Oticon Intent 1 September 9th. So very happy with the improved hearing but then hearing so much about the new Phonak, I was worried if I should have changed brands. Don’t get me wrong, I am 110% happy with my Intents and was more worried about missing out on possible improved features. With this comparison, I can say I am 120% happy with my choosing of the Oticon Intent, their performance and of course Dr. Balderas for her complete care - see you next week!
Thank you for the comparison. In the end, choice comes down to the aid/tech that suits you and having a good audiologist, one you can trust to get the best out of your aids for the you, the individual. A comparison I'd like to see, and has been suggested by another, would be the Phonak Infinio-R and Oticon Intent 1.
I've had my current hearing aids a little over 4 years old. My hearing loss has significantly worsened. I had a significant high frequency hearing loss in both ears. 75 and 90 db loss 4 years ago. The reason I bought the Philips hearing aids was it was the only one Costco had that did not significantly reduce the speech recognition when they were doing final adjustments for feedback control. As I understand it, squelching the feedback depends on the speed of the processor. At the time the Philips was brand new. I was told that they were manufactured by the same company as Oticon. I know the programing was not shared but the cost vs Oticon was a big selling point. Based on this video it would appear that out of these two, the Oticon would be the better fit for me. Music is just noise to me, and I rarely list to it. The most important features for me are, high frequency performance, speech recognition in noisy environments, budget friendly, easy interface to my phone without a dongle. Would you have any other suggestions for me?
You might want to look into the newest Philips 9050. It is supposed to be the equivalent of the Oticon Intent. I am getting fitted with the 9050 this week. I have mostly high frequency loss. Cheers.
Do they work well in noisy environments like restaurants and bars, do they really drown out the loud background noise so you can hear what the person is saying? Thanks
I just tested a number of highest-technology-level hearing aids to replace my Paradise, and FOR ME, 1. Signia Pure Charge&Go IX 2. Phonak Audéo Lumity Sphere 3. Oticon Intent 4. ReSound Nexia
I trialed the oticon Intents a few months back and have been trying the Phonaks, ultimately my experience is that the oticons made the world sound like I remember it before I lost some hearing to cholesteatoma surgery. I also enjoyed the quality of speech when streaming (I have s22 ultra, not sure if I was getting LE audio or not) I'm going back to them in a couple of weeks, I also tried some Starkeys before and wasn't impressed. It's oticon for me. Didn't have any success with the tapping functionality but I could care less to be honest. I just want the world to sound like it should. It's so sad losing one's hearing.
Phonak for the win! Who cares about a slightly larger device when you can hear perfectly in background noise and have a device that lasts easily 24 hours.
I am trying out the Phonak Infinio Sphere I90 for a couple of weeks. Just had it for about 5 days now and I’m noticing better understanding of speech in noisy areas but I still hear noise in the background. I think it’s because I’m using vented domes.
The hearing aids will never cancel out the background noise fully compared to the Adaptive noise cancelation on top quality headphones or earphones. The way how the amplification works especially to specific frequency hearing losses is like for example, if you have high frequency hearing loss and amplification at the high frequency is boosted to give you back clarity, At the same time you have to keep in mind if the situation you are in have active high frequency noise like noisy fan or air conditioner or whatever, those will also get the amplification because they are falling in the same band of amplified frequency, But current technology hearing aids will reduce the noise much effectively compare to the previous generation hearing aids. Hope this helps you understand better about the way hearing aid works now. Enjoy the hearing.
I love my Oticon hearing aids that were issued to me either VA here in Las Vegas at the hospital for Vets. I can actually hear birds tweet and I wear them all day. Never had a problem with discharge. I love the charging case plenty of room inside. I love that. Compare with my TV set that the Vets gave me for free. It’s a little black box. It plugs in your TV and automatically pairs with the television set it up. I love the mode that I had from my ear cause I can wear these all day and my ears don’t get sore unlike the dome typebetter and I don’t even know I have them on. I’m glad you’re smaller than the competition but would prefer there would be smaller yet because I can’t wear them as I’m a side sleeper and they’re not comfortable if you’re on your side at least for my ears. Also the Oticon hearing aids also pair with my new Apple M3 chip computer and of course my phone Thanks for your input
Do a video for those of us are comfortable wearing one hearing aid ... especially when we have other problems in the other ear that negates the use of a hearing aid. Thank you.
I returned the Oticon intents for the Phonak sphere. the Phonak is clearly a winner. That said the Oticons were the best I ever had before the Phonak Sphere.
I Currently have the Sphere's on trial. One thing I wasn't sure of - can you manually 'turn on' the sphere 'mode' - or is it just purely automatic? I must admit, so far, they have been a game changer, and thats comparing to Lumity L90 R's... so can only imagine the leap from older tech! And Dr Cliff - great videos, enjoy watching them all the way over in London town!
Your audiologist can addd the Sphere speech in loud noise program as a manual program so that you can compare. You may also want to make a copy of the regular speech in noise and speech in calm so that you can do a comparison test. That’s what I did but I’ll be removing them after a while because Autosense 6.0 is so good! At first I thought there was no difference when I manually went into the Sphere mode but that’s because Autosense had already put the aids in that mode!
Love the review I been waiting for I recently had Oticon intent 1 and with a cros but they had diff chargers was a pain but lucky they lasted all day so no issue, I recently switched over since I was in the 45 day window cuz I’ve always had Phonak love the sound, but only could get R infinio 90 with the Infinio CROS can you do a comparison? With the CROS and the Infinio R 90 vs intent 1 CROS . I’ll know in a month when I get them 😂but really would help others in my situation . What do you think is better? That battery life on intent might make me go back with that durability Infinio R might make me stay lol after hearing u could not kill them with water I was sold to make the jump.
I've recently started practicing again after a few years on sabbatical, so videos like this are quite helpful in getting back up to speed. Thank you! But I'm curious about the stat you mentioned stating that only ~30% of HCPs do REM. That seems shockingly low. Do you have a link to that research? I'd be interested in reading it.
I had Oticon for 5 years. Tried the new Oticon Intent 1 for a month and then went to Phonak Audeo L90 and love them. I will never go back to old tech with Oticon. Oticon still has the same 5 year old tech for android... go figure.
@@CTripodi1965 When I bought Oticon HAs last year, I was told that brand was best for those using Apple devices. If you happened to have an iPhone, I was going to ask how well your new Phonak HAs worked with it.
@@bevintx5440the Phonak works great with the iPhone since it uses Bluetooth classic. No cutting in and out between ears at all. Also works with my phone in my pocket.
It’s actually Phonak that uses the same old Bluetooth classic tech to connect to Android. Oticon’s technology is newer - ASHA, which is only compatible with newer Android models. Bluetooth classic does work very well though 👍🏼
Does the expression "background noise" include multiple conversations at a dinner table? Or, is "background noise" limited to "traffic noise" and similar? Which hearing aid is the best in a restaurant situation?
I really appreciate this video. In my case I think I need to give the nod to the Oticons since I have smaller ears and prefer all forms of Bluetooth connectivity, which the Oticon offers. I'm not sure the additional 1dB of performance in background noise situations, which the Phonak Audeo provides, would outweigh those benefits in my specific example, IMHO.
I evaluated the Oticon Intents and two pairs of the Phonak Sphere Infinio. I have a mild to severe hearing loss, and the Phonak Infinios are better. However, the app for the first of the two sets of Phonak hearing aids sent spurious notifications that one of the hearing aids was going to disconnect because of a low battery. The same screen on the app showed the battery was 97% charged. My audiologist gave me a second pair of Phonak sphere Infinios, and the same problems occurred. My audiologist and I contacted a Phonak audiologist; and the result is my audiologist sent the second pair of Phonaks to the factory for a QC analysis. Comments anyone?
Hi Dr Cliff Lots of people say intent has a better sound quality regarding music listening. I’m now still in trail time with intent, but I found that they have very loud background noise all the time, sometimes very wired high pitch and low frequency sounds , the ear molds are not as good as the ones from phonac, they are quite easily to come off a bit and I lose lots of sound and more easily to get whistle sounds. Another one is the turn on and off music are way too loud. I’m going to try sphere and compare them for sure. But do you have any advice on the intent to me. Am I doing something wrong and didn’t get most of them? They are at top tech level by the way. Thanks Charles
I’m trialing this oticon intents and for a younger user that is tech savvy, the oticon glitches often. Voice clarity is great, but with the technology and cost, I’m not happy with the connection issue.
Prices will change from Provider to provider. You can do your own research on internet to find a provider near your region that is following the best practice in audiology.
He did mention pricing very well; he emphasized that pricing depends on the customer purchasing bundled vs unbundled services, quality of care, and location. Each practice as well as online retailers have the pricing all over the place.
What kind of in ear receivers do you use? I have a custom mold with a kind of wing that presses them into my ears and they give better sound than rubber domes.
@@DrCliffAuDI am using classic Bluetooth. The Oticons I had setup with no compression for streamed music. Forgot to ask to have that done for the sphere. I have an iPhone 14. Not sure if that supports Bluetooth le
I can’t imagine how any other hearing aid could be better than the Oticon Intent 2. Movie theaters and large events are now so enjoyable being to hear so clearly. The Bluetooth is just over the top. The TV function in the app really makes a big difference. I don’t know anything about the Phonak.
I couldn't do the Phonak 7 hour battery life. I wear my Oticon Intent 16-18 hours a day. I don't like Intent's bluetooth. It's terrible. the Oticon is the only hearing aid on the market that can hit the high frequencies I need. They are great.
Could you address the problem of being unable to hear someone who has a hearing aid who talks so softly. Normally, I don’t have problems hearing other people. Although when there’s a lot of ambient sound, I might have some. But especially with one person I really have problems and I have been trying to figure out how to solve that as it would make it so much nicer. You mentioned having a microphone that someone could clip on, and that Mike would go to the person with the hearing aid. What about the reverse? Is there anyway that I can hear him better. He doesn’t usually have a problem, hearing me, especially when we’re close together, although I must admit a microphone might be nice if I wanted to talk really quietly to him in a public place. Like Church. Although I try not to talk in church. Smiling face with smiling 👀 Thank you so much for any suggestions you might have about this problem. 19:16
I would like a technical overview of how to construct a hearing device. The pocket talker works, but the 4 year old costco hearing aid does not. I can make a heating aid out of, maybe a smart phone or a raspberry pi. What are the methods for noise cancellation and why does a toilet work ( similar to a pocket talker) and other methods do not? Please list filters, etc. I have a very technical background.
I have worn phonak and oticon hearing aids. Oticon outperform easily every time phonak spends their money more on hype. Also, I’ve never had a problem with my oticons- with my phonak I’ve had a lot of problems and customer service is a bit annoying in their inefficiency. I have worn hearing aids for over 10 years, and I feel that as a company Oticon is really there for their customers, phonak maybe is in it more for the sales?
The Intent top tier model is the same as Philips 9050 at Costco and they do use real ear measurement and best practices. Six month free trial, lifetime free domes, and more. When you can try them for 6 months then return them if they aren’t to your liking what have you got to lose?
Doctor Cliff, have you had the opportunity to try or review the Sennheiser Sonite R? I was wearing the Phillips 50s and switched to the Sonite Rs, and I am very happy with them. Does anyone else have any opinions on them?
I just new glasses from better Spectacles. They are digital made lenes. There great worth the small amount more the photochromic is real fast in changing. Cliff talking glasses made put this info in
Don´t know these devices, still use oticon More. However I choose this because speech amplification is NOT always what I am after. And the Oticons at my time of purchase were the absolute better one for use when playing in a band. Also, I really, realy like the way these Oticons handle surrounding sound (neural network stuff) compared to the their counterparts from Phonak (Paradise at that moment). Has anything changed in the new devics in this area?
I’ve seen you speak highly of Phonak active vent receivers. My audiologist said she has yet to successfully fit an active vent because users hate the frequent clicking sound of the vent opening/closing. I was wondering what your experience has been?
Thanks Dr. Cliff! Is Oticon still the only manufacturer that is Apple Watch compatible? My Signia hearing aids are 7 years old and my ears are due for an upgrade. I am using the Siemens remote dongle which has been handy but I no longer want to wear an "Amulet" nor do I want to pull my mobile phone out everytime I want to change a program or setting. I wear my watch almost 24/7. My audiologist (Edison Stanford, SLC, UT) uses all the methods you say are required, and yet I see noone on your lists for Utah??
What about us who suffer from loud tinnitus? I had upgraded from Widex to Signia using the Notch therapy which has worked well but still have issues in crowds
I have single sided deafness due to SSNHL so I am currently using an Oticon Opn s in my better hearing ear with a cross unit on my deaf side. I need to upgrade but not sure which of these might be better for SSD, if at all. I imagine a lot of the technology requires binaural hearing for maximum benefit.
It would seem for $4,000 to $6500, you’d be able to get hearing aids that actually sound good! I haven’t tried them all, but have tried Intent and they make many things sound so fake! Right now I’m trying the Silk 5 IX and they are terrible with background noise. Not sure what I’m going to do next. Maybe try Phonak.
Besides trying the new Phonak I would also recommend trying the Signia Pure Charge & Go 7-IX. As per testing the Signia are not as great as the Phonak, although they performed better on some tests and they are significantly smaller. The one thing is that my Signia don’t like excess sweeting and it appears that the new Phonak does.
Sorry, but I had to LOL when you said the Silk 5IX. Of course your hearing aids don't sound good. 😂 Start using a good hearing aid and you'll see what I'm talking about. Stay away from Signia.
@@DrCliffAuD I'm confused. In your video review of the Signia Silk - at 17:40, you say, "go for it" and "you have no reason not to check them out", so I did. Yet, when I comment on them here, you say, "Stay away from Signia". It's confusing enough for us that have never worn hearing aids and find ourselves with so many options to know what to do. Your conflicting comments only make it worse. I'm working with a 15 year veteran Dr. of Audiology that has spend hours with me and she holds you in high regard as well. I'm going back tomorrow to try something else, so I hope I can find something that'll work for me. I already know the Oticon Intent does not work for me, so I guess I'll see about the Phonak Infinio. So far I'm not happy with any of them.
@@DrCliffAuD Hmm, you have at least two other video reviews on UA-cam where you like the Silk IX. I tried to post a link, but it won't allow it. Anyway, on one video, you say, "Go for it" and "no reason not to try them". Here, you're commenting “stay away from Signia”! It's confusing to be a new user with almost no knowledge of hearing aids to hear you saying one thing in videos and writing the opposite in comments on other videos. I'm working with a 15 year veteran Dr. of Audiology and she's also a fan of yours. She's spent hours with me and recommended these.
No one fits an intent using NAL-NL2 , rather it uses VAC+, plus the test might not factor how intent might perform better using those sensors given the dummy stays still. I would have liked to see both insttuments using their propietary fit using autofit.
Both of the proprietary fits are garbage. However, once verified using REM to a Validated Rx target like NAL-NL2, the performance differences are clear. Nobody should buy hearing aids from a provider that doesn't perform REMs to a Validated Rx target.
I tried the Starkey Genesis AI 24 for 3 weeks with my android phone. I couldn't pair them to my laptop and had to get a few adjustments. The Bluetooth connectivity is awful with Android. Constant cut outs when streaming. I've been trying the Phonak Infinio Spheres for the last 2 weeks and I love them. They just worked after the initial fitting and the default automatic mode is so good when changing environments. Streaming is great and I can wear them from 7am - 11pm and still have 60% battery left, but I don't really use the sphere setting. These will be the ones I get.
I was just fitted with the non sphere infinio hearing aids. My provider said Phonak is the only company that performs real ear measurement during initial calibration. Does anyone know if this is accurate? I trialed a pair of Intent 1, and found i like the performance and sound of the Infinio aids better. I have moderat/severe Bi-lateral Meniere's Disease. While I have some high frequency hearing loss, most of my loss is low & mid frequency hearing loss.
No heairng aid on the planet performs Real Ear Measurement during initial calibration. Only a provider can perform Real Ear Measurement with the requried, and separate, REM equipment. You were lied to my friend.
Excited to see Oticon stock plummeting. Should force them to actually innovate again. I am excited to see what they can offer. It’s a shame they’ve been releasing pretty much no new models throughout the past few years.
which one is better when it comes to wind noise? i thought a saw a vid a while ago and that the oticon is better on that but i am not sure. And does all that noise cancel technology make outside sounds unnatural? i mean people whithout hearing aid dont have those noise cancel technology inside the ears/brain. Since i have hearing aid i found all that automatic noise/sound cancel or sound change technology pretty annoying (in car with radio!)
Same. Last week, I decided to keep track of my battery charge. I wore my hearing aids for 16 hours, streamed for 4 hours, and used "Sphere mode" for three hours. I still had 65% battery when I went to bed.
Hi, yes his battery information is inaccurate for the Phonak Sphere. 24 hrs of battery life on 3.5 hr charge. 16 hrs is when the devices are used for 5hrs of streaming + 3hrs of spheric speech clarity.
@@dennisferrell3662 CROS is for single sided deafness. It picks up sound from the deaf side and transfers it to the hearing aid in the better ear. The gee-whiz sphere chip uses too much battery power so they couldn't include a CROS receiver in the Infinio with sphere.
@@dennisferrell3662essentially, it's a system whereby, if you have impaired hearing in one ear and have no hearing in the other ear, you wear two aids, one for the impaired ear and the other for the ear with no hearing. The aid for the ear with no hearing transmits what it receives to the aid serving the ear with impaired hearing. I understand that helps with directionally. I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.
@@dennisferrell3662Contralateral Routing of Signals. Designed specifically for people with little to no hearing in just one ear, also known as unilateral hearing loss or single sided deafness. While a CROS hearing system looks like hearing aids the ear with little or no hearing has a microphone transmitter placed which transmits sounds wireless to the hearing aid on the better hearing ear, thus overcoming the headshadow effect.
My father has major hearing loss he recently got phonak 90 7k he isn't happy with them we don't really what problem . When he goes to his Dr she fixes them so he can hear he has one good day then these phonaks are completely off balanced . Please if you have any ideas how to fix this or help us
In my experience, there is no guidance as to how to attempt to turn the noise suppression on and off like the video. Phonak declined to offer me any advice.
Do the Phonaks automatically adjust to changing environments and Oticon's require a manual adjustment from my phone? Or do they both adjust automatically (say when you enter a restaurant or get into your car)?
The Phonak's are more automatically adjusting, but your provider has to setup the Autosense programs properly for it to work. Oticon requires manual switching to different programs.
I'm really surprised that you didn't compare the phone apps for each. That's a big deal for me. It looks to me that one of them has stellar reviews for both the Apple and Android apps, and the other has terrible reviews. Isn't that an important consideration? Why is it completely left out of the comparison?
@@DrCliffAuD I'm not sure what you mean by the prompt? After many tens of thousands of reviews for each, on Apple/Android, the reviews average 4.4* / 4.4* for Phonak and 2.2* / 2.4* for Oticon. I actually have a pony in this race because coincidentally one of your hearing up providers is offering me my choice of the two you reviewed--thanks for the timely comparison!--for my first hearing aid. I'm a very electronically connected person and this seems important to me.
@@cheoamira Phonak prompts a review when you start using the app. Oticon does not prompt you. Before the prompt, Phonak was getting 1.9 stars. The prompting encourages satisfied users to leave a rating, otherwise only disgruntled users leave a rating.
@@DrCliffAuDoh yeah, I hate that trick, thanks for warning me. Like you, I'm an Android user, and I'm a little wary of Oticon as a result. The price is the same for me, and it looks like Phonak has more of a user electronics emphasis, so I'm leaning that way, but I get to try them both.
Has anyone been able to try and compare the Oticon Intents 1 and2? Is there any noticeable difference between them? My main issue is not background noise but hearing people talking behind me or off to my side. I often don’t realize people are talking to me unless they are in front of me. Thanks for any feedback!
Bottom line: The technology has outgrown the ability of the hearing aid professional to fully "fit" these features and for the average user to benefit, but it does increase the price. Every year the marketing hype claims another milestone improvement, yet hearing aids are still FAR from the natural hearing experience. A case in point is the much-hyped speech in noisy environments, such as restaurants, which still falls short of delivering on this promise. Informative video but mostly marketing hype by the manufacturers IMO.
Not according to every review I have watched, and not according to almost every comment from people who actually have them. All say the Sphere is a huge game changer that actually lives up to the hype!
If you're using the bluetooth, do they still work for non-bluetooth sounds? Like if I'm walking somewhere using bluetooth to listen to music, will I still be able to hear someone if the talk to me or (more importantly) a car?
@@AmyCollins-b2tI asked my audiologist a couple days ago when I went for a hearing test. He said that yes you can still hear non-Bluetooth sounds. The AI is smart like that.
@@DrCliffAuD ~ Oh, geez! That terminology is WAY above my pay grade! 😆 I only wear one HA in my left ear. Currently using Oticon More 1 & it is not performing as intended/expected. I have been listening to your reviews on this new Phonak model, but thought I heard on your comp review that it could not be used in one-sided hearing loss.
Oticon Intent 1 (top grade) does not integrate well with a Samsung Android. Incoming call notification will only vibrate phone--no sound from phone directly or in HA. Worse is that the HA mic is not utilized by the phone on a call--you must hold the phone up to your face and speak into the phone mic. This sucks. My wife has same phone and just got Phonak HA. She has full sound call notification and complete hands-free calling--phone can be in your pocket. This is a deal breaker for me. Will be returning my Oticon for a Phonak. Buyer beware. This is an Oticon problem, not an Android problem.
Thanks for the forecast! A bit off-topic, but I wanted to ask: My OKX wallet holds some USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (behave today finger ski upon boy assault summer exhaust beauty stereo over). What's the best way to send them to Binance?
I have left ear hearing problem. I buy a lot of hearing aid but aid not working above a few months but my condition is not good I am very poor plz help me give me one free oticon device plz plz 🙏🙏🙏😢😢
I have had Oticon hearing aids for the past 12 years or more. My latest pair were puchased in August 2022. Unfortunately, extraneous noise is a terrible problem with these hearing aids. My audiologist said that Oticon's theory is that the brain will learn to screen out the extraneous noise just like a person with normal hearing. I've given these two years, and this technology does not work for me. I am working with a brain that has to deal with hearing loss and not normal hearing. I wonder if anyone else has had this problem. I really liked the kind that have directional control, but Oticon no longer makes these. I have learned that Phonak has come out with a design that uses AI - one chip for extraneous noise and one for hearing speech. I can't wait to try these. As much as I loved my Oticon's, they no longer work for me.
@@Volgen the ones that chose the Starkey found Edge Mode+ more engaging that the Sphere. Also liked the superior battery life and the significant size reduction over the Infinio Spheres. The 2 that chose Phonak found the Sphere mode superior and were willing to put up with the battery life and larger shell size. Different strokes for different folks. That’s why we run head to head trials over 7 days so the end user makes the decision which way to go, not just being recommended a particular hearing aid. Empowers the client more
@@aimhearing9658 thank you. What do you mean with the Starkey being more engaging? Is it comparable to the Autosense? Also, can the edge mode stay on the whole time?
Dear Dr. Cliff! If your major intended audience are people with impaired hearing (I am one of them) - you are doing us a disservice, by talking so so fast! Your diction, good as it is, does not help in this case. What a pity: I'm sure the content is good.
I just spent two weeks eval phonak 90s. I never found the big spheric speech Boost in 4 very noisy restaurants we visited on purpose! Everything else worked fine with my Samsung S24 ultra. This was incredibly disappointing since the phonaks shud b technically superior? I sold high tech equipment from 30 companies for about 30 years & it certainly appears there is a problem with the shreric Boost function on the new phonaks. My Audi seems to agree! When I evald the intent 1 there was a significant bg noise reduction in noisy restaurants but not with the phonaks?? Something is definitely wrong with this current picture!
iOS 18 has been out for a week where’s your real ear measurements review on the new release apple earpod pro 2 allegedly hearing aids ??? Really? Every one is standing by. I’m thinking if not by now you’re avoiding a review forever!???
I have the Phonak and they are a game changer for me. I am in loud environments all the time and i can hear speech so much better. I really love them and they have changed my thinking about going out in loud areas.
Congrats
I tried using my Phonak Audio Paradise Life water proof sweat proof hearing couldn't change my videos games to another game 🎮
There aren't any videos games joysticks 🎮 hookups to my hearing Aides.
How much it cost?
@@vg71 how long is a piece of string
Great video as always Dr Cliff. I use the VA for healthcare and upgraded to the Sphere last week and it’s unbelievable how much better I can hear in outside of busy environments. The VA allows you to choose your hearing aid as long as they are available within the system and because of you I was able to choose my last Phonak as well as the new Sphere and I owe it all to you. Thank you again.
Thanks for sharing!
I absolutely appreciate and love that you said “pricing depending in bundled and unbundled”
Well done and much respected Dr. Cliff
Had Oticon opn for 7 yrs. Just switched to the phonak today. Love them so far. Going to try them out in church and a restaurant soon. Lots of background noise In those situations.
I’m surprised that they lasted that long, I also have OPN for 5 years, now trying to gather information about these two Titans for informed decision.
Dr Cliff, you're awesome. I first had Oticon Intents with rubber molds from the VA. I love music and try to walk several times a week while streaming music from Spotify. Boy was I disappointed to use them the first. There was no presence. Everything was high and tinny with no lower register. So they got me ear molds with the wings and boy was I happy. The sound was much fuller with nice bass feel. I have heard the Phonaks have an Active Vent receiver that is supposed to be pretty good. Would love a streaming music analysis between these 2 providers. Greatful for what I have from the VA.
Dr. Cliff, thank you for what you do! I'm a hearing aid dispenser, and love watching your videos and sharing them with my patients.
I just got Sphere Infinio - the background noise performance has to be heard to believe. I can hear people across the room in a busy store. It's nothing like anyone else's noise processing. Overall, the sound quality in general is way better than my old KS10s.
Amazing
Agreed! I also went from a KS10 to the Sphere I90 and the difference is hard to believe. Almost feels like super-hearing when you can hear someone across the room when there is a lot of noise.
I have no such experience. Were you able to turn the noise suppression on and off like the Phonak video? How did you do this?
@@johnbrews9724 yes by having my audi add the sphere program as a manual program,and also a regular speech in noise and a calm situation program so that I could compare. The difference was not as dramatic as the phonak videos because I use vented domes but still a huge difference. With power domes or custom molds the difference would be greater.
I am up to my neck in hearing aid research for my dad and his buddies. Its no wonder they all give up. Your video is *really* helpful. thanks. good job.
I’m so done with trials and researching. I’m placing my order for the Phonak I-Sphere! I never thought the process of selecting hearing aids would be this complicated. 🙄🙄🙄
Very good. I especially appreciated your comment regarding Oticon's superior performance in regard to live music. I am new to the world of hearing aids, have mild to moderate hearing loss in the 500 to 6,000 Hz range and severe in the >6,000 Hz range. I would like to use an open dome in order to allow as much natural sound through as possible. My enjoyment of live (not streamed) music takes presidence over other considerations. The variables in finding a pair of hearing aids that address my concerns are overwhelming, but it seems my choice comes down to the Widex SmartRIC or the Oticon Intent. I would love to see you do a video that addresses the concerns of musicians and live music lovers.
I bought the Intent and had two speakers fail in less than two months. I had the OPN-S prior to the Intent. The Intent was better than the OPN-S by a bit. After the Oticon Intent had yet another failure, I bailed on Oticon. Got the Sphere’s on trial for 2 weeks and got my own set last week. I think the Spheric program is almost a super power. With a few small adjustments some of the other programs are sufficient. If you are an iPhone user be sure to activate Voice Isolation on the phone. The only problem is that I carry a spare smart charger with me because I have run the battery down a couple of times.
Love my Phonak. Not the Sphere. Not sure of model but the latest generation.(VA is my provider) Not re-chargeable. I live in a small apartment with paper thin walls. My computer, my phone, my tablet AND my TV are all bluethoothed(?is that a word) to my H-aids so I can use any/all of it anytime and not disturb my neighbors. Also was a working professional sax player, and until this generation of Phonak performing was a nightmare. At one point I had to use "earbuds" into a small monitor amp on my mike. Now, no issues at all. Can adjust with my phone app to hear very well in different environments. The slightly lager body is no issue with me, but I'm on the bigger side of average so the size compared to the benefits settles that issue for me. I have never had another brand to make a comparison, but I do know the Phonek has changed my world dramatically, not only worth my music but I was also a practicing barber for 40 years and wow, did they make a HUGE difference behind the chair.
Dr. Cliff,
You are the best! I am a Kaiser patient and just got Oticon intent 1 in March! Still having a bit of a problem and wondering if I came to you would you be able to see me. I am willing to pay you for your service , but would not be able to buy new hearing aids! As you might already know, I am only allowed to update them every three years!
Thank you so much for all your support. I truly appreciate you!🙏🏾
This is the comparison I’ve been waiting for. I’m due for new hearing aids in a year. I have the Paradise but I need better speech clarity and reduced background noise.
I switched from the Paradise to the Sphere 2 weeks ago. I have had several occasions to wear them in very noisy areas. The difference is amazing! All of the background noise almost disappears. I wear them from getting up to going to bed. The battery has never dropped below 50% even with lots of noisy situations and lots of streaming from the TV. Highly recommended!
@@sterlingstoll that’s great to hear! Looks like Phonak made a fantastic product and a major upgrade over the Paradise and Lumity models. Thanks for sharing.
Great review and so informative. I just replaced my Oticon Opn s1 with Oticon Intent 1 September 9th. So very happy with the improved hearing but then hearing so much about the new Phonak, I was worried if I should have changed brands.
Don’t get me wrong, I am 110%
happy with my Intents and was more worried about missing out on possible improved features.
With this comparison, I can say I am 120% happy with my choosing of the Oticon Intent, their performance and of course Dr. Balderas for her complete care - see you next week!
Thank you for the comparison. In the end, choice comes down to the aid/tech that suits you and having a good audiologist, one you can trust to get the best out of your aids for the you, the individual.
A comparison I'd like to see, and has been suggested by another, would be the Phonak Infinio-R and Oticon Intent 1.
I've had my current hearing aids a little over 4 years old. My hearing loss has significantly worsened. I had a significant high frequency hearing loss in both ears. 75 and 90 db loss 4 years ago. The reason I bought the Philips hearing aids was it was the only one Costco had that did not significantly reduce the speech recognition when they were doing final adjustments for feedback control. As I understand it, squelching the feedback depends on the speed of the processor. At the time the Philips was brand new. I was told that they were manufactured by the same company as Oticon. I know the programing was not shared but the cost vs Oticon was a big selling point. Based on this video it would appear that out of these two, the Oticon would be the better fit for me. Music is just noise to me, and I rarely list to it. The most important features for me are, high frequency performance, speech recognition in noisy environments, budget friendly, easy interface to my phone without a dongle. Would you have any other suggestions for me?
You might want to look into the newest Philips 9050. It is supposed to be the equivalent of the Oticon Intent. I am getting fitted with the 9050 this week. I have mostly high frequency loss. Cheers.
I have the Oticon Intent 1 and the connectivity is really good for me.
Do they work well in noisy environments like restaurants and bars, do they really drown out the loud background noise so you can hear what the person is saying? Thanks
Nice job comparing the two top performers!
I just tested a number of highest-technology-level hearing aids to replace my Paradise, and FOR ME,
1. Signia Pure Charge&Go IX
2. Phonak Audéo Lumity Sphere
3. Oticon Intent
4. ReSound Nexia
2
I am using Signia IX for 1 year, and its really amazing. I had such bad experience with Phonak 3 years ago, but i want to give them another try.
Signia? Bless you. 😂😂😂
@@romansoldier9why not?
Lumity Sphere lol you’re confused
I trialed the oticon Intents a few months back and have been trying the Phonaks, ultimately my experience is that the oticons made the world sound like I remember it before I lost some hearing to cholesteatoma surgery. I also enjoyed the quality of speech when streaming (I have s22 ultra, not sure if I was getting LE audio or not) I'm going back to them in a couple of weeks, I also tried some Starkeys before and wasn't impressed. It's oticon for me. Didn't have any success with the tapping functionality but I could care less to be honest. I just want the world to sound like it should. It's so sad losing one's hearing.
😢The best comment I've ever read has a very sad ending
You mean, "I couldn't care less".
Great review Dr. Cliff. Thanks.
Phonak for the win! Who cares about a slightly larger device when you can hear perfectly in background noise and have a device that lasts easily 24 hours.
I am trying out the Phonak Infinio Sphere I90 for a couple of weeks. Just had it for about 5 days now and I’m noticing better understanding of speech in noisy areas but I still hear noise in the background. I think it’s because I’m using vented domes.
The Bluetooth on my iPhone 12 works great! I can put the phone in my pocket and still have good streaming.
The hearing aids will never cancel out the background noise fully compared to the Adaptive noise cancelation on top quality headphones or earphones. The way how the amplification works especially to specific frequency hearing losses is like for example, if you have high frequency hearing loss and amplification at the high frequency is boosted to give you back clarity, At the same time you have to keep in mind if the situation you are in have active high frequency noise like noisy fan or air conditioner or whatever, those will also get the amplification because they are falling in the same band of amplified frequency, But current technology hearing aids will reduce the noise much effectively compare to the previous generation hearing aids.
Hope this helps you understand better about the way hearing aid works now.
Enjoy the hearing.
Phonak is simply the best!
I love my Oticon hearing aids that were issued to me either VA here in Las Vegas at the hospital for Vets. I can actually hear birds tweet and I wear them all day. Never had a problem with discharge. I love the charging case plenty of room inside. I love that. Compare with my TV set that the Vets gave me for free. It’s a little black box. It plugs in your TV and automatically pairs with the television set it up. I love the mode that I had from my ear cause I can wear these all day and my ears don’t get sore unlike the dome typebetter and I don’t even know I have them on.
I’m glad you’re smaller than the competition but would prefer there would be smaller yet because I can’t wear them as I’m a side sleeper and they’re not comfortable if you’re on your side at least for my ears.
Also the Oticon hearing aids also pair with my new Apple M3 chip computer and of course my phone
Thanks for your input
Do a video for those of us are comfortable wearing one hearing aid ... especially when we have other problems in the other ear that negates the use of a hearing aid. Thank you.
I returned the Oticon intents for the Phonak sphere. the Phonak is clearly a winner. That said the Oticons were the best I ever had before the Phonak Sphere.
I tried intent, highest level, but was disappointed so have gone with top tier Phonak
I Currently have the Sphere's on trial. One thing I wasn't sure of - can you manually 'turn on' the sphere 'mode' - or is it just purely automatic? I must admit, so far, they have been a game changer, and thats comparing to Lumity L90 R's... so can only imagine the leap from older tech! And Dr Cliff - great videos, enjoy watching them all the way over in London town!
Your audiologist can addd the Sphere speech in loud noise program as a manual program so that you can compare. You may also want to make a copy of the regular speech in noise and speech in calm so that you can do a comparison test. That’s what I did but I’ll be removing them after a while because Autosense 6.0 is so good! At first I thought there was no difference when I manually went into the Sphere mode but that’s because Autosense had already put the aids in that mode!
Love the review I been waiting for I recently had Oticon intent 1 and with a cros but they had diff chargers was a pain but lucky they lasted all day so no issue, I recently switched over since I was in the 45 day window cuz I’ve always had Phonak love the sound, but only could get R infinio 90 with the Infinio CROS can you do a comparison? With the CROS and the Infinio R 90 vs intent 1 CROS . I’ll know in a month when I get them 😂but really would help others in my situation . What do you think is better? That battery life on intent might make me go back with that durability Infinio R might make me stay lol after hearing u could not kill them with water I was sold to make the jump.
I've recently started practicing again after a few years on sabbatical, so videos like this are quite helpful in getting back up to speed. Thank you! But I'm curious about the stat you mentioned stating that only ~30% of HCPs do REM. That seems shockingly low. Do you have a link to that research? I'd be interested in reading it.
I had Oticon for 5 years. Tried the new Oticon Intent 1 for a month and then went to Phonak Audeo L90 and love them. I will never go back to old tech with Oticon. Oticon still has the same 5 year old tech for android... go figure.
@johnuhler3530, Kim curious as to whether you use an Android or Apple cellphone?
What? I have a Google Pixel 7 and it's all up to date.
@@CTripodi1965 When I bought Oticon HAs last year, I was told that brand was best for those using Apple devices. If you happened to have an iPhone, I was going to ask how well your new Phonak HAs worked with it.
@@bevintx5440the Phonak works great with the iPhone since it uses Bluetooth classic. No cutting in and out between ears at all. Also works with my phone in my pocket.
It’s actually Phonak that uses the same old Bluetooth classic tech to connect to Android. Oticon’s technology is newer - ASHA, which is only compatible with newer Android models. Bluetooth classic does work very well though 👍🏼
Does the expression "background noise" include multiple conversations at a dinner table? Or, is "background noise" limited to "traffic noise" and similar? Which hearing aid is the best in a restaurant situation?
I really appreciate this video. In my case I think I need to give the nod to the Oticons since I have smaller ears and prefer all forms of Bluetooth connectivity, which the Oticon offers. I'm not sure the additional 1dB of performance in background noise situations, which the Phonak Audeo provides, would outweigh those benefits in my specific example, IMHO.
I evaluated the Oticon Intents and two pairs of the Phonak Sphere Infinio. I have a mild to severe hearing loss, and the Phonak Infinios are better.
However, the app for the first of the two sets of Phonak hearing aids sent spurious notifications that one of the hearing aids was going to disconnect because of a low battery. The same screen on the app showed the battery was 97% charged.
My audiologist gave me a second pair of Phonak sphere Infinios, and the same problems occurred.
My audiologist and I contacted a Phonak audiologist; and the result is my audiologist sent the second pair of Phonaks to the factory for a QC analysis.
Comments anyone?
The message you are getting seems to be a software glitch in the app. I experience this as well, but it doesn’t actually disconnect
Update your phones operating system/software to latest version and then the phonak app. Should solve any problems
Hi Dr Cliff
Lots of people say intent has a better sound quality regarding music listening. I’m now still in trail time with intent, but I found that they have very loud background noise all the time, sometimes very wired high pitch and low frequency sounds , the ear molds are not as good as the ones from phonac, they are quite easily to come off a bit and I lose lots of sound and more easily to get whistle sounds. Another one is the turn on and off music are way too loud. I’m going to try sphere and compare them for sure. But do you have any advice on the intent to me. Am I doing something wrong and didn’t get most of them? They are at top tech level by the way.
Thanks
Charles
It would be great to have a comparison of their software and their customer responsiveness.
Glad the Launch in the US went well, so well in fact it took all the global stock , we are on only slowly getting stock here in Australia.
I’m trialing this oticon intents and for a younger user that is tech savvy, the oticon glitches often. Voice clarity is great, but with the technology and cost, I’m not happy with the connection issue.
Excellent explanation that leaves out an important variable: Price. My impression is that the Phonak is significantly more expensive. Is it?
Could be.
When I checked, the Sphere's were actually $200 cheaper!
At my audiologist in Canada, the sphere was $300 more expensive
Prices will change from Provider to provider. You can do your own research on internet to find a provider near your region that is following the best practice in audiology.
He did mention pricing very well; he emphasized that pricing depends on the customer purchasing bundled vs unbundled services, quality of care, and location.
Each practice as well as online retailers have the pricing all over the place.
The oticon intent sounds way better than the sphere for streamed music
Are you using LE Audio? Did your provider fully customize the Music Streaming setting to your preferences or leave it on default?
What kind of in ear receivers do you use? I have a custom mold with a kind of wing that presses them into my ears and they give better sound than rubber domes.
Nonsense
@@DrCliffAuDI am using classic Bluetooth. The Oticons I had setup with no compression for streamed music. Forgot to ask to have that done for the sphere. I have an iPhone 14. Not sure if that supports Bluetooth le
I didn’t think of streaming music when I did the free trial for the Phonak I-Sphere. 🙄🙄🙄
I can’t imagine how any other hearing aid could be better than the Oticon Intent 2. Movie theaters and large events are now so enjoyable being to hear so clearly. The Bluetooth is just over the top. The TV function in the app really makes a big difference. I don’t know anything about the Phonak.
Great Review , thanks for taking the time
Excellent comparison. I wear Oakley frames with a straight arm. They eliminate a lot of the interference with the hearing aide. 😁
I couldn't do the Phonak 7 hour battery life. I wear my Oticon Intent 16-18 hours a day. I don't like Intent's bluetooth. It's terrible. the Oticon is the only hearing aid on the market that can hit the high frequencies I need. They are great.
Could you address the problem of being unable to hear someone who has a hearing aid who talks so softly. Normally, I don’t have problems hearing other people. Although when there’s a lot of ambient sound, I might have some. But especially with one person I really have problems and I have been trying to figure out how to solve that as it would make it so much nicer. You mentioned having a microphone that someone could clip on, and that Mike would go to the person with the hearing aid. What about the reverse? Is there anyway that I can hear him better. He doesn’t usually have a problem, hearing me, especially when we’re close together, although I must admit a microphone might be nice if I wanted to talk really quietly to him in a public place. Like Church. Although I try not to talk in church. Smiling face with smiling 👀
Thank you so much for any suggestions you might have about this problem. 19:16
I would like a technical overview of how to construct a hearing device. The pocket talker works, but the 4 year old costco hearing aid does not. I can make a heating aid out of, maybe a smart phone or a raspberry pi. What are the methods for noise cancellation and why does a toilet work ( similar to a pocket talker) and other methods do not? Please list filters, etc. I have a very technical background.
Which of them is better for hearing loss with loud tinnitus?
I have worn phonak and oticon hearing aids. Oticon outperform easily every time phonak spends their money more on hype. Also, I’ve never had a problem with my oticons- with my phonak I’ve had a lot of problems and customer service is a bit annoying in their inefficiency. I have worn hearing aids for over 10 years, and I feel that as a company Oticon is really there for their customers, phonak maybe is in it more for the sales?
The Intent top tier model is the same as Philips 9050 at Costco and they do use real ear measurement and best practices. Six month free trial, lifetime free domes, and more. When you can try them for 6 months then return them if they aren’t to your liking what have you got to lose?
What are the Best Practices they do? Also, the Philips 9050 are not identical to the Intent.
Doctor Cliff, have you had the opportunity to try or review the Sennheiser Sonite R? I was wearing the Phillips 50s and switched to the Sonite Rs, and I am very happy with them. Does anyone else have any opinions on them?
I just new glasses from better Spectacles. They are digital made lenes. There great worth the small amount more the photochromic is real fast in changing. Cliff talking glasses made put this info in
EXCELLENT Review!
Great video and information. 👏
I was told these Hearing Aids are only available at 600 Costco stores now.
Don´t know these devices, still use oticon More. However I choose this because speech amplification is NOT always what I am after. And the Oticons at my time of purchase were the absolute better one for use when playing in a band. Also, I really, realy like the way these Oticons handle surrounding sound (neural network stuff) compared to the their counterparts from Phonak (Paradise at that moment). Has anything changed in the new devics in this area?
I’ve seen you speak highly of Phonak active vent receivers. My audiologist said she has yet to successfully fit an active vent because users hate the frequent clicking sound of the vent opening/closing. I was wondering what your experience has been?
Thanks Dr. Cliff! Is Oticon still the only manufacturer that is Apple Watch compatible? My Signia hearing aids are 7 years old and my ears are due for an upgrade. I am using the Siemens remote dongle which has been handy but I no longer want to wear an "Amulet" nor do I want to pull my mobile phone out everytime I want to change a program or setting. I wear my watch almost 24/7. My audiologist (Edison Stanford, SLC, UT) uses all the methods you say are required, and yet I see noone on your lists for Utah??
will get new hearing aids phonak on monday better than 14 year old ugh hope stop feedback noise will find out on monday
What about us who suffer from loud tinnitus? I had upgraded from Widex to Signia using the Notch therapy which has worked well but still have issues in crowds
Dr Cliff, If you have the Phonak Audeo Paradise is it time to upgrade to Phonak Sphere Infinio ?
For cross? Phonak Infinio without sphere or Oticon or Starkey Edge AI?
I have single sided deafness due to SSNHL so I am currently using an Oticon Opn s in my better hearing ear with a cross unit on my deaf side. I need to upgrade but not sure which of these might be better for SSD, if at all. I imagine a lot of the technology requires binaural hearing for maximum benefit.
It would seem for $4,000 to $6500, you’d be able to get hearing aids that actually sound good! I haven’t tried them all, but have tried Intent and they make many things sound so fake! Right now I’m trying the Silk 5 IX and they are terrible with background noise. Not sure what I’m going to do next. Maybe try Phonak.
Besides trying the new Phonak I would also recommend trying the Signia Pure Charge & Go 7-IX.
As per testing the Signia are not as great as the Phonak, although they performed better on some tests and they are significantly smaller.
The one thing is that my Signia don’t like excess sweeting and it appears that the new Phonak does.
@@karlaatherton thanks! I’ll talk to my dr.
Sorry, but I had to LOL when you said the Silk 5IX. Of course your hearing aids don't sound good. 😂 Start using a good hearing aid and you'll see what I'm talking about. Stay away from Signia.
@@DrCliffAuD I'm confused. In your video review of the Signia Silk - at 17:40, you say, "go for it" and "you have no reason not to check them out", so I did. Yet, when I comment on them here, you say, "Stay away from Signia". It's confusing enough for us that have never worn hearing aids and find ourselves with so many options to know what to do. Your conflicting comments only make it worse.
I'm working with a 15 year veteran Dr. of Audiology that has spend hours with me and she holds you in high regard as well. I'm going back tomorrow to try something else, so I hope I can find something that'll work for me. I already know the Oticon Intent does not work for me, so I guess I'll see about the Phonak Infinio. So far I'm not happy with any of them.
@@DrCliffAuD Hmm, you have at least two other video reviews on UA-cam where you like the Silk IX. I tried to post a link, but it won't allow it. Anyway, on one video, you say, "Go for it" and "no reason not to try them". Here, you're commenting “stay away from Signia”! It's confusing to be a new user with almost no knowledge of hearing aids to hear you saying one thing in videos and writing the opposite in comments on other videos. I'm working with a 15 year veteran Dr. of Audiology and she's also a fan of yours. She's spent hours with me and recommended these.
No one fits an intent using NAL-NL2 , rather it uses VAC+, plus the test might not factor how intent might perform better using those sensors given the dummy stays still. I would have liked to see both insttuments using their propietary fit using autofit.
Both of the proprietary fits are garbage. However, once verified using REM to a Validated Rx target like NAL-NL2, the performance differences are clear. Nobody should buy hearing aids from a provider that doesn't perform REMs to a Validated Rx target.
Is Starkey Genesis AI 24 comparable to these new hearing aids?
I tried the Starkey Genesis AI 24 for 3 weeks with my android phone. I couldn't pair them to my laptop and had to get a few adjustments. The Bluetooth connectivity is awful with Android. Constant cut outs when streaming.
I've been trying the Phonak Infinio Spheres for the last 2 weeks and I love them. They just worked after the initial fitting and the default automatic mode is so good when changing environments. Streaming is great and I can wear them from 7am - 11pm and still have 60% battery left, but I don't really use the sphere setting. These will be the ones I get.
@@lisapagnacco8870 Would you consider trying out the new Starkey Edge AI?
Are there regular Software Updates available for the Phonak I-Sphere? Thank you!
Thank you.
I was just fitted with the non sphere infinio hearing aids. My provider said Phonak is the only company that performs real ear measurement during initial calibration.
Does anyone know if this is accurate?
I trialed a pair of Intent 1, and found i like the performance and sound of the Infinio aids better. I have moderat/severe Bi-lateral Meniere's Disease. While I have some high frequency hearing loss, most of my loss is low & mid frequency hearing loss.
No heairng aid on the planet performs Real Ear Measurement during initial calibration. Only a provider can perform Real Ear Measurement with the requried, and separate, REM equipment. You were lied to my friend.
Excited to see Oticon stock plummeting. Should force them to actually innovate again.
I am excited to see what they can offer. It’s a shame they’ve been releasing pretty much no new models throughout the past few years.
which one is better when it comes to wind noise? i thought a saw a vid a while ago and that the oticon is better on that but i am not sure. And does all that noise cancel technology make outside sounds unnatural? i mean people whithout hearing aid dont have those noise cancel technology inside the ears/brain. Since i have hearing aid i found all that automatic noise/sound cancel or sound change technology pretty annoying (in car with radio!)
Phonak
How does sound quality in either of these compare to the ReSound brand?
16 hours? I got my Spheres yesterday at 2:30 pm. Wore them all night. 20 hours later I've used 45% battery.
I agree. I wear these all day and I have plenty battery left when I go to bed.
Great information to know. Thank you.
And for Dr Cliffs info, I have customised moulds on my Phonak Spheres and have no problem with fitting them into the charger
Same. Last week, I decided to keep track of my battery charge. I wore my hearing aids for 16 hours, streamed for 4 hours, and used "Sphere mode" for three hours. I still had 65% battery when I went to bed.
Hi, yes his battery information is inaccurate for the Phonak Sphere. 24 hrs of battery life on 3.5 hr charge. 16 hrs is when the devices are used for 5hrs of streaming + 3hrs of spheric speech clarity.
But the Phonak Sphere does not work with CROS. How about a comparison between the Infinio without sphere vs the Oticon both with CROS.
What is CROS?
@@dennisferrell3662 CROS is for single sided deafness. It picks up sound from the deaf side and transfers it to the hearing aid in the better ear. The gee-whiz sphere chip uses too much battery power so they couldn't include a CROS receiver in the Infinio with sphere.
@@dennisferrell3662essentially, it's a system whereby, if you have impaired hearing in one ear and have no hearing in the other ear, you wear two aids, one for the impaired ear and the other for the ear with no hearing. The aid for the ear with no hearing transmits what it receives to the aid serving the ear with impaired hearing. I understand that helps with directionally. I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.
I agree
@@dennisferrell3662Contralateral Routing of Signals. Designed specifically for people with little to no hearing in just one ear, also known as unilateral hearing loss or single sided deafness. While a CROS hearing system looks like hearing aids the ear with little or no hearing has a microphone transmitter placed which transmits sounds wireless to the hearing aid on the better hearing ear, thus overcoming the headshadow effect.
My father has major hearing loss he recently got phonak 90 7k he isn't happy with them we don't really what problem . When he goes to his Dr she fixes them so he can hear he has one good day then these phonaks are completely off balanced . Please if you have any ideas how to fix this or help us
I would like to be exposed to background noises to compare Phonak and Oticon during Trial. Any recommendations for the noise environment?
In my experience, there is no guidance as to how to attempt to turn the noise suppression on and off like the video. Phonak declined to offer me any advice.
Do the Phonaks automatically adjust to changing environments and Oticon's require a manual adjustment from my phone? Or do they both adjust automatically (say when you enter a restaurant or get into your car)?
The Phonak's are more automatically adjusting, but your provider has to setup the Autosense programs properly for it to work. Oticon requires manual switching to different programs.
We just had an Oticon Intent firmware update this week. Wondering if that may include some good improvements.
I'm really surprised that you didn't compare the phone apps for each. That's a big deal for me. It looks to me that one of them has stellar reviews for both the Apple and Android apps, and the other has terrible reviews. Isn't that an important consideration? Why is it completely left out of the comparison?
@@cheoamira because they really aren't that different from each other. The main difference in reviews is the prompt that is used to leave a review.
@@DrCliffAuD I'm not sure what you mean by the prompt? After many tens of thousands of reviews for each, on Apple/Android, the reviews average 4.4* / 4.4* for Phonak and 2.2* / 2.4* for Oticon. I actually have a pony in this race because coincidentally one of your hearing up providers is offering me my choice of the two you reviewed--thanks for the timely comparison!--for my first hearing aid. I'm a very electronically connected person and this seems important to me.
@@cheoamira Phonak prompts a review when you start using the app. Oticon does not prompt you. Before the prompt, Phonak was getting 1.9 stars. The prompting encourages satisfied users to leave a rating, otherwise only disgruntled users leave a rating.
@@DrCliffAuDoh yeah, I hate that trick, thanks for warning me. Like you, I'm an Android user, and I'm a little wary of Oticon as a result. The price is the same for me, and it looks like Phonak has more of a user electronics emphasis, so I'm leaning that way, but I get to try them both.
Has anyone been able to try and compare the Oticon Intents 1 and2? Is there any noticeable difference between them? My main issue is not background noise but hearing people talking behind me or off to my side. I often don’t realize people are talking to me unless they are in front of me. Thanks for any feedback!
Bottom line: The technology has outgrown the ability of the hearing aid professional to fully "fit" these features and for the average user to benefit, but it does increase the price.
Every year the marketing hype claims another milestone improvement, yet hearing aids are still FAR from the natural hearing experience. A case in point is the much-hyped speech in noisy environments, such as restaurants, which still falls short of delivering on this promise.
Informative video but mostly marketing hype by the manufacturers IMO.
Not according to every review I have watched, and not according to almost every comment from people who actually have them. All say the Sphere is a huge game changer that actually lives up to the hype!
What data do you have to support this claim?
Which charger does Oticon Intent come with as you appear to have the smart charger?
It now comes with the smart charger.
If you're using the bluetooth, do they still work for non-bluetooth sounds? Like if I'm walking somewhere using bluetooth to listen to music, will I still be able to hear someone if the talk to me or (more importantly) a car?
Good question!
@@AmyCollins-b2tI asked my audiologist a couple days ago when I went for a hearing test. He said that yes you can still hear non-Bluetooth sounds. The AI is smart like that.
I will stick to Oticon… been wearing the brand since 2013. Does not like the size of the phonak, and poor battery life.
People are reporting great battery life with the Sphere. I don't know why Phonak claims such short life.
Can the Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio be used for one-sided hearing loss?
Are you talking Single Sided Deafness or a treatable hearing loss in that one-sided hearing loss ear?
@@DrCliffAuD ~ Oh, geez! That terminology is WAY above my pay grade! 😆
I only wear one HA in my left ear. Currently using Oticon More 1 & it is not performing as intended/expected. I have been listening to your reviews on this new Phonak model, but thought I heard on your comp review that it could not be used in one-sided hearing loss.
@@danashondelmyer4826 one sided hearing loss, yes. Single sided deafness with a CROS, no.
Did I miss the link for Real Ear Measurement?
Sorry: ua-cam.com/video/TMSQemYlC80/v-deo.html
Oticon Intent 1 (top grade) does not integrate well with a Samsung Android. Incoming call notification will only vibrate phone--no sound from phone directly or in HA. Worse is that the HA mic is not utilized by the phone on a call--you must hold the phone up to your face and speak into the phone mic. This sucks. My wife has same phone and just got Phonak HA. She has full sound call notification and complete hands-free calling--phone can be in your pocket. This is a deal breaker for me. Will be returning my Oticon for a Phonak. Buyer beware. This is an Oticon problem, not an Android problem.
will get new hearing aids Phonak 14 year old ugh feel werid noise feedback hope will stop noise for new hearing aids cross finger !
price difference?
Price will change from provider to provider and also depends on your region
@@BetterhearingSolutionsbyshanid I don't need an exact price for either. Just which generally costs more.
The Intent top level is the same as Phillips 9050 at Costco. $1499 US.
Thanks for the forecast! A bit off-topic, but I wanted to ask: My OKX wallet holds some USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (behave today finger ski upon boy assault summer exhaust beauty stereo over). What's the best way to send them to Binance?
I have left ear hearing problem. I buy a lot of hearing aid but aid not working above a few months but my condition is not good I am very poor plz help me give me one free oticon device plz plz 🙏🙏🙏😢😢
I have had Oticon hearing aids for the past 12 years or more. My latest pair were puchased in August 2022. Unfortunately, extraneous noise is a terrible problem with these hearing aids. My audiologist said that Oticon's theory is that the brain will learn to screen out the extraneous noise just like a person with normal hearing. I've given these two years, and this technology does not work for me. I am working with a brain that has to deal with hearing loss and not normal hearing. I wonder if anyone else has had this problem. I really liked the kind that have directional control, but Oticon no longer makes these. I have learned that Phonak has come out with a design that uses AI - one chip for extraneous noise and one for hearing speech. I can't wait to try these. As much as I loved my Oticon's, they no longer work for me.
I had 5 clients do a head to head between the Phonak infinio and the Starkey Genesis. 3/5 chose the Starkey Genesis
Did they say why?
@@Volgen the ones that chose the Starkey found Edge Mode+ more engaging that the Sphere. Also liked the superior battery life and the significant size reduction over the Infinio Spheres. The 2 that chose Phonak found the Sphere mode superior and were willing to put up with the battery life and larger shell size. Different strokes for different folks. That’s why we run head to head trials over 7 days so the end user makes the decision which way to go, not just being recommended a particular hearing aid. Empowers the client more
@@aimhearing9658 thank you.
What do you mean with the Starkey being more engaging?
Is it comparable to the Autosense? Also, can the edge mode stay on the whole time?
Dear Dr. Cliff!
If your major intended audience are people with impaired hearing (I am one of them) - you are doing us a disservice, by talking so so fast! Your diction, good as it is, does not help in this case. What a pity: I'm sure the content is good.
Go to settings on the video and you can change the audio speed.
I just spent two weeks eval phonak 90s. I never found the big spheric speech Boost in 4 very noisy restaurants we visited on purpose! Everything else worked fine with my Samsung S24 ultra. This was incredibly disappointing since the phonaks shud b technically superior? I sold high tech equipment from 30 companies for about 30 years & it certainly appears there is a problem with the shreric Boost function on the new phonaks. My Audi seems to agree! When I evald the intent 1 there was a significant bg noise reduction in noisy restaurants but not with the phonaks?? Something is definitely wrong with this current picture!
Unsubbed since you no longer cover Costco aids. :(
conclusion: take the cheaper one :D
The new phonak has been in my ears for 2 months now. Terrible so far.
@@CynTaylor-t3r get a better provider to program it better for you.
iOS 18 has been out for a week where’s your real ear measurements review on the new release apple earpod pro 2 allegedly hearing aids ??? Really? Every one is standing by. I’m thinking if not by now you’re avoiding a review forever!???
Well...it would help if they released the hearing aid feature at the initial release. I'm just waiting like everyone else.
Youlostmeatabout25%,toomuchinfoattoofastaspeed.
What are you talking about? You're talking nonsense. Do you have any user experiences? Take a real user to the screen at once.