Thanks for this review. It is always great when I hear a review that doesn't sound like an infomercial for a particular product at expense of the compared products. As a person with larger hearing loss in my right ear it is also great to see a perspective comparing them by someone who doesn't have a hearing loss since that means it is a balanced test of the features and output only with less tinkering. I own an older (2023) model of the Phonaks and haven't tried any of the models you tested so my input isn't useful. This information will be useful for when I look at new aids in the future.
Nice review. I was told that the Starkey require more adjustments with the audiologist. I should add that I just ordered Intents through Zip. Have to say that Zip made everything easy and connected me to a good local audiologist. Very impressed so far. Will report more once I get fitted next week.
I think adjustments are going to depend on the user and the medical condition. Unlike ZipHearing most of us have hearing aids because of hearing loss scenarios. Also many of us have jobs or situations that force us into a bigger variety of situations requiring more programs to handle those situations. Unless you take all three products through each scenario a single individual can't make the call on number of adjustments in my opinion. I needed numerous adjustments to get my Phonak Audeo units set like I wanted but I think it was my requirements and my environment that created this need.
We LOVE to hear that! We are always trying to supply you with great information so that you can be as informed as possible when making a hearing aid decision. Thanks for the great comment and subscribe for more! ua-cam.com/users/Ziphearing?sub_confirmaton=1
Excellent review and information. Starkey Edge AI24 wins hands down just because of the battery being so long lasting. The sound is good and the edge mode plus certainly comes and super handy.
Very helpful. ZIP customer. I’m in first week trial Phonak sphere. Just went to brunch at noisy restaurant and in automatic mode I could hear table across the room better than at my table. Turned to speech in loud noises and it was great, but I don’t want to have use the app ever time I go to loud environment. A friend has the Oticon and claims he can go onto noisy places and it’s automatic. I’ll talk to audiologist at follow up appointment but I’m thinking I may switch to Oticon. What happens if I find I liked the Phonak better. Does Zip let me go back? Love the audiologist you recommended.
@@ZiphearingI really wish folk would add "in my opinion" after making such statements. Doing so would add clarity and hopefully, reduce the arguments that inevitably follow.
@@jeffj318 To each their own, but I never understand why people are so worried about the footprint (or hiding the fact that they wear hearing aids) As long as mine can be compatible with my prescription eye-wear, I am happy. If bigger footprint means more CPU power and thus better AI I am going to choose that product every time since my hearing loss impacts my work and daily life. I don't care if anyone knows I wear hearing aids. I want to communicate well.
I have Oticon Intent 2. I was totally blind in knowing what brands and features were good or bad. My audiologist chose Oticon because of my tinnitus. The white noise interference is a plus for me. I can now be in quiet environments without the tinnitus driving me nuts. At first LE Audio was a pain for connections, but there has been updates from Google and Oticon which has made LE Audio so much better. I listen to music and watch videos from my phone, the sound quality is superb. Oh, and the range is pretty good too. My audiologist made the right choice for me.
SO happy to hear that you found a great fit for your hearing loss! Successful HA choice really stems from open and honest communication about what you need and what you want from a hearing aid! Congrats!
Three years ago I tried several different hearing aids and found Oticon was by far the best for me, particularly in noisy environments, like restaurants -- I never have to touch the iPhone app fo adjust settings. However, the 3-year old model I have doesn't connect to it's iPhone app quickly and I generally use the "Accessability" function in the iPhone settings to detect battery levels and select accessories, like the wireless mic, which my wife pins to her helmet strap when biking -- so I can hear her speak quite clearly. The model I have uses a regular "brown" battery which I prefer over the rechargeable models because the battery lasts many times longer and can easily be replaced in almost any situation. I recently tried this year's Oticon top-of-line rechargeable HAs and found no noticeable improvement -- but as Oticon now only offers tts rechargeable version -- I decline to "upgrade" as the unit is considerably wider than my older user-battery model and I found it less comfortable. I'm now open to trying new hearing aids from other companies.
Technology definitely has a way of evolving over time, which can cause some issues when there are new features that may not be your preference. However, luckily, there are many options out on the market! Continue doing your research and continue watching our videos! ua-cam.com/users/Ziphearing?sub_confirmaton=1
thanks Jeff. Well done, and I have been waiting for this .I now use Lyrics and Insios.Lyrics are poor in noisy environments but do the best localizing the source of sound, RICs can do okay right/left but have no chance vertically. When I trialed Spheres they were able to do much better vertically...is this a function of their microphone placement?
No, I don't think so, because you said RICs "have no chance vertically" (I assume prior RICs you tried), and that the Spheres did improve better vertically...but the Sphere mic placement isn't different than any previous mic placement, so I'd bet the better vertical localization is attributed to the new DEEPSONIC chip in the Sphere
@@Ziphearing Thanks Jeff. Tried Oticon More and Starkey(older unit) which did poorly localizing sound. Thought that perhaps mic placement vertically on the RIC body versus mics on the top provided advantage.
Very true! Companies love to hear feedback from users! Thanks for the great comment! Be sure to subscribe for more! ua-cam.com/users/Ziphearing?sub_confirmaton=1
I’ve had the Oticon Intent 1 for two weeks so far on a 60 day trial. I have been using free NHS hearing aids for a year and decided to see if buying some is that much better. They cost £3100 so I would expect them to be significantly better than the free NHS ones. The sound on them is better but I don’t get a lot of separation between speech and noise in noisy environments, certainly not as much as all the manufacturers make out such as the Phonak clip you included. I have to use the app to switch modes with the NHS ones whereas the Oticons switch automatically, or I am assuming they are, I really can’t tell. I do, however, like the streaming and phone call features with my iPhone. I have got my audiologist to make a couple of adjustments after a week which has resulted in some slight improvements but I am still on the fence about whether they are really worth the £3100 cost compared to the free NHS ones.
That is definitely a tough scenario. For me, the separation in speech in noise would be worth the extra money. That is my Achille's heel when it comes to my hearing and the main reason for my hearing aid usage. However, everyone has a different situation and my woes may have no significance to you and your situation. Ultimately, you've got to do what is best for you. Good luck on the decision and enjoy the rest of your trial!
I get 27 hours battery life with my Oticon Intent 1 and they seem to lose time slower as the day goes on. I've also used the Edge AI and they gave me fits. I have those as a backup now and am wearing the Intent 1, which I love.
I agree that the Phonak App is a problem. I have tried the Phonak Audéo I90 and returned it once because the App just would not connect properly and then returned a second attempt because the App would not adjust the hearing aid mode. My experience in noise with the first set was that it did improve hearing in noise, although nothing as dramatic as the video. But the second set did nothing. So I have completely discarded Phonak as having too little quality control and poor software.
Interesting comment about the circuit noise. I'm wondering, however, if people with high frequency loss would even know there was a circuit noise/hiss? I know in my case my high frequency range has dropped significantly since I was in my teens. Used to be able to hear the high pitch of TV picture tube transformers (now you know I'm in the "senior" category), but no longer :).
I am trialing the Spheres because I have severe to profound loss and so does my audiologist. She now wears the Spheres and loves them. I am sort of dubious about how a reviewer who has very little loss applies to my situation. My big take-away right now is that Spheres don't improve my word recognition over my old aids, even in Spheric mode and even though they were REM adjusted. The BT is wonderful, though, hands free and I can hear my phone from three rooms away. I am not buying them, though, unless my audi can dramatically improve my WR.
Using a trial on hearing aids is so profoundly important to the selection process! ZipHearing has risk free trial periods for this exact reason! Happy to hear that your trial was able to aid in the selection process and helped you out!
I currently have the Starky Intent and Philips 9050. The Starky’s only do better in extremely noisy situations, and in those the speech is understandable but it’s distorted. In a normal restaurant, like in the clip, the Philips do much better. In a restaurant with loud music the Starky’s do better for me.
Great comparison thank you. I have no eyesight I am totally blind and have moderate hearing loss, which is to say most of the time I don't need any enhancement. I struggle when people with mid-range voices speak very quietly as I have low freq loss. I've tried the previous gen of Otican and foudn the sound really warbly and unnatural, especially in music. Not tried the Intent. Starkey did this weird fast attack release thing a bit like previous gen Phonak, that we just weren't able to get rid of and made sounds like clapping in a moderately sized room really odd. I've not tried the Sphere 90s yet, trying them on Thurs. I don't care so much about the speech in noise though I am curious about it. For me I care whether they sound natural musical and open, something which only widex seem to really care about, although that does then result in a fairly poor feedback management system. So it's going to be interesting. One good thing about the phonak is that apparently if you don't use the speech in noise sphere mode, that larger battery apparently gives you a very long time on the charge. We'll have to see I guess, or whether I go back to Widex. Then again with Widex, no water proofing and no push buttons. Argh there is no one perfect solution and I now know far too much about hearing aids :)
Fellow musician here! The sphere's were really good with music in the "music mode"! A nice natural sound with no warbling or delay. However, the music program can certainly be fine-tuned to make it even better by working with your audiologist. Thanks for the great question!
@@Ziphearing Hi. Got the Sphere 90s today, quite like them, but I am having problems with the music program. Best way I can describe it is really on any program within these aids but especially the music program, I'm in a bathroom, the fan is turned on and I cough loudly. At which point the compression kicks in and the HA's slam on the breaks then release a second or so later, evidenced by the fan fading away and coming back after the cough. I didn't think the music program was supposed to do that. We did turn off impulse sound, I do have low freq loss so maybe they don't like a load of bass going through them and then another loud sound, but I recall with Widex we had to increase headroom in some weird way that went beyond the default controls. Any thoughts on this have you experienced the same? thanks.
@@Ziphearing I actually own both HA’s. I bought the Opticon cons in June … and then the Phonak Sphere 90’s in August. And have been using both for 4+ months. Both with custom earmoulds. I did found the REM’s made a significant difference to both performance. The Spheres were mostly under my Rx (the original fitting was done with the latest software). The Opticon was closer but mostly over. Overall my experience with the Opticons are better in wind (I am a sailor) and also in music. But on all other measures the Spheres are outstanding in all. And specifically in loud noise background. For my experience it’s not the “hype” … it does way beyond what I had hoped. Also, the connectivity is another world too. I am connected to 6 different Bluetooth devices and used both my iPhone and iPad at the same time. I cant do any of that on the Opticons. And for me the Auto Sense on the Phonaks changes 7 programs automatically as it sees the differences. The Opticons does not do any of that. And finally, I also added the Phonaks Roger On 3.0 microphone makes puts it all in another place. So I use that in meetings or at restaurant dinners, etc. Both are fabulous hearing aids and great to have both pushing the envelope with technology and adding to our hearing loss.
Thanks for this review. It is always great when I hear a review that doesn't sound like an infomercial for a particular product at expense of the compared products. As a person with larger hearing loss in my right ear it is also great to see a perspective comparing them by someone who doesn't have a hearing loss since that means it is a balanced test of the features and output only with less tinkering.
I own an older (2023) model of the Phonaks and haven't tried any of the models you tested so my input isn't useful. This information will be useful for when I look at new aids in the future.
Nice review. I was told that the Starkey require more adjustments with the audiologist. I should add that I just ordered Intents through Zip. Have to say that Zip made everything easy and connected me to a good local audiologist. Very impressed so far. Will report more once I get fitted next week.
I was told just the opposite about Starkey that fewer adjustments are needed.
I think adjustments are going to depend on the user and the medical condition. Unlike ZipHearing most of us have hearing aids because of hearing loss scenarios. Also many of us have jobs or situations that force us into a bigger variety of situations requiring more programs to handle those situations. Unless you take all three products through each scenario a single individual can't make the call on number of adjustments in my opinion. I needed numerous adjustments to get my Phonak Audeo units set like I wanted but I think it was my requirements and my environment that created this need.
I was waiting for this. Thank you for your review. I am leaning towards the Orticon.
We LOVE to hear that! We are always trying to supply you with great information so that you can be as informed as possible when making a hearing aid decision. Thanks for the great comment and subscribe for more! ua-cam.com/users/Ziphearing?sub_confirmaton=1
Excellent review and information.
Starkey Edge AI24 wins hands down just because of the battery being so long lasting. The sound is good and the edge mode plus certainly comes and super handy.
Very helpful. ZIP customer. I’m in first week trial Phonak sphere. Just went to brunch at noisy restaurant and in automatic mode I could hear table across the room better than at my table. Turned to speech in loud noises and it was great, but I don’t want to have use the app ever time I go to loud environment. A friend has the Oticon and claims he can go onto noisy places and it’s automatic. I’ll talk to audiologist at follow up appointment but I’m thinking I may switch to Oticon. What happens if I find I liked the Phonak better. Does Zip let me go back? Love the audiologist you recommended.
Phonak is the best !
Strong opinion right there! Any particular reason why you prefer the phonak?
@@ZiphearingI really wish folk would add "in my opinion" after making such statements. Doing so would add clarity and hopefully, reduce the arguments that inevitably follow.
This is not necessarily true or accurate. Starky has come out with the best DNN using only one chip and has the smallest footprint.
@@jeffj318 To each their own, but I never understand why people are so worried about the footprint (or hiding the fact that they wear hearing aids) As long as mine can be compatible with my prescription eye-wear, I am happy. If bigger footprint means more CPU power and thus better AI I am going to choose that product every time since my hearing loss impacts my work and daily life. I don't care if anyone knows I wear hearing aids. I want to communicate well.
I have Oticon Intent 2. I was totally blind in knowing what brands and features were good or bad. My audiologist chose Oticon because of my tinnitus. The white noise interference is a plus for me. I can now be in quiet environments without the tinnitus driving me nuts. At first LE Audio was a pain for connections, but there has been updates from Google and Oticon which has made LE Audio so much better. I listen to music and watch videos from my phone, the sound quality is superb. Oh, and the range is pretty good too. My audiologist made the right choice for me.
SO happy to hear that you found a great fit for your hearing loss! Successful HA choice really stems from open and honest communication about what you need and what you want from a hearing aid! Congrats!
Three years ago I tried several different hearing aids and found Oticon was by far the best for me, particularly in noisy environments, like restaurants -- I never have to touch the iPhone app fo adjust settings. However, the 3-year old model I have doesn't connect to it's iPhone app quickly and I generally use the "Accessability" function in the iPhone settings to detect battery levels and select accessories, like the wireless mic, which my wife pins to her helmet strap when biking -- so I can hear her speak quite clearly. The model I have uses a regular "brown" battery which I prefer over the rechargeable models because the battery lasts many times longer and can easily be replaced in almost any situation. I recently tried this year's Oticon top-of-line rechargeable HAs and found no noticeable improvement -- but as Oticon now only offers tts rechargeable version -- I decline to "upgrade" as the unit is considerably wider than my older user-battery model and I found it less comfortable. I'm now open to trying new hearing aids from other companies.
Technology definitely has a way of evolving over time, which can cause some issues when there are new features that may not be your preference. However, luckily, there are many options out on the market! Continue doing your research and continue watching our videos! ua-cam.com/users/Ziphearing?sub_confirmaton=1
thanks Jeff. Well done, and I have been waiting for this .I now use Lyrics and Insios.Lyrics are poor in noisy environments but do the best localizing the source of sound, RICs can do okay right/left but have no chance vertically. When I trialed Spheres they were able to do much better vertically...is this a function of their microphone placement?
No, I don't think so, because you said RICs "have no chance vertically" (I assume prior RICs you tried), and that the Spheres did improve better vertically...but the Sphere mic placement isn't different than any previous mic placement, so I'd bet the better vertical localization is attributed to the new DEEPSONIC chip in the Sphere
@@Ziphearing Thanks Jeff. Tried Oticon More and Starkey(older unit) which did poorly localizing sound. Thought that perhaps mic placement vertically on the RIC body versus mics on the top provided advantage.
This provides good feedback to the manufacturers as well so they can improve on their weaknesses.
Very true! Companies love to hear feedback from users! Thanks for the great comment! Be sure to subscribe for more! ua-cam.com/users/Ziphearing?sub_confirmaton=1
Is the scratchy sound in wind conditions the hair rubbing against the apparatus?? Thank you, great video.
No, it's the wind going over the mics
@@Ziphearing Thank you, that makes more sense...
I’ve had the Oticon Intent 1 for two weeks so far on a 60 day trial. I have been using free NHS hearing aids for a year and decided to see if buying some is that much better. They cost £3100 so I would expect them to be significantly better than the free NHS ones.
The sound on them is better but I don’t get a lot of separation between speech and noise in noisy environments, certainly not as much as all the manufacturers make out such as the Phonak clip you included. I have to use the app to switch modes with the NHS ones whereas the Oticons switch automatically, or I am assuming they are, I really can’t tell. I do, however, like the streaming and phone call features with my iPhone.
I have got my audiologist to make a couple of adjustments after a week which has resulted in some slight improvements but I am still on the fence about whether they are really worth the £3100 cost compared to the free NHS ones.
That is definitely a tough scenario. For me, the separation in speech in noise would be worth the extra money. That is my Achille's heel when it comes to my hearing and the main reason for my hearing aid usage. However, everyone has a different situation and my woes may have no significance to you and your situation. Ultimately, you've got to do what is best for you. Good luck on the decision and enjoy the rest of your trial!
I just got Phonak. Two reasons. The Roger On. Second, the closest audiologists are owned by Sonova (Phonak).
I get 27 hours battery life with my Oticon Intent 1 and they seem to lose time slower as the day goes on. I've also used the Edge AI and they gave me fits. I have those as a backup now and am wearing the Intent 1, which I love.
Have you tried any of these? Do you agree/disagree with my takes? Leave a comment with your impressions!
I'm wearing the phonak infinio sphere.
Do they really, really, really make conversation in a noisy environment that clear?
I agree that the Phonak App is a problem. I have tried the Phonak Audéo I90 and returned it once because the App just would not connect properly and then returned a second attempt because the App would not adjust the hearing aid mode. My experience in noise with the first set was that it did improve hearing in noise, although nothing as dramatic as the video. But the second set did nothing. So I have completely discarded Phonak as having too little quality control and poor software.
Interesting comment about the circuit noise. I'm wondering, however, if people with high frequency loss would even know there was a circuit noise/hiss? I know in my case my high frequency range has dropped significantly since I was in my teens. Used to be able to hear the high pitch of TV picture tube transformers (now you know I'm in the "senior" category), but no longer :).
I am trialing the Spheres because I have severe to profound loss and so does my audiologist. She now wears the Spheres and loves them. I am sort of dubious about how a reviewer who has very little loss applies to my situation. My big take-away right now is that Spheres don't improve my word recognition over my old aids, even in Spheric mode and even though they were REM adjusted. The BT is wonderful, though, hands free and I can hear my phone from three rooms away. I am not buying them, though, unless my audi can dramatically improve my WR.
Using a trial on hearing aids is so profoundly important to the selection process! ZipHearing has risk free trial periods for this exact reason! Happy to hear that your trial was able to aid in the selection process and helped you out!
I currently have the Starky Intent and Philips 9050. The Starky’s only do better in extremely noisy situations, and in those the speech is understandable but it’s distorted. In a normal restaurant, like in the clip, the Philips do much better. In a restaurant with loud music the Starky’s do better for me.
Whoa!!! What clip were you watching? Or what are you smoking ? The “Starkey Intent”? “Like in the clip, the ‘Phillips’? do better”?
Great comparison thank you. I have no eyesight I am totally blind and have moderate hearing loss, which is to say most of the time I don't need any enhancement. I struggle when people with mid-range voices speak very quietly as I have low freq loss. I've tried the previous gen of Otican and foudn the sound really warbly and unnatural, especially in music. Not tried the Intent. Starkey did this weird fast attack release thing a bit like previous gen Phonak, that we just weren't able to get rid of and made sounds like clapping in a moderately sized room really odd. I've not tried the Sphere 90s yet, trying them on Thurs. I don't care so much about the speech in noise though I am curious about it. For me I care whether they sound natural musical and open, something which only widex seem to really care about, although that does then result in a fairly poor feedback management system. So it's going to be interesting. One good thing about the phonak is that apparently if you don't use the speech in noise sphere mode, that larger battery apparently gives you a very long time on the charge. We'll have to see I guess, or whether I go back to Widex. Then again with Widex, no water proofing and no push buttons. Argh there is no one perfect solution and I now know far too much about hearing aids :)
Fellow musician here! The sphere's were really good with music in the "music mode"! A nice natural sound with no warbling or delay. However, the music program can certainly be fine-tuned to make it even better by working with your audiologist. Thanks for the great question!
@@Ziphearing Hi. Got the Sphere 90s today, quite like them, but I am having problems with the music program. Best way I can describe it is really on any program within these aids but especially the music program, I'm in a bathroom, the fan is turned on and I cough loudly. At which point the compression kicks in and the HA's slam on the breaks then release a second or so later, evidenced by the fan fading away and coming back after the cough. I didn't think the music program was supposed to do that. We did turn off impulse sound, I do have low freq loss so maybe they don't like a load of bass going through them and then another loud sound, but I recall with Widex we had to increase headroom in some weird way that went beyond the default controls. Any thoughts on this have you experienced the same? thanks.
Really … How can anyone do this without having them fit to your prescription and also confirmed with Real Ear Measurements.
I am a hearing provider myself and fit them to myself...but yeah as I recommend in the video, you'll need a local provider to help you
@@Ziphearing I actually own both HA’s. I bought the Opticon cons in June … and then the Phonak Sphere 90’s in August. And have been using both for 4+ months. Both with custom earmoulds. I did found the REM’s made a significant difference to both performance. The Spheres were mostly under my Rx (the original fitting was done with the latest software). The Opticon was closer but mostly over. Overall my experience with the Opticons are better in wind (I am a sailor) and also in music. But on all other measures the Spheres are outstanding in all. And specifically in loud noise background. For my experience it’s not the “hype” … it does way beyond what I had hoped. Also, the connectivity is another world too. I am connected to 6 different Bluetooth devices and used both my iPhone and iPad at the same time. I cant do any of that on the Opticons. And for me the Auto Sense on the Phonaks changes 7 programs automatically as it sees the differences. The Opticons does not do any of that. And finally, I also added the Phonaks Roger On 3.0 microphone makes puts it all in another place. So I use that in meetings or at restaurant dinners, etc. Both are fabulous hearing aids and great to have both pushing the envelope with technology and adding to our hearing loss.
For cross?
That sphere demo is a load of nonsense, background noise’s are still the same, it just boosts voices including your own & feels weird.