Phonak 412

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kimpossible

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the description on phonak.com of the Supero 412 BTE is that it is the "most powerful Phonak digital BTE instrument". Phonak hearing systems - Digital Supero 412

this is for Phonak... does it mean it's the most powerful BTE that phonak has? are there any other companies that might hold even more powerful hearing aids? the Supero 412 says:

Max. gain 86 dB
Max. power output 145 dB SPL

i can't hear sounds at a normal conversation level (although maybe 60/65 dB or higher) with this BTE anymore. my audiologist thinks i should just get a CI and i agreed since it's been a lingering possibility for over a year. i signed the consent form for that a few weeks ago. but i was wondering if anyone had some additional information? the waitlist for the CI is eight months and i'm getting tired of not being able to understand people; i know ASL so it doesn't suck, but the problem is that people still expect me to hear, and THEY don't know ASL.
 
I could never understand Max Gain, Max output stuff...

All I can say is this, as a lifelong HA user, all HA does is amplifies sound. It doesn't change what things sound like, or give very much clarity, imo. I had Seimens Triano SP digital hearing aids for both ears, and no matter how they change the programs (it looks like an equalizer on the computer), I will not get the clarity that I need/want. I remember being able to hear a lot better than I do now. Nowadays, certain sounds are muffled, especially music.

That's why I went for the CI because I knew that no matter how good of a hearing aids I get, it does not give me the clarity that I remember I used to have, and will not return the hearing that I lost.

That kind of sucks you have to wait 8 months. Did you go through a University Hospital or Teaching Hospitals? If so, they normally have very long waiting periods. If you go to a private surgeon (if your insurance cover, no need to worry about costs), the waiting period is short. I only had to wait 1 week after I saw my surgeon to get the implant. If I went through the hospital or a University hospital, I would have to wait until March or April.

You know what even sucks more, is that most audiologists don't allow you to "try" the hearing aids.

Sorry I can't help you with that specific hearing aids, but just wanted to throw my 2c in.
 
kimpossible said:
the description on phonak.com of the Supero 412 BTE is that it is the "most powerful Phonak digital BTE instrument". Phonak hearing systems - Digital Supero 412

this is for Phonak... does it mean it's the most powerful BTE that phonak has? are there any other companies that might hold even more powerful hearing aids? the Supero 412 says:

Max. gain 86 dB
Max. power output 145 dB SPL

i can't hear sounds at a normal conversation level (although maybe 60/65 dB or higher) with this BTE anymore. my audiologist thinks i should just get a CI and i agreed since it's been a lingering possibility for over a year. i signed the consent form for that a few weeks ago. but i was wondering if anyone had some additional information? the waitlist for the CI is eight months and i'm getting tired of not being able to understand people; i know ASL so it doesn't suck, but the problem is that people still expect me to hear, and THEY don't know ASL.
Click to expand...

Yeah I think oticon sumo is most powerful hearing aid on market but I don't think its more than maybe 5 db than that hearing aid.
Personally I don't think its worth it because it sound like you have really profound hearing loss and if you can't hear people convo then I'll think you should go ahead get CI I mean nothing to lose and everything to gain :) and also most people are happy with CI and that it kicked hearing aid's butt for clarity and can hear so much sounds you couldn't heard before. I had same problem about not being able to hear people talking on normal level I missed half of it and other half I heard sound staticky and sorta monotone almost like morse code it was terrible and I wore oticon sumo that time so I'm giving CI a try I got surgery about 12 days ago I will get it activated in over 2 weeks from now.
If you want talk to me, you can PM or IM me with my aim screen name I have on my avatar for more information if you are interested :)
And also for those people expect you to hear tell them you are deaf and you can't understand them and please write it down and if they won't respect that then they're not worth it or be patient till they realize it that you were serious about it
And also explain to them if you got CI you'll still be deaf and don't expect you to be hearing totally back to "normal" right away too
 
Oh I forgot to add, I started the CI journey in May 2007 and I waited 9 months (counting may month) it was so long and a lot of up and down along the way and getting threatened for not getting CI for no obvious reason (my CI audiologist is kinda dumb but she finally saw that ha wasn't working so she let me get it finally) and then now I got it done whoo-hoo!
 
I have the Supero 413 AZ and am happy with it for the most part. I can hear... but in order for me to really understand what is being said, I need to see/read, like read lips or read text (on TVs), etc. I can't listen alone and understand everything, which stinks. I am a candidate for a CI, but have no insurance or funding for a CI at the time; I have to wait until I have insurance or funding of some sort before proceeding with the process.

I will say this though, this HA now, is loads better than my last digital hearing aid, the Claro from Phonak. The Supero has tons more power and volume on it, and there's still plenty of room for adjustments. The Claro's volume was completely MAXED out, and it got to the point where we couldn't make any more significant adjustments on it. Every time I have to have the Supero sent in for repairs or whatever and I wear the Claro, oh it's just too quiet it drives me nuts!
 
LadySekhmet said:
All I can say is this, as a lifelong HA user, all HA does is amplifies sound. It doesn't change what things sound like, or give very much clarity, imo.
Click to expand...

yeah, I know this, it's not an issue for me. my ear still has great speech discrimination. the problem IS the amplification, i'm not getting enough of it. it's no longer loud enough, that's what i'm saying. i dont mean i cant understand speech, but i cant even hear sounds coming out of people's mouths anymore.

LadySekhmet said:
That kind of sucks you have to wait 8 months. Did you go through a University Hospital or Teaching Hospitals? If so, they normally have very long waiting periods. If you go to a private surgeon (if your insurance cover, no need to worry about costs), the waiting period is short. I only had to wait 1 week after I saw my surgeon to get the implant. If I went through the hospital or a University hospital, I would have to wait until March or April.
Click to expand...

i live in Canada and our healthcare..-related... stuff is a lot different than the states. no it's not a university/teaching hospital. ONE WEEK to get your implant? lucky duck. nope, i've still got to wait 8 months, although they might be able to bump me back a bit.

LadySekhmet said:
You know what even sucks more, is that most audiologists don't allow you to "try" the hearing aids.
Click to expand...

hmm i dont know, i've never really had a problem with this. the supero 412 i've been wearing is a loaner hearing aid from an audiologist that technically i'm not supposed to be visiting anymore since it's a children's hearing clinic, but they let me go ahead with the loaner anyway. and yeah, they let me try out basically any of the BTE's i request.

thanks for your help!

SkullChick: i think i might have tried oticon sumo before, or at least that name is pretty clear in my memory. if it'll give me that extra bit of a boost before i get my CI then i think i might talk to my audiologist about it. yeah i'm already going to get the CI but i mean, it's a long waiting period and i'd rather be able to up my amplification by a few more dB's before i get it, that's all. but it's pretty much set in stone, i'm getting a CI sometime this year... eventually...! wow 12 days ago? i hope your surgery went well... good luck with the activation! and thanks for your help =D

cdmeggers: good to hear that the 413 works for you. i think before this i had a phonak.. Senso Diva or something like that. well, i've gone through many different models, actually, all loaners, and pretty much all Phonak so i'm not sure. it drives me nuts too when a hearing aid just won't work out... which is why i'm pissed with the 412. my hearing has gone DOWN down down, that much i know, but I'm not really used to it. i keep trying to turn the volume up but i hear that little beep telling me that's as far as it will go... grr!
 
Good, good good......very glad that people are experimenting with HAs pre CI.
I would totally use the eight months to experiment with different aids. I know that the Oticon Sumo is supposed to be one of the really good high powered aids.
Also, don't laugh but you might want to just see if maybe you might just need a power boost like what a body worn aid would give you.
On the other hand, if you got approved for CI in Canada then it does sound like you've pretty much maxed out the HAs.
 
all right, thanks for the help! =) and errm congrats on your 5,555th post? hehe.

edit: so i've never actually considered body-worn hearing aids before. in fact, I don't really know much about them. would it actually work for me??
 
Body worn aids - It may be possible. I do not know anything about body worn Aids, I never had them. :)

I didn't realize that insurance/healthcare stuff is that much difference than in the states.

I have Seimens Triano SP and although it doesn't give me the clarity that I need (My hearing has gone down pretty bad, hence the CI), but the amplification is very loud. I have my aids on volume 1, and it goes up to 4. At 1, it's still pretty loud (no wonder why I keep getting tinnitus!).

Good luck with your journey, it will all be worth it in the end!!
 
I get annoyed too when I turn up the volume until I get the beeps... rrr. I only mostly use the higher volume for listening to music with the FM, as it's a bit quiet on the FM with the iPod or CD player at full max. But hey, at least I have an audiologist that is more than happy to make any tweaks to my hearing aid. From time to time, I'd see him a bit frequently for adjustments... yeah. I'll stick with this HA until I can get the CI, whenever that will be.
 
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