Phonak Naida

[ljjehl]

Agreed. I also had the Sensos for many years, and while I liked the great sound quality they put out, the Naidas are just a far more advanced and powerful device.

Keep trying. I just had a new program session last week that ended up being a step backwards. Now I need to go back in and have old configuration set and go from there. It's an ongoing process.

I remember having a step backwards also. The Phonak rep decided to input a program she devised to help remove the background noises I had complained about. It ended up removing the bass sounds that make up parts of the speech sounds and I could not hear my wife speaking intelligibly (maybe that was a good thing? ) Once I removed the program input (via my audi) and made adjustments with the bassboost, everything was positive from there on out.

A successful programming of the Phonak Naidas depend on how experienced the audi is regarding Phonak programming software as well as their knowledge in what causes certain hearing issues.

 

[samkylejosh714]

How do I get a phonak tech rep and my audie together in person to resolve my ongoing programing issues?

 

[ljjehl]

You need to have your audi decide that one...the audi has to call Phonak and ask to have a rep come visit and set you up.....

 

[mrk08]

Hey guys, haven't posted on here in a while...so you guys probably don't remember me at all :P. BTW, this is a pretty long thread

I was just wondering if anyone here was able to compare the difference between the Naida SP vs. the Naida UP (size-wise...I know that the fitting range is extended more for the Naida UP). I am purchasing Naida IX BTEs next week and I was just wondering whether the UPs look too big (and maybe even feel a little heavier?). I know that the UPs use the 675 batteries, which are larger than the 13 batteries that the SPs use. Over the past decade, I've only used hearing aids that use the 13 batteries so you could say that I've grown accustomed to the smaller-sized BTEs. Also, any comments on the difference in battery life and price between the 675 and the 13?

It's not really a big difference for me if you look at the fitting range; it's borderline at the frequency of 2000 Hz; the SPs cut off at 115 dB at that frequency while the loudest sound that I can hear at that frequency is 120 dB for my right ear and 115 dB for my left. I could simply use frequency transposition at that frequency to make up for that deficiency in the SPs. However, I've read around in the forums here that many people dislike the transposition feature, claiming that sounds are less natural, so the obvious tradeoff here is transposed sounds with the SP for natural sounds with the UP. Any comments?

Thanks in advance!

 

[john57]

there's filters in the Naida hooks?! I never knew that. ew, why would that do that?

It is a mechanical audio filter designed to tame the resonance peak that is in all BTE hearing aids usually close to 1kHz. In other words it is a notch filter to smooth the peak. As you can tell it usually cause more problems than it solves. This has been a feature on some hearing aids for a long time. My Phonak aid 15 years ago had it. I am just a bit surprised to find it on a modern hearing aids when a notch audio function can be programed.

 

[deafdude1]

Hey guys, haven't posted on here in a while...so you guys probably don't remember me at all :P. BTW, this is a pretty long thread

I was just wondering if anyone here was able to compare the difference between the Naida SP vs. the Naida UP (size-wise...I know that the fitting range is extended more for the Naida UP). I am purchasing Naida IX BTEs next week and I was just wondering whether the UPs look too big (and maybe even feel a little heavier?). I know that the UPs use the 675 batteries, which are larger than the 13 batteries that the SPs use. Over the past decade, I've only used hearing aids that use the 13 batteries so you could say that I've grown accustomed to the smaller-sized BTEs. Also, any comments on the difference in battery life and price between the 675 and the 13?

It's not really a big difference for me if you look at the fitting range; it's borderline at the frequency of 2000 Hz; the SPs cut off at 115 dB at that frequency while the loudest sound that I can hear at that frequency is 120 dB for my right ear and 115 dB for my left. I could simply use frequency transposition at that frequency to make up for that deficiency in the SPs. However, I've read around in the forums here that many people dislike the transposition feature, claiming that sounds are less natural, so the obvious tradeoff here is transposed sounds with the SP for natural sounds with the UP. Any comments?

Thanks in advance!

What's your audiogram? Regardless, a 120db loss is unaidable and most likley just a cochlear dead region anyway. I thought about the SP but it has less gain at the frequencies we can use than the UP. As for transposition, I tried it and it's useless since the cutoff is 1500Hz and according to the piano thud test, I hear nothing past 1200Hz. Above that it's one big cochlear dead zone.
What you will want to do is maximize the gains where you still have residual hearing. You can't help the highs but the lows make up for it. More gain in the lows increased my speech on close set sentences by 20%!

 

[mrk08]

Here is my audiogram:

The fitting ranges for the Naida SP and UP can be seen here:
http://www.naida.phonak.com/fileadm..._02_Naida_III_V_IX_Product_Information_GB.pdf

Looking at my audiogram:
At 1000 Hz -- 100 dB in both ears, which can be covered by the SP
At 1500 Hz -- ~105-110 dB, which can still be covered by the SP
At 2000 Hz -- 110 dB in my left ear and 120 dB in my right ear. With the SP, I'd be able to hear at 110 dB in my left ear but not 120 dB in my right ear.
At 3000 Hz -- 120 dB in both ears
At 4000 Hz and up -- no response at the maximum output of the audiometer

Regardless, a 120db loss is unaidable and most likley just a cochlear dead region anyway.

Does this mean that I wouldn't be able to hear anything below 120 dB at 2000-3000 Hz regardless of whether I go with the SP or the UP? Since this is at the border of the fitting range, I would assume not...

I tried it and it's useless since the cutoff is 1500Hz

So this means that anything above 1500 Hz cannot be transposed to a lower frequency?

Thanks!

 

[deafdude1]

Here is my audiogram:

Nice that you have only a moderate loss at 250Hz and below! How much do you hear unaided? Ive always wondered what it's like to hear unaided!

The fitting ranges for the Naida SP and UP can be seen here:

Similar but the UP is 5-10db more powerful at 2000Hz and below.

Looking at my audiogram:
At 1000 Hz -- 100 dB in both ears, which can be covered by the SP
At 1500 Hz -- ~105-110 dB, which can still be covered by the SP
At 2000 Hz -- 110 dB in my left ear and 120 dB in my right ear. With the SP, I'd be able to hear at 110 dB in my left ear but not 120 dB in my right ear.
At 3000 Hz -- 120 dB in both ears
At 4000 Hz and up -- no response at the maximum output of the audiometer

The SP may cover your loss but do you want to hear 5-10db worse? With your(and my) degree of loss, the UP is simply better.

Does this mean that I wouldn't be able to hear anything below 120 dB at 2000-3000 Hz regardless of whether I go with the SP or the UP? Since this is at the border of the fitting range, I would assume not...

You need to allow for a dynamic range of at least 10db above your threshold. You also need to know about cochlear dead regions. I have audiograms that show I can hear as high as 3000-4000Hz but this "false" responses don't truly arise from high frequency hearing but off-frequency hearing. My cochlear dead zones are anywhere from 500Hz to 1250Hz, I will need a TEN or PTC test to find out where the dead zone starts.

http://www.alldeaf.com/hearing-aids-cochlear-implants/63471-good-articles-identifying-cochlear-dead-spots.html

You can start here and learn more.

So this means that anything above 1500 Hz cannot be transposed to a lower frequency?
Thanks!

Anything at 1500Hz and below is heard normally without transposition. Anything above 1500Hz is transported to a lower frequency but never below 1500Hz. For example, 4000Hz could be pushed down to 2000Hz but if you can't hear 2000Hz then transposition is useless. I can't really hear 1500Hz so transposition with this HA is useless. I would need a HA that can transport sounds to a much lower frequency than the 1500Hz cutoff.

My other options are to get a CI or wait for stem cells to improve my hearing.(see my blog, link in sig)
You have 10-20db more hearing than me and you might hear 30db HL if they test 125Hz. If you really still can't decide between SP and UP, why not ask to try both? I bet youll end up keeping the UP. Make sure your audiologist programs the UP for maximum gains(not exceeding 50db gain at 250Hz and 30db? at 125Hz) but watches the SPL/MPO so it never exceeds your UCL. If he has a soundfield, have him test your aided hearing and reprogram till you hear the best possible. Hope this helps!

 

[sirena rossa]

Hello all,
i'm noticing that most (if not all) of these posts pertain to the Naida 3s or 5s. But has anyone tried the latest? the Naida 9s.

supposedly they are like the 5s but better and with 2 additional features.
I tried the 5s about a year (or two?) ago and i had mixed feelings.
I seem to be liking these 9s a lot better! I have been trying them out for almost a month now. (and need to make a decision soon!)
There are some situations where i feel that they are not as good as my Oticon Digifocus II SPs. and then there are some situations where i feel that the Naida 9s are superior!

for example: in noisy places, like a crowded restaurant, walkin in the city, or just a place where there's a lot of commotion, I actually have a hard time hearing myself and hearing the person im talking to. I wonder if its because i'm like TOO aware of surrounding sounds?

example of where Nadia 9s >>> Oticon DFIIs: a more quiet place or a small party or just hanging out with the TV on - in those type of places, it seems like my hearing distance is 5x as longer/wider. I can hear the person across from the room well enough. I could also hear my fiance around in the kitchen, cooking. and this was like down two hallways. I could even hear the kitchen door close. Female voices sound more feminine (lol...) I know I can hear certain SH and S sounds a lot better. I do have a hard time discriminating S, T and C in a word/sentence tho.

Its strange though... even though i feel like i can't hear myself as well as i do with the Oticons, I have definitley noticed that people have not asked me to repeat myself as often. So maybe I am actually getting better with my speech and easier to understand??

Anyone have similar experiences (or opposite) with the Naida 9s?

 

[MaxWho]

Just received my IX's yesterday from the VA, so give me a week to have something intelligent to say. LOL First impression is that they are wonderful.

I just ordered, over the telephone an iCom. They are HearingAirDocs.com and the iCom will be sent to California for under $300, so I hope they are for real!

 

[oldbob]

Tried it, liked it

Last week my audi and Phonak rep had me try the 9 - for just one hour -.
Not much time to realy tell. So I signed up for a thirty day trial, will get mine next week. I am just shy of be eligable for CI. I dont' think I want to go that way at my age (75+). I got to try the 9 by walking around the hospital. They worked well enough to give me an idea that they would be better than my 3 yr old Sonic's. Am looking forward for a longer trial.

 

[Bottesini]

Last week my audi and Phonak rep had me try the 9 - for just one hour -.
Not much time to realy tell. So I signed up for a thirty day trial, will get mine next week. I am just shy of be eligable for CI. I dont' think I want to go that way at my age (75+). I got to try the 9 by walking around the hospital. They worked well enough to give me an idea that they would be better than my 3 yr old Sonic's. Am looking forward for a longer trial.

Hi Bob. Good luck with your Naida's!

 

[georged193]

Naida not waterproof at all. I now use Rion HB-54.

I tried the Naida 5 ultrapower over a year ago. I was attracted to the waterproof feature, since my previous digitals were underpowered and constantly got damaged from water (I am an active hiker). They sounded pretty good, not perfect, but worth the exorbitant cost of the product-I have severe loss of hearing in one ear, and am nearly deaf in the other. But they did conk-out while hiking in a fog. I contacted the Phonak company and they told me the Naida was being improved with a new kind of earhook, so I requested my audi get the new earhook. She asked but never got a reply. So much for that! I turned them in for my money back. I then purchased nondigital Rion HB-54 BTEs from an internet company. These are Class D BTEs and also are advertised as waterproof (you dip them into a cup of water for cleaning). This is true, however you have to be sure to open up the battery case at nights to let them air out. They are OK for environmental sounds, and for close conversation, but not so good for speech discrimination from a speaker across the room or campsite. So it goes. I am sticking with them right now-800$ each, which is cheap compared to the Naidas, but still high for old technology. As a result of this, I do not trust Phonak. If hearing aid mfgs do not improve the water resistance of their aids, they will face what GM faced with the Hummer. We may be hard of hearing, but we are not dumb... We should demand better products for the prices we pay for these gadgets. They can make digital watches that you can swim with, but not digital hearing aids? They want your bucks for repairs as well as for buying the overpriced hearing aids. This is an industry full of scams. :thumbd::thumbd::thumbd:That is my opinion.

 

[Wendy H]

I tried the Naida 5 ultrapower over a year ago. I was attracted to the waterproof feature, since my previous digitals were underpowered and constantly got damaged from water (I am an active hiker). They sounded pretty good, not perfect, but worth the exorbitant cost of the product-I have severe loss of hearing in one ear, and am nearly deaf in the other. But they did conk-out while hiking in a fog. I contacted the Phonak company and they told me the Naida was being improved with a new kind of earhook, so I requested my audi get the new earhook. She asked but never got a reply. So much for that! I turned them in for my money back. I then purchased nondigital Rion HB-54 BTEs from an internet company. These are Class D BTEs and also are advertised as waterproof (you dip them into a cup of water for cleaning). This is true, however you have to be sure to open up the battery case at nights to let them air out. They are OK for environmental sounds, and for close conversation, but not so good for speech discrimination from a speaker across the room or campsite. So it goes. I am sticking with them right now-800$ each, which is cheap compared to the Naidas, but still high for old technology. As a result of this, I do not trust Phonak. If hearing aid mfgs do not improve the water resistance of their aids, they will face what GM faced with the Hummer. We may be hard of hearing, but we are not dumb... We should demand better products for the prices we pay for these gadgets. They can make digital watches that you can swim with, but not digital hearing aids? They want your bucks for repairs as well as for buying the overpriced hearing aids. This is an industry full of scams. :thumbd::thumbd::thumbd:That is my opinion.

I do see from reading the posts and have talked to people in person regarding the Naida V. Some people absolutely love this product and have had no problems with it thus far. Other people have complained about the reliability of this product. An recent example is my experience w/ the Naida. I went for an adjustment w/ the Naida V and the Phonak rep was there, too.As soon as the the adjustments were being made, there was a crackling sound which was audible to the rep and to the audiologist. I voiced my concerns to the Phonak rep regarding the possible 'high maintenance' of this product. The Phonak rep immediately stopped w/ the adjustments and suggested a replacement be made. So, that is where I stand now.

 

[MaxWho]

I am happy to report that my IX's are working better than I expected. The iCom Bluetooth connection to my phone is HEAVEN and very worth the cost! The myPilot is useful so as to not have to fiddiget with the very small and hard to find buttons on the unit itself. I'm 65 and they are the best solution I've had in 20+ years of HA's (the first 20 years I was in denial ;-) )

 

[ljjehl]

I am happy to report that my IX's are working better than I expected. The iCom Bluetooth connection to my phone is HEAVEN and very worth the cost! The myPilot is useful so as to not have to fiddiget with the very small and hard to find buttons on the unit itself. I'm 65 and they are the best solution I've had in 20+ years of HA's (the first 20 years I was in denial ;-) )

I'm wondering myself if they improved on the firmware in the aids.....I'm glad it's working out for you so far....

 

[Wendy H]

Naida XI

I'm wondering myself if they improved on the firmware in the aids.....I'm glad it's working out for you so far....

I'm wondering if the Naida XI's have better 'firmware' (if that's what you're calling it) as opposed to the Naida V's. At any rate, I'm glad the Naida IX's are working out!

 

[ljjehl]

I'm wondering if the Naida XI's have better 'firmware' (if that's what you're calling it) as opposed to the Naida V's. At any rate, I'm glad the Naida IX's are working out!

meaning better software inside the aids.....you have hardware, the mechanical parts, and you have firmware(software) that works the mechanical parts electronically. If the programming have a few glitches in the firmware (I suspect some of it is messed up), then you will have the weird stuff happening, just like your computer......

 

[MaxWho]

I'm happy to report that the IX's are running like our old friend Windows XP and NOT like Vista! Going on about 6 weeks now I've not had any "strange stuff" happen. IMHO they did do some work on the software, although I am also blessed with an audi that has been working with the programing software forever. It looks as if I'll get about 8 days on a set of battries. The iCom recharable battery is a bit weak as it will not last the day when using the telephone. As to water-proof, I have no idea as I've not yet forgotten to take them off going into the shower.

 

[ljjehl]

I'm happy to report that the IX's are running like our old friend Windows XP and NOT like Vista! Going on about 6 weeks now I've not had any "strange stuff" happen. IMHO they did do some work on the software, although I am also blessed with an audi that has been working with the programing software forever. It looks as if I'll get about 8 days on a set of battries. The iCom recharable battery is a bit weak as it will not last the day when using the telephone. As to water-proof, I have no idea as I've not yet forgotten to take them off going into the shower.

FYI, they are not "waterproof", but water resistant. They have weather resistant filters on all the microphone ports as well as seals in the battery compartment, but that doesn't let you keep them on to go "swimming". It's good enough for using while in a "sweat mode" while working in the yard, but the filter do wear out. I suggest getting a pack of filters from your audi for future use.