BAHA tech.

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coffee-girl

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So, I am not sure how many people with surgical assistive hearing aids actually have BAHA's but I'll ask anyways.

For those that do — or even those with CI, if they can relate — does it seem like the technology of the processor doesn't do what it's supposed to when bringing sound and other auditory signals to the brain? I am not sure how to word that better, so let me explain.

I got my first BAHA processor in 2009, I believe, and it was the best thing ever... well, for example, hearing minute sounds I never heard before in such aural detail — like running water. The sound seemed to be clear and my level of comprehension went up significantly in terms of hearing things.

However, with each upgrade in the processor, I feel that it hasn't given me the same quality of sound and comprehension as the original. The one I have now, which is from 2019, is decent but nowhere like the one I had ten years earlier. I was recently given permission to use a demo processor from the regional BAHA representative; and it's even worse.

The newest model (not sure when that was released) has so many problems:
First — there's complex adjustments you have to make yourself via an app synched to the hearing aid on bluetooth. I have no idea what each of the setting means, what they're supposed to do, and what the three bars in the setting are. I don't know how they're supposed to be arranged, and I feel like this is something an audiologist should do.
Second — it picks up all these obnoxious, irrelevant sounds... something the processor I've been using also does. But this new processor is even more intrusive when picking up irrelevant sounds. For example, I was out for breakfast yesterday, wearing the new processor, and these customers come in (granted, they were being pretty loud, thank you sweet waitress for telling them to turn it down <3) and my processor picked up their dialogue nearly crystal clear; but I heard nothing of what my dad was saying.
Third — The battery life is so short and the dying-out is abrupt. I've estimated that previous processors lasted about 14 days (or around 150-200 hours) before needing their batteries replaced; but the new processor seems to work for about a total of 4-5 days (or around 50 hours) before they need to be replaced.

I guess the only thing is that the hinge on the new processor is more better developed than the one I've had for the past two years.

Anyways, sorry for the long post. Please share your experience with "improving" tech of either BAHA or CI.
 
Not having one I don't know how useful the following is but here goes.
FIRST: Wouldn't you be going over all of these settings with your audiologist to start out and then you have the advantage of fine tuning them without having to make an appointment with your audiologist?
SECOND: Isn't that something that the settings would at least help with by changing those settings over time as you learn what is best for you.
THIRD: Are the batteries you speak of disposable or rechargeable? The more a device does the more battery power most use. Especially if rechargeable it makes sense to me to have more than one set and rotate to keep a full set ready to go.
Good Luck at finding what fits what you need.
 
Of course I had an audiologist adjust the processor, but it does not provide the power that it should be. I've had this current processor for two years. The one I've been using since 2019 does not have Bluetooth adaptive technology — ie, you adjust via your phone — so it's still the traditional, old fashioned way,. However, the processor demo I've borrowed does have the Bluetooth adaptive technology, and that was not adjusted accordingly by the audiologist.

I hope someone who actually has experience with BAHA processors can answer me. Thanks!
 
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