Oticon Epoq vs Phonak ?

[Poirot]

Hi everybody

This is my first post since finding out about alldeaf.com.
Quick intro:
- I live in Australia
- Really hard of hearing, and I have tinnitus too, after doing roadie work for a number of years back in Europe where I was born.

I am in the process of seeking a replacement for my Resound in-the-ear dinosaurs who do nothing for me anymore after five years, except making me feel like I got my head in a plastic bag.

I had an appointment with two audiologists and have narrowed my decision down to either an Epoq or a Phonak, or maybe even a Unitron Next, and definitely behind-the-ear this time. A BTE gives you a lot freer and less claustrofobic feeling after I tested a pair.

One of the main reasons I need to upgrade is that as part of my job, I need to deal over the phone with a lot of people, and also attend lots of meeting using conference calls.
I only found out about Epoq Streamers and similar products from Phonak in the last week, and it all sounds very exciting the way it is presented by the audiologists (who want to make a sale) and the literature put out by the manufacturers (who want to make a sale :roll: ).

It sounds like a great idea, to plug your hearing aids straight into the source of an electronic sound (phone, radio etc) instead of having the electronic sound translated by your hearing aids again. It should minimise the loss of quality.

But I hate being hard of hearing, and I hate wearing hearing aids, and I even hate it more paying like AU$8000 or thereabouts for something I hate wearing for starters.
I'd hate to make the wrong decision, so I thought I put some of the questions I have here in the forum:

1. Epoq or Phonak?
2. Epoq V, W or XW?
3. How do people use the Streamer or ICom?-Smartlink? with their office phone? Are there phones you plug into the Streamer or do you need a Bluetooth office phone? I am about to discuss with my boss any possible or necessary upgrade to my phone next week, and want to figure out the best way to convince them to look after me
4. For phone conferences we often use one of these star phones, ie a phone which sits in the middle of the table with a built in mike and speaker. Does any of you use that type of phone with your Streamer, and how? Do you just plug it in?
5. I've read somewhere you can buy a Bluetooth transmitter for your TV, but then I also read that Bluetooth is kind of slow and the sound might be delayed and out of sync with the pictures. Is it better just to get a long audio cable to plug into your Streamer?

I know this is a long post, but you guys seem all very helpful, and it is not every day I need to spend the price of a small car on something to stick in my ears!

Thanks!

 

[lovezebras]

well to answer ur first q is kind of hard as epoq is narrowed down to the ha phonak is a brand not a ha. Do you know which phonak aid u are looking at?

 

[Poirot]

Do you know which phonak aid u are looking at?

No, not really. But as far as I understand they do a similar aid to the Oticon Epoq, as in the Bluetooth connectivity etc, which I am really interested in to see whether it is worth the money. Phonaks are not promoted very well over here, and I found the Phonak website a bit lacking in information, and there seems to be quite a bit of old info as well.

 

[JennyB]

I think the Phonak aid you are thinking of the Exelia. It has bluetooth and is compatible with the Icom. So are the Naida but they are for severe-profound losses. Exelia is comprable to the Epoq.

 

[fhjmom]

I don't have any experience with Phonak but I have Epoq XW's. I loved them so much I put my two daughters in Epoqs also! I wore Epoq Tego Pros before getting these so Oticon is the only manufacturer I have dealt with, but I have been very pleased.

Epoq or Phonak? I love my Epoqs!
Epoq V, W or XW? I have the XW's. There are different features between each of the models and I am not sure that the cheaper model has t-coil which was an absolute must for me. Also the XW's have the ability to talk with each other which helps greatly with sound localization. I am not sure if the others have that.
How do people use the Streamer or ICom?-Smartlink? with their office phone? Are there phones you plug into the Streamer or do you need a Bluetooth office phone? I am about to discuss with my boss any possible or necessary upgrade to my phone next week, and want to figure out the best way to convince them to look after me
For phone conferences we often use one of these star phones, ie a phone which sits in the middle of the table with a built in mike and speaker. Does any of you use that type of phone with your Streamer, and how? Do you just plug it in? I use the Streamer with my Bluetooth enabled cell phone. There is a jack that is supposed to work with a headphone jack, you just plug the Streamer in to what ever device you are connecting to via the headphone jack. I have not used it yet though. The sound via Bluetooth connection is excellent.
I've read somewhere you can buy a Bluetooth transmitter for your TV, but then I also read that Bluetooth is kind of slow and the sound might be delayed and out of sync with the pictures. Is it better just to get a long audio cable to plug into your Streamer? I haven't used the Streamer with my TV but since there are 3 HA users in my family I am looking at the option of looping our living room for FM instead.

HTH!
Tamara

 

[Poirot]

I think the Phonak aid you are thinking of the Exelia. It has bluetooth and is compatible with the Icom. So are the Naida but they are for severe-profound losses. Exelia is comprable to the Epoq.

Thanks Jenny
I did see (but not try) the Epoq and the Streamer, and only by ringing around after to a different audiologist, I discussed Phonaks with them but without discussing models.

I now visited the Exélia Phonak - Website site and that has quite good info. It seems though that an iCom does not have volume control, so you would need a MyPilot as well?
The Epoq Streamer has volume control and connectivity in one?

 

[Poirot]

I have the XW's. There are different features between each of the models and I am not sure that the cheaper model has t-coil which was an absolute must for me.

I am replacing older style HAs and obviously need to find out more about what T-coils are too ...

Also the XW's have the ability to talk with each other which helps greatly with sound localization. I am not sure if the others have that.

It seems from the Exelia website that they have that too now.

I haven't used the Streamer with my TV but since there are 3 HA users in my family I am looking at the option of looping our living room for FM instead.

What is FM anyway? Is that a specific wireless technology only for hearing aids? And is it supported by all the major HA companies: Streamer and iCom?

I find this all a bit overwhelming, and I wish you could trust an audiologist to explain everything to you without having to ask (how can you ask what you don't know). But it seems they are just glorified salespeople trying to sell the brand they get the highest commission on

 

[ljjehl]

I am replacing older style HAs and obviously need to find out more about what T-coils are too ...

telecoil (T-coil)

Pronunciation: tel′ĕ-koyl

Definitions:
1. An induction coil in a hearing aid for receiving electromagnetic signals from a telephone or a loop amplification system.​

It is useful in hearing on the land based phone without outside noise interference. Telecoil devices such as telecoil neckloops can connect to other devices such as cell phones, mp3 players, and other devices that has a audio/headphone jack. Telecoil shuts out background noise so you can hear only the person or sound.

What is FM anyway? Is that a specific wireless technology only for hearing aids? And is it supported by all the major HA companies: Streamer and iCom?

FM frequencies are used in a lot of everyday wireless communication equipment. If you use a remote control for a TV or a cordless telephone, it uses some sort of FM technology (Frequency Modulation - Radio waves). FM can go through walls and other objects. There is usually a DAI (Direct Audio Input) boot that can attach to many hearing aids, in which the FM receiver attaches to the boot. This FM receiver connects to a FM transmitter. The FM transmitter can be a personal device like my Smartlink SX ( Phonak hearing systems - FM SmartLink SX ) or a broad area transmitter ( Listen Performance FM System Package )

Schools and Auditoriums such as places of worship may have large area transmitters already installed. If not, it's nice to have a personal FM transmitter to help you complement your hearing and help block unwanted background noises.

I'm not 100% of the streamer (Epoq), but the Phonak iCom needs a FM receiver with a DAI connection (Phonak MLxi) in order to have FM built with the iCom. If you use the iCom, then you will not need a boot for the exelias.

 

[lovezebras]

If you do go with an fm system most systems work well together i.e. a phonak fm system (smartlink, mylink campus xs, etc ) will work best with a phonak hearing aid. And phonak's aids can come with the reciever mlx10 and mlx9 i think integrated so you don't have to have the book and the reciever added on to the base of the hearing aid (near the battery door. I haven't looked into the iCom but i have the smartlink sx transmitter and the integrated reciever for my (phonak) hearing aid. I have not had many problems with it except I migh have to get a new ha already since I got an entry level digi aid that didn't have much room to work with dB wise and I'm almost maxed out on the aid. ...but that's another story!

 

[Poirot]

Thanks for all your comments, everybody.
I have been busy with further research and it seems the Epoqs might be the easiest solution.
My boss is now organising a workplace assessment for me by an external hearing adaptive technology specialist, so I will have to wait for the outcome of that assessment, to find out whether the Streamer will be compatible with our phone systems etc.
Again, thanks for your comments, and I will keep you posted.