My Experience with Phonak Cros and Soundbite

[skipg]

Had the Cross for 1 week and could not stop tinkering with the buttons and audio controls. At my 1 week appt the audiologist advised me to let the devices work as programmed and stop trying to manually adjust them. I have the compilot for program and audio changes. The Dr gave me three programs. #1 is high at 110%, #2 is low at 80%, and #3 is 100% and automatically adjusts  for the environment you are in. Not the sound level but the direction of the sound you are listening to and has the ability to cancel out background noise. In this auto program you can simply adjust the volume to your desired level. First day and it seems better already. The bluetooth is great for the cellphone and I may get the tv bluetooth also. So far so good but truly amazing technology. The only drawback right now is that hi pitched sounds are amplified too much. Glasses clinking together, dishes banging together, etc. Wearing them dawn to dusk, 5 days on the batteries.

[airborn65]

But the woman on the side of my 'good' ear has a low-pitched voice, probably due to years of smoking. I had to ask her to repeat her comments many times today.  This means the 'good' ear isn't catching everything, like I wish it did.

That's a good reason to get the MyPilot remote control. Lets you switch back and forth between several options that you can use for different circumstance. Also allows you to adjust volume on each side separately.

Hello ArizonaJak!

I did not see that there was thread here regarding Phonak Cros. I asked this same question in another thread. Is it really possible to adjust or set the volume level of Cros differently with the hearing aid by using the Mypilot? My audi says that Mypilot can adjust volume levels separately for 2 hearing aids and not the combination of hearing aid and Cros system. He says that the Cros will automatically adjust to whatever volume level of the hearing aid it is paired with. I am really confused because I really want to experience controlling how the Cros behaves using Mypilot. Hope you can enlighten me with your actual experience of Cros & Mypilot. Thanks

[chloes mema]

I saw the audiologist the first Monday morning after spring break. She understood completely my decision to try the Phonak Cros first---it costs $2300 as opposed to the SoundBite's $8k.

Wow!  My Phonak BiCros is costing me $4,000 with a $200 restocking fee if I return it in 30 days.  They also supply 3 years of batteries which certainly can not be worth $1700!    

Karen

[mk]

Karen, I am not suprised. When I was shopping around there was a wide range of prices, of as much as $1,000, with different options for batteries, warranties etc.

On another note, I have had my Cross aids for almost a year now. I use mostly the "comfort in noise" program. However I can't seem to get rid of the background noise. Sometimes I find that it is simply best to turn them off completely in noisy environments, which is however where I mostly need help to hear people talking. Speech recognition is not good either, when someone talks in my deaf ear I still can't understand what they say. I went through a few adjustments with the audiologist initially, and it seemed that it worked. However it is very different when you go from the quiet office to the real time noise. Any tips - advice?

Marianna

[arizonajack]

My audi says that Mypilot can adjust volume levels separately for 2 hearing aids and not the combination of hearing aid and Cros system. He says that the Cros will automatically adjust to whatever volume level of the hearing aid it is paired with.

Appears I was wrong about that.

I tried an experiment.

I have the hum of my room AC here in my office.

I turned up the volume all the way evenly, then lowered the volume on the Cros side.

Each time I pushed the button the lines on the screen would reduce and the sound would reduce momentarily and then go back up to match the other side.

What a rude awakening that was.

Seems all I can do now is just turn off the Cros when noise is coming from that side.

[skipg]

2mos on the Cross using the com pilot. The good: traveling in a car on a trip I can talk to my wife without turning my head to look at her instead of the road, so I could hear with my good ear (left).
TV hearing is much improved, audio level on TV as low as 15 when it used to have to be at 25 minimum. Talking one on one or at the dinner table at home is very good.
The bad: in the car was getting static, finally realized it was picking up the heater fan running. So sensitive it picks up noise you dont normally hear, eg hand brushing against pants, hi pitched sounds like the glasses hitting each other. It amplifies other loud sounds such as the vacuum cleaner running, and any motorized equipment, lawn mower, circular saw, blender, etc. Doing lawn work I have to remove them because I can no longer wear hearing protectors when they are in place. In noisy environments they still pick up all surrounding noise and make it difficult to focus on the person you are speaking to. It is better than before but still difficult to hear conversations.

Overall: I am very satisfied with the operation and function in quiet locations and learning to adapt in noisy situations. Would I choose these again and recommend them? Yes, but you have to realize their limitations and use then to your advantage. Keep the heater fan on low, keep the windows up to prevent the air noise from being amplified. Try to stay away from places where the noise could interfere with conversations.

[skipg]

One other great function of the com pilot is the use of Bluetooth to connect your cell phone to your hearing aid. Incoming calls turn off the bad ear and alerts you and allows you to communicate through the good ear. The com pilot has a central button that allows you to answer and disconnect calls, and 2 other buttons for audio level adjustments. It also has a mic to pick up your speech.

[arizonajack]

The bad: in the car was getting static, finally realized it was picking up the heater fan running. So sensitive it picks up noise you dont normally hear, eg hand brushing against pants, hi pitched sounds like the glasses hitting each other. It amplifies other loud sounds such as the vacuum cleaner running, and any motorized equipment, lawn mower, circular saw, blender, etc. Doing lawn work I have to remove them because I can no longer wear hearing protectors when they are in place. In noisy environments they still pick up all surrounding noise and make it difficult to focus on the person you are speaking to. It is better than before but still difficult to hear conversations.

See if you can get your hearing aids programed with Comfort in Noise and Speech in Noise.

It's not perfect but they do reduce surrounding noise to make it a little more bearable.

[airborn65]

My audi says that Mypilot can adjust volume levels separately for 2 hearing aids and not the combination of hearing aid and Cros system. He says that the Cros will automatically adjust to whatever volume level of the hearing aid it is paired with.

Appears I was wrong about that.

I tried an experiment.

I have the hum of my room AC here in my office.

I turned up the volume all the way evenly, then lowered the volume on the Cros side.

Each time I pushed the button the lines on the screen would reduce and the sound would reduce momentarily and then go back up to match the other side.

What a rude awakening that was.

Seems all I can do now is just turn off the Cros when noise is coming from that side.

Thanks for enlightening us Jack! I agree it's a bit disappointing to know that Mypilot cannot individually set the volume of Cros with the hearing aid it is paired with. Let's just hope that the Phonak Tech guys will include this option in future Cros models

Tony

[chloes mema]

Got my new "ears" today!   

Phonak BiCros - so far so good but then other than the audi's office, my car, home, & walking the dog I haven't been any where today.  I did notice that I can hear traffic noise again & I could hear my husband while he was on the phone with someone when I was two rooms away.   

One thing I noticed was my "deaf" side, I have tinnitus.  I think having the Cros in that ear either makes the tinnitus louder or makes me notice it more.  It might make me notice it more because now the part that goes in the ear is no longer amplifying in coming sound, to me it's blocking sound from coming in.  That I'm going to have to get use to. 

I've worn hearing aids for at least 6 years now & these I didn't even notice I had them on, totally forgot they were there.  My old ones, I was always vaguely aware they were there.

So far, I like them.  I go back every week for a month to have them & me checked & adjusted if need be. 

Also, asked about the difference in price; that got explained.

It's good to read what others have experienced, liked, dis-liked with these.

Karen

[mk]

See if you can get your hearing aids programed with Comfort in Noise and Speech in Noise.

It's not perfect but they do reduce surrounding noise to make it a little more bearable.

Jack,

what is the difference between comfort in noise and speech in noise? I think I only have the comfort in noise program, which doesn't really help with speech though in noisy environments. Do you see any differences between the two programs?

Thanks,
Marianna

[arizonajack]

See if you can get your hearing aids programed with Comfort in Noise and Speech in Noise.

It's not perfect but they do reduce surrounding noise to make it a little more bearable.

Jack,

what is the difference between comfort in noise and speech in noise? I think I only have the comfort in noise program, which doesn't really help with speech though in noisy environments. Do you see any differences between the two programs?

Thanks,
Marianna

There's a slight difference in the amount of surrounding noise reduction between the two. Speech in Noise seems to enhance speech while muting noise. Not by a lot though. In a restaurant there is still plenty of background noise. I just switch between the settings until I find the most comfortable spot at any given moment.

It's not a perfect solution but I would recommend having the Speech in Noise, too.

[Phillies]

Could somebody explain how the Bluetooth works with the Cross? I never used a Bluetooth ever, and especially not one connected with a hearing aid... I'm curious....

[nftwoed]

Hello;

   Re, the diuretic script, did the ENT mention Meniere's Disease?
   Best wishes with the Cros! Phonak makes an excellent product having bought out Telex, who originally owned the Cros patent. With a hearing loss, will it be a Bi Cros?  : )

I have 40%word recognition in my right ear, due to a gradual hearing loss. My left ear has normal hearing with a little trouble with high frequency consonant sounds, such as S or F.
I"m 63 and this has been going on for nearly 20 years. I've seen audiologists, ENTs, hearing aid specialists, prosthetic device experts in NM and TX.    And spent thousands on devices that at best, helped me feel like I was 'doing something' about my hearing loss.

Finally an ENT here in Austin prescribed diuretics for the feeling of fullness in the right ear. It's not perfect, but it helps.  And after 6 weeks of the diuretic, my deaf ear's hearing improved to about 40%.
I met with the SoundBite representative and the ENT's audiologist, and tried the SoundBite in her office. It seemed like a great device. I would have somehow produced the $8000 after getting the insurance break down the following Monday, but the audiologist and ENT were on spring break.  Lucky for me they were.

In the interim, I read every post on the AN board on Phonak Cros and Soundbite.
I left messages on the AN board, and called a Phonak cros user in Dallas.  Everyone was quite helpful in any way they could be.

I saw the audiologist the first Monday morning after spring break. She understood completely my decision to try the Phonak Cros first---it costs $2300 as opposed to the SoundBite's $8k. Yes it requires the expense of large size 13 batteries, but there's no proof the SoundBite will last over 3 years, as it's so new a technology. What would I need do after three years? Buy another SoundBite at a higher cost than now.

I will get my trial cros Wed. morning in time to use at my seasonal job starting Thursday morning. I'll pay the $2300 with a credit card, as there's no financing available.  Should I return the device within 30 days, I will receive the $2300 back, minus $250 for the wear and tear of the trial period.

It was a hoot choosing the best shade of behind-the-ear doodad to go with my hair. The audiologist explained that the behind-the-ear piece in the 'good' ear is small and won't affect my normal hearing in that ear, i.e., I won't feel 'plugged up' with a device in my 'good' ear.

So as for now, I'm feeling a bit smug that I bulldogged my way into seeking cheaper solutions for my deaf ear. I'll keep you posted.

[stephSF]

I have sound bite and my cost, after insurance is about $2600 after I think about $700 upfront.  I am happy with it.  It does help     I have blue cross select and went through UCSF for the device.