Why it is important that our clinical audiologists have the option to choose omni mic setting with all front end processing turned off

[Serena Metzler]

Okay did you contact your company or Audiology to tell them your situation with audiolink, I hope everything works out for you and I know this can be frustrating and annoying because it happens to me once as well you have explain everything to them until they listen to you.

[Lauren]

On 7/12/2023 at 4:14 PM, Mary Beth said:

@Lauren

If you have an open program slot consider asking for a program like this to use in noise;

adaptive intelligence OFF

ambient noise reduction OFF

transient noise reduction OFF

wind block OFF

mic setting in always adaptive

My Audiologist added this to my third program slot. I’m having to adjust to it slowly as I’m getting a cacophony of noise with it. I was walking a short distance yesterday outside with it and the wind/rain, traffic, and construction sound was an indecipherable static sound. Friday I used it briefly at a local restaurant after work and it worked okay-ish. 

[Mary Beth]

@Lauren

Are your favorite MAPs in omni mic setting or something else now?

[Lauren]

@Mary Beth

Program 1: Omni

Program 2: AI-Strong 

Program 3: Always Adaptive

Program 4: (empty)

I use Program 1 as my main/daily. It’s my favorite mic setting. The other two programs I’m hoping will help me in noisy environments as I’ve always struggled with that and am continuing to struggle.

AI-Strong works when it doesn’t hyper-focus on environmental sounds and when it does it drowns out conversations I’m trying to listen to. Program 3 is new and it’s taking some adjusting to get used to for some reason. 

[Mary Beth]

Your experience with always adaptive is not like mine.  Mine really dampens sounds from behind very well.  And it kind of lassos speech to the front and brings it closer even if it is far away. @Lauren

[Dianna]

I have a like/dislike for AI, i too have issues in restaurants, with tons of voices, my brain seems slow at background blocking. I hear folks across the room but still voices at my table are good also. I have omni and do really like it, more like "normal", but have to use AI mild when around folks.

 

I chalk it up to being partially deaf for so many years, still learning.

I will have a 2 year testing day next month, hoping to see results. Most of my current life is spent alone or in a room with 1 to 3 ppl with tv blasting, hard to adjust sometimes. I hear well but have to adjust volume alot. (My older sister is HOH messing with hearing aids and puts tv volume high) again, commercials kill me)

[Lauren]

@Dianna same. Probably why I always struggle in noise. As for the stuff the CI focuses on maybe I’m sitting in the wrong location. I can never remember if I’m supposed to have most of the noise ahead of me or behind me. 

In some places it’s been charity lunches/dinners so the tables are pre-assigned and others are open seating. Can’t do much for the former but maybe picking a better spot for the latter will help…

[Serena Metzler]

I like 1,2,3,and not 4 because it is too loud 🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊 🔊🔊🔊

[Anthony Canada]

@Dianna I have a dislike for AI too. In my noise program it would detect speech and decide I wanted to hear the roaring road noise and would focus on that sound. At my last appointment, which was my one month appointment, I changed a bunch of settings. In my changes I switched all of my programs out of AI and most of them into omni mic settings. I think I should have left some of them in the adaptive microphone setting but I made the rookie mistake of too much too fast. One up side is it has forced me to become more accustomed to background noise with the CI.

[Dianna]

I am sure glad im not the only one, lol.

Sometimes i play with sensitivity sometimes try different maps like AI strong in the restaurant, depending on where we are it helps to hear table mates better.

Lauren!! We are so alike, hows the second ci doing? I feel like when im in a car and no one talks the road noise actually rises, but when im with my nieces i hear nothing but their voices!!! However the road noise gets annoying in between high pitched laughing and over talking. Im getting better with controls.

I can say sound quality still seems to improve all the time, sometimes i turn volume up and its clearer but then something gets louder and i have to turn it down. Im thinking small adjustment on the high end maybe...im still streaming tv on audiolink so it still could be the tv.

24 mo visit coming soon!!!!

 

[Dianna]

On 8/27/2023 at 4:11 PM, Mary Beth said:

Your experience with always adaptive is not like mine.  Mine really dampens sounds from behind very well.  And it kind of lassos speech to the front and brings it closer even if it is far away. @Lauren

What is "always adaptive" is it different than mild or strong?

[Lauren]

My experience with AI-Strong is similar to @Anthony Canada and @Dianna. It loves focusing on loud noises. 

As for car drives, I can’t really hear much inside the vehicle, music too. Best way to hear music is to stream. That’s where the AudioStream’s 50/50 mics comes in handy as I can still hear sounds from around me but can also clearly hear music and GPS. 

@Dianna - second CI is doing better than the first side and overall much better for me. I have my “one year” checkup in November, as my hearing clock reset with the second surgery. Interestingly, my left side processors warranty is still from the original surgery in 2021 so I’ll have to wait a year after to get the sides on the same three year schedule when I’m eligible for the first upgrade. 

AudioLink is sometimes too loud for me too, haven’t found one thing that’ll fix it. Turning volume down on processors or AudioLink doesn’t always work. 

[Mary Beth]

@Lauren- always position noise behind you 

@Dianna- always adaptive is a set mic directionality setting that our audiologists can select when making programs.  It stays in adaptive mic setting all of the time and does not automatically turn on or off any of the front end features like wind block.  

[Anthony Canada]

12 minutes ago, Dianna said:

What is "always adaptive" is it different than mild or strong?

@Dianna the naming of these things is a small frustration for me. I wish Med-El would choose words that are not easy to confuse. My understanding is AI (mild or strong) is an overall setting that tries to predict everything for that program slot. Adaptive Microphone is a microphone setting that just does what @Mary Beth described above. Both names sound similar but they are completely different things (one is an overall setting and the other is a microphone setting)

[Mary Beth]

@Lauren

Upgrades are very insurance specific.  There are trends but each insurance is very specific about new processors.

Overall trends in the US….  Many insurance policies follow Medicare’s 5 year lifespan of this durable medical equipment.

Some insurance policies refuse to approve at 5 years unless the processor is broken and Med-El no longer offers repairs (out of service life/obsolete),

A few insurance companies approve prior to 5 years.

Basically until we deal with Med-El and our specific insurance company on new processors, we will not know how things go.

 

I believe in the US surgical processor kits are under warranty for 5 years (not every part) whereas upgrade kits are under warranty for 3 years (not every part).

[Dianna]

20 hours ago, Anthony Canada said:

@Dianna the naming of these things is a small frustration for me. I wish Med-El would choose words that are not easy to confuse. My understanding is AI (mild or strong) is an overall setting that tries to predict everything for that program slot. Adaptive Microphone is a microphone setting that just does what @Mary Beth described above. Both names sound similar but they are completely different things (one is an overall setting and the other is a microphone setting)

Thanks andrew, ill go find the notes again on the mic settings.

I just went to look at some accessories replacements whoosh!!!! Cost is raising!!

[Enegra]

@Dianna This article is referring to the original Sonnet, but Sonnet 2 has the same microphone settings: https://blog.medel.pro/audiology/sonnet-microphone-directionality/

[Dianna]

3 hours ago, Enegra said:

@Dianna This article is referring to the original Sonnet, but Sonnet 2 has the same microphone settings: https://blog.medel.pro/audiology/sonnet-microphone-directionality/

Thankyou agnes, i meant my own visit notes. Im thinking mine are all the same, i just forget what last map was. I know i have an omni map with no ai, its been a year since i looked at my settings

[Mary Beth]

@Dianna

It may help to check with your Med-El Customer Service Rep to see if any of the items you need are covered under your insurance.

[Lauren]

I got a very detailed reply from my rep on why Adaptive mic settings might not be a good fit for me. 

 

I’ll continue my research to find a solution for myself in noisy situations. Given my known problems with high(er) pitches this tracks. 

[Mary Beth]

@Lauren

Interesting.

For a noise program, you may benefit from asking your audiologist to create a special noise only program that is adaptive always AND has lowered MCLs for high frequency sounds ?

[Hilary Beaumont Brown]

On 1/24/2023 at 9:07 AM, Mary Beth said:

@Abdulaziz

me too!  Much better with all those features turned off.

It is important to me that we always have the option of omni with front end features turned off.

Same. For me as a bilat Sonnet 1 and 2 user it was really trippy having my ears not match. Definitely prefer having matching sound over some of the front end features on just one ear.

[Lauren]

I'm cautiously optimistic about my new programs. Finally do have all four slots taken though!

Trying the following:

Program 1: Omni w/ANR Mild

Program 2: Omni w/ANR & TNR Strong

Program 3: Natural

Program 4: Natural w/ANR & TNR Mild

I was surprised to find out that the Omni program I was liking so much had ANR, TNR, and WNR all on so when I tried it in pure/straight Omni it was too overwhelming even in the quiet office. I honestly thought I just had Omni with no restrictions this whole time. In the end, I settled on Omni w/ANR Mild after some additional tinkering.

And with everything going on we'd forgotten I was overdue for another eval so I'll go back for another appointment in about a month.

[Mary Beth]

@Lauren I look forward to reading your report after you have time with your new MAPs

[Lauren]

I was so happy. Went to a favorite local place with my aunt. She sat to one side of me so she wasn’t too far away but not too close. I could hear her and the waitress too. My aunt commented without knowing too much about CIs that “whatever I did seems to have helped”. Same place a few weeks ago I couldn’t hear a thing.