MED-EL Moderator Posted January 18, 2019 Report Share Posted January 18, 2019 Hi Mary Beth, That is a useful bit of feedback, thank you! I will pass it on to our Product teams here in HQ. Kind regards, Mary Jewel and Mary Beth 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted January 18, 2019 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 18, 2019 @Joan The mic cover on the Rondo 2 is the entire top piece which comes in all different colors and designs. It is easy to remove and attach a new cover every 3 months. Much easier than the Sonnet mic covers although Med-El said they are releasing a different design for Sonnet mic covers to make it easier. They may have released that revised mic cover already. I am wondering the same thing about hair noise because our Rondo 1 mic covers are raised and protect the mic area and the Rondo 2 mic cover is flush with the processor. I am glad to read that there hasn’t been hair noise issues for @Jeweland @Mary Featherston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted January 18, 2019 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 18, 2019 @MED-EL Moderator Thank you Mary. A clear hair clip and clear alligator clip may be nice. Jewel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joan Posted January 18, 2019 Report Share Posted January 18, 2019 @Mary Beth are the mic covers covered by insurance? I was also glad to know @Jewel and @Mary Featherston haven’t experienced any hair noise issues. I once lost a mic cover on one of my Rondos and the hair noise was very irritating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted January 18, 2019 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 18, 2019 Depends on insurance @Joan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joan Posted January 18, 2019 Report Share Posted January 18, 2019 Ok, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Featherston Posted January 18, 2019 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 18, 2019 2 hours ago, Mary Beth said: @MED-EL Moderator Thank you Mary. A clear hair clip and clear alligator clip may be nice. I'd guess that the alligator clip could simply be run with a polycarbonate blend - it's more abrasive to the mold surfaces than ABS, but not that much. The hair clip would also have to be plastic, though. (Years and years of managing suppliers that provide injection-molded plastic parts over here) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted January 18, 2019 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 18, 2019 @Mary Featherston Maybe you can design a cool, comfortable, inconspicuous secure attachment for us! Jewel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Featherston Posted January 18, 2019 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 18, 2019 2 hours ago, Mary Beth said: @Mary Featherston Maybe you can design a cool, comfortable, inconspicuous secure attachment for us! I was really just thinking that it would be simple - unless they buy the little clip off the shelf, they should be able to make clear ones as well. They'd have to make a mold for the hair clip, but depending on the needed volume it wouldn't have to be expensive. Two pieces (top and bottom of the clip) so maybe a four-cavity mold so you get two of each part with every shot. I bet they could do that for under $100K. Probably significantly less. But I'm not an engineer, I just work with a lot of them! Jewel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ept5777 Posted January 22, 2019 Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 Hello Girls, I have been implanted since December 2015 with Mi1200 SYNCHRONY using the Rondo 1 only seeing at the time there were no buy one and second free offers. I have a few questions about the new Rondo 2 and hope you can help me with. 1) I am 66 years old and on full Medicare and wonder if any of you have tried using Medicare to all or some of the cost for upgrading to the Rondo 2 2) Mary Beth & Joan, I see you both mentioned Upgrade times coming up for you? is that offered be Med-El Corp or the Audiologist Clinic Center that take care of you please. Here is a note that our MedEL / Patient Relations Liaison Manager sent WMU Audiologist Dr in December of 2018. Hi Teresa, The self pay price of the RONDO 2 is $9,600…if he trades an old processor in he will get 25% off, so it brings it down to $7,200. It might be worth checking with insurance still to see if they will cover any of it. Also, I do not have one yet, but if he would like to try it out in the clinic prior to purchasing it, I can work on getting one and we can schedule an appointment so he can see it and see how it feels and such? Because once the new one is opened it cannot be returned, so we want to be sure it is something he likes. 😊 Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays to you as well! Scott Scott Hansson Patient Relations Liaison Manager MED-EL Corporation, USA Tel +15125921033 Mobile +1 512 592 1033 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted January 22, 2019 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 Hi @ept5777 After the initial kit that comes with our surgery, it is all dependent on our health insurance as to the timing of new processors. The rule of thumb has been every five years but some health insurance plans have not covered new processors at five years. The way I understand it, we ask our CSR to process the new kit through our insurance. The Med-El team reaches out to our audiologists for documentation. If the insurance approves the processor, the kit is sent to us and we schedule an appt with our audiologist to get it programmed. This may vary a bit from center to center. I am not sure if this process is exactly the same for all health insurance plans. Your Med-El CSR would be the best person to ask. I think it is great that they are offering you an opportunity to try it out in your audiologist’s office first. That is a great idea. Keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joan Posted January 22, 2019 Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 @ept5777 I am on Medicare and also have a Medicare supplement. As @Mary Beth said, I’ll need to wait to see if Medicare approves the upgrade request when it is submitted to them by my CSR. It’s my understanding that they take into consideration the necessity for the upgrade as documented by my audiologist. I am bilateral (first implant February 2014, second September 2014) and both implants were completely covered by Medicare and my supplement (I was 72). I’m waiting until the five-year mark for my second implant before requesting an upgrade so, if approved, both will then be on the same timeline going forward. Mary Beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Jewel Posted January 22, 2019 Author HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 On 1/18/2019 at 9:51 AM, Mary Featherston said: I'd guess that the alligator clip could simply be run with a polycarbonate blend - it's more abrasive to the mold surfaces than ABS, but not that much. The hair clip would also have to be plastic, though. (Years and years of managing suppliers that provide injection-molded plastic parts over here) @Mary Featherston What's ABS? Mary Featherston 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted January 22, 2019 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 Matte nail polish on the visible side of the clip may work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Featherston Posted January 22, 2019 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 2 hours ago, Jewel said: @Mary Featherston What's ABS? @Jewel - just a different type of plastic resin. I don't know for sure that's what the clip is made of, but it's what it looks like to me. If you want clear you generally need polycarbonate. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene - that's what the ABS stands for. It's a blend of thermoplastics. Jewel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveD Posted January 24, 2019 Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 Hi All! @Jewel@Mary Featherston@Mary Beth I have been away from the forum for some time but thought I'd chime in with Rondo 2 experience and other updates. With the Sonnet processor I have been doing quite well. Still not totally happy with low frequency rumble and 'sharpness' on high frequencies. Overall, comprehension of speech is vastly improved over HAs. The Rondo 2 with omni map does well but I like having the 'Natural' and 'Adaptive' maps on the Sonnet at times. I think my audi just copied the Sonnet omni map to the Rondo 2. Like others have noted, the Rondo 2 does seem to be a bit loud. Turning volume down with the FineTuner seems to help. Someone (maybe @Jewel) mentioned a map for Rondo 2 for car use. I'd really like to learn more about that and share it with my audi. Also, if there are other mapping idiosyncrasies that I (meaning my audi) should know about, please let me know. I was a little bit bummed that the Rondo 2 didn't come with it's own FineTuner but I learned that it's dirt simple to change the FineTuner from one processor to the other. I really like that I don't have to worry about battery changes all day! Having nothing on my ear is also great. I don't like the microphone sensitivity. Hair that touches the mic cover and wind noise seem much worse than with the Sonnet. I'm looking forward to spring weather so I see how bike riding works out. I had a pretty good system for the Sonnet. I stuffed the processor in a microphone windsock and laid it on top of my head. I held the processor and coil in place with a skull cap then plopped the helmet on. Everything stays in place and wind noise wasn't too bad. I'll make an effort to be more involved on the forum. This really is a great group and sharing of experiences has been so beneficial. Dave Mary Featherston and Jewel 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted January 24, 2019 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 @DaveD Thanks for your Rondo 2 report. I like reading things people like and things people don’t like. Have you considered using an EarGear cover for Rondo 2 when biking for wind noise? @Jewel has one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted January 25, 2019 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 @Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveD Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 @Mary Beth I'll be checking out the Ear Gear covers. I had them for my HAs and they helped some. I'm thinking that with the Rondo 2 mic under my bike helmet the wind noise might be more manageable. When the snow and ice melt from my driveway I'll find out! Mary Beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted January 25, 2019 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 Let us know @DaveD! We are in a deep freeze here too. Bike weather returns in May! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Jewel Posted January 27, 2019 Author HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 Hi @DaveD I'm not sure what specifically my audi did for the car map but with that map I don't hear the wind noises as loudly as I do with the other maps. She must have gotten rid of some of the tones. She told me that music wouldn't sound as good with the car map but I find it fine for speech, like if I'm listening to some talks on a CD. Although I have an EarGear for my Rondo2, I haven't used it yet. I have used the one for my Sonnet and I didn't notice much improvement with the CI wind noise when I wore the EarGear with my Sonnet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Jewel Posted January 27, 2019 Author HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 I went to a stage play last night. The theater was packed and we had to sit near the back. About 10 rows were before me. It took me a few minutes before I could make out what the actors were saying. But after that I got a few words here and there. I used my Sonnet to watch a stage play in December and I sat in the 4th row. But I needed to use my Roger Pen. So I guess the Rondo2 was better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Featherston Posted January 27, 2019 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 Wow, I can't think when I last went to a play. Well, I can. It was "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" at the Guthrie. Patrick Stewart and Mercedes Ruehl. At least fifteen or twenty years ago and I didn't hear much at all. Good luck to you giving it a try, @Jewel Jewel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Jewel Posted January 27, 2019 Author HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 @Mary Featherston Have you been to the movies yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Featherston Posted January 27, 2019 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 @Jewel no. We've lost the habit. The last two movies I saw in the theater were The Lord of the Rings - Two Towers, which I didn't need to hear, because I know the story. And Gravity, which was very visual and almost didn't need dialogue. And I heard nothing either time. I'm having some weird tinniness in my left CI and if I can eliminate that I'm going to start thinking about things like phones and movies. Jewel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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