Phonak is a long standing name in the hearing aids profession, they were first well known for innovative solutions for children with hearing loss that went far beyond just hearing aids. However, they are now renowned for quality hearing aids for all age groups. As a Swiss manufacturer you would expect a marriage of high technical design and quality and Phonak will not let you down in that regard.

The launched their latest RIC (Receiver In Canal) hearing aids range last year. the Phonak Audéo V range. Phonak do things a little differently than many other manufacturers, they name their hearing aid types differently and then split them into technology levels. Most hearing aid manufacturers usually just give a family designation and technology level. 

In this article we will discuss the Audeo V90 range which is the flagship technology in their RIC hearing aid range. The Audeo V90 replaces the Audeo Q90 hearing aids family, it is also an upgraded design with a different form factor than the Q90. Phonak as usual has offered a choice of hair and skin colours that offer discretion, they have also offered fashion and fun colours ensuring that they have something to suit every style.

As the flagship technology the hearing aids deliver better hearing in even the most challenging listening situations. They really are a complete package, great sound quality and a discreet, modern design. The Audeo V delivers:

• a great choice of styles at different price levels
• An option to help manage tinnitus
• And so small that it virtually disappears behind the ear

Hearing Aid Types & Technology

As we said, the Phonak Audeo V90 contains the highest level of technology in the current Audeo range. It has 20 sound processing channels and a wide range of programmes and features designed to help you to hear in even the most challenging sound environments. 

They have a dust proof coating which is also water repellent, ensuring that the hearing aid stays in good working order for longer. Phonak’s Binaural VoiceStream TechnologyTM allows one hearing aid to recognise speech sounds and transmit the speech to both hearing aids in real time. This technology works alongside the other features to give you the best hearing clarity in different challenging listening situations.

The four behind the ear models of Audeo are the V90-10, the smallest of the range which takes a size 10 battery, the Audeo V90-312 which funnily enough takes a size 312 battery. The Audeo V90-312T is the same again but with the addition of a telecoil receiver for a loop system. The Audeo V90-13 is the largest of the devices and uses a size 13 battery. Battery size can be important, a bigger battery will last longer but more than that it is easier for people with dexterity issues to hold an manipulate. Let's take a look at the technology inside.

AutoSense OS

Autosense OS is the brain of the hearing aid, it manages all of the other functions and features to ensure that you get the best results possible.It is an automatic feature that seamlessly alters the hearing aids to reflect the best solution for the changing listening environment. AutoSense OS accurately captures the precise listening environment you are in, changing when it needs to, to provide you with a comfortable, seamless listening experience throughout your day.

Speech in Loud Noise

The feature helps you focus in on the single voice you want to hear from a noisy crowd. When noise reaches a level that makes understanding one person in a crowd difficult, StereoZoom, Phonak's excellent microphone management system is automatically activated, allowing you to focus on the voice you want to hear and ignore the noise you don't.

Speech in 360°

Understand speech from any direction. The Speech in 360 feature automatically selects the direction of speech and sends this speech signal from one hearing aid to the other, improving clarity and speech intelligibility without the need for you to face the speaker.

Speech in Wind

Enjoy conversations even on a windy day. When wearing hearing aids wind noise can interfere with your speech understanding and listening comfort. The Speech in Wind feature enhances your ability to understand speech well, even when the wind is blowing.

Automatic Programmes

• Comfort in Echo, which reduces the noise of echo making it easier to hear speech.
• Speech in Car, which makes it easier to follow conversations when you can’t take your eyes off the road.
• Speech in Loud Noise, reduces the effect of loud noise making it easier to understand speech.
• Music, giving you better clarity when listening to your favourite music.
• Comfort in Noise, reduces loud noise to make your hearing more comfortable.
• Speech in Noise, focuses your hearing to the front, reducing noise behind you.
• Calm Situation, adjusts your hearing aids for comfort and better hearing in quiet environments and one to one conversations.

Manual Programmes

Speech in Wind

When you are outside, the sound of the wind can drown out all conversation. This programme works out which hearing aid is getting the better speech signal and using the Binaural VoiceStream Technology sends the speech to both hearing aids. This improves speech clarity and also reduces the effect of wind noise.

Acoustic Phone

This programme is designed to make it easier to talk on the telephone. The hearing aid on the telephone side transmits the speech to both hearing aids simultaneously, which improves speech clarity whilst reducing the sound of distractions in the room.

Key Features

Stereo Zoom

This feature is designed to focus the hearing aids automatically on the clearest speech sound they can pick up. Ideal for noisy environments where there is background conversation.

Zoom Control

Rather than just focusing on sounds in front of you, this features can focus on speech sounds to the side or behind you. This is ideal for situations where you cannot easily turn to face the speaker, such as when you are driving and trying to listen to directions from your passengers.

UltraZoom

Directional microphones allow you to pick up the sound from all around you giving you a wide range to hear sound. The ultrazoom feature narrows this range to focus on a small area where someone is speaking. This gives you better speech understanding and reduces the effect of background noise.

DuoPhone

This feature is designed to make it easier to talk on the telephone. The hearing aid on the telephone side transmits the speech to both hearing aids simultaneously, which improves speech clarity whilst reducing the sound of distractions in the room.

Flexcontrol and FlexVolume

The Flexcontrol and FlexVolume feature give the wearer more control over their hearing. It enables the wearer to fine tune their hearing aids for better hearing in different environments.

Echoblock

Listening in assembly halls or places of worship is often a problem for hearing aid wearers due to the sound echoing around the room. This feature recognises the sound echo and removes it, without distorting the other sounds around you.

Whistleblock

This feedback elimination feature recognises the feedback sound and removes it before you know it is there. As with the Echoblock feature, it can do this without sound distortion.

NoiseBlock

This feature recognises continuous background sounds, such as traffic noise through a window, the dishwasher or office photocopier. It can reduce the volume of this sound so that speech is clearer and easier to understand.

Windblock

Removes the sound of the wind when you are outside.

SoundRelax

Sudden loud sounds can be unpleasant or painful for those with hearing loss, particularly when it is amplified by your hearing aid. The SoundRelax feature can soften the impact of sudden loud sounds without distorting the other sounds around you.

Real Ear Sound

This feature allows the hearing aids to mimic the way the ear naturally listens. This, as well as the receiver in canal design, means that it is easier to determine the direction the sound is coming from.

SoundRecover

This feature takes the high frequency sounds which are outside your hearing range, such as children’s voices and high pitched sounds, and makes them easier to hear.

QuickSync

Changing the volume or setting on one hearing aid will automatically change the other hearing aid as well. This synchronisation makes sure the hearing aids are always working together.

Tinnitus Balance Noise Generator

This feature helps to relieve the symptoms of tinnitus by generating a pleasant sound. It can be used as part of a sound therapy routine. 

Phonak has a range of wirless accessories which are fully compatible with the Audeo range.

Connect & Communicate

 

Phonak Audeo V is compatible with the Phonak wireless communication portfolio. These accessory wireless devices deliver quality sound, ease of use and support you across many different situations that you face on a day to day basis. 

Phonak Easycall

The Phonak EasyCall connects hearing aids wirelessly with any Bluetooth enabled cell phone. It binaurally streams the phone call directly to the hearing aids for maximum speech understanding.

 

Phonak Dect II

 

The Phonak DECT II is the ideal phone for use both at home or in a small office. The phone signal is streamed wirelessly to both hearing aids simultaneously. This provides unmatched sound quality and great understanding.

 

 

Phonak Conversation Set

The small and stylish Phonak ComPilot Air II Bluetooth streamer, combined with the RemoteMic, transmits a distant speaker’s voice directly to both hearing aids over a distance of up to 20 meters (66 ft).

 

 

Phonak Entertainment Set

 

TVLink II, combined with ComPilot II provides high quality stereo sound directly to both hearing aids when watching TV or listening to music. 24 hours continuous streaming time and 30 meters range.

 

As you can see, Phonak has loaded the Audeo V90 range with some amazing features and technology. They really are outstanding hearing aids and users are very happy with them. If you would like to hear more about the hearing aids or you would like to try them out, call us on 01224 637255 or book your appointment online now.