sennheiser fitting software

OTC's tend to use Cellphone Apps, and not Hearing Aid Fitting Software.
 
Is that also true of the Sennheiser's sold by Costco late last year in a couple of markets? I assumed when I saw the posts that they were doing that, that it was not an OTC product as it was replacing the Rexton's for those Costco's. I assume though it was a failed experiment as it doesn't look like those became standard for Costco.
 
Rextons are still there; Try an Internet search for Costco Hearing Aids.
Also,. here's a clip from a DIY School Hearing Aids (v2.2) PDF File named (Costco USA Hearing Aid Models);
  • Some models have Software locked to Costco version of the fitting software.
  • Some models no longer available at Costco have their release date colored Orange.
  • As always, Costco hearing aids are minus the Tinnitus feature, or if they do have it the Costco fitters will not turn it on.
List of Costco Hearing Aid Models:

 
Interesting. I was basing my comment on reports on Reddit last October that 107 Costco locations were going to start selling Sennheiser, and a couple of people confirming that their local Costco was one of the ones making the change. I guess it either didn't go well and they already killed the experiment, or there was just some mass confusion 5 months ago.

Assumption in that thread was that Sennheiser were falling under Sonova / Phonak and the Costco model was based on the Phonak Lumity: https://hearingaids.sennheiser-hear...formation_Sonite-R_210x280_EN_027-0708-02.pdf

I'm not familiar really with any of the brands but looking at their spec sheet it didn't look OTC given they even talk about use for moderate to profound loss in that document with the right receiver.

But I've googled HA's entirely too much in the last couple of weeks since deciding it's time for a new pair and a lot is just mush in my head now.
 
Oh and Yep, Sennheiser considers their own hearing aids as → OTC.
Though, I don't follow OTC news closely. So if they morph into something better, I may be the last to know.
 
The sennheiser sonite R (Costco) is not OTC, has anyone seen the fitting software ? (I don't have these HA, but I am curious)
 
Whoops, I forgot to add the link above in the previous post. Now I fixed it.
 
It doesn't appear on the list of supported devices in Phonak target
 

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Several ReBranded hearing aid models tend to work that way. That is, the ReBranded model is not included in the list of models (Phonak models in this case). But when you prep them correctly for the Connect event, then they will magically connect.

Though, this is not helpful for just looking around at the ReBranded model options.
 
Several things I don't get about Costco's new hearing aid model (Sennheiser Sonite R)?
  • Sennheiser has only built OTC hearing aids in the past, when did they switch to hearing aids that are programmable to fit your hearing loss? It's not a simple feat!
  • Why would Sennheiser build only one programable model specifically for Costco, and not available elsewhere? Not even available at Sennheiser? That doesn't make sense?
  • Why would a Sennheiser programable model use (Phonak Target 10.0 or later) fitting software?
I have never seen a 3-company ReBranded hearing aid before (Costco, Sennheiser, Phonak), and I believe this new (Sennheiser Sonite R) hearing aid model is obviously not built by Sennheiser!!

I believe the new (Sennheiser Sonite R) is likely a copy of one of Phonak's (Lumity R) models and not likely the 90R premium flavour of four models (90R, 70R, 50R, 30R). Why this Phonak ReBrand has the Sennheiser name printed on the side is a mystery to me?
c1.pngSN_Packshot_Sennheiser-Sonite-R-pair.png
 
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HMm; Maybe I can venture a guess (pardon the pun about Phonak's V/Venture platform) :oops:

A long time ago Phonak's V/Venture platform was getting a little long in the tooth. So they came out with the new B/Belong platform.
Well guess what? Except for a new case-style, only one hearing aid model was new (the Audéo B-Direct had the new SWORD wireless radio) and everything else was the same as the previous V/Venture platform. This made Costco suffer through a rough patch for customer relations because their Brio2 & Brio3 models were exactly the same except for those new cases. Here's a comparison below. Oh, to be fair there was one small change SoundRecover2 instead of the older SoundRecover. But that was simply a software/firmware change.

So my guess is that maybe it's too soon for Costco to provide Phonak models again after that New-Nothing-Burger (Brio2/Brio3)?

Compare Phonak Audéo V90 vs Phonak Audéo B90
Links to Phonak Documents used for comparison; Phonak Audéo V90 vs Phonak Audéo B90

Phonak Brio2​
Phonak Brio3​
AutoSense OS :
Calm SituationYesYes
Speech in NoiseYesYes
Comfort in NoiseYesYes
MusicYesYes
Speech in Loud NoiseYesYes
Speech in CarYesYes
Comfort in EchoYesYes
Additional programs :
Max. additional programs55
Speech in WindYesYes
Comfort in EchoYesYes
Speech in Loud NoiseYesYes
Speech in 360°YesYes
Speech in NoiseYesYes
Calm SituationYesYes
Comfort in NoiseYesYes
MusicYesYes
Acoustic phoneYesYes
Custom programYesYes
Streaming programs :
Max. streaming programs44
Bluetooth audio + micYesYes
Bluetooth phone / DECT + micYesYes
RemoteMic / RogerYesYes
Audio jackYesYes
Features :
UltraZoomYesYes
SNR-BoostYesYes
FlexControlYesYes
FlexVolumeYesYes
DuoPhoneYesYes
SoundRecoverYesSoundRecover 2
User Preference TuningYesYes
Real Ear SoundYesYes
Fine tuning Channels2020
WhistleBlockYesYes
NoiseBlockYesYes
WindBlockYesYes
EchoBlockYesYes
SoundRelaxYesYes
QuickSyncYesYes
AOVYesYes
auto AcclimatizationYesYes
 
Venture platform was year 2014 and Belong platform was year 2017;
Clip from a DIY School PDF File named (Big-5 Platforms/New Chips);
Sonova/Phonak, Unitron, Hansaton

2024-Q3
2024-Q3		Audéo Sphere Infinio✨
Infinio/ Autosense 6
Lumity/PRISM
Autosense 5		2024-Q3 Audéo Sphere Infinio ✨
2024-Q3 Audéo R Infinio
2022-Q3 Lumity Audéo L, SmartSpeech Technology
Audéo Lumity Life-model has inductive charging
2020-Q3Paradise/PRISM Autosense 42022-Q2 Audéo Fit, Phonak Slim
2021-Q3 Audéo Life Paradise, ActiveVent Receiver
2021-Q1 Naída Paradise, Brio5
2020-Q3 Audéo P, Bolero P, Virto P, Naída-P, Kirkland Signature 10
2018-Q4Marvel/PRISM Autosense 32020-Q1 Naída Marvel
2018-Q4 Audéo M, Bolero M, Virto M, Naída-M, Sky M, Kirkland Signature 9, Brio4
2014-Q4Venture
Autosense		2017-Q3 Audéo B-Direct* is new SWORD wireless radio; Everything else is Venture; Audéo B*, Bolero B*, Virto B*, CROS B*, Brio3*
2016-Q2 Audéo B-R Rechargable.
2014-Q4 Audéo V, Bolero V, Virto V, Naída V, Sky V, CROS II, Brio2
2012-Q3QuestAudéo Q, Bolero Q, Baseo Q, Virto Q, Tao Q, Naída Q, Sky Q , Brio
2008Spice/Spice+Audéo S YES, Audéo S SMART, Audéo S MINI, Audéo S III, Audéo S IX, Naída III, Naída V, Naída IX, Ambra, Solana, Cassia, Dalia
 
pvc said:
Why this Phonak ReBrand has the Sennheiser name printed on the side is a mystery to me?
Click to expand...
Pfft! Perhaps this is more relevant???
 
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Costco obviously can’t sell it as Phonak. Why not Sennheiser, since Kirkland might be considered a “cheap” label?
 
Stata said:
Why not Sennheiser?
Click to expand...

Because it ain't a Sennheiser hearing aid. That's why.
Also (and for reference) it's a departure from past method of renaming Phonak models.
  • How many potential Costco customers will be thinking that Sennheiser is now manufacturing programmable hearing aids that can be programmed to fit your hearing loss?
  • How many Costco customers who actually purchase a (Sennheiser Sonite R) will be thinking they bought Sennheiser programmable hearing aids that can be programmed to fit your hearing loss? All of them, right?
For reference; here's a list of Phonak models that were sold at Costco in the past;
 
Parent company of Phonak bought Sennheiser.

Jabras aren’t Jabras, Phillips aren’t Phillips, etc.

The vast majority of people shopping for hearing aids at Costco don’t know the differences in brands or why certain brands are for certain sales channels. They don’t know the Jabra is the same as ReSound or Rextons are based on Signia HAs.

They are looking at price, works with their phone, and can they hear better in a restaurant.
 
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Stata said:
Jabras aren’t Jabras, Phillips aren’t Phillips, etc.
Click to expand...
Sorry, But Phillips hearing aids are actually Phillips hearing aids!

I will attempt to explain why I believe we should be alert about Costco's new hearing aid naming choices:
All Jabra hearing aids are rebranded GN ReSound hearing aids. So there is no such thing as Jabra hearing aids, right? That was a little surprising to me? I hope I didn't get that wrong. Here's a link to a nice → Video on Costco's Jabras.

Though, I believe that Sennheiser is different because Sennheiser does make their own OTC hearing aid models. Costco is now selling one Rebranded Sennheiser hearing aid model. However, it is not a Sennheiser OTC hearing aid model. The one model (Sennheiser Sonite R) is actually a Phonak (Lumity R) hearing aid model.

Some ppl like to know what they are buying and the vast majority of people shopping for hearing aids at Costco is not my intended audience ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
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