Doctor Cliff Olson, Audiologist and founder of Applied Hearing Solutions in Phoenix Arizona, compares the pros and cons of the Phonak Paradise and Oticon More lines of hearing aids.
Oticon More and Phonak Paradise are two of the most popular hearing devices available today. While each offers some of the latest technology out there, they are a bit different. It is always beneficial to discuss your options carefully with your provider to determine which could be right for you. Let’s take a closer look at each of these product options.
When it comes to Oticon More vs Phonak Paradise, there are a lot of features to consider. The Phonak Paradise and Oticon More are two of the most advanced hearing aids on the market today. Either one can provide significant improvement to hearing and be a solid choice for many people.
When comparing the form factors for each model, Phonak has more options. This includes the Phonak Audeo Life, Vitro Paradise, Vitro P-Titanium, and the CROS P. This includes a custom lineup of products for those that are invisible in the canal. They offer both rechargeable and non-rechargeable receiver models and power BTE models. The company also has four receiver in canal models, including the Audeo, Slim, Life, and Audeo Fit.
Oticon offers a rechargeable and non-rechargeable receiver in canal option and a rechargeable and non-rechargeable miniBTE option.
When choosing here, consider what form factor you prefer and then choose based on if that brand has the form factor you desire.
Connectivity is another important component of comparison when it comes to these two lineups of options. Phonak Paradise uses Bluetooth Classic, which works with both Android and Apple devices. The key benefit here is that Bluetooth Classic is very much universal, which means the device can connect to almost any type of device that has Bluetooth connectivity. This makes it easy to have comprehensive streaming from tablets, phones, TVs, and other devices right into your ears.
Another nice benefit is that this allows you to pair up to eight Bluetooth devices at one time to the hearing aid. You also can have two active connections at one time. That streamlines the process so that you do not have to be turning Bluetooth on and off all of the time to various devices.
By comparison, the Oticon More devices use Bluetooth Low Energy Protocol for Apple devices and the ASHA Bluetooth Protocol for Android Devices. This type of Bluetooth gives you more customization with what is streamed. However, for both the Apple and Android options, these Bluetooth connections are far more limited than what you may have with the Bluetooth Classic.
If you plan to go with Oticon More, consider using the more stable Apple Bluetooth Low Energy Protocol, which now allows for two-way communication through your hearing aid. That means it is possible to talk on your phone or talk through your hearing aid without having your phone in your hand.
Another significant difference between these devices is the way they charge. The Oticon More devices use inductive charging. This eliminates the need to have battery contacts on the hearing aids. For those who may have finger dexterity issues, the Oticon More makes it super easy for you to place your hearing aids into and out of the charger. Also, the lithium batteries in these devices can be changed out by your hearing care professional. That means if there is a problem with the device's battery, your hearing aid professional can change the battery in the office and not have to send it away.
Phonak uses both contact charging and inductive charging for lithium batteries. This varies based on the model. For example, the Audeo Fit model uses charging contacts. That means that when you place them into the charger, they have to be positioned just right. The Audeo Life and Phonak Slim models use inductive charging.
Both models provide a full day’s worth of battery life with 3 hours of charging. Both also have portable chargers and powerpack chargers.
When it comes to a Phonak Paradise and Oticon More comparison, the Phonak Paradise has more adjustments to software possible than what can be done with the Oticon More. In the Paradise models, you can adjust the microphone directionality, sound relax, soft speech enhancer, impulse noise reduction, noise block, wind block, soft noise reduction, whistle block, dynamic noise cancelation, motion sensor hearing, and echo block. Each of the AutoSense OS 4.0 programs will automatically switch into various modes based on the acoustic environment.
The Oticon More has more simple adjustments possible. For example, it will allow for adjustments in how soon neural noise suppression activates, simulated pinna effects, adjust easy and difficult noise suppression, and adjust the level of sound detail and adjust directionality. A key difference here is that you have to go into the programs to make these changes, and they will not toggle in and out automatically when your environment changes.
When considering an Oticon More and Phonak Paradise comparison in custom earmolds, both companies offer pretty good options. Phonak has notably good quality custom in the ear products and custom C-shell earmolds for their line of receiver in canal hearing aids. These are available in both the acrylic and titanium models, both of which are only available through Phonak. They offer some nice benefits, such as acoustically optimized venting and a high-quality fit.
The Oticon MicroShell earmolds are excellent because they can be made using a digital impression of your ear canal. This creates a deep fit that makes them nearly invisible.
They also have ActiveVent receivers, allowing for an open or closed vent to fit the situation. This allows for better flow in varied situations.
When comparing apps, both are very easy to use and streamlined. The MyPhonak App provides a lot of key features, such as volume adjustments. It also allows users to switch to custom programs. The app also allows users to customize their programs with three band equalizer, speech focus, and noise reduction, among other areas. You can then save these custom settings to use later. The app provides a simple way to access live care through live remote sessions that you can set up with your hearing care professional.
The biggest difference with the Oticon On app is that it provides fewer ways to customize programs. While that may be a limitation for some, the app does allow you to change between programs. You can also activate the MoreSound Booster, adjust your sound volumes, turn on Live Listen Mode, and adjust streaming settings for ample control over these types of needs. Another key tool that comes with the Oticon On app is the Find My Hearing Aid Feature. That allows you to locate a missing hearing aid when one gets lost. For virtual visits with your hearing care professional, you need to use a different app called the Oticon RemoteCare app. Also notable with the Oticon On app is that you can link the app on your Apple Watch for more effortless connectivity to your settings.
Both devices have TV streamer connectivity. This means you can stream content from the TV into your hearing aids without affecting the volume of the device for anyone else in the room with you. Both have companion microphones, such as the Partner Mic with Phonak, while Oticon has the ConnectClip.
In wireless accessories, Phonak has an advantage. Both allow you to clip a microphone onto the person you want to hear for improved hearing quality. Phonak has embedded receivers, which provide direct connectivity, which typically improves overall quality. This gives you the advantage in background noise situations. In fact, these microphones are not just better than Oticon More hearing aids but just about every other hearing aid out there as well.
One of the other factors to keep in mind when comparing these products is how the devices process sound. The Oticon More is much more advanced in that it offers a deep neural network. This allows for the device to improve the way it sounds in background noise situations.
When it comes to Oticon More vs Phonak Paradise, either option can be an excellent overall choice because of the features and functions offered. Both offer some of the most innovative and advanced technology for hearing aids available, and they both beat out most of the competition out there, making this a choice based on performance as well as key features you need.
Update: Phonak has released a new platform, Phonak Lumity.
Name-brand hearing aids, fit by a local hearing healthcare provider who follows Best Practices.
