Question: What FM system works best?

[spring88]

Hi guys,

I'm in the process of obtaining a new FM system to use in clinic and the classroom. I currently wear Oticon Epoqs XW and need to find an FM system that is compatible with my hearing aids and will work well in a multitude of settings.

I know several different audiologists and they have told me all different things:

One recommended the Phonak EasyLink with a neckloop. (I didn't like this recommendation)

One recommended the Phonak ZoomLink with the adaptable receivers. I liked what the Zoomlink could do for me.

One recommend the Oticon Amigo with receivers because apparently the Phonak receivers with the ZoomLink will drain the hearing aid batteries and she thinks an Oticon FM system will jive better with the hearing aids I already have.

The last two make sense for me BUT the disability services at my school will be purchasing the FM system and would like to give the FM system for someone else to use when I'm done with it. So the FM system needs to be compatible with a wide range of hearing aids.

I would love to hear any recommendations or any additional information that I might not know about these FM systems. I need an FM system that works well with Oticon hearing aids, can be used by someone who doesn't also have Oticon hearing aids and can be used in a wide variety of different settings.

Thanks!

p.s I meant "Which" FM system not "What". Unfortunately, I can't change the title.

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[DrAudio]

I'm assuming you have a T-coil in your XW's? Far as I know not all of them came equipped.....

Always heard that "Phonak made the best FM systems" but I've never fit one before so no first hand experience here.

-D

 

[SoCalAud]

My school purchased FM systems recently and unfortunately, they weren't made for most hearing aid users at my university. They were meant to be available to all HOH students, so they came in with of VERY UNCOMFORTABLE plastic ear plugs. Yes, un-customized ear plugs in plastic that wrap around your outer ears. I took those out and switched with apple earplugs; they worked okay.

Remember when I told you to contact Department of Rehabilitation in your state? They helped me pay for mine.

 

[cidanu]

Spring-

If the school is purchasing the FM system and they'd like to make it compatible with the most hearing aid users, the most universal way to couple the FM system to hearing aids is via T-Coil. A T-Coil neckloop will work with any hearing aid that has telecoils in a vertical position. T-Coil silhouettes can be used with behind-the-ear (BTE) style hearing aids, and can sometimes provide a better signal. A T-coil neckloop or silhouettes can be used with a body-style FM receiver. This the way most businesses and public places go in terms of providing universal access for the hard of hearing.

The are a couple drawbacks with telecoil coupling: you can be subject to electromagnetic interference (from things like fluorescent light bulbs or appliances). The other is the strength of the telecoil in your hearing aid, and there can be variability with this. For an ideal fitting, it is necessary to verify the telecoil fitting with the FM system.

I took a class at Gallaudet with one of the most published authors on assistive devices and she swears by ComTek FM systems. http://www.comtek.com/index.html In her experience they have the best signal with the least amount of interference. (Oh yeah FM systems are also subject to interference in general from radio frequencies-RF interference). ComTek FM systems are totally universal.

The Phonak Inspiro is really cool for classroom use too, and might be something your school would be interested in using. You can have multiple transmitters for team teaching. You can use it with a Phonak MyLink receiver with T-Coil neckloop which is universal and again can be used with any hearing aid with a vertical telecoil. Or you can also use it with Phonak receiver boots like the MLXi. There has been some research showing that the new "dynamic" FM from Phonak is beneficial in reducing background noise compared to traditional FM.

For a personal system a lot of people really like using an intermediary device like the Oticon Streamer (not sure if it's compatible with the Epoq XW). You can plug in an FM receiver into the Streamer, and then the Streamer sends the signal to your hearing aids using near-field magnetic induction. This way you don't have to use a boot on your hearing aids, and you don't have to deal with possible magnetic interference with T-Coil. You can also couple the Streamer with yoiur Bluetooth enabled cell phone or laptop. I doubt the school would purchase this for you though because it's specific to the hearing aid manufacturer, and could only be used by students with Oticon hearing aids.

If you get help from vocational rehabilitation, they may be willing to buy you something for personal use, especially if it's related to your schooling (ie future taxpaying citizen status). At Gallaudet we have a history of working with VR, and local VR's have paid for FM systems for students. Every VR is different though and it's a case by case basis. In that case I might recommend either the Phonak or Oticon personal FM systems. I would recommend reading about each system on the manufacturer websites so you get an idea of what the differences are. Think about your current AND your future hearing aids. Is Bluetooth connectivity something you want? I don't know a lot of people who use these systems, but I have a friend who owns the Amigo and he doesn't like it very much. He thinks it has a really short range. FM sytems will tell you up to how many feet they can operate, but this isn't always realistic.

If I were you I would try to get an FM system from the school for regular classroom use (The ComTek or the Inspiro) AND a personal system from VR like the Amigo or the SmartLink+. But I guess that's a little ambitious.

Sorry for not giving you one single answer. There are lots of possibilities that might work for you!

 

[cidanu]

My school purchased FM systems recently and unfortunately, they weren't made for most hearing aid users at my university. They were meant to be available to all HOH students, so they came in with of VERY UNCOMFORTABLE plastic ear plugs. Yes, un-customized ear plugs in plastic that wrap around your outer ears. I took those out and switched with apple earplugs; they worked okay.

Remember when I told you to contact Department of Rehabilitation in your state? They helped me pay for mine.

SoCal-

what kind of FM system is it and what do the receivers look like? is it a receiver where you simply plug in the ear plugs into it? if so you could probably obtain a telecoil neckloop or telecoil silhouettes to use with your hearing aids (if you have telecoil) and plug them into the receiver. this was some poor planning by your school. did they even consult an audiologist? it infuriates me when i hear stories like this. businesses/schools are NOT qualified to make decisions that should be made by AUDIOLOGISTS!

 

[SoCalAud]

SoCal-

what kind of FM system is it and what do the receivers look like? is it a receiver where you simply plug in the ear plugs into it? if so you could probably obtain a telecoil neckloop or telecoil silhouettes to use with your hearing aids (if you have telecoil) and plug them into the receiver. this was some poor planning by your school. did they even consult an audiologist? it infuriates me when i hear stories like this. businesses/schools are NOT qualified to make decisions that should be made by AUDIOLOGISTS!

They have comtek's. I asked if these were purchased new or reused because when I opened the box they looked beat up on the edges. Also, the box only included one ear "mold," instead of two. I asked for two, but they said it's all they can offer. I looked at them and went, "that's not right!". Two ears is better than one! I was so pissed.

 

[spring88]

Cidanu- Thank you SO much for your response. It was very informative and exactly what I was looking for .

I have the t-coil and the streamer with my hearing aids. You brought up a valid point in that I could use the streamer in conjunction with the FM. I haven't utilized the streamer as much as I should've but since I'm starting my AuD, it would be hypocritical for me not to get the full benefit of my hearing aids. I have a Blackberry and when the streamer is worn around the neck, my hearing aids would "ring" when I had an incoming call. All I had to do was press the button on my streamer and speak into it. It was AWESOME.

I personally liked the Inspiro but both audiologists recommended either the Smartlink or the Zoomlink- which were also awesome. BUT the MXLi receivers would drain my hearing aid batteries to the point where I would have to change them every two days. While I would get better service using the receivers as opposed to a neckloop, I was told there would be some connectivity issues by using two different products. The MxLi receivers would trump the neck loop in every aspect ASIDE from draining HA batteries of their power. I did use a Smartlink FM system a few times with a neckloop for practice during my AR sessions and while I loved the Smartlink, I didn't like the neck loop.

I've done some preliminary research on Oticon FM systems and it sounds like the DRS at my school is willing to pay for Oticon receivers just for my own use (a recent update), which would be ideal. I'm not completely sold, however, because I think Phonak FM systems are AWESOME but again, I would be concerned about compatibility with my Epoqs.

I'm definitely going to look into the Comteks as well! I didn't realize there were so many options out there. Thanks for your suggestion, Cidanu. I may PM you if I have any more questions .

 

[spring88]

They have comtek's. I asked if these were purchased new or reused because when I opened the box they looked beat up on the edges. Also, the box only included one ear "mold," instead of two. I asked for two, but they said it's all they can offer. I looked at them and went, "that's not right!". Two ears is better than one! I was so pissed.

That is APPALLING. You would probably struggle more with even having an FM system just for one ear than you would without an FM period due to sound localization issues. The DRS at your school should've done a better job of accommodating you. It sounds like they are doing the barest minimum in adherence to ADA and that really isn't okay. In fact, I think they probably violated it by providing you with assistance for one ear and not the other.

 

[quiteaud]

That is APPALLING. You would probably struggle more with even having an FM system just for one ear than you would without an FM period due to sound localization issues. The DRS at your school should've done a better job of accommodating you. It sounds like they are doing the barest minimum in adherence to ADA and that really isn't okay. In fact, I think they probably violated it by providing you with assistance for one ear and not the other.

I agree that two ears are better than one, but an FM system doesn't provide cues for localization.

 

[spring88]

I agree that two ears are better than one, but an FM system doesn't provide cues for localization.

It's definitely more difficult when you are getting more amplification in one ear than the other. I've encountered sound localization issues when this has been the case, it's very disorienting. I maybe didn't express myself well enough in my earlier post!

 

[cidanu]

Spring -

if you already have the streamer and you're concerned about the FM receivers draining your battery, you can plug a cube receiver into the streamer instead of into your hearing aids. since your streamer is rechargeable you've just solved that problem. then you just have to find out what is the additional drain on your hearing aid batteries when you're using the streamer.

i like the smartlink and the amigo because you set them on a table unobtrusively if you're with a patient for example, and you don't have to ask them to wear a microphone. so these are good personal systems. but the inspiro has additional features making it nice for classroom use, like the possibility for team teaching, the ability to change the channel to avoid RF interference, and the increased ability to reduce background noise at the source. the zoomlink does not have bluetooth capability so i would think you'd want the smartlink, in case this is something you want to use in the future.

 

[cidanu]

SoCal-

I would recommend asking your audiologists to write a report recommending APPROPRIATE accommodations for you at school, and provide it to the right people at school, stressing compliance with ADA in the report. Not having enough money is NOT a valid excuse. The system does not have to be the most expensive or the most state of the art, but it does have to be appropriate. And what they've provided is NOT appropriate. Potential lawsuit.