by Hung Mai, AuD
In this hearing tech spotlight, I’m going to focus on the Widex Moment Sheer and go over how it stands out from other hearing aids, who it may be ideal for, and why according to Widex, it sounds like no other.
NOTE: I am not affiliated with Widex or any other hearing aid manufacturers. As an independent audiologist, I am providing my own feedback and opinion on some of today's exciting hearing technology. There's so many options today. Here is one of it.
OVERVIEW
Widex is one of the 7 major hearing aid manufacturers globally. Moment refers to their current platform originally released in early 2020. While the Moment platform comes in different hearing aid styles, the Sheer or the sRIC model refers specifically to their most popular style, the receiver-in-the-canal (RIC), which received a few updates recently in Sept 2022 such as a new charger, carrying case, a few new instant eartip options, and new sound therapy options called Sound Relax. In terms of the actual hearing instruments, the only change is a new microphone cover; otherwise, the body looks identical to the original Moment mRIC model.
In terms of battery operation, the Moment Sheer sRIC only comes with lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. With a 4-hour charge, it provides a full day of usage. If you prefer the traditional disposable battery instead, you would have to go with previous generation Moment mRIC, the traditional BTE, or custom in-the-ear models.
Widex Moments are prescription-class hearing devices. It can only be purchased through a licensed hearing care professional, who will help you get the most out of the devices through programming, counseling, and follow-up services. It is not available over-the-counter.
It can work for almost all degrees of hearing loss from mild to profound, as long as it’s fitted with the proper earpiece. There are many earpiece options from a variety of instant ear tips to custom earmolds, pictured below.
The Moment Sheer comes in 4 technology level that is labeled as 440 (premium), 330 (advance) 220 (standard), and 110 (entry). (see picture below for tech levels and features)
The main difference between each technology level is the amount of features and customization available. As you go down in technology level, the less automatic adjustments the hearing aid makes in different environments, the less features it has, and the less adjustments your hearing care professional can make to precisely match the sound of the hearing aid to the degree of your hearing loss. In general, the more active or the more complex listening environment you are in, the higher tech level should be considered, such as the 440 or the 330. For less active users in less complex listening situations or if budget is a concern, then the lower tech level may be more suitable. Consult with your hearing care professional to help you find the most appropriate level based on your needs.
Ok, enough with the technical stuff. Let’s take a look at how the Widex Moment Sheer stands out from other hearing aids.
WHAT MAKES IT STAND OUT?
1. NATURAL SOUND QUALITY
Widex is known to provide great sound fidelity with a very natural sound, hence their tagline “sound like no other”. It’s due to how fast they can process and deliver the sound into your ear.
The speed of sound processing is important because it's one of the reasons why some hearing aids may sound more artificial is due to the time delay in sound processing.
When you’re using hearing aids, you’re hearing sounds coming from a mixture of two different pathways:
- The first pathway is the direct sound that passes through the earpiece in your ear canal since most hearing aid fittings do not totally block out the ears.
- The second pathway is the processed sound from the hearing aid.
By the time the processed sound reaches your eardrum and mixes in with the original sound, there’s a slight time delay. That time delay can be perceived as distortion or an echo. So essentially, the less time delay, the less artificial the sound is.
While other hearing aid brands have an average time delay of 6 – 8ms, which is still very good; Widex, on the other hand, has an astonishingly low time delay of 0.5ms.
Faster processing = less distortion = a more natural sound.
Their ultra-fast processing is thanks to their Zero-Delay technology. Click here to learn more.
Not only can they process sounds ultra-fast, it's also a very quiet hearing aid. If there was no noise in the room and the Widex Moments were in your ear, it can be hard to tell if it’s actually turned on or not. With other hearing aids, you may hear a low hissing sound that is similar to when you turn the radio volume all the way down.
2. TINNITUS SOUND THERAPY
Another standout for Widex is their sound therapy options, and there’s quite a bit of them. The sound therapy options are soothing sounds that can be mixed into the background to help treat tinnitus or for simply relaxing the mind. To listen to some samples, click on the video below.
3. MOMENT APP
The Widex Moment app, in my opinion, is among the best apps in the hearing aid industry, allowing more flexibility and control of your hearing aids. Not only can you adjust the volume and programs like every other apps, there’s also a unique tool call My Sound that allows you to create custom sound programs for places that you’re still struggling in.
For example, let’s say you’re at a favorite café, and you're still struggling to hear and want to create a custom program for it. You can use My Sound to create custom sound profiles in real-time while you’re at that café. The custom program can even be geo-tagged so that your hearing aids will automatically switch to that program every time you’re in that location.
Other handy features of the Moment app include:
- Three-band equalizer to adjust the bass, mid, and treble for any sound programs.
- Find My Hearing Aids tool to help you locate a lost hearing aid.
- MyGuide section full of helpful tips, tutorials, and courses to help you get the most of the Widex Moments.
For more details on how the Moment app works, click here: The Moment™ hearing aid app (widex.com))
4. SOUND ASSIST
And finally, my favorite standout feature is actually an accessory. The Sound Assist is a new multifunctional accessory that enhances the user experience in many ways:
- Improving speech understanding in noisy places - the remote microphone can send nearby speech sounds directly into the hearing aids to boost their speech over the background noise.
- Hands-free phone calls - Connect to any phones with Bluetooth, no matter if it’s a smartphone or a classic flip phone.
- Remote Control - Easily adjust the volume and programs for your Widex Moments. Great for those who do not use smartphones and cannot use the Moment app.
- Telecoil - While the Moment Sheer sRIC is not equipped with telecoil, the Sound Assist does. You can switch to Telecoil mode with a push of a button.
To learn more about the Sound Assist and how it brings the best of the Widex Moments, check out the video below:
WHO’S IT FOR?
When it boils down to it, Widex Moment Sheer can essentially work for almost all degree of hearing loss, but here are a few specific scenarios where I feel the Widex Moments would be especially well-suited for:
- Those who tried other hearing aids and did not like the sound quality. The ultra-fast and very quiet sound processing of Widex may provide a more acceptable sound quality.
- Those who want or need a very small hearing aid whether due to personal preference or if they have smaller size ears, since the Moment Sheer is one of the smallest RIC style HA in the market.
- Those who are somewhat tech-savvy and are able to take advantage of the Moment app or the Sound Assist.
- Those who enjoys meditation or listening to relaxing sounds. There’s a ton of options with the Zen and SoundRelax feature.
- Those who loves music. In the hearing aid industry, Widex is known as one of the top go-to choice for those who love music due to the great sound fidelity.
- Those who want different colors instead of the standard skin and hair tones. Widex have other fun colors such as sporty red, deep blue, turquoise, and pink.
Widex Moment Sheer is a great option for most, especially if you fit one of those scenarios listed above. Even with the many advantages that the Widex Moment Sheer, it is critical to have it fitted appropriately by your hearing care professional. And that goes with any prescriptive-class hearing aids. If you would like more info on the Widex Moment Sheer, click here.
TRY OUT THE WIDEX MOMENT SHEER & SOUND ASSIST
If you're near the Kenner area and would like to try out the Widex Moment Sheer or other hearing aid brands, contact us by calling (504) 375-3075 or request an appointment online below. After a proper hearing evaluation and learning more about your needs, we'll help you explore your options.
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