Widex Beyond 220 Hearing Aids

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Beyond 220 Hearing Aids

The Beyond 220 is the standard range Made For iPhone hearing aids in Widex's new "Beyond" range. The Beyond is based on the Unique hearing aid technology so it delivers outstanding sound quality and performance in everyday use. I have been pretty happy with the results that I have seen with the Unique 220 hearing aids so far. They are pretty good devices for up to moderately noisy environments. I have been fitting them for a while now and my customers have nothing but praise for the hearing devices. You can take a look at the full range of the latest digital hearing aids from Widex here. You can also take a look at all of the best hearing aid brands here. I have not had a great deal of experience with the Beyond hearing aids so far.

The reports are pretty impressive, even rival manufacturers say that the streamed sound quality from Apple devices is the best in the business. However, reviews are good but mixed. The main sticking point seems to be problems with the connection between the aids and some Apple devices. This is something we are looking into right now so we will come back with some answers. 

The Beyond 220 is one of the latest additions to the Widex Line up. As with the rest of the Beyond range it is a slightly changed Fusion device based on the Unique technology, and it has three different radios onboard, the one for Widex Link, a telecoil and the new radio for direct iPhone connection making it possible to stream music and conduct phone calls directly to the hearing aid without any intermediary device. Widex Products are famous for their sound quality, according to all of the reports, even from rival manufacturers, the sound quality here is outstanding. The device is slightly longer than the original Fusion but it is thinner, it also has a newly designed button. 

Widex Link

Retaining the Widex Link makes sense for several reasons. The first being, that it is still without doubt, the single best system available for streaming high quality audio. The second is that it will mean that any Widex users who upgrade their devices to the Beyond will still be able to use their Dex accessories. Retaining a T-Coil also makes some sense, the T-Coil system is making a huge resurgence in the United States and many in the UK and Ireland are used to using the T-Coil in public places. 

As we discovered retaining the WidexLink radio also ensured that all of the inter ear features that Widex has become famous for also continue to work even if you are streaming audio to the hearing aids. The inter ear features in particular the inter ear compression ensure that Widex hearing aids work as well as they do and sound so natural. 

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User Fine Tuning?

Widex have also introduced a smartphone app with the Beyond which is currently available on ios and will soon be available on Android. The Beyond app seems to have the usual features that are available with Made For iPhone devices generally, you can set geo locations for different sound programmes and make changes to how the hearing aids are working on the go. However, there also seems to be an element of self fine tuning on the app, whereby users can actually change the frequency response of the hearing aids. They are calling this feature the Preference Control and it seems to break down frequencies into three bands, Bass, Middle and Treble. It is interesting to see manufacturers begin to hand over this type of control to users. It means that you can have some control over how the hearing aid actually works as you change the sound settings. In March 2017, Widex added Geotagging and find my hearing aids to the BEYOND app as well as the ability to make personalized programs through the app.

Widex released the BEYOND app for select Android phones this month as well. This will not allow direct streaming (must use one of our DEX accessories for streaming); however, this allows Android patients to utilize the app for the sound quality controls that are in the app. According to the Play store, the Android app works with the following phone models: Samsung Galaxy® S7, Samsung Galaxy® S7 Edge, Samsung Galaxy® S6, Samsung Galaxy® S6 Edge, Samsung Galaxy® Note 4, Samsung Galaxy® Note 5.

Beyond 220 Prices

We would expect the range to be sold at prices from £1400.00 to £1800.00 in the UK depending on the Practice and location. We would expect the range to be sold at prices from €1800.00 to €2400.00 in Ireland. We would expect the range to be sold at prices from $1900.00 to $2500.00 in the USA.

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Main Widex Beyond 220 Features

• U platform (processor)
• Unique Sound Class Technology 3 interear sound classes
• Unique Variable Speech Compression
• Unique True-Input Technology
• 6 Channels
• Multi-directional Active Interear Feedback Cancelling (stops whistling)
• 3 Programs
• Unique Preference control
• Digital Pinna (mimics the natural effects of the outer ear) Not available on 220
• TruSound Softener
• Unique Interear Speech Enhancer (fantastic noise reduction) Not available on 220
• Noise Reduction
• Unique Soft Level Noise Reduction (noise reduction for softer sounds, computer fans, fridges etc)
• 6 channel HD Locator (6 channels of directionality)
• Telephone flexibility including Phone +
• Interear Zen (helps to deliver relief from tinnitus)
• Unique Audibility Extender (brings frequencies that you can't hear back into your residual hearing)
• Wireless connectivity: TV Dex, Phone Dex, Uni-Dex, FM-Dex, RC-Dex, Call-Dex, and Com-Dex.

Beyond 220 Hearing Aid Types

There is just the one model available here, the Fusion 2 device. 

Widex

Beyond 220 Fusion

The Fusion 2 is a larger wireless receiver-in-canal device, it comes with a push button and telecoil and runs on a size 312 battery. The Fusion can be fit with four seperate types of receiver which ensures it can fit from mild all the way to severe to profound hearing losses.

Beyond 220 Fusion Prices

We would expect the range to be sold at prices from £1100.00 to £1400.00 in the UK depending on the Practice and location. We would expect the range to be sold at prices from €1400.00 to €1800.00 in Ireland. We would expect the range to be sold at prices from $1500.00 to $1900.00 in the USA.

Beyond Fusion 220 Features

• • U platform (processor)
  • Unique Sound Class Technology 3 interear sound classes
  • 6 Channels
  • 3 Programs
  • Digital Pinna Not available on 220
  • TruSound Softener
  • Interear Speech Enhancer Not available on 220
  • Noise Reduction
  • Unique Soft Level Noise Reduction (noise reduction for softer sounds, computer fans, fridges etc)
  • 6 channel HD Locator (6 channels of directionality)
  • Telephone flexibility including Phone +
  • Wireless connectivity: TV Dex, Phone Dex, Uni-Dex, FM-Dex, RC-Dex, Call-Dex, and Com-Dex.

• Preference Control: Available on all levels
• Reverse focus program: Available on 220
• FreeFocus (via COM-DEX app): Available on 220
• Multi-directional Active Feedback Cancelling: Interear
• Interear Zen/Zen+: Available on 220
• Variable Speed Compression: IE Available on 220
• True-Input Technology: Available on all levels
• Soft Level Noise Reduction: Available on all levels
• Audibility Extender: Available on all levels
• Hammer Detector: Available on all levels
• SmartSpeak/SmartTone: Available on all levels

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Main features

Sound Processing

The 220 is powered by the U-platform processing chip, Widex say that the chip is significantly better than the previous generation. The Unique 220 has just 6 channels and it only has three environments for the aid to choose from in it's Sound Class Technology. The three environments are speech in quiet, speech in noise and a comfort in noise setting.

InterEar (IE) technology

IE technology allows both hearing aids to act as one system through the instantaneous wireless exchange of information. Widex uses this technology in order that the hearing aids can act as a synchronised pair. The IE technology ensures the synchronization of volume adjustments and program changes between the two aids.

Sound Class Technology

The aids can automatically detect and adapt in 3 different listening environments and focus on the most dominant speech signal detected in the environment. 

Phone+

This feature is actually only available on a stand alone phone program, the signal from the hearing aid you are using close to the phone is streamed to both hearing aids to help you hear better.

Background noise reduction

The noise reduction feature in the Unique 220 range is good enough for hearing speech clearly whilst suppressing background noises in up to moderately noisy environments. If you lead a particularly active lifestyle then you may want to go for one of the better models.

Soft sound amplification

As with the rest of the range, the Unique 220 aids have access to that wider dynamic range of sound, they amplify sounds as quiet as 5 dB so that you can pick up even very soft sounds.

Tinnitus

The Unique 220 also has the Zen programme so it can be used to help relieve tinnitus.

Connectivity

DEX ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES

With the DEX assistive listening devices from Widex it becomes easy for you to communicate with your:

• Phone
• TV
• Remote Control
• Other external audio devices

COM-DEX

For communicating with other bluetooth enabled devices there is the new COM-DEX accessory, which is a bluetooth enabled pendant you hang around your neck. This will pair to your phone so that you can stream audio to your hearing aids from your phone, via the COM-DEX. You can also download an app for your smartphone (Apple or Android) which lets you use it to remotely control the hearing aids. Also available are the usual range of extra accessories for TV or audio equipment streaming.

The UNI-DEX

The all new UNI-DEX is extremely easy to use. Simply plug the mini-jack cable into your mobile phone or audio device, hang the UNI-DEX around your neck, and you are ready to go.

 

The M-DEX

M-DEX offers wireless connectivity between hearing aids and a mobile phone, practically turning the hearing aids into wireless headsets.

 

 

The TV-DEX

With the TV-DEX you can enjoy distortion-free wireless transmission of TV sound directly to your hearing aid

 

 

The RC-DEX

The RC-DEX is designed for basic wireless remote control of the hearing aids.

 

The T-DEX

T-DEX gives you easy connection with mobile phones. For use with all Widex hearing aids with a telecoil

 

 

The PHONE-DEX

PHONE-DEX is a cordless phone that streams sound directly into your hearing aids. The PHONE-DEX is easy to hold and can be used as a regular phone as well