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Connect to just about anything
So I’ve finally got my hands on the new GN resound hearing aids the Linx Quattro. I have to say first impressions are these are the best looking hearing aids on the market bar none. But looks are not everything I need them to have their own soul and their own personality for them to be justified in calling themselves premium plus hearing aids.
First off they come in 2 variants. The Gn Resound Linx Quattro 9 hearing aid and the Gn resound Linx Quattro 7 hearing aid. Both these devices come in the Ric or Rite format which stand for receiver in the canal (RIC) or receiver in the ear (RITE). They also come as rechargeable hearing aids or battery operated hearing aids although I cant think of a good reason not to go for the rechargeable hearing aids they’re just so much more convenient and way better looking. They are absolutely the best looking rechargeable hearing instrument out there.
The 9 & 7 stand for the level of technology. In this case the 9 & 7 are Gn resounds top end hearing instruments. But a key point to note with these is they are not replacing the GN Resound Linx 3d 9 or 7 hearing instruments in that range, they are adding to the portfolio and this is where the new premium plus instrument comes in.
The chip set in the hearing aids has been updated to provide better speech understanding in noise, faster processing and more importantly to you clearer hearing. Not only that they come in lithium ion rechargeable. If you want rechargeable hearing aids, then the only way to go is lithium ion.
The charger case is sleek and modern. The case also holds a charge so if you are on the go these instruments can be charged with no direct power source. Just charge the hearing aid battery pack and away you go.
Charging wise I personally think it’s the best looking and functioning hearing aid on the market. Better than Starkey’s iQ rechargeable and way better than Phonak Belong rechargeable it will be interesting to see Phonak’s response with the new Phonak Marvel Hearing aid coming out next month.
The Proof in the pudding is in the eating!
Ok so aesthetics aside what do they sound like and what do they perform like? Well as soon as I got them I tried them out on myself first. I noticed straight away how clear the instruments sounded. I walked out of Lanarkshire Hearing Centre and tried the hearing aids in background noise. We have a very busy street outside the clinic so a perfect testing ground. I instantly noticed how full they sounded. The sound was very rich but the background noise was easily bearable.
So far so good
I then connected them to my Phone and the GN Resound app. This is where the fun begins. In my opinion the GN Resound App & the GN Resound connectivity to phones and iPads etc is where every manufacturer needs to get to. The streaming on these hearing aids is instant. There is no lag and the sound is top of the line for any hearing instrument. GN Resound own Jabra who are experts in wireless communications. They clearly have used this partnership to their advantage. The sound quality of the hearing aids when streaming is brilliant.
The App
Gn resounds app is outstanding. Not only does it allow the user to individually change the tone of the hearing aids in certain environments it can also allow the hearing aids user to take live notes if they are in a difficult situation then send those notes instantly to their audiologist. Here is the cool bit. The audiologist can read those notes in their hearing clinic and then the audiologist can suggest some changes send the changes over the phone which will then be picked up by the hearing aids and the adjustments will be set. No need to visit the clinic all done remotely!
Also a customer can adjust a programme in their hearing aids and then store the location of the programme. For example let’s say I go into my favourite coffee shop. The background noise is really bothering me and my hearing aids don’t seem to be lowering it. What can I do? Well using the hearing instrument app from GN Resound I can adjust the base mid or treble to my liking. I can also adjust how aggressive the hearing aids are to noise. So basically, I can custom build the hearing aids performance in real time live. And that’s not all. Once I have found that sweet spot I can then store these settings in the location I’m in using geo tagging so….. Every time I go to that location I don’t need to work out what I done previously I just select the location in the App and the hearing instruments adjust automatically back to those settings! Now that’s cool!
The not so cool thing about these hearing aids
The receiver part that goes in your ear is not as good as say an Oticon or Starkey in my opinion. It’s a lot more free and loose. The Oticon OPN instruments have this pre bent rigid receiver that goes in the ear nicely as do the Starkey muse & Starkey IQ. This makes placing the hearing aids in your ear a little easier.
Also they are not ready for android just yet. The good news is this will be coming as GN Resound claim to be the only manufacturer working directly with Google. So I would imagine a partnership with Google, Jabra and Gn Resound will make these hearing aids pretty amazing but we need to wait for that to happen.
My only other gripe is the custom moulds from GN Resound (If needed) are not as good as the likes of Phonak who to be fair make by far the best moulds for RICS. Gn Resound have not updated their custom mould for years come on GN Lets see a new ear mould!
In Summary Are these Hearing aids the ones for me?
Personally I have tried these hearing aids on a couple of people over the last few weeks. The 3 people I have tried them on have commented that they are significantly better than other hearing aids I tried them with. They all loved the connectivity and the crystal clear sound. One person was tech savvy and loved the ability to change how they function.
Sound wise I still the Oticon OPN1 from Oticon based on feedback it is the world’s best hearing aid but these hearing aids from GN Resound run a close second. If you’re after great hearing with industry leading streaming not to mention the ability to fine tune your own hearing then look no further than the GN Resound Quattro. As an overall package I think it’s the hearing instruments to beat at the minute…… Over to you Phonak and the long awaited hearing aid the Phonak Marvel!!
For a free no obligation trial of the Gn Resound Linx Quattro 9 hearing instruments please contact us and book an appointment
Steven Ross (MSHAA, RHAD)
Director
58 Cadzow Street,
Hamilton,
ML3 6DS
t: 01698 283549
m: 07340 746950
e: info@lanarkshirehearingcentre.co.uk