The Phonak Virto V90 Custom Hearing Aid Range

Hearing Aid - Virto V90

Phonak Virto V Custom Hearing Aids

We have been long term fans of Phonak and their hearing aids, they have always produced fantastic results for us whenever we have used them with suitable customers. Phonak was initially famous for the hearing aids they provided for children and people with profound hearing loss. 

However, that has changed and for many years now they have been synonymous with better hearing for all types of hearing loss. We have had fantastic success with Phonak hearing aids and have always found them to do the job that they say they will. 

So we were looking forward to using the latest Venture range of hearing aids and especially the new customs. Phonak had told us that the new custom hearing aids would be different than any they had produced before, using new faceplates and technology that would allow them do things they could never do before. 

They were not wrong, they have managed to pack a huge amount of power and functionality into even smaller pacakages. So let's take a look at what they have to offer and what you can expect them to do for you. 

Designed for you

Each of the Virto V90 range can be individually crafted to fit perfectly into your ear canal, this provides ultimate comfort while meeting your everyday hearing needs

Personalised performance

The range uses the new Autosense OS to adapt automatically and seamlessly to provide the best hearing performance in every listening situation

The best kept secret

Discreet and more compact than any other hearing aid in its class, you won’t even realise that you’re wearing hearing aids, nor will anyone else.

More music enjoyment

Tested by expert listeners, Venture hearing aids come out top for music

The Hearing Aid Types

The Virto V range, whether it is the 90, the 70, the 50 or the thirty comes in six different in the ear styles. Let's look at what they are and what Phonak has put onboard each one. 

 

The Virto V90-Nano is the smallest and is an "invisible in the canal" IIC or so called hidden hearing aid. The Virto V90-10 NW O is the smallest of the Virto's, it is slightly larger than the Nano. The 10 means it takes a size 10 battery, NW means no wireless so you miss out on all of the features for which wireless is needed. O stands for omnidirectional which means that you don't get the benefits associated with dual microphones. With both of these hearing aids you are sacrificing a lot of benefit for discretion. 

The Virto V90-10 O is the same as the previous model but with wireless and the Virto V90-10 is again the same but with dual microphones squeezed on. Moving up to the Virto V90-312 you have a larger "half shell" aid that takes a size 312 battery. The largest of them all is the Virto V90-13, a "full shell" aid that takes a size 13 battery. These hearing aids may be more noticeable but it is worth the trade off for the functionality they deliver.

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Level of Technology

The Phonak Virto V90 contains the highest level of technology in the Virto range. It has 20 sound processing channels and a wide range of programmes and features to help you to hear in challenging environments. The features are exactly the same across all of the 90 levels such as the Bolero V90 and the Audeo V90. 

Phonak’s Binaural VoiceStream TechnologyTM allows one hearing aid to recognise speech sounds and transmit the speech to both hearing aids in real time. However, this and many of the other features only work at their best if the hearing aids are wireless enabled. This technology works alongside various other features to give you the best hearing clarity in different challenging listening situations.

AutoSense OS

An outstanding automatic feature that seamlessly alters your hearing aids to your changing listening environment. AutoSense OS accurately captures the precise listening environment you are in, changing when it needs to, to provide you with a comfortable, seamless listening experience throughout your day.

You can find out more about the Autosense management system here

Speech in Loud Noise

The feature helps you focus in on the single voice you want to hear from a noisy crowd. When noise reaches a level that makes understanding one person in a crowd difficult, StereoZoom, Phonak's excellent microphone management system is automatically activated, allowing you to focus on the voice you want to hear and ignore the noise you don't.

Speech in 360°

Understand speech from any direction. The Speech in 360 feature automatically selects the direction of speech and sends this speech signal from one hearing aid to the other, improving clarity and speech intelligibility without the need for you to face the speaker.

Speech in Wind

Enjoy conversations even on a windy day. When wearing hearing aids wind noise can interfere with your speech understanding and listening comfort. The Speech in Wind feature enhances your ability to understand speech well, even when the wind is blowing.

It is also a multi Programme aid and the programmes include;

Automatic Programmes

• Comfort in Echo, which reduces the noise of echo making it easier to hear speech.
• Speech in Car, which makes it easier to follow conversations when you can’t take your eyes off the road.
• Speech in Loud Noise, reduces the effect of loud noise making it easier to understand speech.
• Music, giving you better clarity when listening to your favourite music.
• Comfort in Noise, reduces loud noise to make your hearing more comfortable.
• Speech in Noise, focuses your hearing to the front, reducing noise behind you.
• Calm Situation, adjusts your hearing aids for comfort and better hearing in quiet environments and one to one conversations.

Manual Programmes

Speech in Wind

When you are outside, the sound of the wind can drown out all conversation. This programme works out which hearing aid is getting the better speech signal and using the Binaural VoiceStream Technology sends the speech to both hearing aids. This improves speech clarity and also reduces the effect of wind noise.

Acoustic Phone

This programme is designed to make it easier to talk on the telephone. The hearing aid on the telephone side transmits the speech to both hearing aids simultaneously, which improves speech clarity whilst reducing the sound of distractions in the room.

Key Features

Stereo Zoom

This feature is designed to focus the hearing aids automatically on the clearest speech sound they can pick up. Ideal for noisy environments where there is background conversation.

Zoom Control

Rather than just focusing on sounds in front of you, this feature can focus on speech sounds to the side or behind you. This is ideal for situations where you cannot easily turn to face the speaker, such as when you are driving and trying to listen to directions from your passengers.

UltraZoom

Directional microphones allow you to pick up the sound from all around you giving you a wide range to hear sound. The ultrazoom feature narrows this range to focus on a small area where someone is speaking. This gives you better speech understanding and reduces the effect of background noise.

DuoPhone

This feature is designed to make it easier to talk on the telephone. The hearing aid on the telephone side transmits the speech to both hearing aids simultaneously, which improves speech clarity whilst reducing the sound of distractions in the room.

Flexcontrol and FlexVolume

The Flexcontrol and FlexVolume feature give the wearer more control over their hearing. It enables the wearer to fine tune their hearing aids for better hearing in different environments.

Echoblock

Listening in assembly halls or places of worship is often a problem for hearing aid wearers due to the sound echoing around the room. This feature recognises the sound echo and removes it, without distorting the other sounds around you.

Whistleblock

This feedback elimination feature recognises the feedback sound and removes it before you know it is there. As with the Echoblock feature, it can do this without sound distortion.

NoiseBlock

This feature recognises continuous background sounds, such as traffic noise through a window, the dishwasher or office photocopier. It can reduce the volume of this sound so that speech is clearer and easier to understand.

Windblock

Removes the sound of the wind when you are outside.

SoundRelax

Sudden loud sounds can be unpleasant or painful for those with hearing loss, particularly when it is amplified by your hearing aid. The SoundRelax feature can soften the impact of sudden loud sounds without distorting the other sounds around you.

Real Ear Sound

This feature allows the hearing aids to mimic the way the ear naturally listens. This, as well as the receiver in canal design, means that it is easier to determine the direction the sound is coming from.

SoundRecover

This feature takes the high frequency sounds which are outside your hearing range, such as children’s voices and high pitched sounds, and makes them easier to hear.

QuickSync

Changing the volume or setting on one hearing aid will automatically change the other hearing aid as well. This synchronisation makes sure the hearing aids are always working together.

Tinnitus Balance Noise Generator

This feature helps to relieve the symptoms of tinnitus by generating a pleasant sound.

Phonak has a range of accessories which are fully compatible with the Bolero range.

Connect & Communicate

Phonak Bolero V is compatible with the Phonak wireless communication portfolio. These accessory wireless devices deliver quality sound, ease of use and support you across many different situations that you face on a day to day basis. 

Phonak Easycall

The Phonak EasyCall connects hearing aids wirelessly with any Bluetooth enabled cell phone. It binaurally streams the phone call directly to the hearing aids for maximum speech understanding.

 

Phonak Dect II

 

The Phonak DECT II is the ideal phone for use both at home or in a small office. The phone signal is streamed wirelessly to both hearing aids simultaneously. This provides unmatched sound quality and great understanding.

 

Phonak Conversation Set

The small and stylish Phonak ComPilot Air II Bluetooth streamer, combined with the RemoteMic, transmits a distant speaker’s voice directly to both hearing aids over a distance of up to 20 meters (66 ft).

 

Phonak Entertainment Set

TVLink II, combined with ComPilot II provides high quality stereo sound directly to both hearing aids when watching TV or listening to music. 24 hours continuous streaming time and 30 meters range.