How To Choose Your New Hearing Aids

STEP 1 - Choose the model: Audéo, Virto or Lyric?

Phonak Audeo hearing aid / aide auditive rechargeable

Phonak Audéo

Discrete, behind-the-ear, with a pure and natural sound
Phonak Audéo is a « behind the ear » hearing aid with with a receiver in the ear canal. Its size is equivalent to half of your little finger.  Approximately 90% of hearing aids sold in Switzerland today are of this type.  Designed for mild to severe hearing loss, it is available in four price categories: Premium 90, Advanced 70, Standard 50, Essential 30.

This type of hearing aid consists of a main housing positioned discreetly behind the ear connected by a wire to a silicone earpiece that slides into the ear canal. By separating the electronics between the main housing and the earpiece, the housing is so small that it almost disappears behind the ear. The Audéo also has an option to manage tinnitus.

The Phonak Audéo is often sold with a standard soft silicone dome earpiece. However, patients with significant loss in the low and mid frequencies may prefer a custom-made earpiece to benefit from a more efficient transfer of these frequencies.

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Phonak Virto

Fits in the ear canal, almost invisible
Phonak Virto is an almost invisible in-the-ear device, with a custom-made shell to ensure a perfect fit in the ear canal and to filter all outside sound. Its size is equivalent to a third of your little finger. It is designed for mild to severe hearing loss and is available in four price categories: Premium 90, Advanced 70, Standard 50, Essential 30.

This device sits completely in the ear canal, and the electronics are covered with a custom-made shell. This model offers different materials for the shell depending on the power required and the functionality desired.
Despite its small size, this model blocks the ear canal and so can produce an occlusion effect, meaning that you hear only the sound produced by the hearing aid and that all sound from the outside is excluded.

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Phonak Lyric 24/7

100% invisible, completely in the canal
Lyric by Phonak is the only hearing aid in the world that is 100% invisible and can be worn all day and all night for months at a time. Lyric can even be worn in the shower. The batteries last for weeks and are not replaceable, the device is maintenance-free, and you don't have to insert and remove it every day. Lyric is comfortably positioned deep in the ear canal by a specially trained hearing care professional. Unlike other devices, the Lyric is sold as an annual subscription. When the device's battery runs out (typically every 2 to 3 months), you return to your hearing care professional to have new devices inserted, or you can learn to insert them safely yourself.

STEP 2 - Choose the performance: 90, 70, 50 or 30 ?

Family picnic lunch / Famille pique-nique

Choose the proper category according to the types of noisy situations in your daily life

For example, choose category 90 for restaurants and theaters. Choose category 30 for the home.
Everyone, even those who are hard of hearing, understands fairly well in quiet environments. It is in noisy situations that we find it most difficult to understand. You will be better satisfied if you choose a category that matches your everyday sound environment.

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“Buy the best and cry only once” but that’s not all…

  • The programs automatically adapt to suit the environment which you are in at that moment.
  • A range of programs that reflect your real environment allows you to single out the voices and better suppress the background noise.
  • A large number of « channels » results in finer tuning and a more natural sound.

STEP 3 - You're ready to start your free 3-week trial!

Free 3-week trial and generous sales conditions

Our customers appreciate our low prices for all Phonak products, our transparent and generous sales conditions, our expertise with all Phonak products, and most of all, our great service. We love what we do and it shows.

    The trial conditions

    • The three-week trial is free of charge and without obligation to purchase.
    • You can try a different pair of devices each week of the trial.
    • The first and last session last 2 hours and must be done in person.
    • The other sessions, weekly or as needed, last 1 hour and can be done in person or remotely. #
    • Payment is due on the last day of the trial if you decide to purchase one or more hearing aids.

    # Thanks to Phonak's remote adjustment technology, it is possible to optimize the settings of your devices from the comfort of your home by connecting with your hearing care professional via the MyPhonak app.

    An initial 2-hour session, followed by 2 to 4 shorter sessions

    The first 2-hour session is normally followed by 2 to 4 sessions of 30 to 60 minutes to refine and improve the fitting as well as for training on the proper use and maintenance of hearing aids.

    Remote fitting sessions for people who don't want to or can't come to our shop

    It is important to come in for the first two sessions to accurately measure your hearing loss, and to take anatomical measurements of your ear. Then, thanks to Phonak's remote fitting technology, it is entirely possible to optimize the settings of your devices from the comfort of your own home by connecting with your hearing care professional via the MyPhonak app.

    Woman showing man fitting results / Femme montre réglage

    From measuring your hearing loss, to programming your hearing aids, to pairing them to your smartphone, we take care of it all.

    Here are the different steps that we take care of during your free hearing aid trial :   Medical history / Otoscopy / Tonal and vocal audiometry / Choice of device / Choice of earpiece / Placement on the ear / Programming / In situ Phonak audiometry / Demonstration of device handling and charger / Cleaning and maintenance demonstration / Bluetooth pairing to your smartphone / Downloading and pairing to the MyPhonak application / MyPhonak use and tips / Setting up remote fitting session if desired / TV Connector demonstration / Free trial of TV Connector and other Phonak accessories if desired.

    You will forget that you are wearing hearing aids!

    Our goal is to make you forget your hearing aids thanks to the finest fitting possible. State-of-the-art equipment and a dozen loudspeakers located in our soundproof room allow us to reproduce the different acoustic situations of everyday life and to refine the algorithms of the hearing aids as well as possible.

    STEP 4 - Sales conditions if you decide to purchase

    The purchase price includes:

    • Hearing aids with a charger if it is a rechargeable device.
    • Hearing tests and adjustments, personalized and optimized during the trial and up to 3 months after purchase.
    • Hearing tests and adjustment updates every 2 years for 6 years, in person or remotely.A
    • A 3-year warranty in Switzerland for Audéo Lumity levels L90 and L70, compared to 2 years for other devices.B
    • 3-year total loss and damage insurance, only for Audéo Lumity levels L90 and L70.C
    • Cleaning products in a Phonak kit.
    • Replacement domes for the life of your devices.
    • Hearing aid cleaning for the life of your devices.
    • The loan of hearing aids during repairs.
    • Preparation and sending of reimbursement documents to social insurance (AVS, AI, SUVA, AMF).

    A An additional adjustment session (on site or remotely) during and beyond the 6 years costs 40 fr.
    B,C Receivers, chargers and accessories for all our hearing aids regardless of their level (90, 70, 50, 30) have a 2-year guarantee in Switzerland, without insurance for loss or damage, with the exception of special ActiveVent receivers.
    B,C The custom moulds of all our hearing aids regardless of their level (90, 70, 50, 30) have 3 months warranty in Switzerland, without loss and damage insurance, with the exception of the cShell Lumity and SlimTip ActiveVent which are guaranteed for 2 years in Switzerland, without loss and damage insurance.
    B,C The special ActiveVent receivers are guaranteed for 1 month, with excess earwax and perspiration as contraindications.
    C In the event of damage to an Audéo Lumity level L90 or L70 device, there is a deductible of CHF 550 to replace each damaged device. The balance of the damaged product warranty is transferred to the new product. The replacement product does not give right to these conditions in the event of a new claim. When the new product is ordered, the serial number of the damaged product is condemned by Phonak and withdrawn from circulation.

    Trousse remplie avec chargeur

    Price Categories

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    How to choose between a 90, 70, 50 or 30?

    We know that hearing aids are a big investment for you and your family.  To ensure that you make the best choice, we offer a three-week free trial, whereby we encourage you to try several price categories to see for yourself which model is best suited to your needs and your budget.

    Automatic programs and other advanced features can help with microphone directionality, suppression of background noise, and favoring speech over other environmental sounds, while still being able to pick up enough of all modalities to keep you informed of the atmosphere.

    Automatic programs are powerful technology options that can dramatically improve the real value you get from your hearing aids.

    Four Standardized Prices for All Our Hearing Aids

    Regardless of whether you choose Phonak Audéo (behind the ear) or Phonak Virto (in the ear) hearing aids or whether they are rechargeable or battery-operated, our prices are standardized into the following 4 price categories*.  For detailed quotes and sales conditions for our hearing aids, please read the next pages of this website.

    • 90: All Phonak hearing aids in category "90":   2950 per piece | 5900 per pair
    • 70: All Phonak hearing aids in category "70":   2550 per piece | 5100 per pair
    • 50: All Phonak hearing aids in category "50":   2150 per piece | 4300 per pair
    • 30: All Phonak hearing aids in category "30":   1750 per piece | 3500 per pair

    * Lyric, Cros and Vitus+ hearing aids are sold at different prices.  In the event of severe hearing loss, custom earmolds may be prescribed (CHF 360 for 2 pieces).

    STEP 5 - Reimbursement for your hearing aids

    AVS  If you are the beneficiary of an AVS pension, the AI-AVS office may pay every 5 years:  1237 fr for 2 hearing aids if the hearing loss of both ears is at least 35% (or 630 fr for 1 hearing aid).  Pour plus d'infos, veuillez consulter ici le site de l'AI-AVS: Office AI-AVS.

    AI  If you are not yet a beneficiary of an AVS pension, the AI-AVS office may pay every 6 years:  1650 fr for 2 hearing aids if the hearing loss of both ears is at least 20% (or 840 fr for 1 hearing aid).  Pour plus d'infos, veuillez consulter ici le site de l'AI-AVS: Office AI-AVS.

    AI acquired rights  If you currently receive an AVS pension but were reimbursed for your previously acquired hearing aids before receiving your AVS pension, the AI-AVS office may pay every 6 years:  1650 fr for 2 hearing aids if the hearing loss of both ears is at least 20% (or 840 fr for 1 hearing aid).

    Complementary health insurance  Your complementary health insurance may pay . . . . . . . . .fr

    PC  Your municipality may pay . . . . . . . . .fr for « prestations complémentaires » if eligible.

    ProSenectute  After payment from the institutions above, ProSenectute may pay the difference up to:  2175 fr for a « standard case » or 3200 fr for a « complex case.

    SUVA  In the event of a hearing loss of at least 20% due to work-related events, SUVA may pay:  2175 fr for a « standard case » or 3200 fr for a « complex case.

    AMF  In the event of a hearing loss of at least 20% due to military-related events, SUVA may pay: 2175 fr for a « standard case » or 3200 fr for a « complex case.

    We will help you every step of the way

    We know how tedious it is to keep track of all the paperwork. That's why we're happy to fill in all the forms for you, so you can focus on the essentials. Here are the main steps for reimbursement.

    1. Send a “demande de prestations” to the AI-AVS office of your canton of residence.
    2. The AI-AVS office contacts your ENT doctor and informs you of the next steps.
    3. Your ENT doctor summons you for an “expertise” and sends the results to the AI-AVS office.
    4. The AI-AVS office sends you its “decision” concerning the reimbursement.
    5. In the event of a positive decision by the AI-AVS office, you send them back the following documents:
      • The invoice for your hearing aids
      • The form that accompanies the positive decision from the AI-AVS office
    6. The applicable funds are paid into your bank account.