The New Exelia M BTE, MyPilot, iCom Bluetooth review

[biggeek]

Product: http://www.exelia.phonak.com/en/

I've just put down $8060 on a set of BTE Exelia M's...With the iPilot remote control and iCom Bluetooth/FM device thrown in "for free."

I'll have a flesh colored Exelia M fitted March 3rd for evaluation...Along with the iPilot remote control.

If I like the Exelia M, I'll receive a Graphite/High-Tech Grey version of the device with the iCom wearable Bluetooth fob (which is apparently on back-order)

If I get too much of the "Occlusion Effect" I hated from my previous in-the-ear devices...I'll get my money back.

Cheers!

Biggeek

[ed121]

good grief! Golly Gee! Only $8000. I could buy a good used car for that kind of dough. Travel to Europe, take a vacation in the Islands, buy 16 iPhones for that amount.

Perhaps these aids are diamond encrusted with solid gold cases?

By the way I have a nice bridge in Brooklyn, NY I'll sell you for that amount. Ed

[xbulder]

that is a LOT OF MONEY.....

[Jaw2000]

You are getting hosed, royally.

I have a pair of Naidas, $4400, including 200 batteries, new molds, 3 years repair/loss.

I can get the iCOM for $350, and the MyPilot for $400.

I know they are not the same, so for reference, I can get from the same audi (and this is a local audi in a high rent big city), the Savia Art for $5200 pair, BTE.

I know yours are the newest, and command a premium, but I repeat, YOU ARE GETTING HOSED, ROYALLY.

Where are you located?

[elenaa]

I agree with the other two folks. I've done some research as well - check out hearingplanet.com - you can get excelia Vs for 4200 (w/o the extra bells - with them looks like 5K). For the extra 3K you are paying you should get fittings for life

[biggeek]

Originally Posted by Jaw2000

You are getting hosed, royally.

I have a pair of Naidas, $4400, including 200 batteries, new molds, 3 years repair/loss.

I can get the iCOM for $350, and the MyPilot for $400.

I know they are not the same, so for reference, I can get from the same audi (and this is a local audi in a high rent big city), the Savia Art for $5200 pair, BTE.

I know yours are the newest, and command a premium, but I repeat, YOU ARE GETTING HOSED, ROYALLY.

Where are you located?

I'm located in San Francisco.

I appreciate the feedback from you and the others...That's one of the reasons why I registered and posted this thread.

I haven't seen any reviews of the Exelia M's so far, and this is going to be one...When I get them and have a chance to try them.

Is it a huge ripoff? Well, it's the cutting edge of Phonak's line...Of course it is. So is buying an Apple iPhone or a MacBook Air.

Frankly, with my experiences with Widex...The entire hearing aid industry is one huge ripoff.

In any case, my credit card "purchase" is just a 30-day evaluation...Which I intend to follow up with in this thread. If I don't like the Exelia M...I'll return it and it's no big deal.

Again, I appreciate everyone's input. I'll definitely bring up the Savia Art and the Naida when I get fitted with the Exelia M.

Cheers!

biggeek

[Jaw2000]

No doubt there are a lot of rip offs in the industry.

I am in the DC suburbs so cost of living wise, I think our prices should be comparible.

The Naida is the sister to what you are getting, yet it was priced (to me) roughly $600 - or so, more than the aid it replaced. It has some of the same advances as what you are getting.

I put the savia art price in there as well as I assume that your new aids are the 'replacement' for them - so the price if it was/is to go higher should still be in the ballpark.

Look, do try them, hopefully they will be a significant improvement, but there is simply no way, that I'd pay that much for any aid - unless it gave me 100% natural hearing again - and that ain't happening.

Good luck

[elenaa]

Biggeek & Jaw

Well first off sorry for jumping into your tread uninvited. I should probably introduce myself - I'm very new at this - actually getting first hearing aids, so can't be very helpful, but I'm sure you can be to me. So I wanted to ask a few things:

Big Geek - are you using SaviaArt currently? If so, which type and what is your impression generally? Why did you decide to get excelias? Why did you like the excelias better than the naida's?

Jaw2000 - Did you consider other brands/models? If yes why did you decide on the naidas?

Thanks so much for your feedback!

[Jaw2000]

First off, it's not my thread - but that's ok too. I just hate to see folks taken advantage of.

I did a lot of home work, I got a new hearing test, and I went to 2 local audiologists for recommendations as well as going to Genesis Hearing labs.

Naturally all 3 recommendations were different and each put me in a NON profound hearing loss aid.

Prices were also all over the map.

So, I tried the Genesis product, and it was underpowered for me - was not a comfortable fit, and I began doing more homework, one of the 3 had suggested that I might want to try the Naida - but that it was not out yet.

I found my old audiologist (she had relocated to the west coast). She was/is a sane and unbiased opinion - JUST WHAT I NEEDED!

She also suggested that the other models were all good, but perhaps not good enough for my needs (Profound loss).

So, when my defacto audiologist called and said she had a pair of Naidas for me to try - well I jumped at the chance.

They are not perfect, none are, sometimes I am not sure if they are even any better than what I had before, but I am still in the trial period, and I think I will be keeping them.

Wish I could tell you more, but that's it. for me.

[Jaw2000]

Just a quick note, I learned today that my audi charges $3k per for the Excelia.

This does not take into account that the buyer does get $500 off on a pair.

But with the numbers that I am aware of essentially a fair price for what you are getting for $8k should be around $6k (aids); $400 ipilot and $350 icom.

That would be $6750, minus $500 which is nearly $2k less.

I am not trying to make this into mine is better than yours - not at all, I just hate to see people get taken advantage of.

Good luck - I hope these work for you, I am looking forward to learning more about icom.