Widex Evoke
Evoke Fusion 440 – ‘made for iPhone’
From the manufacturer:
“WIDEX EVOKE™ – THE WORLD’S FIRST SMART HEARING AID
Interactive options help you intuitively shape your listening experience, putting you in full control if you want to be.
And if you want to lean back? EVOKE automatically makes hearing aid adjustments suited to your needs and your environment. Ensuring great sound for a busy life has never been easier.”
MODEL REVIEWED: Evoke Fusion 440 (Premium – RIC style)
OUR VERDICT:
Because of the smoother sound reproduction that Widex has on to for many years, some music-lovers and musicians will prefer Widex. For the same reason, some people with heightened sensitivity to loud sudden noises may also prefer this model.
In today’s competitive market, you should be able to negotiate a free trial on all hearing aids. Just ask.
Alternative: The Widex Evoke 220 is less expensive but still equipped with Widex’s renowned sound quality.
Price: Around £2800 – to £3600 for a pair from an established independent practice.
APPEARANCE AND FEEL:
(the weight, size, shape, how well it fits ergonomically to the ear; the thickness and flexibility of the wire; the shell construction, quality, finish, IP properties, construction of buttons / switches / battery compartment)
Perhaps a little over-engineered. The receiver wire is a very odd design and will not suit everyone..
The size is ok compared to similar tech aids, like the LiNX Quattro and Livio AI. The wire detaches from the shell too easily.
SOUND PRODUCTION:
(tested for how natural sounds are; how owner’s voice sounds; quality of classical and popular amplified music; naturalness of everyday quiet sounds such as indicator click, and loud sounds such as toilet flush, wind)
The Evoke will sound good to some. It sounds completely different to my preferred aids (Oticon).
BACKGROUND NOISE PERFORMANCE:
(how well the instrument appears to cope with the suppression of background noises, such as party speech babble, traffic noise, loud wind noise, car engine sound)
It definitely reacts noticeably to background noise.
EASE OF PROGRAMMING:
(from the audiologist perspective – how easy and user-friendly the programming software is: this can affect the quality of the results for the end-user)
Has always been a little clunky, but the ‘sensogram’ function was a first (in-situ hearing testing).
MAINTENANCE & RUNNING COSTS:
(cost of out-of-warranty repairs, cost of shell repairs, spare parts, ease of procuring replacement parts, consumables such as domes, wax guards, receiver wires; shell integrity when put under stress)
Parts are too expensive, receiver wires are fitted by pushing in to place – rather imprecise, and they are a silly design.
I agree – the sports locks also are an odd design.
OTHER COMMENT:
Getting a little behind the times – will be interesting to see what happens with the merger of Sivantos and Widex as to what comes next?
H.A.R. Overall Score - in the Premium range
By AP (Aug 2018) and BL (Dec 2018)