Sonic Ion User manual

www.sonici.com
User Guide

2
SONIC
Owner Information
Hearing Aid Model:
Battery Size: 10A
Hearing Aid Serial Number:
(Located inside battery compartment)
Left: Right:
Listening Program
Number Listening Situation
1
2
3
4

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IONTM USER GUIDE
3
Table of Contents
Hearing Aid Benefits ........................................................4
Hearing Expectations ......................................................5
Warranty & Repair ...........................................................7
IonTM Hearing Aid ..............................................................8
Turning Your Hearing Aid On and Off ............................10
Start Up Delay ................................................................ 11
Changing Listening Programs ......................................12
SmartTonesTM ................................................................13
Changing The Battery ....................................................13
Battery Type ...................................................................13
Change Batteries Regularly ..........................................14
Important Information About Your Battery ..................16
Putting Your ionTM Hearing Aid On Your Ear .................17
Removing Your Hearing Aid ...........................................18
Telephone Use ................................................................18
Correcting Feedback/Whistling ....................................19
Daily Maintenance & Storage ........................................20
Warnings to Prospective Hearing Aid Users ................24
Troubleshooting .............................................................25
Compliance with Requirements for Europe .................27

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SONIC
Hearing Aid Benefits
Congratulations on your purchase of the extremely-
comfortable, incredibly-discreet, and fullyfeatured
ionTM open ear hearing aid from Sonic. ionTM
incorporates our advanced digital processor for more
lifelike sound. With ionTM, you will be able to enjoy more
natural sound quality in a wide variety of listening
situations without the isolation commonly experienced
with traditional hearing aids.
Your hearing aid has been programmed to fit your
hearing and communication needs. If you require
programming changes, your hearing healthcare
professional can make adjustments to improve the
sound.
Please review this user guide carefully. It contains
information on the use and care of your hearing aid. With
proper use and care, your hearing aid will improve your
connection with the world around you.

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IONTM USER GUIDE
Hearing Expectations
Set Appropriate Expectations
It is important that you have the right expectations
regarding your hearing aids. Hearing aids will give you
better hearing, but they are not a cure for hearing loss.
People whose expectations are too high (“I thought
they would make my hearing normal”) are likely to be
disappointed and may give up.
Hearing Aids Can:
• Help you hear and understand better in most
situations.
• Allow you to participate more in group situations
and meetings.
Hearing Aids Cannot:
• Give you normal hearing.
Hearing Aids May Not:
• Let you hear very soft sounds.
• Block ALL background noises–especially in noisy
groups. (Even people without hearing loss may
have difficulty hearing in the presence of back-
ground noise.)

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SONIC
Be Patient
Unlike eyeglasses, which correct your vision as soon
as you first put them on, hearing aids need some time
for proper adjustment. It may take several weeks or
months to completely adjust to your hearing aids, so try
to be patient. During the first week or so, try different
listening situations, such as one-on-one conversations
with family and friends and conversations with two
or three people at home or in quiet settings. Also, try
having conversations in noisier places like parties,
restaurants, meetings, and outdoors. But do not forget
that some situations are simply too noisy in general
– even for people without hearing loss. So, do not get
discouraged.
Consistent use of your hearing aid is strongly recom-
mended. In most cases, infrequent use does not allow
you to obtain the full benefit from your aid.
The use of a hearing aid is only a part of total hearing
rehabilitation, and may need to be supplemented by
auditory training and instruction in lip reading.

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IONTM USER GUIDE
Warranty & Repair
Sonic will repair any defective hearing aid part within
the period covered by your warranty.
(Ask your hearing care provider for details.) Parts
and labor are covered by this limited warranty. Ifyour
hearing aid malfunctions, contact your hearing
healthcare professional.
Accessory items, such as batteries, tubes and domes
are not covered under the warranty. Loss and/or
damage due to misuse, abuse, accidents, tampering,
or negligence are not covered under the warranty.
If your hearing aid malfunctions, it must be serviced by an
authorized Sonic service representative or your warranty
may be voided.
Note: Your hearing healthcare professional may charge
a service fee for processing warranty repairs.
If you have any questions regarding repairs
contact your hearing healthcare professional
orSonic Customer Care.
Sonic Customer Care
1020 Discovery Road, Suite 170
Eagan, MN 55121, USA
Call Toll Free in USA: 1-888-678-HEAR (4327)
See back cover for phone number outside of USA.

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SONIC
IonTM Hearing Aid
Sound
Tube
Dome
Battery
Compartment
Front
Microphone
Rear
Microphone
Sound
Outlet
Program
Button
Retention Lock
ion+TM
Earhook

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IONTM USER GUIDE
Manufacturer
Right/Left
Indicator
Red = Right
Blue = Left
Serial Number

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SONIC
Turning Your Hearing Aid On and Off
The On/Off switch for your hearing
aid is integrated into the battery
compartment door.
When the battery compartment
is fully closed the hearing aid is
turned on.
Before turning your hearing aid
off, wipe away any moisture with
a soft cloth.
To turn the hearing aid off,
open the battery compartment
halfway, until it clicks into the
Off position.
To prolong battery life, turn your
hearing aid off when not in use.
On
Off

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IONTM USER GUIDE
Start Up Delay
Your hearing aid may have a delayed start up feature,
which allows you to insert your hearing aid without
creating feedback or whistling.
This feature can be activated by your hearing
healthcare professional and set to meet your individual
time requirements for putting on the hearing aid.
When this feature is activated, closing the battery
compartment turns the hearing aid on and begins
the start up countdown. (You will hear a series of
beeps while the countdown is in process.) Position
the hearing aid in your ear. After several seconds, the
hearing aid will turn on and you will hear the “power
on” tones play, indicating the hearing aid is fully
activated.

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SONIC
Changing Listening Programs
Your hearing aid comes equipped with
a push button that allows you to
choose from up to four listening
programs. When you first turn
on your hearing aid (by closing
the battery compartment), your
hearing aid will be in listening
program 1.
Change listening programs by
pressing the push button, located
on the top of the hearing aid.
When changing to a new listening program, your
hearing aid will play a number of beeps equal to
the number of the program to which it is chang-
ing. For example, if you are in listening program 2
and you press the program button, you will hear
3beeps indicating that you have changed to listening
program3.
With each press of the program button your hearing
aid will cycle through up to four listening programs in
order. For example: 1, 2, 3, 4, 1 ...
Note: Your Hearing Care Professional may not activate
all listening programs.
Push Button

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IONTM USER GUIDE
Event Tone Description
Start Up Delay A slow sequence of double beeps.
Power On A fast sequence of beeps rising in pitch.
Program Change A sequence of beeps rising in pitch. Number
of beeps matches listening program position.
Low Battery A slow, double beep from a high to low pitch.
Dying Battery A fast sequence of beeps descending in pitch.
Changing The Battery
The life of your hearing aid battery will vary depending
on your hearing program, the listening situation, and
the length of daily use. A tone sequence or Voice Alert
will tell you when the battery in your hearing aid is low.
When you hear the warning, change the battery in your
hearing aid. If the battery gets so low that it cannot
supply enough power to your hearing aid, a SmartTone™
power off sequence will play and the aid will shut off.
Place a new battery in the aid to turn it back on. If your
hearing aid is not in use, open the battery door to slow
the battery use.
Always remove the battery if your aid is not in use for
long periods.
Battery Type
Stainless steel zinc-air batteries are recommended.
Your hearing aid uses a 10 A battery.
SmartTonesTM
Push Button

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SONIC
Change Batteries Regularly
If your hearing aid is not in use, open the battery
compartment door to turn the aid off. This will
prevent battery drain. Also, your hearing aid may be
programmed with SmartTones™ or Voice Alerts to tell
you when to change the battery.
Below is a table designed to help you determine when
you should change the batteries. The exact battery life
you experience may vary.
Hearing Aid Model Battery Type Change
Battery Every*
ion 400 10A 58-75 hours
ion 200 10A 96-108 hours
ion 10A 96-108 hours
*Approximate number of hours

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IONTM USER GUIDE
Remove the old battery:
1. Before turning your hearing aid off, wipe away any
moisture with a soft cloth.
2. Open the battery compartment by pushing up on
the battery door catch.
3. Turn the aid over and gently shake the battery out
into your hand. Be careful not
to lose the battery.
Insert a new battery:
1. Place a new battery into
the battery compartment,
plus side up.
2. Close the battery door.

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SONIC
Important Information About Your Battery
Keep batteries out of children’s reach and discard used
batteries carefully. Care must be taken so that your
hearing aid and its accessory items are not accessible
to children. Do not change batteries in front of children
or let them see where you keep your supply.
Never put batteries in your mouth for any reason.
Never let a child obtain a battery or place it in his or
her mouth. Batteries are small and can be harmful if
swallowed. Keep batteries out of the reach of pets and
small children.
In case of ingestion, contact your physician. In the
United States you may also call the National Button
Battery Ingestion Hotline collect at:
[phone].
!

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IONTM USER GUIDE
Putting Your ionTM Hearing Aid On Your Ear
1. Place your hearing aid over the top of your ear.
2. Grasp the sound tube where
it bends and push the dome
into your ear canal. The
dome should be placed far
enough into the ear that the
sound tube lies flush with
your head. When the dome
is placed appropriately, you will not be able to see
the sound tube sticking out when you look directly
into a mirror.
3. Use your finger to position the retention lock
comfortably in the bowl of your ear.

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SONIC
Removing Your Hearing Aid
To remove your hearing aid, hold the sound tube and
gently pull the dome out of your ear canal. Liftthe
hearing aid case from behind your ear. Open the
battery compartment to turn off the device.
IMPORTANT: Should the dome become separated from
the sound tube and remain lodged in your ear canal
after removal of the hearing aid, DO NOT attempt to
remove the dome yourself. Seek immediate care from
your hearing healthcare professional or physician.
Telephone Use
Your hearing aid allows you to use the telephone as you
normally would. Select the listening program on your
hearing aid that is best for you when using the phone.
If you experience discomfort from the dome pressing
in your ear canal, you may need a different size sound
tube. In this case contact your hearing healthcare
professional.

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IONTM USER GUIDE
Correcting Feedback/Whistling
If the hearing aid whistles or squeals, the most likely
reason is that the dome is not placed correctly in the
ear canal. Other reasons can be buildup of earwax in
the ear canal, or that the sound tube connection to the
hearing aid has become loose, in which case the sound
tube must be changed.
It is also possible that the program settings are not
optimal. If you have ruled out other reasons for your
hearing aid whistling or squealing, we recommend that
you contact your hearing healthcare professional.
Your hearing aid may include a feature that will
eliminate constant feedback. Should you experience
excessive feedback or whistling, follow these steps to
remove constant feedback.
1. Make sure you are in a quiet environment.
2. Press and hold the push button on your hearing
aid for approximately four seconds until you hear
the program change tones followed by the dying
battery tones.
Note: If you do not hear the tones, this feature is
not enabled in your hearing aid.
After your hearing aid is trained, it will return to your
first listening program.

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SONIC
Daily Maintenance & Storage
General:
• Keep your hearing aid clean and dry.
• Avoid exposing your hearing aid to moisture such
as rain, or water from the shower.
• If your hearing aid is exposed to excessive
moisture, leave the battery compartment open
and empty overnight. This will allow it to dry out.
• Never use alcohol to clean your hearing aids,
sound tubes, or domes.
• Gently wipe the case of your hearing aid with a
soft cloth or tissue after use to remove body oil
and moisture.
• Always remove your hearing aids when using
haircare products. The hearing aid can become
clogged and cease to function properly.
• A hard plastic case may be provided to carry and
store your hearing aid when not in use.
• If your hearing aid will not be used for an
extended period of time, remove the battery and
place the hearing aid in the hard plastic case.