ResMed AirSense 10 Autoset

[Mike123]

I got a new unit a week ago it's an ResMed AirSense 10 Autoset. I've been using a ResMed Escape for the last 6 years so I'm not new to CPAP at all. What I'm finding with the AirSense 10 is that I have my inhalation echoed to me from the machine. It's very disconcerting to hear your own breathing when you're trying to get to sleep. The only time this happened on the Escape was when the humidifier lid was not closed properly. That is not the case this time. Thinking it was a problem with the unit I took it back and another unit does exactly the same thing. Surely this is a design issue as the Escape does not do it and the unit I used at my last sleep study did not do it either. Does anyone else have this problem? If so, is there a solution?

[englandsf]

What were your pressure and other related settings on the old machine and are they totally identical on the new one? Have you tried or did you use EPR?

[Greg Riddle]

I used an s9 escape before and it was quieter than the aircurve vpap auto. I assumed it was because of the higher pressure during inhale. 13 on the s9 and 23 on the aircurve. It may be the design of the machine

[TangledHose]

My Airsense AutoSet is quieter than my S9 was by just a little bit. I run my pressure up to 13.4 cm and have not heard anything like you describe. Most other posters here with the Airsense have also indicated that the new machine is quiet.

I did read a post a couple months ago that said he was having some difficulty with his new Airsense, but he discovered that he was not pushing the humidifier completely into the machine........he was not pushing it far enough to "click" it all the way into the proper position. It might be possible that the inhalation noise you are hearing is something similar, or possibly a leak in hose or mask.......just saying it's not something we hear about with this machine so not sure what it might be, but it could be a leak in the system somewhere.

[Mike123]

The pressure on the Escape was 12 I believe and the pressure on this is set to 7 to 14. The EPR is on and set to 2. It doesn't make a difference off or on. It's not the mask or the tubing, the noise is coming from the machine. As for it being the humidifier it's in as far as it will go and I even tried another complete unit this afternoon which made the same noise on inhalation. I refuse to wear foam ear plugs which I did for the first few days. I can't believe that anyone would add inhalation noise as a design feature. I can only hope it's a faulty batch, certainly if no else has the same problem.

[Pugsy]

Can you switch it over to cpap mode and try the exact settings you used with the Escape just to see what happens in terms of noise?

[bwexler]

When I switched from an S9 Autoset to the PRS1 960 ASV I had the same problem. I complained for about a year before they replaced my original blower unit. This one is a little quiter but still much louder than the S9. I am starting to get used to it.
I think the ASV units are just noisier by nature. I also suspect that we are running at higher pressure and that may simply generate more noise.

[Mike123]

Pump noise itself is not the issue. The AirSense is quieter than the Escape no question. The problem is the breathing noise when I inhale which is amplified by the AirSense.

I will try CPAP mode on its own.

[englandsf]

Try turning off EPR as an experiment and as Pugsy says match your old settings exactly to test too.

[dpadams6]

I got the same machine a week ago, and I know exactly what your talking about. It like amplifies your breathing noise. Kinda weird. Hold your breath, it stops, then exhale and you hear your exhale. It sound like your listening to a baby monitor.

[Tripacer]

Yes, I have the same machine, and it does take some getting used to this sound. This is my first ever machine, so I don't have anything to compare it to.

I'm on week 3 and I'm having no trouble falling asleep. After a while your inhalations become "White" noise. Although, I will admit I still wake up 3-4 times per night, and its most likely because of this noise when my pressure tops out at 9-10.

[FrayedTrain]

I'm a newbie, still waiting to hear from DME. I 'thought' I had my mind set on this machine, but after reading this, I'm not so sure. I am not worried about myself as much as disturbing my wife. I suppose that if she was patient enough to put up with the 'freight train' next to her all these years, a little breathing noise won't phase her.

[dpadams6]

I'm a newbie, still waiting to hear from DME. I 'thought' I had my mind set on this machine, but after reading this, I'm not so sure. I am not worried about myself as much as disturbing my wife. I suppose that if she was patient enough to put up with the 'freight train' next to her all these years, a little breathing noise won't phase her.

It's not loud enough that your wife will hear it. Like tripacer said, like white noise. I have no trouble falling asleep. And it's actually a nice machine with the automatic settings. I like how you just put your mask on, and it automatically turns on. Buy with confidence.

I'm a newbie, still waiting to hear from DME. I 'thought' I had my mind set on this machine, but after reading this, I'm not so sure. I am not worried about myself as much as disturbing my wife. I suppose that if she was patient enough to put up with the 'freight train' next to her all these years, a little breathing noise won't phase her.

[TangledHose]

You might try experimenting with a different hose, some hoses have more ridges on the inside than others and that can cause turbulence that can make a noise of its own from the airflow. Some hoses are "smoother" on the inside with less turbulence as a result.

I've noticed this on my little travel machine and the breathing noise is such that it sorta gets transmitted through the hose and mask right into my skull.....ear plugs didn't make a difference because the sound wasn't coming to me from my ears, but more from my skull, I know it sounds weird but I experimented with the ear plugs and it didn't cut down on the "perceived" noise. I tried different hoses and the noise was less with the right hose that had a smoother bore.

[Pugsy]

I've noticed this on my little travel machine and the breathing noise is such that it sorta gets transmitted through the hose and mask right into my skull.....ear plugs didn't make a difference because the sound wasn't coming to me from my ears, but more from my skull, I know it sounds weird but I experimented with the ear plugs and it didn't cut down on the "perceived" noise.

Not weird at all as I know exactly what you mean. It's conducted noise...noise that gets conducted through the machine/hose/mattress, etc and what sounds like Darth Vadar noise to us isn't heard at all by bed partner. I have always perceived this type of noise no matter which machine or hose I used. I call it "in my head noise" because it doesn't change at all if I stick my fingers in my ears. Sometimes I notice it more than at other times and I know it really isn't changing but I simply notice it more for some reason. In the past I have tried various things to see if changing something helped but nothing ever really made any big difference.
It's also a lot more noticeable at the beginning of the night than it is in the AM when I wake up. That's because the brain gets used to its presence and the noise gets put on the back burner. I can see how it could affect the ability of some people to fall asleep if they have a tendency to focus too much on it. To me now it is just an old habit that is part of my routine and if it were absent I would probably miss it and missing it might cause more issues than hearing it after all this time of hearing it.