In the market for a new CPAP machine.

[Chuck Connors]

It's been five (5) years since I last purchased a CPAP machine and am in the market for a new machine. It seems to me the biggest development and difference in the machines today versus 5 years ago is the ability to transmit data wirelessly to my sleep doc and his/her ability to make adjustments to my machine remotely. It appears that the functionality is basically the same today as compared to 5 years ago, but I'm unsure, and would appreciate any input on what folks have experienced with the new machines. I'm looking at a ResMed AirCurve 10. Thank you. -Chuck-

[Bunsen]

Smaller, lighter, quieter and heated hose were big upgrades for me. I like the Airsense 10 for her very much. The Fisher and Paykel Brevida nose pillow has a diffuser on it that makes exhaling silent with no blowing air on your partner, another big improvement.

[Pugsy]

In terms of function or how the machines go about doing their jobs there wasn't any real change between the ResMed S9 VPAP auto and it's new brother the AirCurve 10 VAuto. They didn't change the algorithm for how the machine responds or records when they came out with the AirCurve 10 bilevel.
Both have an integrated heated hose option available and no real difference there.
Some cosmetic differences of course and maybe (stress the maybe because I couldn't really tell any difference in noise levels because I always thought my S9 was nearly silent) a little quieter in terms of machine motor noise.

The AirCurve has a little bit more customization available in terms of humidity delivered...very minor difference and not a deal maker or breaker IMHO. If humidity is important or critical to you you might want to read up on it. I found that the AirCurve used a bit more water than my S9.
https://www.resmed.com/us/dam/documents ... sa_eng.pdf

If you are self pay and can find the now discontinued S9 VPAP Auto for half the price of the new AirCurve 10 VAuto...not enough difference to warrant the extra expense IMHO unless a person just wants the latest and greatest (and that's enough reason in my book if they want to pay the money).
If no one cares about the AirCurve data going out via cellular modem (that can be turned off by going to airplane mode).

Now there are are couple of new data points available in the AirCurve software that aren't available on the S9 machines. Like the AirCurve now will record CSR breathing...not a big deal as most people won't have enough CSR to worry about.

[Chuck Connors]

Thank you very much for this helpful information! -Chuck-

[JimW159]

For the most part, the biggest difference between your ResMed S9 and the current equivalent, the ResMed AirSense 10 in whatever version you have (your profile doesn't specify). Since you say you are looking at an AirCurve and currently use an H5i humidifier, perhaps we should assume you currently use a ResMed VPAP. I can't speak to anything dealing with its BiPAP characteristics or performance. However, the biggest (and to some, among the most important) change is in real estate. When on the surface of a nightstand or side table, the AS10 occupies about half the real estate needed for any of the S9 machines (AFAIK, they are all identical in that regard). I also found dealing with the humidifier tank for the AS10 much less troublesome than the H5i unless you have the dishwasher tank version only. I also like the connection for the ClimateLine hose better on the AS10 - it seems to deal with repositioning and reorientation more smoothly. I also find the design of the AS10's humidifier more functional. Many may disagree, but I don't find taking the tank along on trips a deal-breaker. Some complain about the added space taken up by the tank, but I don't mind the extra inch and half or so or the few ounces added weight. The way I look at it, if I don't have the tank with me on a trip, I can't use it if I want or need it (I won't know if I want it or not until I am where I will sleeping). If I choose not to use the humidifier for whatever reason, I simply turn off the humidifier, its a trivial chore done not frequently. Compared to putting chains on your tires some places in winter, it's no problem at all (and you don't even have to put on your boots, gloves, hat, and parka to do).

[Pugsy]

I forgot one difference in terms of data storage on the SD card.
With the S9 models we have to download once a week if we want to have all the detailed data graphs available because the S9 will start overwriting the data files after 1 week for some of the files and 30 days for some of the other files.
The AirSense/AirCurve machines don't seem to overwrite anything for a year...so no more lost graphs if we don't download all that often.

Also the S9 was nit picky about that extra text file that Windows 8.xx and higher (and some Macs) would put on that SD card so locking the SD card was important.
The AirSense/AirCurve machines don't care if that text file is on the SD card so locking the card, if you are like me and use Windows 10, isn't really needed any more.

I don't download all that often because at this stage of my therapy I know things aren't going to change much so it's kinda nice to know that if I wait a month that I can still go back and look at the details a month ago if I want to with my new AirSense machine.
And it's real nice to not realize the "oh crap" moment that I had often when I would put the card from the S9 into my Windows 10 computer and realize that I had to either do the work to remove that file or my S9 would want me to erase the whole card. It was the "oh crap, I forgot to lock the card" moment. Nice to not have to worry about it.

[Holden4th]

I'm going to order a Resmed VPAP auto from Secondwind. I'm vacillating between the S9 VPAP Auto at $699 and the S10 Aircurve Auto at $999. It's close to a $420 difference in my currency. What I do wonder about is how many hours would be described as gently used. I got very lucky with my PRS760 Auto from them which had 0 hours on the clock but that couldn't happen again. Is it likely that the newer machine (Aircurve) will have less hours on it?

This will give me three machines and I'll sell one (probably the PRS560 Auto) to recoup some of my costs.

[JimW159]

I'm vacillating between the S9 VPAP Auto at $699 and the S10 Aircurve Auto at $999. It's close to a $420 difference in my currency. What I do wonder about is how many hours would be described as gently used. I got very lucky with my PRS760 Auto from them which had 0 hours on the clock but that couldn't happen again. Is it likely that the newer machine (Aircurve) will have less hours on it?

Keep in mind the position the ResMed S8 now occupies in the ResMed range. It has virtually no market value at this point - when the replacement for the AS10 is released (who know when) the S9 will slip into a tertiary spot and its value will slip further down. If you get the AirCurve 10 now, when a replacement is released you will have a backup that still has significant use value remaining and probably have significant similarities to the AirCurve 10. It remains to be seen what is changed physically, but it may be little. If so, certain items may continue to be useful: heated hose, humidifier tub, filters are but a few - it is certain though, that whatever happens, Resmed reverting to the S9 form factor for those items is highly unlikely.

[Pugsy]

Is it likely that the newer machine (Aircurve) will have less hours on it?

I would tend to think that it would be more likely but you never really know because for all we know secondwind got the S9 VPAP Auto from a DME cleaning out the shelves and replacing with new inventory and the S9 might have zero hours...or it might have been a loaner from a DME...or might have been returned for compliance reasons and the DME won't use use it again and it have very minimal hours of use.
Same thing about the AirCurve too minus the "old inventory" thing.
You got lucky with the 760....you might get lucky again or might not get 0 hours again...but I am pretty sure that if used very much that all their machines are less than 2K hours because they won't buy a used machine with more than 2 K hours. The worst it could be is 2K hours.
Everything I have ever heard back from people though has been machines with less than 100 hours on them. Of course I am not privy to all of their sales.

So if the hours really, really concerns...there's always "new open box" for sure but obviously costs more.
At worst the "gently used" will be near the 2 K mark...most likely well below the 1 K mark.

In terms of the function...the S9 VPAP Auto and the AirCurve 10 VAuto didn't change the algorithm inside the machine as to how it responds.
There is the minor addition of CSR flagging and RERA with the AirCurve so they record more potentially than the S9 but how they function is the same no matter what they record.