Anyone compare S9 autoset vs S9 VPAP™ Auto BiLevel Machine

[5100HI]

Is there anyone out there who has tried both machines and can comment about the price difference vs. the performance difference?

Michael

[kaiasgram]

Is there anyone out there who has tried both machines and can comment about the price difference vs. the performance difference?

Michael

Yes, recently switched from S9 Autoset to S9 VPAP Auto. I'll post more later tonight when I'm off work.

[Pugsy]

They are different machines and function differently.
Are you talking about the S9 AutoSet and the S9 VPAP Auto or the S or the even higher end model?
What are you looking for help with? Centrals? High pressures? Aerophagia?
Or just wondering if more expensive is necessarily all that much better if someone has uncomplicated plain jane OSA that only needs 8 cm pressure to fix it?

I have the S9 VPAP Auto...I also have the equivalent in the PR S1 line...and I used APAP machines (various ones) for 2 years before that. I never used a S9 Autoset but I have used S9 in cpap mode....there's a difference but is it worth the price depends on what you are wanting it for.

[5100HI]

I revised my question to clarify the machines.

I am wondering why one should pay twice as much for one machine as the other.

I am using a IntelliPAP AutoAdjust Travel CPAP Machine with SmartFlex and wish to lower my AHI from a 3 +/- and be more comfortable.

[Pugsy]

What pressure(s) are you using now?
What needs to be more comfortable?
Do you still feel bad despite the AHI of around 3 is acceptable and you feel there is room for a lot of improvement?

If you have a problem that the Bilevel VPAP would address better then of course it's worth the extra dollars but it depends on what the problem is and will the VPAP even address that problem.
Is the high dollar VPAP a miracle machine that makes everyone feel better no matter what the problem...of course not.

[kaiasgram]

I am wondering why one should pay twice as much for one machine as the other.

I was on an S9 Autoset from June of last year until about a month ago when I started on the S9 VPAP Auto Bilevel. The reason for the switch: I needed a slightly higher pressure than I was using with APAP, but bad aerophagia kicked in whenever I tried to raise the pressure past a certain point. My doctor gave me a one-week trial with a bipap machine from the clinic, and I did well with it -- I was able to sleep with a higher pressure and no aerophagia.

In addition to being able to use a higher pressure, I feel like the VPAP is more sensitive and follows my own breathing in a more natural way. With APAP I often felt the machine drop into exhale relief mode before I was finished inhaling. I experience that feeling only occasionally with VPAP and there are various settings to adjust the manner in which the machine transitions from IPAP to EPAP which I haven't even explored yet. I'm only on a slightly higher pressure now than I was on APAP but my flow limitation numbers are down significantly and as I said, I feel like the machine is more sympatico with my own breathing rhythm.

Price-wise: I bought my S9 Autoset new from cpap.com last year. But when I bought my VPAP I did not pay twice as much for it. I bought a brand new, zero-hour open box S9 VPAP Auto Bilevel from secondwindcpap.com for less, actually, than I'd paid for the Autoset last year.

Hope this helps with your question.

[Guest]

Thanks for your answer. You provided me with the information I was looking for. I placed my order today. The vendor you used had one unit left in stock. What I was looking for was a machine that is more sensitive and follows my own breathing in a more natural way. Your description seems to be on target for my needs.