AirMini much louder than A10 with same mask and settings?

[Schnoozer]

I've been fighting with the mask noise for a couple of weeks, trying to figure out a solution before I send the thing back. 

The only thing I haven't tried is the p10 for AirMini. I'm trying it (when the hose/adaptor) comes on Monday. What I've basically learned is that, for some reason, much more air is forced out of the vents when using the Mini. I still don't understand why, but vents can be noisy so the increase really makes it too loud for me and my wife.

The quietest mask, according to my sound meter, is the P10 (I use it with adapter to slimline hose and ordinary p10, not the AirMini version. Well, that would be good because I love the p10 but it's still too much vent noise. 

The reason i'm trying the AirMini P10 is simply that the vents on the mask itself (the highly diffused vents right on the other side of the pillows) are supposedly eliminated on the Mini version of the P10. Instead you exhale out of the vents a few inches down the tube, where the humidx housing is. This makes sense, because the humidx won't work if you don't exhale through it, but will it be quieter? I see that vents around the humidx housing are bigger, which can help. 

ButI have no idea. If it's not quieter, the whole thing goes back and Im traveling with the A11.

[Pm485485485]

Thanks! 

You can return your air mini? I'm in Canada and none of the retailers accept returns. 

I had been travelling with my S9 which is a reasonable size without the humidifier half. But the electrical cable/ brick is huge!

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Thanks! 

For me, the louder noise is on the inhalation, not the exhalation. Mystifying why it'd be louder if the pressure is the same. 

You can return your air mini? I'm in Canada and none of the retailers accept returns. 

I had been travelling with my S9 which is a reasonable size without the humidifier half. But the electrical cable/ brick is huge!

[Schnoozer]

Got the p10 adapter kit and airmini tubing. Well, now it's a little louder on inhalation than exhalation so I'm pretty confused about the whole thing

The vents are possibly a little louder than the regular p10 but to close to call.

I'm gonna try and sleep with the thing tonight and that's my last attempt.

[axlrosen]

Someone asked why it's louder at the mask. Someone else in another thread said:

"The AirMini uses a high speed smaller fan to achieve the same pressures as an AirSense 10.  The problem with this
is that the fan generates more noise and combined with the airflow, increased noise is generated in the pipe
(put the pipe to your ear to hear).  This noise also exits from any vents (but it's not the humidifier chamber generating it)."

I wonder if there are any other travel machines that don't have this problem. But if his theory is correct, then presumably any small machine would have the same issue.

(Search for "Solution for the AirMini Travel Noise" in the forum. His solution was complex, however. I'm unable to post a link because I don't have enough karma.)

[Schnoozer]

Someone asked why it's louder at the mask. Someone else in another thread said:

"The AirMini uses a high speed smaller fan to achieve the same pressures as an AirSense 10.  The problem with this
is that the fan generates more noise and combined with the airflow, increased noise is generated in the pipe
(put the pipe to your ear to hear).  This noise also exits from any vents (but it's not the humidifier chamber generating it)."

I wonder if there are any other travel machines that don't have this problem. But if his theory is correct, then presumably any small machine would have the same issue.

(Search for "Solution for the AirMini Travel Noise" in the forum. His solution was complex, however. I'm unable to post a link because I don't have enough karma.)

I'm 'somewhat confident' that this isn't true. From what I've read around, many people are saying that it's the same blower mechanism just with smaller housing and less foam around it.  But, you could be right. The thing is, that the noise is definitely from the exhaust vents, not the hose. There is no question about that. 

Very strange. I can't get used to it, unfortunately, so the AirMini is going back.

[Pm485485485]

I'm 'somewhat confident' that this isn't true. From what I've read around, many people are saying that it's the same blower mechanism just with smaller housing and less foam around it.  But, you could be right. The thing is, that the noise is definitely from the exhaust vents, not the hose. There is no question about that. 

Very strange. I can't get used to it, unfortunately, so the AirMini is going back.

I tend to agree. I understand it to be the same blower mechanism as well. The vendor I bought it from said that there is a feature in the airsense 11, but not the air mini, that moderates the flow of air, so that there is less excess air forced through the vents located near the mask when breathing in. 

This explanation is a bit confusing for me as well since isn't the pressure in the hose supposed to be maintained at the pressure required to prevent an apnea episode, and wouldn't that be the same for both machines?  Perhaps I will call them back when I have a moment so that they can explain better, or perhaps the finer aspects of apap engineering will continue to escape me... 

In the meantime, I'm happy enough with the n20 mask and connector. I found the air mini connector with the humidex attachment to be way too loud on both inhalation and exhalation, not just inhalation.

[axlrosen]

I talked to Resmed, and they said that the Airmini requires a special elbow/vent (the thing next to the mask), and so it should only be used with the specific Airmini masks. Does anyone have any experience if that is helpful? I'm going to buy one and try.