Hearing Aid Thread?

[cereberus]

There have been so many developments in the hearing aid market in the last couple of years (many AI led - a good use of AI), that it is difficult for us to keep up.

Is anybody interested in a chillout thread about hearing aids, where we can swap experiences, note really cool changes blah blah blah.

So here's a starter for 10.

Many of the hearing aid changes are centred around bluetooth connectivity.

Most recent hearing aids use Low Energy Bluetooth.

Iphones (Made for Iphones)
Most recent aids can two way stream to iphone, giving hands free capability.
Slightly older aids may stream from iphone but only one way - you still need to speak via phone mic.

Android (ASHA proprietary protocol)
Android is more restrictive. Most recent aids can stream from iphone but only one way - you still need to speak via phone mic.

Classic Bluetooth
Some aids, notably Phonak and Signia (depending on age of aids), use classic bluetooth and can connect to almost any bluetooth device including pcs.
These are definitely great but use more power which can be an issue with rechargeable hearing aids as a charge could get drained more quickly if streaming videos for example.

Low Energy Bluetooth (new Auracast protocols)
This is the (perceived) future as it will eventually replace the older T-Loop functionality. Regrettably, very few hearing aid manufacturers have embraced it blaming the lack of public venues with auracast ability, but the venues blame the hearing aid manufacturers for the same blooming reason! Classic Catch 22!
The older T loop system will still be around for a while but is being phased out on new hearing aid developments.

The real advantage of auracast is you no longer have to pair auracast compatible hearing aids, earbuds, and speakers to the streamin source. Basically, streaming devices send out broadscasts like a radio station, and anybody with a suitable receiver can pick up the broadcast. This means multiple users can recieve the broadcasts (no intrunsic limit other than the power of the transmitter).

So how about it guys, will such a thread be of interest?

 

[elbmek]

I have Phonak Platinum hearing aids and they work in unison with the smart phone too. Answer phone, just tap either aid once and answers the phone. There are many other benefits too except price. VERY expensive.

 

[cereberus]

I have Phonak Platinum hearing aids and they work in unison with the smart phone too. Answer phone, just tap either aid once and answers the phone. There are many other benefits too except price. VERY expensive.

I just got Infinio 90 + cros, earmould & charge and go charger (includes battery as well) from Specsavers for £2300 - not cheap but much less than many audiologists plus 4 year warranty.

TBH, to meet my needs (moderately severe), I would be paying around £1700 with less flexibility.

The new infinios including free ultra upgrade are really great. The only problem I had was I could not get Infinio spheres as they are not cros compatible, so I had to compromise.

I also bought a unitron remote microphone partnermic at £150 which are fully phonak infinio compatible (actually same device without a phonak logo). Phonak branded PartnerMics cost nearly double.

In the end, I got frustrated that my Scottish NHS aids (Oticon optim) were the only cros aids with a volume rocker switch. Worse, they could only stream from iphones (not even hands free).

I can stream hands free now from iphones, androids and (big plus) PCs, TVs with bluetooth etc.

In the end, if you want quality you have to pay.

 

[elbmek]

Cerebus. Mine have built in mics so that I can answer the phone without taking it out of my pocket by tapping one the aids. From Boots, more expensive that specsavers who I binned due to lack of care ref cataract (surgery this coming tuesday via Boots). Ditto ref streaming). TV has button to connect aids direct/

 

[cereberus]

Cerebus. Mine have built in mics so that I can answer the phone without taking it out of my pocket by tapping one the aids. From Boots, more expensive that specsavers who I binned due to lack of care ref cataract (surgery this coming tuesday via Boots). Ditto ref streaming). TV has button to connect aids direct/

Funny, I have had great care from my specsavers.

I only has one minor grip with my new aids as most top of the range aids in UK at least have ditched the older T-loop wireless system in favour of new auracast system.

Unfortunately auracast is limited to only a few of the hearing aid brands. Phonak say they are auracast ready with latest models but they have yet to implement it.

Auracast is caught in a catch 22 situation i.e public venues will not introduce auracast yet as so few people have auracast compatible hearing devices (actually largest number is probably guys with Samsung 3 earbuds).

However hearing aid manufacturers claim they are waiting until public venues have adopted the new standard.

This is obviously bs as I believe venues will adopt auracast when the aid manufacturers make it MUCH more common.

To make things worse is auracast transmissions from mobiles is only supported by Android and Iphone has yet to support it (if they ever do).

The older T-loop system is well adopted in UK e.g. museums, churches, public transport, waiting stations (except Aberdeen Bus Station who has a 100% mission to avoid giving any passengers useful information!).

So I am faced with having to use older aids when I need T-loop ability.

So having the engineering mentality I have, I have come up with a Heath Robinson solution. Museums often lend vistors a small hand held device that receives their T-loop transmission and user uses a conventional 3.5 mm jack earphones to hear the transmission.

These devices range for about £20 to over £100, so I bought a cheap one on ebay (c. £20} and attached a £5 bluetooth transmitter with 3.5mm jack to it (rather than earphones) and it worked great. This only works with Phonak or any make that uses clasic bluetooth though.

Unfortunately at my tender age, the one place I find T-loop is most beneficial is at funerals where it can be difficult to hear those addressing the audience, partly because people speak in low tones at funerals out of respect. So I can now listen to funerals clearly with my device snugly in my jacket pocket.

For hearing aids that cannot connect to conventional bluetooth directly, most low energy bluetooth aids have a streamer that connects to bluetooth and the aids.

I tested my Oticon connectclip streamer connected to my T-loop device using my older Oticon aids and it worked fine. This was a proof of concept rather than practical use as my Oticon aids have T-loop capability anyway (when selected).

As a funny aside, the new electric buses in Aberdeen city are a modern design with usb ports etc for charging and screens/spoken announcements about next stop etc. They also made the bus T-loop compatible so hearing aid users could hear the announcements - so whole bus is modern but uses the (allegedly) antiquated T-loop wireless standard rather than auracast.

So rumours of T-loop's demise have been greatly exaggerated.

 

[elbmek]

Had cataract removed 2 days ago and my vision through repaired eye is better that the other!! But only distance. Canot sort out new specs for 3 weeks though.

 

[cereberus]

Had cataract removed 2 days ago and my vision through repaired eye is better that the other!! But only distance. Canot sort out new specs for 3 weeks though.

Does other eye have a cataract?

If not, how different is prescription between two eyes? If description difference is too big, you can get double vision issues when tired.

The delta on my eyes was -6 dioptres and when tired I struggled to get both eyes to "merge" each eye's vision even with specs.

Once I had second cataract done, all worked fine (actually I had a mild scare on second op as surgeon scratched my cornea and everything was foggy but after taking some steroid eye cream it healed in a week).

Apparently, sometimes in UK, they do second eye if delta is too big even if it does not need it (rare on NHS I think though).

As an aside, UK NHS recommend 6 weeks before getting new specs.

Overall, I see so much better as I only need glasses for distance vision rarely wearing them inside house. I deliberately chose to have good near and intermediate vision but need specs for distance vision. The default is to correct distance but wear glasses for reading if it is not possible to entirely correct for all vision range.

Oh by the way, you should protect your eyes against bright sunlight as the replacement lens do not have the natural UV protection (you are in Oz iirc). I always use reactolite lenses.

 

[elbmek]

Cere: double vision since very young, (specs fixed along the way) grew up with it. Apparently I do have the 'makings' of another cateract, but waiting till I see post op appts to sort out what I have and what I need.