I cannot resolve it @Bimodal_user , cause a users feeling if HA’s are “muted” or not largely depends on:
Vent (the opening, “hole”, etc., mentioned above. Yes I know this is not in relation to mute of HA, but the impression for the wearer depends on it)
Exact model of your hearing aid
Exact settings of your hearing aids by your audiologist
Whether you operate your device only through pushbutton (your audi can assign a Mute to long press for some models, other users will “only” have normal volume control).
Whether you mute via App
At the end I am not sure if 90% versus100% mute matters? Taking out or switchin off HA would be kind of “off” / “muted” I assume?
But whether the mics are working at 10% or 0% doesn’t depend on any of that. Switching the aids off and then back on takes 10-15 seconds, while mute/unmute is instant. I personally haven’t noticed a difference, but I’d still like to know.
As I noted, I had a Audéo I90 for a trial. My audiologist confirmed with several calls to Phonak that (at least this model) can NOT be 100% muted due to safety issues. I don’t know if that will apply to the Sphere as well, I hope not. If so, the Phonak may not be an option for me. The reason for that is I want to stream podcasts through my aid while I cycle. My personal experience with that aid programmed to to “mute” the mic was that wind noise was very loud over 30-40 kph. It was not the vent, as the noise disappeared if I covered the mic. So it would appear that my experience matches what Phonak told my audiologist, and what a few others have confirmed here.
@threluja I just bought a Garmin Varia as well, between that, my hearing on the left, and my mirror, I don’t think I am missing anything. I hope I don’t also have to start covering my hearing aid every time I ride - just another damn thing to remember, when my existing Starkey makes it so easy.
May have to look at a Starkey RIC if I can’t easily mute the Phonak 100%. Thanks everyone for your input.
One additional thought @CombatWombat
It would be easy for the Audiologist to create a “cycling” program, reducing amplification a lot. If you then add the mic mute, I am pretty sure the windnoise would be gone.
Just as workaround maybe?
Just validating your experience @Microfiche, I’ve been wearing Audeo L90-RL (binaural) for the past 14 months (previously had Oticon Open 1 MiniRiTe’s). While the overall experience with these devices has been fine, the mute programming is the most frustrating part. As you pointed out, the mic’s do not turn 100% off (I have moderate to severe loss and can hear sounds on mute that I cannot hear with my devices removed). Also, the HAs unmute whenever there’s a change in the streaming sound (video ends, music starts playing, pop-up ad has “muted” sound on a webpage, etc.). The unmuting is especially a pain if you wear your devices in a noisy environment (e.g., airplane, open office environment, etc.) and do not want the devices to unmute, without your input.
Yup - I have a Sphere on trial now and the muting options appear to be better, but as you noted, the muting turns off ALL THE TIME. Really annoying when I am cycling down a hill and all of a sudden I have to try to re-mute the aid again. I really don’t like Phonak’s software compared to Starkey’s, I don’t think Phonak understands the Bluetooth streaming process.
In any case, my audiologist and I have determined that with my complex loss, a basic hearing aid is likely a much better option for me. It was validating to me to hear that some types of hearing loss aren’t served well by the “latest and greatest” AI and compression algorithms and basic can be better. He dialled down all the “features” on the Sphere in the meantime and has ordered another ITC Starkey which will hopefully be able to give me the sound (and full muting) that I am used to.
I made an extra program ‘silence’ where I turned down everything I could find in the fitting software. So I can tap on my hearing aid to get this program instantly as a fix for turning off the HA and starting it up afterwards. And my custom moulds at the same time work as an extra silencer.
Sometimes I get in situations of sudden extreme noise where this can be usable for me. On the other hand the automatic modes in my Spheres 90 works well,(except sometimes not for music).
@Microfiche, @Zebras, maybe here is a difference between 100% and 90% mute? I mean, “-10dB” is what we called “90% mute” and disabling “Enable Microphone” would give us 100% mute?
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EDIT:
You are here in the BT streaming mode with your settings. That is the automatic change to BT. There you can put off the microphone. But it is not the place to deactivate the microphone in another automatic function.
@astrohip
If you want your stream not to be interrupted than you have to do this in your phone. Go to settings and from there to sound and vibration and toggle mute. Probably this will be the way to go. So your HA stay on the programmm you had. After streaming you want everything reversed again in the same manner.
Hope this helps.
The issue here is that any change in the app that is streaming unmutes the HAs.
Examples:
[with my iPhone] if I mute my devices, then press play on a YouTube video, the devices immediately unmute.
with my devices muted, if the song I’m listening to ends, and another song does not immediate begin, the devices unmute.
What seems to be occurring is, the devices automatically switch off the “Bluetooth Streaming” program, as soon there is any interruption in the current streaming content, and switch to a “listening” program. When that occurs, the devices unmute.
Phonak: if you’re listening (no pun intended), add an option where the devices do not unmute when the HA program changes.
You switch to the default program, which for most people is Automatic or “Autosense” and yes, it resets. When streaming starts again, you go to the streaming as it was programmed by your audiologist. That’s how it works. I do wish some of the controls were sticky.
Is there also not a possibility in the fitting software to overrule this by making an extra programm so it doesn’t come from the autosense? I didn’t try it though. But maybe someone did or found out this isn’t the way either…
The way I solved this is buying a USB to TOSLINK adapter and going into the TV adapter via optical. It stays up as long as the computer is up & the adapter has power. I use a mic on the computer or on the camera for my speaking.
OK, I thought the mute option was somehow related to AutoSense.
I don’t know how I was supposed to check it anyway, because I can’t see any difference between mute and turned-off HA, even with earmold with 1mm diameter vent.
I really don’t like Phonak’s software compared to Starkey’s, I don’t think Phonak understands the Bluetooth streaming process.
