Anyway to stop the Phonak TV Connector V2.0 being stereo?

#25

First off, if it works for you and you are happy then just ignore me but I just thought it would be worth giving a bit more of an explanation and apologies in advance if this is obvious to you:

Moving the balance all the way to the right effectively discards the left channel completely.
Left and right audio channels will carry different audio information, how different depends on the source:

In a film if two people are talking on either side of the screen then it’s common for the majority of their dialogue to come from their own side, left or right. This means that in this situation you will not hear the majority of what one character says. I don’t watch much TV drama so I can’t say how much of an issue it is in dialogue outside of films. Also in films the stereo channels are used for sound effects: a distant train will get louder in one channel as it approaches and then louder in the other as it leaves.

In music, as @z10user2 wrote, it can happen quite often too, one instrument will be stronger on a particular channel, or the levels can change as sounds move from one sie to the other.

For news, documentaries and other types of content, differing stereo channels are rarely used for any purpose so you probably won’t notice a difference.

If you don’t watch many films with special effects or listen to music you probably aren’t missing out on much but if you want a belt and braces approach then I’d do something about mixing the channels together so that you aren’t loosing any sounds from your listening experience.

I did originally think that maybe you could put the offending hearing aid into flight mode which means that it wouldn’t receive any transmissions but I’m not sure that would work.

Final thoughts: I had a similar issue with my right ear and streaming but I’m a DIYer and fiddled with the fitting, specifically I performed an uncomfortable hearing test which to my surprise uncovered a sensitivity that I have at around 3kHz. Once I added that to the fitting, listening was comfortable again.

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#26

I don’t actually watch films.

I watch real life programs.

Just out of curiously, what happens if a person only wear 1 x HA, will they still miss stuff from the TV Connector as that is stereo?

I DIY as well. I’ve tried everything to make speech better but it’s not just happening.

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#27

That’s a very good question which I don’t have an answer to as I haven’t tested it. If the TV connector did automatically combine the channels with only one HA then that would mean that, if possible, putting one of the HAs in flight mode would give you exactly what you want.

The TV connector does seem to stream to each side independently but that is in a setup where the Phonak system ‘knows’ that there are two HAs available. Not sure what would happen in any other scenario.

#28

Sorry to hear that, it must be very frustrating for you.

#29

I may be wrong here, but I think the HAs pair to the adapter independently. And it seems more that the HAs get the signature of the adapter, not the the adapter knows about the HAs. Any combining would have to be in the HA. I think the adapter broadcasts the signal, and any HAs that know his song, pick it up.

WH

#30

When you say adaptor, do you mean TV Connector?

I tried to pair just one HA but when I turn other HA back on, it links automatically to TV Connector.

Same happens to the Partner Mic.

#31

There’s a connect/pairing button, details on page 13.
I think it only feels automatic when new and unpaired.

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#32

That’s why I thought that flight mode or disabling wireless, on one HA alone would achieve that.
In fact I am testing it right now and it works!!!

My left HA is on and paired to TV connector V2 with LBC playing and my right one is on but with no streaming just amplified/corrected sound.
I just set flight mode on the right hand one. (Turn off, hold down Vol - for 7 seconds)

#33

Yes, “TV Connector”

You would have to have one HA well out of range when pairing HAs the first time. Once they have connected, they will always connect when within range.

WH

#34

Adding both pieces together:
You can buy two of the suggested adapters and activate flight mode on your left HA.
Put one in the back of the TV and one in the back of the TV connector and use your existing cable to connect them.

Then it looks like you have a solution that will mix the audio channels together and stream to just your right ear and not left, missing nothing. All for cheap!

#35

I was having trouble with the FM broadcast at church being only in one ear via my Roger On and a media cable to the FM receiver, and found out the the sound guys only broadcast on the rt channel. The folks who get headphones also got a little plug that went into the FM receiver, and the headphones go into the adapter plug. The plug summed the two channels and gave me the (same) sound in both ears. I have to remember to check for that little plug when issued my receiver now.

WH

#36

Having it well out of the way will make no difference to having one HA turned off.

Once both on, they both pair to TV Connector even if you only pair one HA.

#37

I have now tested this and the answer is that if just streaming to the left because the right is turned off or in flight mode, then only the left channel is delivered, i.e the TV connector doesn’t combine the audio channels if it is only streaming to one HA.
I have tested this both ways round, swapping right and left for tests.

#38

Annoyingly Phonak should of thought that about as some people only wear 1 x HA.

I got on the bus the other day and a young lady was wearing 1 x Phonak Naida M70 SP. Nothing in her other ear, possibly completely deaf in other ear?

Looks like I’ll have to buy some sort of cable again then.

:slight_smile:

#39

In Target the HAs are bound together and so probably present themselves as stereo headphones.
Maybe they are set up differently when fitted as a single HA and accept both audio channels like a normal BT earpiece?

I’d have to (temporarily) trash my fitting to test that out and I’m not quite up for that level of testing!

Anyway, two of those adapters is about the price of a pint, so not too much damage done. :wink:

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#40

I can test it. Not sure how I would tell if I’m hearing it correctly tho.

:slight_smile:

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#41

Well my TV that is over 20 years has finally died. I can hear sound but no picture. The picture has been disappearing for few seconds over a number of years but now it’s permanent.

If I get a radio (FM/DAB) and it has 1 x channel, does that mean it’s not stereo despite using my TV Connector? It has a USB port so plan to power it from there.

I don’t need another TV.

#42

The radio, if picking up FM or DAB, will normally give you a stereo output through the headphone socket. An AM or Shortwave station will be mono but will probably be on both channels too, just the same audio.
The same solution as suggested for your TV would work if you wanted to combine left and right etc.

I tend to listen to radio on my phone (Android) which would kill two birds with one stone for you: no need for any extra connector and you can set the audio up as you wish.

#43

The issue with using my phone is the radio using data.

When I’m out, I’ll use my phone but would rather not use all the time especially at home.

My phone and TV are classed as having two channels where this FM/DAB is classed as having one channel so can’t move the channel to the right.

Have just found out that it has this tho.

MyEQ – Equaliser with 6 Presets and Independent Bass & Treble Control

#44

Understood. My phone uses WiFi at home so I have no concern for the amount of data used.

I haven’t seen a radio since the 80’s that didn’t put out stereo on it’s headphone socket though, it might have one speaker but it will be putting out stereo on the headphone socket.

Moving the balance to the right will stop the radio sound in your left ear but will also drop all of the audio information carried in the left channel but not the right.

If you buy the two connectors suggested earlier in this topic put one in the radio and one in the TV connector V2 and then enable flight mode on your left hand HA, you would have everything that you want: both channels mixed together supplied to just your right HA.