I have a new pair of TruHearing/Signia AX 7 ITC hearing aids, and so far, I have been disappointed in their performance when I am trying to listen to podcasts while walking the dog along a busy street.
Besides the issues of Bluetooth dropping unless I carry my phone in my chest pocket, the real issue is that I cannot turn the volume up enough so that I can still hear the podcasts when a car or truck goes by. The audiologist said the HAs would automatically adjust when ambient noise increased, but that does not seem to be happening. Maybe she needs to tweak or enable some feature. I think she did the bare minimum in configuring them, and I do have a followup appointment in a couple weeks.
Yeah a really annoying situation but easily fixed, you can ask to them set manually and turn auto off, the microphone can be attenuated to suit your situation.
As @tenkan replied, have your audi set them manually, and I would add to ask how to enable the Mute function, which will turn off the mics, and quiet that outside noise down.
He we go again. He said streaming podcast when out walking . Not phone calls. Why canāt we just help people instead of getting involved in this nitpicking. Zebra. I have the utmost respect for you and your contributions on this forum, but the op was very specific about his request. Any suggestions made should then be looked into by the op to see if they solve his problems. Contributors getting into this kind of discussion is one of the major complaints filed by some about how threads on this forum go off on a tangent and are useless to the op. I made a suggestion and now I move on.
Starkey Evolv has the Thrive app. In the app I can specify what the HAs should do while streaming. The settings are āNo Changeā, āDecreaseā, and āMuteā. Normally I set it to mute.
If I enter a noisy environment (wind, traffic, machines, etc.) Iāll switch to streaming mode by starting the music player on my phone. This turns off the external mics and plays some classic rock. Works well for me.
Regarding the phone and BT signal dropping. The phone plays a big roll in that, itās not all about the HAs. I traded up from a samsung s21 5g to a Pixel 7 and BT is not a problem any longer. There are several threads about BT that you can search up.
I have the same level AX 7. Only difference is I have the RIC type. I use a power dome which for the most part, keep outside sounds from āleakingā in. In other words, all sound comes from the hearing aid. I had tried a closed dome which allows some some external noise. What I noticed is that while streaming music, the clarity with the power domes is incredible. As an FYI, i previously had a pair of Truhearing CIC that I absolutely hated. Way to much feedback and just really noisy sound. I switched audiās and when I walked in to her office, she could hear the feedback. Personally I think the custom mold was a bad fit. That audi wanted nothing to do with Truhearing (she no longer carries them). So make sure youāve got a good fit. Iām only 3 weeks in with the new aids but love the ānoisy environmenā setting. Went to a kids basketball game and I could hear the person next to me as well as the refs calls - perfect. The bluetooth for the phone part is flaky - keeps disconnecting and most of the time isnāt their for the phone call. I had the audi turn up the gain slightly and she sharpened the mid range on my second visit. My insurance allows for unlimited visits for 1 year so Iāll keep tweaking them as long as necessary. So far lovin the aids.
I think there are two different issues at play in your problem (which I have had, and now solved!). And your solution is going to be determined by your HAās capabilities (along with a good audie).
The first issue is the ratio of BT streaming vs mic input. The default for me was 50-50. This was waay too much outside noise for me. I prefer 90-10
The second is the ability to MUTE outside noise.
I have Phonaks (one HA, one AB CI). I use the AB app (which can also control my Phonak Link HA). When I stream podcasts/music, the first thing I do is move the streaming/mic ratio slider over to about 90%. This works well, and outside noises are reduced to a minimum. Yet I can still hear ambient noises, which can be handy in many situations (eg, grocery store, someone yelling ācoming thru, move asideā).
When Iām in a setting where I donāt need any outside feedback, in addition to the 90% setting, I will also tap the Mute button. That removes almost all outside noise, by turning off the mics. Now Iām drowning in my music (which is a good thing!).
This situation is when the new class of wireless ear buds excelsāthink Air Podsāalthough now there are new brands coming out every week, it seems. Many of then are terrific solutions for many hearing needs. Lots of people who are experiencing hearing loss would do just fine with modern/streaming ear buds, never mind the more-expensive āhearing aidsā. Iām still delighted with my Bose Hearphones (wired) after 3 years. Unfortunately, they are no longer manufactured, although they do show up for resale on eBay. Many ear buds feature ānoise-cancellingā.
Thanks for this add-on!
I wonder if the noise-cancelling kicks in on top of that, so youād get excellent help hearing, plus the diminuition of external noise when it happens? I imagine so. I wish some Air-Pod (and other ear bud) owners would weigh in on this Forum and give us the benefit of their experiences!