Bluetooth and MP3 player capability in Hearing Aids

For those of you who want to talk on your bluetooth phone wirelessly and hook up your Ipod and listen to it through your hearing aids wirelessly, the Phonak Smart Link/My Link combo may be just what you need.

You can plug in your Ipon, connect it to the Smart Link and beam the signal wirelessly to the My Link or FM receiver on your hearing aids. You can even walk away from it and hear. The Smart Link also acts as a remote control for your Phonak Savia, Eleva, Micro Power or Perseo Hearing Aids.

With a Phonak BTE, you can use this type of FM Receiver:

You can also use a similar receiver with other brand BTE’s.

If you have a custom aid, you can still use the Smart Link with the My Link if you have a Telecoil built in:

You can wear the My link under your clothes and receive the signals wirelessly. The great thing is even if you don’t have a Phonak, you can use this with any brand hearing aid, provided it has a Telecoil.

hi thanks alot for you post, are you using this yourself and what are you experiences with it?

and how much does it cost?
does it takes bluetooth aswell as the normal earphone jack?

Kind regards,

Ruben

I am a hearing aid dispenser and I have a few patients who use this setup.

You can use both bluetooth and also plug in an MP3 player or any other audio device with the Mini Stereo Plug.

It works very well, for those who are really into this type of technology.

Costs are around $2,000 for the complete system, but can vary depending on where you purchase and the exact model you purchase.

What type of hearing aids to you use?

If you start using this type of setup, please post and let us know how it is working for you.

Admin or anyone else:

Will this setup work with my Sonic Innovation Ions with open fit?

Also, will the remote work to adjust my Ions or would I just get the microphone/bluetooth part to work only?

Looks really neat.

The Smartlink/My Link combo will work, provided the telecoil mode is activiated on the Ions.

The remote functions will not work…only will work on certain Phonak models, such as the Eleva, Savia, Supero, Perseo and possible a few more models I am missing.

Hi ALL,

I just wanted to add my recently new experience with my Phonak Eleva 311’s and with the Smartlink. I only got my new aids yesterday and have already setup the bluetooth to work with my phone and tested my Ipod.

The RESULT = WOW. VERY COOL and sound quality is crystal clear as if you were wearing headphones. The Smartlink gives a lot of flexibility for many different listening environments. (Just what I need as I struggle especially in noisy environments)

Conclusion: A little pricey for the boots and the SmartLink. I would definitely consider it a luxury, but if you like me have a high active social, work and music life that depends heavily on hearing you would really want to take these things for a test drive.

Please feel free to ask any other questions. Now my story…:smiley:

I have been wearing HA’s almost all my life I recently been TRYING to convert to digital for the last 3 months. I have tried a Siemans low-end digital and the Qualitone Quantum both low-end neither aid was doing it for me. The sound quality was less then the “natural” sound I feel I am used to from the analogues, but that has ALL changed yesterday. My audiologist recommended we move into the mid-range digitals, which don’t have any analog circuits in the aids. I agreed and yesterday right after she programmed them the sound was crystal clear the “natural” sound that I am used to. Is it a blessing? Maybe, but after much research I have seen a great deal of very happy customers of Phonak products. I think they just added another to the list. Well that is my story. Thanks for reading

Eddie

I give you a lot of credit going this route, as very few patients and professionals are even aware of the possiblities with the SmartLink.

I agree it is kind of a “luxury” item, but it is sure neat and effective.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with all of us…always good to hear from users themselves. Also glad that you found a great product and great professional who know how to us the product.

I do agree that the quality of sound with the Phonak Eleva, Savia, MicroPower are very natural, as compared to many other brands.

I’m hoping anyone with experience with the Smartlink and Phonak Savia can tell me if Smartlink FM system with the FM Receiver MLS9 will work right out of the box? I.e., no need to use the programming software to set up the FM system to work with my Savias?

The reason I’m asking is because I can purchase the Smartlink SX with two FM receivers for 2800, far less than what my local audiologist who is asking 4000 dollars.

The Smart Link/ML9S combo’s are plug and play and require no programming changes.

Only if you need programming changes specific to the FM program, the you would have to go back to the audi to make changes.

Price wise, $2800 is a real bargain…as it is very close to our actual dealer cost.

Just make sure that you do not have the Micro Savia, as the FM boots will not work. Do you have the Savia 211/311?

Yes, I do have the Phonak Savia 311. My other question relates to the sound quality of the FM. It has been many years since I have used the FM system in elementary school and I wonder if the sound output is actually based on the program in my Phonak Savias? I wonder if I do need the FM to be fine tuned, since I am thinking about ordering the system from another source than my current audiologist at the House Ear Clinic. I think he is reluctant to offer me support on a product purchased from elsewhere – which I understand.

BTW, I’m assuming that the plug and play is also true for the remote control in the Smartlink SX?

Thank you for your response!

Tim C.

The FM program should be linked to the settings on program 1 or the autopilot settings so they should work fine 90% of the time.

It may be worth the gamble in price.

Hi all,
I have been using hearing aids since I was born. My left ear is shut, so I have cannot use a hearing aid there. My right ear has a very small canal, so I’m partially deaf from there as well. I use an Ergo hearind aid, and one time, I went to my provider and she told me about the blue tooth module. Not having a phone that had bluetooth, I didn;t really care. However, I saw headphones there we’re bluetooth that when I began to wonder If i Could use the bluetooth module instead of headphones for my ipod, since headphones hurt my head and cause whisteling. Anyone know anything about this?

thanks!

Yes, you can use a neckloop such as my link and Smartlink from Phonak.

Or you can use the Artone neckloop (available on our site at www.localbattery.com under bluetooth accessories) and also use a wireless transmitter hooked up to your ipod.

Artone has a bluetooth transmitter which we will be testing and also we are now testing another domestic model transmitter to see how they function with Ipods and TV’s.

Will post when we know.

Hi all

If you would look at Artone web site you would find a product called “TVB” it could do the same (and more), connect to your MP3 player, TV or any other audio source, and transmit the signal to the Artone Bluetooth LoopSet.
As well it can work with VOIP software as SKYPE, the same way but also with dual direction communication. all you need is Artone Bluetooth LoopSet and TVB. All the process is wireless and much more affordable then any other solutions that were mentioned here.
You can find this product at : www.artonecs.com under products

Where can you get the smartkink for $2000? what would the cost of a pair of Phonak Savia 311’s be?

We are in the market for new hearing aids.
Thanks,

Karen

Call 1800-7777333 which is Phonak’s US headquarters and ask a customer service rep for a dispenser or Audi in your area that does lots of Phonaks, as they are usually much more experienced with the product and their pricing will usually be more flexible, the more they order from Phonak.

Price ranges will vary dramatically, based on who you see and your geographic region.

The Savia Art pair will probably range from $4,500-$6,500 plus another $2,000 or so for the Smart Link.

$2800 may be a bargain, but does this include the programming costs, or do you need to pay for that separately?

with the new instrouction of the new high end aids by phonak
due in december the savia will have a new lower price


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