Bluetooth Costco KS10 to TV ... do you really need the TV Connector?

Hearing Aids
#1

I am a seasoned hearing aid wearer. I recently purchased a set of the new Costco KS10’s however the TV Connector kits are apparently backordered with no date they will be available … this is in BC, Canada.

My question is do I even really need the TV Connector at all? … or can I simply pair the hearing aids to any bluetooth enabled TV? My concern would be if they have designed the aids and connector to be proprietary thus not allowing simple paring with a TV?

My current TV is not bluetooth enabled so I can’t just try it … if they will pair directly to the TV then that would give me the perfect excuse to buy a new one :grinning:

Thanks!

#2

I asked my audiologist for a Phonak tv connector today and she said they are back ordered. I think we’re the number one customer, and if we can’t get them…

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#3

Reports in several other threads on this that you’ll have latency issues with this. Lip sync problems.

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#4

They should work with any Bluetooth audio source, TV included. However, many TVs with Bluetooth audio out will turn off their built-in speakers when Bluetooth is turned on, which could be problematic if you wanted audio to be available for others in the room.

You could also get a generic Bluetooth audio device and connect it to your TV’s audio output (you can find threads about that here). But I’m this configuration there will likely be a bit of a delay causing lip synch issues.

You might be able to adjust the audio by a few ms to account for the latency if such a feature is built in to your TV, but this could be a problem for any audio not going through your HAs.

A benefit of the TV connector is that it uses a lower latency wireless connection than the Bluetooth protocol used in the Costco/Phonak HAs. It also uses less battery life than Bluetooth.

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#5

I bought a TV connector with my KS 10s, tried it, and then convinced myself I did not require one, as I could connect to my LG TV via bluetooth. I returned it, which was a mistake, because later I discovered the power and latency issues. Now I’m not able to purchase again due to a shortage.

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#6

my audiologist said that there’s a chip inside the connector and connectors are back ordered.

#7

There’s a thread I started that may be of interest.

Latency is the issue. If your TV has Bluetooth the KS10 will connect to it but the audio and video being out of sync may be more than you can deal with. It’s possible that Android TVs might adjust the two streams as the Google TV with Chromecast seems to do. I haven’t tested.

As has been noted, it’s a solution for a single viewer only.

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#8

I have an old Chromecast, and as far as I have ever been able to find out, it receives BT signals from a phone or tablet but does not transmit BT signals.

#9

I bought a smart TV from Best Buy, their Insignia brand, that had Bluetooth capabilities. Not all smart TVs have Bluetooth. The audio worked fine with my KS10s but I returned it because it couldn’t handle my over-the-air TV signals well. That is, it couldn’t pick up signals as well as my current LG TV.

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#10

xfinity x1 control box will transmit to bletooth hearing aids

#11

As others have said, power and lip sync is a concern when connecting to a TV thru it’s own BT or a 3rd party “BT Adapter”.

I have a TV Connector bought on ebay last year for $100. Absolutely love it. Works brilliantly. Highly recommend it.

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#12

The hearing aids of the subject line do not do aptx. There will be lip-sync issues.

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