Has anyone found the new Phonak PartnerMic or RemoteControl functions with the KS9 aids?
These devices are grouped with the TV Connector and wanted to see if anyone has tried them yet.
I believe all use Phonaks airstream technology.
1 Like
Great question. Seems like it would allow Phonak to sell more product if they were. I do see they have had no updates to the KS9 app whereas the Marvel app has received numerous updates.
I think the point about optical is that it can then be processed (before going to the streamer) to bias more on the center channel where most speech is, or the front three if needed, and at least partially suppress the surround/background sounds. Obviously it would have drawbacks in some cases but if a program is otherwise unmanageable it might be worth a try. Can’t do that with any of the other options.
The PartnerMic is what interests me most. I don’t remember when it came out, before or after the 2.0 Marvel update. Since the KS9 aids are not Roger compatible the PartnerMic might help some of the KS9 users in tuff situations.
I doubt the app makes any difference. It was just a comment to say Phonak doesn’t seem particularly interested in supporting the KS9, although you’d think they’d be willing to sell more product.
So, the TV connector processes surround sound? I didn’t know. The stereo method seems to work OK, with a receiver. Perhaps the receiver grabs the stereo track rather than the surround? Wait, I think I misinterpreted your post. Is it possible to have separate surround for the rest of the family and an optimized feed going to the streamer from a single source?
I’m mostly speculating “out loud” at the moment until I can experiment, but the thought was to go from the cable box toslink to a cheapish 5.1 preamp where the surround balance can be adjusted, then to the streamer. I’m guessing someone has already tried and either confirmed or abandoned the idea.
Gotcha. Worth checking out. In the meantime, my receiver seems to fold the REC OUT down into stereo and dialog seems to be favored. And I balance it so I can hear room sound as well as what is coming through the streamer, so we can still discuss what we watch.
1 Like
For two weeks my KS9 Easy Line App allowed me to select (as an Advanced Option) the feature that gave me the ability to select Surround on the left or slide to the right to select Audio with balanced sound in the middle. Audio was voice only and surround was voice plus instrument sounds. This went away and has not come back? I have a contact with Phonak but have not confirmed that this feature is coming?
Perhaps a misunderstanding of the balance feature, may have been specific conditions that gave the result you relate. When streaming from the TV connector you can use the balance to increase or decrease either the surround sound, which is all of the environment sounds or the audio which is being streamed, it allows you to chose an increase or decrease of either. Depending what you might be doing, or who you are with this may be of value, I normally when steaming prefer to eliminate the surround sound with the mute feature instead of the balance. If you have the mute feature which you can mute by holding the low side button for a long push, until it mutes. After selecting what ever you are streaming and have the volume with the HA’s where you want, you can then mute, and will be listening to just what is streaming.
RDB
I just got the TV Connector from Costco yesterday. Alas, my receiver doesn’t have a TAPE OUT or REC OUT or similar. It’s a Sony STRDN1080. So I think I’m limited to the TV optical output. This is OK for at least the reasonably foreseeable future. I rarely watch DVDs. The only thing I don’t like much is having audio from the speakers while I’m using the Connector, but there’s not much to be done about that when I’m watching with someone else. When I’m alone I can just reduce the TV volume to the minimum.
The good news is that my speech understanding is much better! Some of that is, I think, from the new Marvel 90-312s I also got yesterday (KS9 knockoffs 
) and some from using the TV Connector.
I’ve found using the app and reducing the surrounding volume reduces the volume of TV speaker sound vs sound coming through the connector to your HAs.
Even better than using the app. to reduce surround, is to use the mute function when streaming.
RDB
Thanks – I’ll check that out.
Muting my system puts a slashed-speaker icon on the screen: unacceptable for other than momentary purposes.
Youir hearing aids have a screen?!? 
I’m certain he means mute the hearing aids so you hear the streaming clearly and nothing from the hearing aid microphones.
D’oh!
Yes, that would work when I’m alone. When I’m with someone, I’d like to hear any occasional remarks.
“brec, are you aware that there’s a fire in the kitchen?”
Well you can’t have it both ways, but you can choose which way you wish to listen.
RDB
In the fitting software you can adjust the volume of the mic while streaming. And use the streaming device volume to control the stream. Combined with the volume buttons and the mute button it seems to work well for me. I do get pissed when the commercial volume goes up though.
1 Like
Yes, this is the problem for me. I feel like I’m going to wear out the hearing aid buttons taking the volume down for commercials and back up for programs.