I also wear the Audeo BR 90, and I frequently use over-the-ear headphones. I’ve never had this happen to me. But I’ve never tried the Sony headphones.
As far as neck loop goes, I use the Phonak Compilot 2, and it streams stereo just fine to my aids. I don’t have to worry about mono. However, this solution does not block out the ambient noise from the airplane. Maybe you could use some passive over-the-ear hearing protectors and they would not interfere with your BR 90s, and then you can stream music to those. I believe the Compilot has the ability to plug in to the sound on the airplane, but I’ve not tried it.
Thanks for all the replies. I have found that if I put them on carefully I can get them on without the HAs turning off, especially now that I know what is happening. It may take a few attempts and makes me look like an idiot to any one watching, but I guess that’s just another cross I have to bear!
I have heard about the compilot, but haven’t felt the need for it up to now. How does the sound quality compare between listening to music through the compilot to using over the ear headphones with HAs in?
No, it’s not a stupid question. I don’t currently have the capability to stream direct. I would need to get the compilot 2. I am interested to hear others experience with this compared to using headphones with HAs.
Although, because my primary need is to listen to the entertainment systems on planes, just streaming direct won’t work because I also need to cancel/reduce the background plane noise.
Something else that is confusing me is why my HAs turn back on automatically when I take the headphones off. When I fit the HAs in the charger, they turn off but do not turn on automatically when I take them out. They have to be turned on manually. This suggests to me that it is not simply a case that they are turning off because they think they are being put in the charger.
Could be something to do with the fact they don’t get/sense a charge with the headphones but of course, they do with the charger?
Again, just a guess.
Do you have an magnets to hand? Some strong fridge magnets or whiteboard magnets perhaps? You could try holding some to your aids, see what happens. This would at least confirm magnets are in play if they do turn off. Strong ones are quite cheap to buy from most stationers shops.
Since the Compilot only has one single loop that feeds both coils in the hearing aids simultaneously, there is no way you can get a true stereo effect.
It would if the aids are switched to coil/loop only (no Mic option) thereby the aids cannot pick up any outside sounds, only the neckloop. Unless of course there is a Mic feeding the Compilot.
The outside sounds are getting direct to my ear drums, not from the HAs, but through the open domes that I have (and much prefer to the closed domes I have tried, by the way).
I think the Compilot 2 does provide stereo sound via Bluetooth.
Good idea. I put a fridge magnet next to the HA and low and behold it turns off.
Also, not sure what this proves, but I tried putting the HAs in the charger and removing them straightaway. They still turns off but do not turn on automatically. I also tried fitting them in the charger with the charger disconnected from the mains. They don’t turn off.
So it seems magnets are doing something different to what the charger does. I had read somewhere in the forum that there is special mode for using the HAs with a phone and that this is activated by the magnet in the phone speaker. However, my HAs, are not affected by putting a phone next to them.
The phone has to be really “old school” to do it. Our Panasonic cordless handset doesn’t have a strong enough magnet to do it, our REALLY old “Princess” phone does.
Yes, there is only one single loop. But the signal is sent differently to each aid. It is a stereo signal, and I’ve verified that. I do not know what type of protocol the Compilot uses to communicate with the aid, but it is not telecoil. My aids to not support telecoil.
I find that the sound quality streaming through the Compilot is quite good. However, since my aids use open domes, the bass is not very strong. I’ve not tried streaming with over-the-ear protectors on – maybe the bass improves?
Apologies. Seems my understanding of the ComPilot was wrong. I’m guessing the “loop” is either merely something to hand around a neck or some kind of “aerial” for transmitting whatever mode it uses. I understand now it doesn’t use the pick-up coils but it’s own internal wireless transmission/reception. Similar, I guess, to the iCube. So yes, stereo would certainly be possible in this way. Thanks all for the corrective info.
Wish I could get one now. Just a shame they’re SO expensive. A bit overkill for me just to listen to music with.
It merely proves it’s definitely magnets in action. Why is obviously yet to be ascertained.
Maybe they’re set not to when they detect a charge?
Electro-magnet?
Yes, I saw that too. But you also confirm that you hear the “turning on jingle” which implies they’re turning off? If they are switching to the pick-up for telephones then surely you would hear the headphones thru the coil as the speaker coils still produce some EMF. Again, you could test this with the fridge magnet, placing your ear next to something electrical, such as a charger transformer like those used for charging phones. You should hear the electric hum of mains if the coil is activated. That is, assuming your aids have been programed with that function.
All the above is merely guesswork again really and at the end of the day, your headphones cause you a problem due to the magnets, that much we do know. Wonder if it’s a function that could be turned off in the programming? Since you don’t use the telephone in that way it’s not a feature you need, I presume? That would certainly solve your problem.
There’s one carrier at 10.5MHz of 500KHz bandwidth, looks digital. No idea what the encoding is as I’ve not had time to investigate it further but this one pops up whenever the ComPilot starts talking. My aids have one antenna for the tcoil (omitted if not fitted) and another for the 10.5MHz comms used for receiving streaming as well as transmitting program changes and beamforming audio when in stereozoom between the aids.
I have the WH1000-XM2 and I get the exacty same thing with my Sky Qs. As well as the phone magnets never being strong enough to activate the profile - ah well. The profile change with headphones stops when I turn off the “EasyPhone” function on the phone profile in Target.
Sorry, everyone, but I got it wrong. The HAs are not turning off as I thought, but are entering some strange mode. It feels like the sound sensed on one side is being played on the other. Whatever it is, it ruins any music. I thought they were turning off because they play a little jingle when they return to normal mode, which I thought was them turning back on again.
I’m thinking they must be entering this strange phone mode, although I never asked to have this activated.
This thread and others about the B90s has taught me things I never new. I hadn’t realised there were other manual modes other than the autosense. I think I only have the autosense. I have had them around a year now and have to say I love them and haven’t felt the need for any other modes. I have them in all day and feel like my hearing is completely back to normal.
The only problem I had was bad feedback caused by earwax build up. The HAs are now my early warning detectors for earwax build up. A little whistling feedback when they turn on indicates earwax. I am working on a routine to prevent the build up without having to keep getting them syringed every few months. The current method I am trialling is using the massage setting on my shower to “syringe” them myself whenever the feedback returns. I’ve divurged a bit here, sorry.
I think I must return to the Audi to see if this phone mode is enabled.
All sorted now. Had the acoustic phone mode removed.
Also had some manual programs added at the same time. So far have only really tested the music program. It works great. Music from the headphones sounds good straightaway. It was pretty good with Autosense too, but I think the music program is better. It might be my imagination, but it seems to take quite a while for Autosense to adjust to the music. After 10 or 15 minutes it seems to sound better.
I’ve also found that the music program significantly reduces wind noise. An unexpected bonus. It seems to work better than “speech in wind”.
