Well, there are hearing aids that have a mic hung on them in a wire extension. It is a large CIC model. Know next to nothing about them.
https://www.resoundpro.com/~/media/REFRESH/US/LINX2/MIH.ashx?h=252&w=200&la=en-US
6934ca706e439a3ddaa2-
You are trying to make decisions based on an incomplete understanding of what the various models of hearing aids will and will not do.
1 Like
Which is why I have asked questions.
Given that the Phonak B70 (edit Direct B70) is the only aid with hands free calling, and that none of the Costco aids have tinnitus feature…
If you stay with Costco, then KS7, Zerena, and Forte all will control the aids either with an ap, (all 3) or even from the iPhone lock screen (Zerena & Forte). Not sure if Zerena includes both volume and program change directly from aids, but I know the others do.
K7 ap can connect by Bluetooth via the necklace when it is worn. When necklace not worn, it changes volume and programming by sending (semi) inaudible tones to the aids ( one way tones -there is not a connection). the Zerena and Forte connect via Apple’s MFI Bluetooth protocol.
You mention you are wedded to your iPhone so I am surprised MFI was not a consideration that Costco would have mentioned initially. There is additional “free” functionality present there if you have interest.
After sorta getting myself into this thread and curious about this hands free business…I looked at Phonak’s offerings and from what I can tell it’s a little more specifically the Audeo B-Direct that offers complete hands free. Although you have to touch a button on the HA to answer a call. The Direct version still has the three power levels like the 70 you mentioned. So it’s kinda right to say B70 but you gotta add the Direct. So it’s the Phonak Audeo B(70)-Direct. But indeed it uses the mic’s on the HA’s to send back down wirelessly to the phone to communicate. There’s your totally hands free @6934ca706e439a3ddaa2. Then I re-read your OP. Yes…that’s the one. And no Costco doesn’t offer any tinnitus features.
I wonder if you can stream from a phone this way too? They have another device to connect to sound sources but I wonder if you can play straight from a phone. It would make sense that you could of course.
The Audeo B Direct will not stream direct. Requires intermediate device (I think intended for TV, but also allows streaming.
Yeah I dug around yet more and found something somewhere on a phonak page that says as much. Odd. You’d think that would be just a part of outputting sound from the phone. Apparently Skype, Facetime and even Siri can be heard but not audio and video. You’d think maybe even just mono would work. Collapse the stereo to mono and play. But no. Interesting.
Oh well. Maybe next rev.
There are dozens (literally) of apps that will allow you to stream ALL of the audio on an Android phone to your B-Directs IN MONO. I haven’t tried them all, but some are kind of fiddly. In the Play Store look for “Bluetooth Mono”. BTW, I really wanted to love the B-Directs, but they were a big disappointment.
mblank: You may not have been directing your post to me but I’ve just been investigating for curiosity. I have KS7’s not these B-Directs. But it’s good to hear that something sensible in fact happens beyond the manufacturer statements. It didn’t make sense to me that a/v couldn’t be sent when other sound makers on the phone could. But sure…like you stick a phone up to one ear…you get bluetooth to one ear whatever the source. They said it themselves…they don’t support A2DP which is the stereo output of bluetooth. They probably could and might …just not now. Still pretty cool though to use the HA’s as the bluetooth communication medium rather then a separate mic.
So why can’t they make stereo? HA’s already talk to each other wirelessly. Connect to “one” HA with bluetooth sending the stereo signal and playing that side in that ear and then the HA sends the other “side” to the other HA.
Sure all the inherently mono sources can stay in mono but then use the HA’s own wireless connection to send the same mono signal to the other side or the other side of the stereo signal.