I could imagine Apple making their phones Broadcast Assistants but retaining a “special sauce” component to keep people locked in to the Apple universe.
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I would bet BT LE Audio will require software/firmware changes in the phones, and possibly h/w changes, too, and phone manufacturers are not known for slowing down the obsolescence in their phones. I needed a new phone for ASHA to work, and I’d bet a lot that we’ll need new phones for Auracast to work.
sorry, my email to you bounced. Here is is:
On Feb 4, 2024, at 8:47 PM, Jim Lewis via Hearing Aid Forum - Active Hearing Loss Community <no-reply@forum.hearingtracker.com> wrote:
Seems like lots of folks will at least have to get new HAs to make it a worthwhile proposition for the organization to invest.
Just like any new technology. But all the big guys have already signed up, and Resound Nexia/Jabra Enhance™ Pro 20 already incorporate Auracast™, but so far only hook up with their TV Transmitter+. More players to come by year’s end, though.
An interesting question is whether everyone who is interested will also have to get new phones.
Probably software updates. Apparently the latest Samsung top of the line phones already receive Auracast™
Sorry if I missed this, but can a phone be an Auracast switcher [“assistant”] if it’s not BT LE Audio-compatible?
I think not.
If not, it’s new phones, too, for everyone who wants to get into the game. Clicking a button on one’s HA to switch Auracast channels is a non-starter for me, if that mode is in the works, too, to avoid having to get a new smartphone…
For many years, T-Coils will also work.
I thought there was a demo at a show using an iphone to provide the assist?? and iPhones don’t have LE audio yet.
WH
Some current model Samsung TVs support Auracast, so I expect the Nexias and Jabra EP 20s can connect to them without a TV streaming device.
That might also enable the new Samsung TVs to output both HDMI ARC/e-ARC and Auracast simultaneously.
The Samsung ear buds are available with Auracast, too - or maybe it’s only announced - I don’t follow the ear bud market.
The Samsung TV announcement came at least 6 months ago, and I expected catch up from LG and others by now, but I haven’t seen any.
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I have a Pixel 8 pro. I’m able to pair my Jabra Enhance Pro 20 hearing aids with my phone. Audio from the phones sounds reasonable (not a lot of bass which is to be expected) and clear. However, I have observed that any time the mic in the hearing aids are used, the sound is very stuttery and almost unintelligible. So if I use the hearing aids hands free with the hearing aids being both the speaker and mic for a phone call, my voice sounds very bad to the other party. This is also true if I make a recording using the Google Recorder app and the hearing aid mics.
BUT, I observe that if I turn one hearing aid (either one, it makes no difference) then my voice is crystal clear to the other party or to the recorder app. So the issue seems to be related to having the mic in both hearing aids on at the same time…like they are a bit out of phase or competing with one another…if Jabra or Android had an option to turn of off of the mics, all would be well…
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I forgot to mention that my description is when I pair using Bluetooth LE on my phone. If I disable Bluetooth LE for the hearing aids, the sound quality is not quite as good, the battery life on the phone is slightly less, BUT I can make phone calls, just not in hands-free mode…the mic in the phone is used instead of the ones in the hearing aids.
Where did you find this menu in the Jabra app? I cannot find it. I’m on a pixel pro 8. I can connect the phone to my enhance pro 20 hearings aids with LE enabled on the phone. ( but the mics in the hearing aids stutter when both hearings aids are on–person the other end of the phone call hears very bad quality audio). I have a MoerLab Bluetooth auracast device but can’t find the menu you show to get the auracast paired with the hearing aids.
I’ve never used LE Audio. I was mentioning an article I read on the Auracast demonstration at CES. Have you tried tapping on the connection (Settings - Connected Devices)? That’s worked for some Samsung users. It’s obvious really that the LE Audio-Android experience needs a lot more work. For starters, you’d think you the user would have control over which mics to use for your conversation.
Besides shutting the power off on one of the hearing aids, have you tried shutting off the sound on the app on one of the microphones? I am wondering if one or the fiter could create a program with only one mic on that you could select if a call comes in. Thank you for all your sleuthing.
There is no way that I can find to control which mic is used in the Jabra Enhance Pro app (or in Android for that matter) for the phone call. Sad, so close, but not quite there. I’m not sure if this is an android bug or a Jabra Enhance Pro app bug.
The only place in the Jabra app that I can find that might be related is “Pair new devices”. That menu only gives me the option of pairing a Jabra TV streamer. I agree about needing more control. If I connect to the Enhance Pro 20 hearing aids when LE is turned ON in the Android Bluetooth menu for the hearing aids, then the hearing aid mics and “speakers” are used. If I turn LE off, then then the hearing aid speakers are used, but the mic in the phone is used…which is not really hands free.
I also have a MoerLab auracast transmitter, but no way to connect it to the hearing aids. (See other post in this thread)
I called the support line for costco jabra hearing aids (888-511-3864). They were not very helpful. The agent said he didn’t have much experience with LE. He took a report about both the auracast issue and the mic issue and blamed it on Android 14…
Interesting that the article you found was from CES. My guess is that it was a special version of the jabra app for the show and is not yet generally available.
The Auracast demoes are for the general public, so they use buds- not hearing aids. I don’t know whether they use custom-made apps on the phones to do the broadcast assistant role. I agree with you, though. Probably, just to make for a smooth experience.
So when you’re at the screen where you turn LE Audio on or off, you don’t see a list of Auracast broadcasts?
We’re starting to see developer releases of Android 15. Hopefully, the experience will be a bit more polished.
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The LE Audio on/off option is on the properties for the bluetooth connection to the hearing aids (Android Bluetooth settings for the connection). It is not in the Jabra Enhance App. The Android Bluetooth settings have no option for listing or discovery of Auracast broadcasts. I would actually expect that this option should appear in the Jabra Enhance App, since that app would need to tell the hearing aids to connect to the selected broadcast and would want to track what the hearing aids are doing…but I’m not sure how this missing plumbing is actually supposed to work.
There are supposed to be some bluetooth feature additions in the next feature drop of Android 14. Perhaps that or an update to the Jabra app will help…not holding my breath.
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The Jabra app was last updated February 15th on Android.
My understanding was that the Jabra EP 20 has the hardware but Jabra has not added the software yet but plans to do so in 20204 sometime. (I may be wrong)
We have been round that nonsense before. The Jabra Enhance Pro 20 and the Resound Nexia does have the software/firmware for BT Low Energy Audio now.
I’m new here and looking for my first set of hearing aids. So good to hear that the LE Audio is installed now. It was one of my reasons for deciding to buy the EP 20. I was willing to wait if it was still pending. Thanks for the update.
Philips is coming out with it too. So you might want to wait to see if they can get it work better then Jabra.
My EP20 supports Bluetooth LE with my Pixel Pro 8 as previously reported. It does not yet appear to support auracast (as advertised), nor does handsfree work properly (mic probably, also previously reported in this thread).