KS10 Low Level Static When Phone Plays Sound

Hearing Aids
1

Hi all,

New hearing aid user here. I just got fitted with KS-10s at Costco. I have noticed that when my phone (Google Pixel 4a) plays sound (any sound–e.g, music, notification ping, phone calls, etc.) to the hearing aids, there is a low level hiss or static in the background that ends about 1-2 seconds after the sound stops playing. It’s not that noticable, but I cannot help but think it shouldn’t be there. Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks all.

2

After further investigation it appears that this is a feature not a bug. The amount of background static appears to be controlled by the “Noise Management” setting. For example, when I was in a room with a fan on, the background static was much louder. In a quiet room, the background static is much less. This is not a feature I’m fond of.

3

Just in case tho, I would still mention it to the audiologist in case that person can do anything to help the issue.

4

So what you’re saying is to reduce background noise they add static to it. Any hearing aid I ever owned that has static has always had something wrong with it. I assume you didn’t notice it when you walked around the store

5

I had a similar problem albeit with iPhone and KS9 during trial. When I exchanged for the KS10, the Audi said it was not something that should occur or could be fixed and had the KS9s returned as defective. No static problems after that

6

My wife recently got an iPhone update.
She wears the Costco KS9 aids.

After the iOS iPhone update she started having static issues during phone calls. We changed the Bluetooth Phone Bandwidth on her Phonak app from adaptive to fixed. This fixed up the static issue.

7

I appreciate the responses. I take it from those of you who have posted that the “Noise Management” feature is not supposed to just add static in the background. I’ll have to bring this up with the audiologist.

I should note that this is my first ever hearing aid so I didn’t know what to expect when I was getting fitted. I told the audiologist that I could hear static when I played music on my phone, but I think both of us were in a hurry so we kind of shrugged it off. I’ll make a point to investigate it further at the next appointment.

I should also note that so far I’m not much of a fan of these things. The left ear is too loud. I can turn it down in the app, but it will go right back to the higher levels if ANYTHING happens. For example, if I get a notification on my phone, boom the volume goes back to the default setting. Same if I disconnect the HAs from my phone or literally anything happens. It’s not a great experience. I suppose it will be okay when I have my next appointment and can get the default volume level adjusted. However, the ability to adjust things with the app is lacking.

8

Try to take notes about the issues. Include the environment you are in at the time. The more information you can give your fitter the better they can be programmed to your liking.

Good luck

9

One additional thing, as a newcomber to the devices myself, sometimes thing don’t sound like what we think they are.
Case in point, for weeks i heard static in my car. AM, FM, or Sirius! And it was in 3 different cars no less. After my wife had driven to the mall the other day (she seldom does) I took over for the return leg. No static, until I opened the vent to the left of the steering wheel, which she always closes. Bam, static returned.The thing is, it doesn’t sound like an AV vent SHOULD sound or even wind. Sounds like an FM station in Wyoming. Moved the vent off my face and it was gone.

1 Like
10

So I have the jabra not these however I have a similar experience that I can explain. When I get a notification from the phone it changes from whatever program to audio streaming, which on mine, does not have the wind guard. So if I’m outside all of a sudden I hear the static of wind when I get the notification. It can be annoying, but as I can’t hear the tone in the wind, it actually helps me.

Bottom line - when the notification is playing it may well be changing the program hence the change in sounds…

11

janofh, that’s exactly what is happening. The profile changes to bluetooth streaming when I get a notification on my phone (or play any other sound). The bluetooth streaming profile has noise management turned on so I get static proportional to the background noise level (it’s not the wind guard, but otherwise it’s the same idea).