KS9. Bad connection on phone calls

Hearing Aids
1

New KS9 user here.

Moved up from KS6 two weeks ago

Using iPhone SE 2020.
Model MXCW2LL/A
iOS 13.6.1 (latest version)

I believe the KS9’s have latest firmware. I will check at appointment

I’m using latest My Phonak iOS app

Streaming audio from pandora/YouTube/Netflix no problems.

Phone calls breakup bad.

I have tried switching between adaptive and fixed on Bluetooth bandwidth settings to no effect.

I have forgot hearing aids and repaired hearing aids. No effect on call issue

I can not find any other settings that I can change as a user.

I have an appointment later this week at Costco. If anyone has any input from their experience that I can pass on I would appreciate a reply to this post.

I will update results from my Costco appointment later this week.

2

Have you found this to happen in all circumstances? Inside, outside, phone in hand, phone in pocket, etc.
These things could effect call quality for some people.
This information will help your fitter too.

3

Tested inside and outside house. With phone in pocket and held close to face. No change.

Battery age does not appear to be a factor.

4

Do you have another phone you could try?

5

My wife has an older iPhone SE. I’ll setup and try it .

Additional update. Received two calls with no static. I was outside both times. Just to see if was a factor I disabled WiFi calling on phone With Verizon you can enable WiFi calling and I had it switched on.

6

I’ve had my KS9’s less than a week. All calls are solid, and I love it that they have microphones built in so I don’t have to hold my phone to my mouth to talk back. Possibly yours are defective, it happens.

7

Set up KS9’s on wife’s iPhone SE (1st gen).
Placed a call to my son …clear no static

Set KS9’s back to my iPhone SE (2nd gen).
Placed a call to my son …clear no static.

Don’t know what’s up. I will place more test call tomorrow. Intermittent issues can be difficult to troubleshoot.

8

I have an iPhone SE (2nd gen) and KS9 with the same issue. If anyone solves this, I am interested in the solution.

9

Calls today are ok. I will update after Costco appt Friday.

10

I think someone mentioned that some devices in house can affect the bt connection, so maybe check where exactly you were and try again.

No clue which devices, just throwing some ideas.

11

Update:

I have not had any issues with phone calls since my early posts.

I had an appointment yesterday at Costco for adjustments to my new KS9 hearing aids. I asked about the static on some phone calls. The audiologist did not have any definitive answer for the issue. The audiologist stated that some have had issues with static after software updates. She recommended forgetting the hearing aids and performing a re-pair.
I have been seeing the same audiologist for a number of years and I feel she is competent.

I believe there is some circumstance that causes the static. It is an open issue for me.

Thank you to everyone who responded to my post. I will update if I have more issues or find out a circumstance/cause of the problem.

12

The issue is back with static.

I opened an issue with Apple. Apple support ran diagnostics on my SE2020.

Support thinks it may be carrier issue. I also discussed Bluetooth 5.0 as issue.

I have an open supportive work order. Tech is checking with others at Apple. I’m using my 1st gen iPhone SE(2016) to confirm issue is new iPhone. I will be exchanging email with Apple support.

I will keep thread updated.

13

Tested the KS9 with my iPhone SE2016 over multiple days. Only a couple connections with static and the static not really the same.

Switched back to iPhone SE2020. The static is back . Multiple test calls with static.

No feedback from Apple other than there is a case open.

Holding off on ios14 update.

14

Update:

I had been communicating with Apple on this issue . I have supplied files from my phone to Apple. Per Apple support I should hear something next week.

iOS 14 had no change on static issue.

I also have an appointment next week with Costco hearing to go over the issue.

I tried switching to my se2016 phone. After a few days only a couple bad calls but the interference/breakup was different that the issue with SE2020 phone.

1 Like
15

Update:

Costco feels that the problem is my particular phone. Costco rep stated others have had this issue and it was the particular iPhone.

Apple is still reviewing the issue. Spent over an hour with Apple tech support today. Downloaded Apple Bluetooth monitoring software today and sent data to Apple for review. I suggested replacing the phone (phone only months old) but Apple wants to finish their troubleshooting steps.

1 Like
16

Update:

I contacted Phonak support. Turned Bluetooth off. Forgot main R hearing aid in Bluetooth.Performed a reset of network services which was supposed to solve issue. Powered on and connected R hearing aid. Next day bad call quality was back (note did not power iPhone off/on).

The only thing that I have found that WORKS is power your iPhone off and then on each morning. This has worked well for me. I’m a light user so someone on the phone all day may have a different result.

17

Here’s my reply in the iPhone 11 - Phonak Marvel thread, which is the hardware I am (was?) having the same problem with.

18

Update:

I updated to iOS 14.2 yesterday. Test call this am before power cycling…static.

Sent an email to Apple tech on my open case today. It has been two weeks since we talked. I asked for an update.

19

Having same issue on Iphone X. Surprisingly music streams with no static.

20

I was just looking online to see if there was some info about clearing up this problem, and came upon this forum. Problem just started recently with me (KS-9’s, probably a little over a year old). I do have a relatively new 2020 version iPhone SE, which seems to be the most common phone mentioned here. The problem didn’t start right away, but maybe since an iPhone update…? I’m going to try the suggestions of restarting phone daily and see if that makes a difference - I’ve already tried unpairing and turning Bluetooth on and off - no help. This is a major pain, because C I have trouble using the phone without the sound coming directly through my hearing aids. Interestingly, listening to music or podcasts on my phone and through the hearing aids presents no problem.