Looking for hearing aids that connect to PC via Bluetooth

Hearing Aids
#1

Hi everyone! I’m looking for news hearing aids and seems that direct computer compatibility in most HA are unclear. I always use an FM/streamer for it but news HA models are implementing direct conection with mobile phones(HiFI in iphones and bluethoot 5.0 for Androids) so Is posible to connect directly the computer via Bluethoot? I’m using a Asus VivoBook Laptop with a AMD ryzen 3700U, it use bluethoot 4.1.

I searched about Phonak Marvels that seems to work with Windows 10 computer’s. I’m wrong? Also phonak release Phonak Paradise in Augoust, this HA is a next generation of Marvels’ one so I suppose that it work with my computer too. Anyone can confirm? If I wrong(or not), exists any models that support computer bluethoot?

Widex Moment and Bluetooth
#2

Phonak Marvel and Paradise (and related hearing aids) are the only hearing aids that have any chance of directly connecting to your computer. That said, our experience with directly connecting to computers has been iffy. Some have no problem. Others have issues. Most seem to be resolvable with a Bluetooth Dongle. Those hearing aids should also be able to connect to most other Bluetooth phones, be they iPhone or Android. However, they will use standard Bluetooth, not Made for iPhone nor ASHA. Assume nothing. Be very clear on what you what to accomplish and confirm that it works before committing to purchase. Any other hearing aid will require some sort of intermediary device to stream from computer.

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#3

Not definitive, but my experience with the Paradise is that it typically does not work with bluetooth below 5.0. With any 4. Version I have had issues.

Jim

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#4

Direct to computer is absolutely iffy. Sometimes works fine, but usually not good enough. If you want to stream to your hearing aids, my preference is to use a TV steamer. Virtually all of the good hearing aid manufactures make a steamer designed for TVs. Typically they include an adapter that will work nicely in the headphone port of most computers.

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#5

It is not iffy. If you have a marvel or paradise, you can connect to ant device that has bluetooth v5 or newer without any problem. I connected my paradise to mac, windows pc, iphone, xiaomi phone, tv and had no problem at all.

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#6

Thanks for your answer! I will try phonak paradise then. I will update the topic when I test them.

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#7

All of you who have answered come to the same conclusion: any device with Bluethoot below 5.0 usually have issues. All my devices have Bluethoot v4 so i’ll probably need a “streamer/FM”. I will try the Phonak Paradise and update this topic when I try them. They will arrive the next thursday.

Thanks everybody for your answers!

#8

I’ll be the odd man out on that claim. The BT for my Chromebook is BT 4.2 and it works flawlessly. My BT dongle for my desktop is BT 4.0 and it works great for routine streaming, but I had challenges with Zoom. (and to clarify, I’m using KS9 (similar to Marvel)

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#9

I tried to get streaming from my Windows 10 laptop to my Widex Moment earpieces. The laptop could connect to the earpieces via Bluetooth but the earpieces were not recognised as sound output devices by Windows 10.
I checked the Bluetooth version on the laptop and it is V4.0 so that is pre-BLE Bluetooth.
Does anyone know of a USB Bluetooth dongle running a later version of Bluetooth that I can plug into my laptop to get streaming?

#10

I think your issue is, that your HAs are not true Bluetooth so won’t work with the laptop. They’ll only work with iPhone and some android’s.

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#11

I’m sure MacBook Pro laptops are working in this regard, there’s another thread about this right now.

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#12

I am using BT 4.2 with Win 10 using the motherboard radio. Flawless with Phonak Paradise P90-RT.

#13

Not with Widex. Only with Phonak Marvel or Paradise.

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#14

I was trying Widex Moment too and have the same issue. Widex moment only work with any apple device’s(iPhone,Mac,iPad…). My audioprotesista told me that Widex is tramiting the compatibility with Android devices but nothing about others laptops or PC. So, you shoud buy the UNI-DEX that is a typic FM/streamer device for TV, computers, etc…

#15

I think going with the Phonak Paradise is a good plan. There are a couple things to keep in mind.

  1. Paradise can be paired with 8 devices, but only actively connected with 2. Which means that if you pair your hearing aids with more than 2 devices they will be connected to only the 2 most recent.
  2. To make the Paradise work better with a computer you will want to change your bluetooth settings in your hearing aids to “fixed bandwidth”. You can change that setting through the Phonak app or have your Hearing Provider change it for you from their computer software. Typically the default is “adaptive bandwidth”, so make sure to change that.
    If you keep both of those things in mind, then you should be prepped for a successful connection of hearing aids to computer!
    Have fun, and let us know your experience.
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#16

There is an alternative route where you use an app from Soundwire to stream audio output over wifi from your PC to your phone and then use the standard phone to HA functionality over Bluetooth. This bypassses need for expensive streamer

Works OK with my PC/Android/Resound Quattro lynx set up, a little laggy but fine for Zoom/teams etc.
More details here

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#17

Not quite true. They will be connected to the first two devices they see when you turn the aids on, independent on the order in which those devices were paired. So you can affect the order by turning off/on devices you want you aids to connect to.

Your claim is true only for a situation where you just have all 8 devices with BT on, doing all those pairings in a sequence, never turn off any of those devices and never go out of range.

AFAIK this only is used for calls, so not media stream profile but handsfree BT profile.
And in my case, better phone quality IS with the adaptive type.

@Yeray
One more to murk the waters: my BT on laptop is 4.2, fedora linux, t480 thinkpad. Listening works perfectly, for mic I use laptop mic. That is reliable. I didn’t manage to test more if mic on them will work or not (mic on aids didn’t work for a job interview, and I still haven’t tested later)
My phone has BT 5.0 and tablet is also 4.2 (kindle fire tablet, hacked a bit to be proper android tablet)
Marvels had zero issues with phone and laptop, paradises work with all three.
Such connectivity was one of my reasons why I haven’t tried other manufacturers.

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#18

Paradise rocks with win10. Paradise also is the only one that can connect 2 devices at the same time ( use use phone and laptop) via bluetooth. It works good most of the time though for laptop I have to use the headphone device as the headSET device does noet work for me. Minor inconvenience though.

Besides Phonak marvel and paradise there is also Unitron. Their latest discovery next models offer bluetooth like the marvel as far as I know.

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#19

Reluctantly I’m retuning my Phonak P90 to Boots in the UK after the 60 days trial and returning to my very old Naida S and Com Pilot, which works.
My main reason for the change was the Phonak promise of blue tooth and better hearing, but the virus problem has meant no meetings or social life so I have not experienced an improvement on my hearing and as I’m unable to use blue tooth with my Gigaset phone and iMac I have to go back to my trusty Naida’s. I read with interest the reports of blue tooth and I will have to find a reliable blue tooth connection H A in the UK.

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