Hi, I’ve just got some NHS HAs (Signia Stretta Aya Ms) which are doing a pretty good job helping with my age related high frequency loss.
Streaming to my iPhone alone is OK but multiple devices is a bit of a nightmare - probably a subject for another post!
My question is what do people do when they want to stream from a device in a noisy envoirnment? I like to watch my iPad on a train and all the programs are still using the microphones (Universal, TV and Noisy Env.) which are amplifying ambient noises.
I suspect that even if they can be programmed to switch off the microphones the noise cancelling won’t be as good as my Sony Ear buds I’m used to?
Just wondering if some of the more up market HAs can deal with this well or if I should just buy some noise cancelling headphones to wear over the top?
That is easy i mute my hearing aids microphone so I cut environmental noise down as far as possible. I also wear custom ear molds that help block out environmental sound. I cannot answer your questions on IOS devices ad I walked away from apple over a year ago because Apple never fixed what they promised.
I turn down my microphone level to 0 from the default 64. Keeps the Bluetooth volume normal but just reduces the background noise.
You should be able to get this screen up as you have MFi hearing aids.
I do something similar to what Zebras suggests. I’m trialing Oticon Intents and have an iPhone and iPad. I sometimes am in situations like your train scenario, but more often walk and listen to audiobooks. I like to keep some degree of ambient noise – enough for situational awareness and safety (hearing cars coming).
The best workaround I have found is to first lower the HA mic volume. I do that with buttons on the HAs. Then I launch the audiobook streaming; at that point, its volume is controlled by the side buttons on the phone.
With my old Oticons, I could simply and immediately control ambient with my HA buttons and the audibook with my phone.
You can try out what might work best for you by launching a televised news program on a separate computer to provide the ambient, and then playing with your HAs.
I am not sure of your Audiogram so this may or not work for you.
I got ~$200 (have even been a little less in recent sales) Airpods Pro 2’s (with hearing assistance enabled and using audiogram from my Apple Hearing test) for streaming / phone calls. I have flown 4 times in the recent month and each time the Airpod Pro 2’s have been perfect for streaming at the airport and on planes. You can easily switch between transparency for speaking to aircrew or others or noise cancellation for peaceful good quality streaming on the plane.
In non-noisy environments the Airpod Pro 2’s will also beat any hearing aid for streaming quality.
There is a caveat though. You can only enable hearing assistance with the Airpods Pro 2’s if you have mild/moderate hearing loss. Battery life is 5 - 6 hours (then you can recharge them in the case) and of course you have Airpods Pro 2’s very prominently in your ears (but then half the plane or train will have something in their ears!)
You can then use your other hearing aids elsewhere (in my case Eargo 7s).
I did try headphones over the Eargo’s and while it works the Airpods Pro 2’s sound much better.
Sounds great!
I’m hoping that someone can share how they do this with Phonak P90s.
I listen to audiobooks during my daily walk around my urban neighborhood and I cringe when I see traffic heading my way. This is because the hearing aids immediately start making a hissing sound and cranking up the volume of the truck or car as it passes. I have to turn down the sound, which also turns down the sound of the book. Doing this repeatedly on a walk is really annoying!
Thanks!
Change the ambient balance. Either use the buttons on the HAs (it doesn’t do volume when streaming) or the button at the bottom of the program tab on app. Or hit the mute button on the app.
WH
Thanks! I’ll give these suggestions a try.
You can Mute the mics on phonaks by pressing the volume down button for 3 sec. if your audi programmed it.
Otherwise from the MyPhonak app.
Thanks! I’ll give that a try.
It does a program shift for me. I think that’s default.
WH
Well, I tried pressing the button for three seconds; it just turns off the aids/sound.
Then I tried to use the controls in the app while listening to an audiobook. It has the outside sounds muted while I’m listening. The problem is that if a noise happens in the environment, it automatically switches to a setting that magnifies the environmental noise much more than the book. I don’t know how to replicate that now.
In December, I made an appointment with my the audiologist, but it isn’t until March, which I think is ridiculous… I’m planning on asking her to help me with this issue.
That means your audi hasn’t programmed the Mute function:
Long press button down to mute/unmute ambient sound. (in Target-SW: Device Options)
Muted: This cuts the ambient sound completely off, up/down buttons change the loudness of the streaming source.
They should be able to set up a remote session with you for this.
I tried Phonaks back when they had the Marvel, and I didn’t care for Autosense, or all the necessary steps needed to obtain asatisfactory balance.
You can have them turn off Autosense, or change it’s sensitivity to cut down the abrupt program changes it induces.
I hated it, and was really happy to go back to Oticon 
True, it has to added in Target.
If I hit the mute mics button in the app, up/down unmutes and returns to ambient balance adjustment. If that up/down behavior solely for the mute provided by button press?
WH
If the Mute function wasn’t programmed in Target for the multi function button, than yes, pressing the button just unmutes the mics.
That was exactly my experience back then when I was using the P90Rs.
I think this is intentional to ensure situational awareness.
Anyway, it was annoying and as a DIYer I’ve been playing around with Target and found a solution that worked in my case. I disabled all blockers for both streaming programs (Media speech, Media music) and the problem was solved. (See screenshot of Target below)
Ask your Audi at your next appointment to change this setting. It can only be changed with his SW.
By the way, I don’t know if this is still an issue with the newer devices. With my Spheres, I deactivated these blockers in the streaming programs right away with my first setting. The P90Rs are now my backups.
During streaming you can change the ambient balance with the buttons on the hearing aids. Clicking several times on the frontal button should make the streaming input louder and reduce the input of the microphone.
Thanks to everyone for their suggestions, it’s very much appreciated.
I can turn down the microphone sensitiy on the iPhone and that really helps. I also have ‘Volume’ on the Signia App but this seems to have less of an effect.
I like the idea of the Airpod Pros with hearing assistance but part of the idea of using headphones (eg. cans) was I dont have to keep taking HAs in and out. Pity Apple dont have the same tech with headphones.
This is fantastic information; thanks!
Pinpoints the problem and the screenshot is exactly the thing to show my audiologist.
Appreciate your help!