So, I’ve been checking over the forums here looking for people talking about the issue I have and I haven’t found it. I live in the middle of nowhere, US. I have Medicaid, at least for now, and the only place I was allowed to get any hearing aids from was HearingLife. I went in for my consultation after going to an actual ENT and presented them with my audiogram. They kinda scratched their heads in the office because I don’t think they’re used to people who have been to an actual doctor coming in looking for aids. I knew what I wanted, as I’m a bit technologically obsessed, so when it comes to my electronics, I research for weeks. I asked to try the Phonak P70. I had read that they sold them there. Instead, I got very pushily sold the Oticon More 2. My phone runs Android, so of course it turns out it’s not compatible with two way streaming for me at all. So I tried since about July of last year to get a Connectclip and they finally gave me one. Without doing any adjustments or education on it at all. Just “here’s the box, out the door you go!”
My problem is all of the sound coming from anywhere but the ConnectClip directly is very low. With volume cranked all the way up on phone, CC, and HA, any streaming or phone calls are barely audible. I hand the CC to someone to talk into it across the room and I can hear a pin drop. What’s going on exactly? Is there something I can fix or adjust?
What are you using the Connect Clip to do? I had one for years with my Oticon Open. I used it to hear speakers and lecturers, also tour guides and soft speakers. So as a lapel clip mic it works well. It helps with groups like at a dinner, but only for anyone very close to or wearing it as long as it’s not too noisy. For this type of use turn down your hearing aids or the noise is overwhelming.
I also used the connect clip as an intermediary device to connect to my laptop Bluetooth. It might also work that way with your Android phone.
I’m just trying to use the Connectclip to listen to music and calls from my phone, or listen to music from my laptop. It’s like the volume coming from those devices sounds really low, even when turned all the way up. The volume is able to go down further if I turn them (or the HA, or the CC) down. When I first got the HA I couldn’t hear well out of it, even with it turned all the way up. This feels like that. But specifically just the devices I’m trying to connect to using the CC as an intermediary. The CC works great if I just hand it to someone, but that’s mostly not what I wanted it for. An Edumic would’ve been fine if that was what I needed.
You mentioned that you’re technically savvy. So I’d recommend you research the DIY route to do your own programming and reduce your dependence on your HCP, whose service seems lacking to begin with by just shoving a ConnectClip to you and sending you out the door. But if it’s not what you want, then you need to get back to your HCP and make them adjust things for you. There are many settings that your HCP can do to fix the issue of low streaming volume from the ConnectClip for you.
Below is a screenshot of the Oticon Genie 2 programming software for the ConnectClip showing the different parameters that you can adjust. Then there’s also the Phone tab on the left with a similar arrangement that you can also adjust for your phone streaming. The low volume issue you have with the ConnectClip is simply due to inappropriate adjustments in Genie 2, which can be remedied easily either by your HCP, or by you if you choose the DIY route.
I’ll admit I’ve stalked the forums a little bit on that front. It looked like the main provider of info (pvc) got banned less than a day ago, so I was worried I’d be able to get info/assistance (or the Genie 2 software) to work on it myself. Admittedly I’m also a bit sour that the only provider the government saw fit to send me to is heavily into sales and not great on technical followup. Worst of all, it’s a half hour’s drive away.
I know I need the Noah wireless hardware and saw where that was being talked about. I also know I’m not an audiologist. But I love reading and learning about technology and how things tick. So is it too bold of me to think I could do that adjustment?
I don’t think it’s too bold at all to think you can do the adjustments yourself, as long as you’re technically savvy enough to learn and understand the basic ins and outs of hearing aids, and start small and don’t go crazy on the adjustments. Save your initial settings, make 1 change at a time, if the desired effect is not reached, go back to the initial settings and go from there again. There are other forum members in the DIY section who can probably help you with the Genie 2 download. PVC is not the only member there. Just browse around the DIY section and ask questions. Get the Genie 2 software first and make sure you can install and run it properly before investing in the NoahLink Wireless. You can do simulations inside Genie 2 without actually having to connect to your More for real, hence no need for the NoahLink Wireless just to do simulations.
Below is a link to a thread where the ConnectClip weak audio volume issue is discussed, starting from the post there.
Thank you immensely for your help. I don’t doubt I’ll be able to run the software at least.