Oticon OPN Reliability

[Volusiano]

The latest firmware that became available in June/July 2017 is version 4.0. The one before that was in Nov/Dec’16 and that was version 2.0. There was no version 3.0 released.

As far as I know, only iOS 9.5 (or is it 9.6?) and later can stream direct to the OPN. MacOS does not have the BLE protocol and therefore cannot stream directly to the OPN.

I use Skype on my Windows laptop for business calls using my OPN all the time. I just use my Plantronics Voyager Focus headset like usual for Skype. I wear my OPN inside of my ear (like in ) then I put my headset on my ear on top of the OPN. If you have a larger headset that goes over your ear (instead of just on top of your ear), then you can wear your OPN normally behind the ear and it would work just fine, too. Hopefully by the end of this year Oticon will come out with the ConnectClip 3.0 streamer and this will solve your problem with regular Bluetooth devices.

For watching video on your computer or your TV (where you don’t need a mic function to talk back), just connect your computer or TV into the Oticon TV Adapter 3.0 and you’ll get direct streaming into the OPN.

The current version of Bluetooth only supports a subset of BLE for control commands and not for full audio data transfer. BLE 5.0 (recently released as a standard) will support full audio data transfer, but the device mfgs have to support it first, then the HA mfgs have to support it next. That may be a few more years out.

You can’t really tell what firmware you’re running unless your OPN is hooked up to Genie 2. One way to guess is that if you have lots of connection and streaming issues between your OPN and the iPhone, and/or your OPN reboots randomly frequently, then most likely you’re still on the old firmware version 2.0. The newer firmware version 4.0 should be a lot more stable with very few random reboots and less connection and streaming issues between your OPN and the iPhone. When iOS 11 comes out in a couple of months, the remaining connection and streaming issues (if any) should go away for the most part.

In firmware 2.0, if calls don’t get through to the HAs, it’s probably because the HAs got disconnected from the iPhone randomly. This issue should go away after you update to firmware 4.0 on the OPN and to iOS 11 on your iPhone.

[blackmamba]

Nice thread .

I cannot really comment on the OPN since I only trialed for a week . When I did try to pair on the original setup I had to do a hard boot with my phone and then from there it worked . I remember clicks / pings at times but my memory is foggy on the rest .

Just a point . I know things are different now in that the Connect’s and Alta’s used and still use streamers . Dropped calls , missed calls , this and that and on and on were always / still a regular occurrence. Very frustrating in that you would of thought Oticon would of cleaned that up long ago . Also in 3 years I went trough 3 streamers so I’m certainly not sorry to see them gone gone gone and you would to .

I got to tell you and I almost feel like I’m promoting a brand but nothing can be further from the truth . I honestly don’t care what one chooses . I’ve had the Widex Beyonds for 10 days now . There was no hard reboot to pair phone with aids , not a single dropped call , not a single missed call , no reboots , no fading in and out , the phone and aids instantly connect when I turn these aids on and thus not a single complaint from me . They work seamlessly and to me that is downright shocking compared to what I have to deal with every day with my Alta’s . Oticon has had plenty of time . Too much time to get the bugs out. Get rid of the excuses and just get it done .

Anyway I return the Beyonds on Wednesday and guess what ? I don’t have a single complaint. Are they perfect ? No ! I’m always looking for the perfect hearing aid where I don’t miss a thing . That’s not happened and having worn aids for 8 years my expectations are tempered . Perfection is way too much ask for when it comes to anything let alone completely curing your hearing loss with aids .

Anyway keep up the good work and maybe just maybe Oticon will get it right .

[AlanM]

Nice thread .

I cannot really comment on the OPN since I only trialed for a week . When I did try to pair on the original setup I had to do a hard boot with my phone and then from there it worked . I remember clicks / pings at times but my memory is foggy on the rest .

Just a point . I know things are different now in that the Connect’s and Alta’s used and still use streamers . Dropped calls , missed calls , this and that and on and on were always / still a regular occurrence. Very frustrating in that you would of thought Oticon would of cleaned that up long ago . Also in 3 years I went trough 3 streamers so I’m certainly not sorry to see them gone gone gone and you would to .

I got to tell you and I almost feel like I’m promoting a brand but nothing can be further from the truth . I honestly don’t care what one chooses . I’ve had the Widex Beyonds for 10 days now . There was no hard reboot to pair phone with aids , not a single dropped call , not a single missed call , no reboots , no fading in and out , the phone and aids instantly connect when I turn these aids on and thus not a single complaint from me . They work seamlessly and to me that is downright shocking compared to what I have to deal with every day with my Alta’s . Oticon has had plenty of time . Too much time to get the bugs out. Get rid of the excuses and just get it done .

Anyway I return the Beyonds on Wednesday and guess what ? I don’t have a single complaint. Are they perfect ? No ! I’m always looking for the perfect hearing aid where I don’t miss a thing . That’s not happened and having worn aids for 8 years my expectations are tempered . Perfection is way too much ask for when it comes to anything let alone completely curing your hearing loss with aids .

Anyway keep up the good work and maybe just maybe Oticon will get it right .

If you liked the Beyonds so much, why will you return them?

[blackmamba]

I’ve had my Alta Pros for only 3 years . If I had them for 5 years or possibly 4 years it would be a given . If you purchased a pair of OPN today would it be your expectation to replace in 3 years ?

I trialed the OPN ( returned ) and Beyonds ( will be returned ) as a favour to my Audie who has no hearing issues . They would like to get some insight and sell both products . Your OPN / Beyond would not typically be some old geezer off the street .

[Volusiano]

Just want to post an update about the mic service warning check issue I originally reported. I was on travel so wasn’t able to send in the OPN for service / repair until about a month after the mic warning check chime started. The whole time before I sent it in, it continued to chime the warning almost every day and sometimes several times a day, especially when I was outside in humid weather.

It came back 2 weeks later after isn’t it in and they indicated that they replaced the unit although they didn’t say exactly what was replaced. The serial number is still the same. It hasn’t chimed the warning beeps anymore so far.

[Naftalim]

For watching video on your computer or your TV (where you don’t need a mic function to talk back), just connect your computer or TV into the Oticon TV Adapter 3.0 and you’ll get direct streaming into the OPN.

I understand the watching TV with the TV Streamer, but how would I connect this to my computer.?

[Gery_R]

after the firmware update I never so far had a reboot again, that is the tv adaptor only in my case, since no smart phone.

Filters seem to hold the advertised 6-8 weeks timetable.

I have to blow out some dust or other stuff out of the mics. It happened twice that some small particles did end up in my mic shaft and started to make the aids sound muffled.

Cords to power molds seem durable, no sign of any braking even though they had some stress on them.

So far each HA fell down twice from my hips to the floor, no problems.

Happy so far.

[Gery_R]

For watching video on your computer or your TV (where you don’t need a mic function to talk back), just connect your computer or TV into the Oticon TV Adapter 3.0 and you’ll get direct streaming into the OPN.

I understand the watching TV with the TV Streamer, but how would I connect this to my computer.?

Your pc should have analogue out, or toslink output, via onboard or soundcard. And you simply put that on the end of your TV adapter.

[Gery_R]

Just want to post an update about the mic service warning check issue I originally reported. I was on travel so wasn’t able to send in the OPN for service / repair until about a month after the mic warning check chime started. The whole time before I sent it in, it continued to chime the warning almost every day and sometimes several times a day, especially when I was outside in humid weather.

It came back 2 weeks later after isn’t it in and they indicated that they replaced the unit although they didn’t say exactly what was replaced. The serial number is still the same. It hasn’t chimed the warning beeps anymore so far.

I think you mentioned you don’t regularly change the filters, could that have been a problem? Also how often do you get your ear canal cleaned?

I had mine cleaned a week ago and my ENT said I should check in every 3 months for cleaning. And I will, since she really had to get out alot of stuff

[Volusiano]

For watching video on your computer or your TV (where you don’t need a mic function to talk back), just connect your computer or TV into the Oticon TV Adapter 3.0 and you’ll get direct streaming into the OPN.

I understand the watching TV with the TV Streamer, but how would I connect this to my computer.?

It depends on what kind of audio outputs most computers have. For laptops, they should all have a headphones jack (the mini plug?). The TV Adapter 3.0 comes with an adapter to connect to the headphones jack mini plug on one end, and the other end would connect to the RCA Left and Right cables, and the other ends of this RCA audio cable go into the TV Adapter.

[jsctro]

I’ve had the Oticon in-the-ear model Opn aids since October 2020. My audiologist has sent them back to the manufacturer FOUR TIMES now. Thankfully, they’re still under warranty, but just this week, the right hearing aid has started acting up, and I’ll probably have to send them back again. I’m really beginning to wonder about the reliability of this product.

[Volusiano]

Since yours is an ITE (in-the-ear) type, it’s harder to compare it in terms of reliability to something more popular like the mini-RITE (receiver-in-the-ear) model, because ITE types are more dependent on how much moisture it’s exposed to inside a person’s ear canal. If your ear canal has a high moisture content, the ITE OPN you have may be more susceptible to break-downs than normal.

I have the mini-RITE type and I would say that my OPN 1 reliability is probably just average. In the 5 years that I’ve owned mine, I’ve had to send one of them in for repair a couple of times. The first time was due to excessive moisture from sweating while wearing it and playing tennis. The second time was not due to moisture, just some kind of crackling that appeared all of a sudden. But right before my 3 year warranty was up, I made sure to have both of them replaced with brand new ones just to make sure I have a lower chance of failure from having brand new ones again. Then I became extra careful and never wear them while I’m sweating anymore.

[jsctro]

Thanks. That’s helpful.