Oticon Real 1 - my experience

Hearing Aids
#6

EDIT: re sudden sounds, I ran the blender. The aids quickly reduced the volume, although it was still painfully loud. I didn’t try this with the Mores, but I think this is on par with how my old Phonaks handled loud noises.

I didn’t really notice an issue with the Mores in wind, so it’s hard to say. With the Reals, I went for a bike ride yesterday and had no problem either with wind sounds or with hearing my husband - we weren’t chatting much while biking but it still went well.

Sudden sounds are not really an issue in my environment. I’ll see how it goes next time I turn on the blender or the vacuum. I would say the change volume or change program “ding” sound in the app was quite loud and jarring but the audiologist lowered that for me.

We have coyotes in our area and they make an interesting yipping sound at night that is audible to my husband in our house. I always wondered what they sound like and finally heard then for the first time a couple of days ago. Really neat experience!

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#7

I’ll try that if it happens again - thanks!

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#8

There used to be a way of disabling the phone ringing in your aids but I cannot find it. The ringing was a feature added after I started wearing MFi aids 10 years ago.

#9

Settings-Accessibility-Hearing Devices-Play Ringtones. Leave the slider off to not have the phone ringing in your aids.

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#10

I definitely need some more coffee this morning. I looked at least twice and missed that.

#11

Interesting. I have the same issue with my ReSound Omnias and it happens about once a day. I’m not sure whether it involves “iPhone separation,” streaming, or using my Apple watch to turn the external mics on or off or otherwise remotely control the Smart 3D app on my iPhone. I’ve associated it (perhaps wrongly) with the upgrade to iOS 16.3.1, since I didn’t notice it before that update. After uninstalling the Smart 3D app, unpairing and repairing my HA’s, and reinstalling the Smart 3D app, often just force-killing and relaunching the Smart 3D app is enough to restore connectivity to the disconnected HA (which recently has usually been the right). Otherwise, just as for you, resetting the affected HA fixes the problem. The ReSound Omnia is a MFi hearing device. Other posters in this thread assume that you are an iPhone user. Is that so?

Threads related to my Omnia connectivity problem: iOS 16.3.1 and Connectivity Issues and Resound Omnia 9 battery problem - #5 by jim_lewis. Another user has had similar problems with a number of Omnias and the ReSound One on their iPhone also (see 2nd thread).

#12

I seem to have had fewer problems since I removed the Oticon Companion app.

#13

Thanks for your observations. I’m on the verge of jumping from Oticon OPN S1 to the Real 1 series mostly because this is the last time I can force my insurer to eat some of the bill in less than 5 years before I have to enter the 5-year cycle.

#14

I have the Signia AX7 aids. PEriodically the app fails to pair with bluetooth. However, when I go to my aids through the accsibility route, they are always indeed connected. Without having to turn anything off and then on, I’m able to control the aids perfectly this way.
This morning when the aids failed to connect in the app, I turned the phone off and then back on. Issue solved.
A signia rep once had me uninstall and re-download the app. that’s worked as well. But this happens frequently enough that I just go to accessibility etc. and do that. Eventually, somehow, the app starts to connect again.

#15

For my Omnia issue, any affected aid is always disconnected in the MFi Hearing Devices or the Ear widget for Hearing Devices in the Control Center (swipe down from the top of the right side of a screen on an iPhone).

#16

Do you find the app useful? I do not tend to use any app and some people find the aids stay connected better to the phone without the app.

#17

The app is a bit quicker to get to. I use it when it’s working. However, the Iphone ‘accesibility’ feature includes Live Listen, which the app doesn’t. I haven’t done much with this last function, but it indicates that the IPhone has more options for my aids than the Signia app. Which is bizarre, if you think about it.

The Signia app has had a two star rating forever. It sucks, essentially. If it merely managed to consistently connect, I’d be happy.

#18

Having more sounds available and your brain doing the filtering keeps your brain fit and research has shown that “loss of hearing” can have have a negative effect on the brain and could have a role in developing dementia.

4 Likes
#19

Thanks for this review. It’s very helpful. I’m trialing Phonak Lumity L90-RT and having a few issues so will be moving on to the Oticon Reals next.

A few quick questions:

a) Can you adjust the external volumes microphones separately when you are either on the phone or using BT to stream music, podcasts, TV, etc. The Lumitys don’t allow this external mic control except in a roundabout “mixer” type of approach which IMHO doesn’t work very well.

b) If you happen to have an iPhone, how would you rate the integration between iPhone and Reals? I realize Apple Watch support is not yet present but will hopefully be coming.

Thanks very much.

1 Like
#20

I currently have the More but am getting the Real. They are both made for iPhone so work very well. The Phonak aids just have basic Bluetooth classic pairing.

#21

Yeah, the Phonaks only work with nearly any bluetooth phone, tablet or computer out there. Pretty limited.

WH

#22

Thanks. Can you control the external microphones separately when doing streaming of phone calls, TV, podcasts, etc?

Lastly, do you know if a Mac will connect natively for bidirectional audio / video like a Zoom call or is intermediate device needed.

Thanks so much.

#23

You need a ConnectClip to connect to a MacBook but you can connect to an iPad directly.

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#24

I have not checked. I think the microphones are muted. If using a TV connector you likely can control the external microphone level. I know I could with my Rexton MFi aids.

#25

Ha ha.

Putting aside blue tooth levels and the like, I found the Lumity Apple integration a mixed bag. The native bidirectional access to Macs, iPads etc is awesome, but not being able to get to MyPhonak while on a call feels like a major miss. Similarly, I thought the “ambient control” mixing board approach was a poor substitute for controlling external mics. Lastly, a lot of us rely on Apple Watch for a range of activities which can’t integrate with the Lumitys.

As a former software product manager who understands how the sausage is made, I find it hard to understand how Phonak ignored all these requirements unless they made the determination their Lumity base technology and market position were so strong they could basically do whatever they wanted and still be highly profitable

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