I have Phonak Audéo B-Direct hearing aids and they had no problem connecting to my Samsung Galaxy S7 which had Bluetooth 4.2. My new phone is the Samsung Galaxy S9 which had Bluetooth 5.0. The hearing aids crackle on my end and on the caller end it sounds like I am in a tunnel and a whiny noise. I use the remote app and pair it by the insturctions. I deleted and reinstalled the app and paired and uppaired several times.
Anyone else have trouble?
Your problems have nothing to do with Bluetooth 5. Your phone might have a Bluetooth 5-capable radio but your hearing aids are connecting to it via classic Bluetooth just as your previous phone did.
This might be relevant? New Firmware Update Rolling Out for Galaxy S9+, Improves Call Quality and More
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Maybe some aspects of the BT 5 on the S9 are not as backward compatible to the BT 4.2 as Samsung would like to think.
I wonder how well other BT 4.2 compatible devices work on the S9.
It may also be that the Audeo B-Direct relies on some specific protocols in BT 4.2 that had become obsolete and not supported by the BT 5 standard anymore even for backward compatibility.
Maybe you should report your issue with Samsung support so they can investigate and fix the issue in a future firmware or OS update.
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I’ve had a helleva time finding reviews on how well (or poorly) the Phonak B-Direct HA work w. cell phones. I am on the phone a lot and have worn an over the ear BT headset for 10-12 years. Works perfectly w. my Phonaks in my ear got 6+ years ago.
I just did order the same audeo B-direct you have. AND my upper end 1 year old LG G6 uses the BT ver. 4.2 that you said worked well w. your S-7 phone.
I wonder if problem could be that the Phonak OS might need upgrading? HA mfrs. seem to be a few years behind when it comes to some tech. Example, the neck loop type BT connector (which I gave up on immediately) used an old USB charging plug that cell phones gave up on years before.
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The Direct is pretty recent. So I doubt they’ll change much for the first while if even possible considering size.
@1Bluejay has written here about some success and enjoyment from the Direct’s.
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Not to repeat myself too much, but I’ve had zero issues with streaming my Audeo B-Direct aid (LEFT ear only!) with my Samsung 6S. I just bought a Samsung 9 cell phone, which I’m in trial use with, and paired that up with my aids in about 1 minute flat.
FUNNY ASIDE: When I turned Bluetooth ON on the Samsung 9 cell phone, a list of about a dozen available devices showed up right off the bat - none of which were recognizable to me. One of the devices was a BTE icon, so I thought … could that be my Phonaks? Luckily, I was extra cautious, and removed both aids, opened the battery doors, laid them on the phone, and VOILA! In a second the L-Phonak appeared on the list!
LOL, I had a good guffaw wondering WHO among the few neighbors in my complex is wearing a HA?!? The blue jay? The black bear? That annoying woodpecker? At least I have my aids paired & working A-OK with the Samsung 9.
I had now problem pairing mine but the callers complain of poor sound quality on there end. I have the right ear for Bluetooth and sometimes there is crackling. I sent an email to my audiologist and she is checking with the company representatives to see what could be causing it. So no sound quality issues when you talk on the phone?
Do you use the TV connector? I use it and it works but the app keeps disconnecting without any interruption of the sound.
^^^ Yes, it appears that the sound is just FINE for others when I stream through my Samsung. I wonder if your situation could be related to the PHONE itself? Some folks here have mentioned problems with iPhones and streaming… Definitely explore all alternatives.
I use the TV connector without ANY problems whatsoever. How is it that, as you say, the app disconnects without any interruption of sound tho? I do find that if I wander in the house, the streaming will be interrupted (due to distance, signal blockage, etc.). But within the same general room as the TV unit, streaming is uninterrupted no matter where I stand.
I have experienced ONE niggling prob with my Phonak Audeo Bs: the LEFT aid (set up to stream phone calls) occasionally reboots all on its own. I have no forewarning as to when this will happen! A couple times it’s rebooted smack in the middle of a conversation with someone - VERRRRRRY irritating, as I stand there lookin’ dumb while the aids are beeping and bonging in start-up mode.
In the highly imperfect world of HAs, tho, I am happy as I can be for now with these Phonaks.