That is my experience. ANY Bluetooth (no matter what claims are made) has some latency. The Phonak TV Connector has no (noticeable) latency as it is not Bluetooth. There are two models, one has volume buttons and the other one doesn’t.
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These are the differencies betweem the models:
https://forum.hearingtracker.com/uploads/short-url/wDNGYKxoN2RVNdjdQFL5EkkIlIH.pdf
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I have 2 (one for each TV) and there is very slight latency from Optical TV output. It’s nowhere near ¼ second, as lipsync still looks fine. I only notice it if the TV is turned up similar to the Connectors feed volume. I’ve not tried a 3.5mm analogue connection.
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I wouldn’t trust using my Phonak aids for something like this, due to Phonak’s default autoswitching. You can change everything to manual switching, but that’s a real PITA, you spend your time continuously pressing those buttons! In fact, from my gigging days (full band, so over 85dB), I found hearing aids generally problematic. As said above, the TV Connector uses “airstream”, and is pretty short range too.
Peter
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I can tell you the Phonak tv transmitter has zero perceptible latency when used with the L90. I think that with any other setup you will have some latency. Do you know for sure the audio out port has no latency compared to the speaker connections?
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Thank you all for your kind and generous responses.
Yes. The mixer is analog, and has 3 outputs, which are all completely synchronized; mains, monitor, and headphones.
There are 12 channels in the mixer, we normally use 10. I can put each channel into the headphones with the push of a button, one for each channel strip.
My thinking is that I can put only the backing tracks and my vocal mic into the aids and hear what I need to hear better. I might also add my guitar or synth channel, it’ll be trial and error.
I should still be able to have the aids working between songs so I’m not isolated from the rest of the world.
It seems when I put my aids into one of the apps on the phone other than automatic, it stays there. I’ve re-equalized the music app and saved it as Music1 that might work.
The 15w monitor will definitely stay on stage for a while, as I give the aids a try in the different venues that we perform in.
During the winter tourist season, we play 3 times a week at an outdoor restaurant/bar adjacent to the ocean and public beach. We also do 2 times a month at a huge 900 space RV Resort that is 2/3 filled with French Canadians (great audience).
Being outdoors helps, because the sound pressure levels on ‘stage’ are easy to control and limit. But sometimes the audience noise masks what is coming out of the monitor. I think if it’s in the aids, it’ll be easier to hear without cranking up the volume.
The rest are private party gigs, retirement communities, yacht clubs, country clubs and so on. These gigs haven’t come back in full force since COVID reared its ugly tentacles, but it’s starting to pick up again.
I’m only 77, I’ve spent most of my life doing music and nothing but music, and I don’t want to stop. It’s the most fun I can have with my clothes on.
I’ve been in this duo with the woman who eventually became my wife since 1985, and we have a large following. Our ‘fans’ are more than audience members, many of them are friends.
Someday, this will be over, and I want to put that day off for as long as possible. Enjoying each and every day to the fullest is important to me.
Bob
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I found the tech support number for Phonak, and “Cindy” (I’m sure an English name for an Asian girl) said there is no noticeable latency in the TV connector. So I am definitely going that route.
Has anyone ever bought a refurbished one?
Has anyone done business with this Ebay seller?
There are other Ebay sellers selling open box and/or refurbished.
The reason I am asking is this. I if the refurbished one, and 1/3 the cost actually doesn’t work for what I need, I’m only out $90 instead of around $300.
Thanks.
Bob
I bought a “refurbished” V2 from ebay seller refurb_hearing almost two years ago. Also got a dock for my Roger On from them. No issues. Used that connector this morning on my computer for a telecon. Would buy again if I needed something.
WH
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OK, I bit the bullet and got a refurb from eBay with a >99% seller rating.
It should come by the end of the week, according to the receipt.
I’ll let you all know how it works.
Thanks again for all your responses.
Bob
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I have a related but slightly different issue with my Phonak Slim Lumity 90 aids. When paired with my HP Pro Book they reproduce audio superbly when on video conferencing or watching You Tube clips, but when I attempt to listen to an MP3 file via the VLC media player installed on my laptop, the Bluetooth connection cuts in and out repeatedly making it impossible to follow the recorded conversation.
Has anyone else experienced this problem and if so, is there a readily available fix?
Same computer? If not, that’s the first thing I would check. Using YouTube clips on the second computer.
OK the TV connect is shipped UPS ground and is supposed to be here before the end of the month.
My audi updated the app on my android, and I have new tools to use, compression, and a few others. I tried some noise reduction and top down compression on my Music program, saved it as a duplicate, and I can hear the small monitor better.
When I get the TV Connector, I’ll report and let you know how it’s working.
Bob
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Shipping delay (Ho! Ho! Ho!). I guess it’s that time of the year. Of course, like a child waiting for a new toy, I’m impatient, but I have no choice but to wait. December 1 is the new arrival date.
BTW I’ve done more customizing on the music program, I’ve put the bass up a notch, background noise down, compressed louder peaks, and set the voice recognition to almost straight ahead.
I can hear the music in my small 15watt monitor much better than I could with my 6-year-old Oticons.
As soon as I get it in my greedy little hands, I’ll post a report.
Bob
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I would buy a TV connector for my Phonaks, but the problem is that my housemembers listen to the same TV using Bluetooth-connected speakers, which would produce a very annoying echo for me. So my solution here is to use a cheap, separate Bluetooth transmitter for my HAs, and delay the audio for the speakers using a Lindy Lip Sync Corrector device. These are not very cheap (~70$) but they give me the flexibility I need.
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I have the opposite situation.
Most of the people in the room are listening to non-delayed audio. So I need something that is in sync with them. Plus I have to play sax, guitar, flute, windsynth, and/or sing to the music as well.
I hope the TV connector works for me. Time will tell.
So far, no additional delays have been reported.
I use the TV streamer with my P70s and only if I decrease de sound to a point that I hear the audio from the TV that my wife listens to then there is a VERY small delay, one could just get used to it, Resound has a steamer to that I trialed and it has a adjustment to deal with the delay in either direction, to bad Phonak did not incorporate that since its not new tech.
Thanks.
That concerns me.
Since I have to play/sing along with it, I’ll see how long the delay is.
If it works, it’ll be great, if not, I gave it a try.
It’s milliseconds so shouldn’t be too much of an issue. I really have to pay attention to hear it.
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I’d say the latecy is no more than a wireless guitar transmitter, so should affect you at all
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Thanks.
I believe if the drummer is 6 feet behind the band, it’s a few milliseconds, and I’ve dealt with that, without even noticing it.
If I remember correctly it’s somewhere around 5-6ms depending on air temperature. If the TV Connector is in that area, I’ll have no problem.
I ordered it on November 20, and now it’s due December 1, eleven days later. It’s an exercise in patience. I feel like a kid, waiting for Christmas. 
If UPS doesn’t delay again it’s TV minus 2 and counting.
But in the long run, that’ll be a blink of an eye.
I like the Phonaks much better than the Oticons for music. Since I have an Android phone, the Phonak app lets me customize the music and other settings. I can’t use an iPhone because of another project that I do, writing music for an auto-accompaniment app. It’s MS oriented, and Apple doesn’t play well with others.
I’m tweaking the Music settings for my 15w monitor now, and saving it by another name, so as not to overwrite the original music setting. I will probably create another one for the TV Connector.
I’m 77 years old, still gigging 3-5 days per week in the tourist season, and want to extend my gigging days as long as I can. My first paying job was when I was in junior high school, I’ve been a musician all my life, and it’s still the most fun I can have with my clothes on.
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The TV connect arrived late last night.
We had a morning gig, so I didn’t try it out on the job. I’ll give a full report on that later. Probably Monday, as we have 2 more gigs this weekend, and I’ll try it on both.
First impressions…
I got home and plugged it into an identical mixer that I have in my home studio. I used the headphone jack.
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It paired instantly with my h-aids.
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There is not enough latency to notice.
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The sound is clear.
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On the connector there is a volume control. There is a bit of a lag between tapping the + or - and the volume going up or down. Same for the on/off control.
I also have a volume control on the mixer. Getting the two settings will have to wait until I get on the gig. I’ll start with the mixer’s headphone volume low.
On the Phonak phone app, when it goes from Automatic to TV Connector, the only control I have is the mix between the hearing aids and the sound from the TV Connector. That’s a nice feature.
I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t set the equalization and noise reduction, like I did on the Music setting, but I’ll find out on the gig if that is a problem or not.
If this works as well as or better than the 15w monitor, I’ll be a happy camper.
Bob
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