Poor streaming audio quality : Starkey Halo better than Linx2?

Hearing Aids
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#1

Hey guys!
About myself: I dont have any hearing loss but due to an acoustic trauma a high pitch tinnitus. Over the years the best option to cope has become playing soothing sounds over the app “relax melodies”, using only one earpiece. To have that as an option in any social situation (so decent) is my goal, so people dont think I am constantly listenting to music while talking to them. I have focussed on the Linx2 (model5). Mind you, I basically only use them as a hidden mp3 behind the ear headphone. I got an Ipod and stream the app sounds over bluetooth.

I have to say, the sound is very tinny. After reading quite some threads (forgive me I cant possibly go through each single one) here I realized I am not alone with this criticism, however it was never fully resolved what to do, or if the current Halo from Starkey does it better. Both questions, but especially the latter one, a comparison of the streaming sound quality between Halo and Linx2 would be appreciated. The resound EQ isnt really an option for me, since it doesnt seem to be available when using only one earpiece. I will try different domes, that should help a little. Since I read that some people actually use the Halo for music listening I assume they must be better- listening to music on the Linx2 seems impossible due to the poor sound quality over all frequencies.

I’ll try to get my hands on the Halo but I dont know yet if they are available in my hometown or around.

Regards, frank

#2

If you don’t have hearing loss, you might want to consider wireless earbuds such as the Bragi Dash instead of LiNX or Halo.

#3

Hey there!
Did consider those, but they dont seem as subtle or as comfortable as behind-the-ear. Plus, their battery life is about 4 hours, which wouldnt last for a work day.

#4

Adding a equalizer to the mix is a possibility. This would let you bias toward base. Apps do that but only to a degree. In domes, the least restricted are going to be tinny because the base escapes. A full dome will limit that at the cost of passing through outside sound. Your tinny remark is very common with all brands of aids. Most of speech is between 500 and 5Khz.

#5

Hey there! Got bigger domes, and as you predicted they are closing out a lot and I hear myself talking and breathing like I have a finger in my ear.
Sound quality is a lot better, but still not as good as I would wish for.
I wanted something that is between those domes and the least restrictive I had before, but I wasnt able to get it on such short notice, honestly I dont know if it would be a good compromise.
I am still trying to get my hands on some Starkey Halos at a shop, shouldnt take that long to figure out whether they do have a better streaming sound than the linx2, comparing them with same setup.

#6

Just found this link, seems to address the issue and makes me wonder: http://www.starkey.com/blog/2014/08/wireless-streaming-never-sounded-soooooo-good

— Updated —

Just found this link, seems to address the issue and makes me wonder: http://www.starkey.com/blog/2014/08/wireless-streaming-never-sounded-soooooo-good

#7

post your audiogram.

#8

Hi!
I dont have a significant hearing loss, at least I dont notice anything and the audiogramm seems to be ok for my age. If it helps I can of course upload it here.
I need the hearing aid to stream relaxing sounds to cope better with my tinnitus. After more than 2 years it just turned out to be the most effective strategy and I am willing to pay the price to have a subtle device that I can wear in any situtation without people wondering or being irritated while I am constantly “listening to music”.
By the way, I only wear a hearing aid/ inear on one side, it’s the most convenient way for me in terms of hearing normal sounds around me while also have soothing sounds (high frequency) from the audiostream.

Do you mean the Oticon Opn are better at streaming audio in terms of sound quality? Thanks for the tip anyway, will see if I can find more on them and maybe get my hands on them, I didnt know Oticon offered mfi too.
edit: just realized they are yet to hit the market, I hope there will be some reviews on them soon.

#9

Not having a significant loss usually means open fit domes. That doesn’t give the quality that ear buds do. Low frequencies are weakened in the linkage. Power domes eliminate the seepage from less occluded domes. You can get a program that will alleviate that somewhat for listening. There are tinnitus apps from all the major companies that work with any phone. You can try them all and use the ones help most.

#10

Many hearing aids have a Tinnitus program in them (including the Linx2) that is specifically made to mask tinnitus. Turning that on could give you constant relief without the need to stream. Your Audiologist can even tune it exactly to mask you Tinnitus.

— Updated —

Many hearing aids have a Tinnitus program in them (including the Linx2) that is specifically made to mask tinnitus. Turning that on could give you constant relief without the need to stream. Your Audiologist can even tune it exactly to mask you Tinnitus.

#11

Hi!
I tested the “natural sounds”-program that is integrated in the Linx2. It wasnt for me, I have a high pitch hissing tinnitus which the preinstalled sounds dont mask or make any less annoying. Generally the natural sounds seem like the normal noiser sounds, just in a crescendo/decrescendo-programming to sound like ocean waves for instance.
The bass boost function, resp. the option to change the EQ-Settings for streaming audio in the Linx2, unfortunately didnt do a magic trick. The sound may have improved somewhat, but only marginally, I couldnt tell a difference to be honest.
Still wondering if the Halo or the OPN will be better concerning audio streaming quality, will be back when/if I can comment on that at some point in the next weeks/months.

Regards

#12

So, I am trying to compare audio streaming quality of the Halo i70 vs the Resound linx2 now since I have them both here for testing. Cant really make out an obvious difference yet since they are probably not too far apart. Though it seems to me the Halo are in fact a little better. The trulink app offers a stream boost function which boosts the volume, in fact there are 3 options (normal,trulink,streamboost) which in that order offer an ascending volume boost (I cant hear another difference). I think this can be a major advantage in some cases where the maximum volume of the phone/tablet/ipod is just too low still. That being said, “normal” can be so quiet that you hardly hear anything, depending on the app for streaming.
The resound smart app offers dedicated bass and treble faders but no volume boost. It’s hard to definetly say the Halo offer better quality, but in the sound tests I made so far it seems to me the Halo sound a little clearer with less clipping in the high frequencies. If anyone has an advice for a good method to test more objectively, I’ll be happy to try it. I’ll try more audio sources where it may become more obvious if there are differences.
On another note, I used to have sound issues with the halo at first, the bluetooth didnt really cut out, but every other minute the sound would be “torn” for 2-3 seconds which can be annoying if you stream at lengths. That didnt occur later again, yet bluetooth of the halo and the linx2 sometimes cuts out even though the source is very close. But it doesnt happen regularly or often. I sometimes notice it when walking or in heavy wind, although I cant say whether that is purely coincidence.
I want to like the resound more, merely for the much lesser size, thus it being more comfy, but so far the Halo is ahead for the stream boost and the perceived slight advantage in sound quality when streaming. Hopefully, more to come.

Regards

#13

When the Resound is streaming you should see that stream on your volume screen where it can be adjusted. The phone clip + also has volume adjustments for streaming and can mute processing the area as can the app.

#14

Hi Ken!
Where would that option be?
I dont have any other volume options than the global ones. When they are maxxed out, that’s it. I dont see a specific volume option for the stream.
In direct comparison the Halo can tuned louder with the stream boost option in the trulink app. Unless there is a hidden volume option that I have yet to find.
About the phone clip, I dont have it. The redundance of a 3rd device to stream was the reason to go for the Linx2 and the Halo.
Regards

#15

When you are streaming the volume setting adds a channel for streaming. This is adjustable. If you set it to separate l/r controls, there will be two streaming channels shown. Under the streams is buttons that allows you to mute the outside sounds. The only thing a clip adds is a remote mic for true hands-free. Otherwise, both have the same ability with adjusting sounds.

— Updated —

When you are streaming the volume setting adds a channel for streaming. This is adjustable. If you set it to separate l/r controls, there will be two streaming channels shown. Under the streams is buttons that allows you to mute the outside sounds. The only thing a clip adds is a remote mic for true hands-free. Otherwise, both have the same ability with adjusting sounds.

#16

Hi Ken.
I use both an Iphone 5 and an Ipod TOuch 6. Neither of them has a dedicated streaming volume control, when I stream mp3 or other audio directly from the phone/ipod to the hearing aid. Neither in the iOS settings nor in the Resound smart app is a dedicated volume control for the streaming audio.
In the Resound smart app there is a section for streaming devices, but that is empty so I assume it refers only to streaming devices that need the phone clip.
The Ipod/Iphone is shown under programms.
Again, I dont have the phone clip, I dont know if there is a dedicated volume control for that when you use it to stream.
I am only referring to streaming direct audio from the Apple device via Bluetooth to the hearing aid.
In that case, there is only a global volume setting, and depending on the streaming app (mp3 player or something) another volume control inside that app. I use sound apps and they have an independent volume control.
But when I stream there is no other volume control popping up that lets me control streaming volume independently of the global iOS volume setting.
If you can provide a screenshot of what you are referring to, it would be helpful, cause then I can see whether or not you are talking about something else, or I am missing a function.

Regards